Intro to Calendars
Intro to Calendars
There are all kinds of ways to use CWS.
It Can be used as:
- 1-year Program
- A Weekly Supplement to Any Science Curriculum (Power Calendar)
- A Monthly Unit Study
Power Calendar 1x/week
Find the Power Calendar 1x/week below. It uses the website as an exciting one-day-a-week supplement for any science program.
Unit Studies of 4-8 weeks
Find the Unit Studies of 4-8 weeks below in the many options we give you.
Customizable Calendars
Find Customizable Calendars below.
Calendar General Info
These are ONLY for those using CWS as supplemental material for another science program.
If you are using CWS for your Core Science Curriculum, you must use the STUDENT MODULES. These may be found in the “Lesson Pages” for the Global Topics. Go to the top menu. Click “My Curriculum” . Select your Course. Download the Student Module. Follow along by clicking on any blue, hyper-linked text to go directly to the lesson.
SUPPLEMENT
Power Calendar 1x/week
Find the Power Calendar 1x/week below. It uses the website as an exciting one-day-a-week supplement for any science program.
Unit Studies of 4-8 weeks
Find the Unit Studies of 4-8 weeks below in the many options we give you.
Customizable Calendars
Find Customizable Calendars below.
The Power Calendar
The Power Calendar
The Power Calendar
1 Day/Week Enrichment Plan
32 Powerful Lessons
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Extras | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | FD CORE VIDS. 1-4 FT | FD MISC | FD GEN. LINKS 1 | FD BONES GD 1 | |
| Month 2 | FD CORE VIDS. 5-8 FT | FD MISC | FD UNIT LINKS 1 | FD BONES GD 2 | |
| Month 3 | SO CORE VIDS. 1-4 FT | FD MISC | SO GEN. LINKS 1 | FD BONES GD 3 | |
| Month 4 | SO CORE VIDS. 5-8 FT | FD MISC | SO UNIT LINKS 1 | FD BONES GD 4 | |
| Month 5 | FD CORE VIDS. 1-4 ST | SO MISC | FD GEN LINKS 2 | FD BONES GD 5 | |
| Month 6 | FD CORE VIDS. 5-8 ST | SO MISC | FD UNIT LINKS 2 | SO DIGGING DEEPER 1 | |
| Month 7 | SO CORE VIDS. 1-4 ST | SO MISC | SO GEN LINKS 2 | SO DIGGING DEEPER 2 | |
| Month 8 | SO CORE VIDS. 5-8 ST | SO MISC | SO UNIT LINKS 2 | SO DIGGING DEEPER 3-5 |
More Information (Click to Expand)
Add a powerful dose of God’s Deep Science once a week (or more) for this school year! And, with the OPTIONAL LESSONS at the bottom of this section, you can easily add another day a week for a year, if you desire.
BRINGING A BURST OF BLESSING!
Crosswired Science’s Global Topics can be used to bring a great burst of God’s blessing into any science program. You can dedicate 1 day a week to CrossWired Science and double what you’ll learn in a year. You’ll find below the calendar how it works.
Two Levels: Double Your Benefit!
CWS has two global topics at two levels–First Timers (FT) and Second Timers (ST). You can first do First Timers as the schedule above shows then do Second Timers to tackle things again at a deeper level. This will tremendously help to cement all into life-time memory. And, everything is packed with blessing so you can double the blessing you get out of our program.
Here’s how it works. The calendar is above.
8 Months: 32 Weeks of 1 Day/Week Lesson (or more!)
We are giving you one CWS lesson per week for the 8 month school year–32 lessons total. The lesson might be fun to have every Friday.
The lesson can be 1 or 1 1/2 or 2 hours long (or longer), depending on how you want to do Books, Experiments, U-Choose, Research, and Reinforcement.
Filling an Entire Year
BTW: There is really no limit to how much you can do in these 5 areas–Books, Experiments, U-Choose, Research, and Reinforcement. You could fill an entire year of science. Our intent is to begin offering more CWS Global Topics this year and in the years coming. You could just add these CWS lessons as they are available and fill in the gaps with the enrichment activities we have …or use CWS strictly as a 1-day a week supplement.
