We were given the great opportunity to review Digital Science Online: Secondary Edition (Grades 6-12) from Visual Learning Systems. They also offer an Elementary Edition for grades K-5th.
What is Digital Science Online?
This is an online annual subscription service that offers K-12 students and teachers 24/7 access to numerous science videos {250 videos! available in English, Spanish, and closed-caption}, great science images, short animations, student video quizzes, and in depth science worksheets.
You can also purchase individual “Digital Bundles” if you want to study just one science topic.
Elementary Edition for grades K-5th Units
- physical
- earth
- life
- health
- biology
Each unit is packed with numerous chapters. What is really nice is that you can pick and choose which chapters to review from the unit or simply watch the whole unit. You can watch on a desktop, laptop, or idevice. Streaming to the television is available, but I forgot to do it.
How we used Digital Science Online: Secondary Edition (Grades 6-12):
Since we already have been using a science curriculum for the year we decided to utilize Digital Science Online’s great videos and quality images for this review. After a science lesson (and sometimes after a popular animated science tv show) we would hop online together and search for what we had just learned. This was a great opportunity to review, follow up, and reinforce our science lessons.
The information was so thorough we decided to stat using units as a whole.
Classifying Animals unit:
- 10 video chapters
- 1 video animation (explaining bilateral symmetry)
- 1 3-minute video quiz
- 14 images with explanations
- 6 student activities
- teacher’s guide
Classifying Animals Teacher’s Guide consists of:
- 15 learning objectives
- student activities (worksheets)
- video script (for each chapter).
Classifying Animals Student Activities included:
- Preliminary Assessment
- Video Review
- Post Assessment
- Classification of Animals
- Vertebrate Classification
- Vocabulary of Classifying Animals.
Each pdf is 1-3 pages with black and white clear images. I really love this because it does not take a chunk out of my color ink!
Benefits for different learners:
Digital Science Online is not just for visual learners. My tactile and auditory boys kept wanting to do more and more. This resource is engaging and extremely thorough. The only complaint my 12 yr old made, “the music is a little goofy”.
Benefits for teachers:
I was extremely impressed with how many different science “topics” Digital Science Online offers. I can not rave about how user friendly and easy to navigate the site design. The pages are very clean with no distractions.
The search option is perfect if you are uncertain with what to start out trying. Simply click on any topic and a description pages shares which grades the topic applies to, how long the videos lasts, and buying options for that specific digital bundle.
I believe this is a great resource for 4 reasons:
- thorough units
- user friendly
- printer friendly
- perfect for visual, auditory, and tactile learners.
Usually with online curriculum I have discovered it has missing pieces. I either have to find other resources, information, or create the worksheets myself. I do not see any holes with Elementary Edition for grades K-5th.
Wanna give it a spin? Fill out their form to try a free trial!
What you may appreciate most is that Visual Learning Systems has Special Pricing for Homeschoolers!!
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Stef Layton is a homeschool mom to two energetic boys. They spend their time outside in sunny Florida or field tripping to see it all in person. Stef shares these adventures and hands-on learning activities on Instagram and Twitter.
