I recommend that all learners, regardless of age, begin at the very beginning and work through the lessons at a pace that allows them to understand and retain the concepts. The curriculum is designed to spiral, revisiting ideas while building deeper understanding.
Although the curriculum is organized into Years 1, 2, and 3, those labels are primarily intended for families beginning with young learners. There is also an accelerated schedule that combines the content from Years 1–3 into a single 30-week school year, allowing older students to build a strong scientific foundation without spending multiple years on introductory material.
Because each lesson builds on previous ones, I strongly recommend not skipping lessons. Missing a foundational concept can make later topics much more difficult to understand.
Many of the slideshows are narrated (I'm gradually adding narration to all of them!), but I don't recommend simply putting learners in front of the videos and walking away. This approach works best when it's interactive. Ask questions, encourage discussion, and help learners connect what they're learning to the world around them. For example, after a lesson about energy, point out examples of energy transformations in everyday life. These conversations reinforce learning and help the concepts stick.
I also highly recommend having a copy of Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) alongside this curriculum. While the lessons are designed to stand on their own, BFSU is an incredible resource for parents and educators who want a deeper explanation of the science or ideas for extending learning.
All course materials including presentations and worksheets are original works created by Selene at Rabbit Hole Learning LLC. All rights reserved.
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Get Started
Getting Started
Welcome to Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding! This class is inspired by Volume 1 of Bernard Nebel's BFSU curriculum....
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Extra
Baloney Detection Kit
This lesson was pulled from the information in the orientation to using BFSU. It is an important lesson of detecting fallacies in science...
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Lesson 31
Matter vs Energy
Learners put together everything they have covered about matter and energy and arrive at the definitive test for telling them apart....
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Lesson 32
Identification of Living Things
Learners develop the skills of a field naturalist, discovering that scientific identification is a careful, evidence-based process...
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Lesson 33
Air Pressure
Learners discover what air pressure is at the particle level and why it shapes so much of everyday life. Students have already...
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Lesson 34
Why Plants and Animals Live Where They Do
Learners investigate the concept of habitat by asking why each plant and animal lives where it does. Students connect environmental...
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Lesson 35
Day, Night, and Earth's Rotation
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Lesson 36
Compass Directions
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Week 37
Pressure Inside and Outside
Learners investigate what happens when the air pressure on one side of a surface differs from the pressure on the other side. Students...
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Lesson 38
Properties of Magnets
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Lesson 39
Maps and Real-World Directions
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Week 40
Vacuums and Suction
Learners investigate what a vacuum actually is and how it behaves, discovering that a vacuum is not a force that pulls but simply a...