1 Core Video Lesson Per Month (8 Lessons/year)
There are 8 Core Videos (CV) in each Global Topic. You can first do First Timers as the schedule below shows and then do Second Timers to tackle things again at a deeper level. This will tremendously help to cement all into life-time memory.
Do 4 core videos each lesson and add in Devotions and Reading to fill up the hour if there is extra time.
1 Link Lesson Per Month (8 Lessons/year)
CWS has two lessons in each Global Topic dealing with Links: General Links and Unit Links. Unit Links deal with the Global Topic and General Links deal with all things fascinating.
Watch links for 45 minutes to an hour one time a month. By the end of the year, watch each of the best links twice. Make the first time through just for pleasure, and the second time through require a few interesting facts for each Link.
Watching each Link twice tremendously increases retention. In the Master Plan for CWS, we actually have students watching the best Links on the web 4-6 times over 8 years, and we require more material mastered each time through. We want fantastic information remembered for a lifetime.
1 Miscellaneous Lessons Per Month (8 Lessons/year)
We have MANY options to fill another day a month.
In Experiments, Reinforcement, Research and U-choose there is a mountain of possibilities. As we mentioned above…these could easily fill 4 days a week for a year.
The suggestion we are suggesting for the calendar, though, is this:
8 Experiments / 8 Reinforcements / 8 Research / 8 U-choose.
We are just listing the lesson as “MISC” in the Power Calendar, so you’ll be able to record your own plan.
1 Gold Dig/Digging Deeper Lesson Per Month (8 Lessons/year)
Gold Digs are a fascinating topic not related to the Global Topic being studied. The Bones Gold Digs (found in Fluid Dynamics) are extensive and packed with information! Many students enjoy having 2 hours to complete each one.
Sound has 5 Digging Deepers related to Sound. We can only give 3 lessons to these (because we run out of weeks) so they have to be squeezed to fit. Squeezing will probably take most students 2 hours per lesson.
Remember that you can always tack on a Thursday lesson day to double the amount of time you have.
Optional Reading Lessons: (8 Lessons/year)
These optional lessons are given because of two reasons:
1. Gold Dig and Digging Deeper lessons might be too hard for some, so a substituted lesson is needed.
2. Some families may want to use CWS for 2 days a week.
Reading is considered a 1 hour lesson. There are 5 Reading lessons per Global Topic on both the First Timers and the Second Timers. These may be substituted for any of the lesson suggestions above or be added as second CWS day lessons for the entire year. (The “Lesson Squares” in 2 Global Topics together number 20…but it is easy to add days of Reading.)
The biographies we list in the book lessons are a wonderful addition to any Science curriculum. All Science curriculums including CWS have tidbits on great scientists, but the Benje biographies are an especially fun and meaningful addition. (We can’t recommend all their biographies enough!) We can’t, either, say it enthusiastically enough: Spend part of every school year reading godly Science Biographies. They add so much richness to a science curriculum!
Optional Experiment Lessons (8 Lessons/year)
Experiments may be assigned for another day a week for the entire year. Experiments can also be substituted for any of the lesson suggestions above. These may be substituted for any of the lesson suggestions above or be added as second CWS day lessons for the entire year.
Optional Field Trips Lessons (8 Lessons/year)
You can sub anything and slip in Field trips in its place. But, hey, you could sub out the entire year for one massive field trip like Teddy Roosevelt’s parents did when they combined a tour of Europe with a trip down the Nile. How fun!
Parents, we strongly encourage you to max out your special times with the kids when they are young (1-18). It’s fantastically beneficial to them and such a one-in-a-lifetime blessing to you as parents. A HUGE reason we do CWS the way we do is to make every effort to encourage parents to deeply enjoy God’s precious gift of children and to invest profusely!
