ScienceFusion Engages Students - Homeschooling Articles - Homeschool.com

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New! ScienceFusion Engages Students with an Interactive Worktext and Digital Curriculum

"Turn off the television!"

"Put away that video game!"

August 18, 2011

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Teaching several different subjects to multiple children is hard enough, and it hasn't gotten any easier now that children have their own set of distractions to keep them from concentrating on their studies. With children becoming more accustomed to cell phones, social media, and graphics-rich videos, the challenge of sitting down for an hour-long lesson with a textbook can be pretty daunting. How can you make your lessons meaningful and relevant for students who have grown up in such a different world?

The first step is to recognize that these new devices can enrich and accelerate learning. When children have their attention focused on a cell phone or a video screen, they are not just zoning out. They are digesting information, and they are becoming engaged.

Research has shown that modern students learn in fundamentally different ways than their predecessors. The way they read and study is heavily influenced by their entertainment patterns. Digital natives, or children who have grown up primarily in the 21st century, are likely to read texts like they read a magazine. They look first at pictures, then at bolded text, and then at content text, and they derive most of their information from the visual elements.

Think about the way a traditional textbook is set up. The page is dominated by text and highlighted by a few images or callouts. This format appeals strongly to left-brain learners. For a textbook to appeal to both left-brain and right-brain learners, it should include more visuals and offer interactive activities to engage the right side of the brain.

Introducing ScienceFusion: New Energy for Science
ScienceFusion, the newest science program from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is perfect for today's students and appeals to both left-brain and right-brain learners. This revolutionary science program incorporates the latest scientific research into a user-friendly program that presents information through interactive worktexts and a feature-filled online curriculum.

While other programs offer a textbook that may be accompanied by online content mirroring the book, ScienceFusion gives students truly integrated lessons.

Lessons begin with questions that encourage students to think actively throughout their reading.
Pertinent information is presented in a visually appealing manner.
Online multimedia content gets students excited about science.
Application and extension activities throughout the lesson ensure that students develop a true understanding of scientific concepts.

ScienceFusion is especially appropriate for students who wish to pursue careers in science and technology.

Program Components
For homeschoolers, ScienceFusion is available in kits that include both print and online components that offer students multiple ways to learn and apply concepts. The Student Edition worktext challenges students to ask questions and think critically by walking them through the steps of Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate. The Online Student Interactive Digital Curriculum augments the printed lesson with hundreds of additional activities. The Teacher Digital Management Center allows parents to teach, assess, and track the process of their students. The program's online resources can be easily viewed and downloaded, and all quizzes and test are taken online and are automatically scored.

The Digital Curriculum makes science concepts come alive through exciting videos, helpful animations, and virtual labs.

Available for Grades K-8
ScienceFusion is available in grade level kits consisting of an Interactive Worktext, Online Student Interactive Digital Curriculum, and Online Teacher Digital Management Center. For grades K-5, all the materials for one year of study are included in the homeschool kit. The curriculum for grades 6-8 is split into 11 modules, each covering a key life, earth, or physical science topic. The modules are independent of each other, and three or four modules can be covered in one year. Here is a listing of the middle grades modules:

Cells and Heredity
The Diversity of Living Things
The Human Body
Ecology and the Environment
The Dynamic Earth
Earth's Water and Atmosphere
Space Science
Matter and Energy
Motion, Forces, and Energy
Sound and Light
Introduction to Science and Technology

Explore ScienceFusion
If you want to preview ScienceFusion, you don't need to wait for the next homeschool conference. There is a wealth of resources online for you to become more familiar with the program. You can preview the online curriculum, sample a virtual lab, or place an order.