Concentration Calendars
Concentration Calendars
CWS 1½ Month Calendar
| Mon. | Tues. | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | CORE VIDS. 1-2 pt.1U-CHOOSE 1 20-30m | CORE VIDS. 3-4 pt.1U-CHOOSE 2 20-30m | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 1 | GEN. LINKS 1 | READ 1 |
| Week 2 | CORE VIDS. 5-6 pt.1COLLECTION 1 20m | CORE VIDS. 7-8 pt.1RESEARCH 1 20m | RESEARCH 2 60m | UNIT LINKS 1 | READ 2 |
| Week 3 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 2 | GEN. LINKS 2 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 3 | COLLECTION 2 60m | READ 3 |
| Week 4 | CORE VIDS. 1-2 pt.2U-CHOOSE 3 30m | CORE VIDS. 1-2 pt.2U-CHOOSE 4 30m | GOLD DIGS/DD’s 4 | UNIT LINKS 2 | READ 4 |
| Week 5 | CORE VIDS. 5-6 pt.2REINFORCEMENT 1 30m | CORE VIDS. 7-8 pt.2REINFORCEMENT 2 30m | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 5 | Reinforcement 3 60m | READ 5 |
| Week 6 | EXPERIMENTS 1 | EXPERIMENTS 2 | GOLD DIGS / DD's.Catch Up | FIELD TRIPS | READ 6 |
More Information (Click to Expand)
For Upper Elementary –High School
This calendar can be used for upper Elementary through High School. The same schedule can be used for students of these varying ages. Just lower the required performance and lower the class times for younger students.
How 1 Month and 1 ½ Month Calendars Differ
This calendar is for one of the two Global Topics currently loaded on CrossWired Science.
This 6-week calendar adds 7 class sessions that the 1 month calendar doesn’t have. The is how these additional days are added.
1. Core Videos: It splits up the Core Videos to only two a day and gives an additional 60 minutes for both Reinforcement and Research. This helps some students in that it breaks up the tasks in the sessions more.
2. Catch-Up Lesson: It gives a Catch-up day for Digging Deepers and Gold Digs that is often needed by many students. (Without this extra class, students must complete each of the longer “Bones Gold Digs” in one class.)
3. Reading: It has 6 Reading days not 4. (Record the additional reading days in the 4th reading day.)
4. U-Choose: U-Choose is split up in 4 places. This is not extremely convenient, but if you chose–for now– a reading, audio or video resource like an audio drama, a series of fascinating videos or fantastic books or articles, these four spots can turn these lessons into great blessings that are very easy to plan for and very productive.
5. Devotions: Devotions can be sprinkled in anywhere. They are not too long.
CWS Lower Elementary Calendar
| Mon. | Tues. | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | CORE VIDS. 1-2 pt.1U-CHOOSE 1 20-30m | CORE VIDS. 3-4 pt.1U-CHOOSE 2 20-30m | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 1 | GEN. LINKS 1 | READ 1 |
| Week 2 | CORE VIDS. 5-6 pt.1COLLECTION 1 20m | CORE VIDS. 7-8 pt.1RESEARCH 1 20m | RESEARCH 2 60m | UNIT LINKS 1 | READ 2 |
| Week 3 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 2 | GEN. LINKS 2 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 3 | COLLECTION 2 60m | READ 3 |
| Week 4 | CORE VIDS. 1-2 pt.2U-CHOOSE 3 30m | CORE VIDS. 1-2 pt.2U-CHOOSE 4 30m | GOLD DIGS/DD’s 4 | UNIT LINKS 2 | READ 4 |
| Week 5 | CORE VIDS. 5-6 pt.2REINFORCEMENT 1 30m | CORE VIDS. 7-8 pt.2REINFORCEMENT 2 30m | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 5 | Reinforcement 3 60m | READ 5 |
| Week 6 | EXPERIMENTS 1 | EXPERIMENTS 2 | GOLD DIGS / DD's.Catch Up | FIELD TRIPS | READ 6 |
More Information (Click to Expand)
This calendar is for the little guys, the 4-8 year olds.
Academic Free-for-All
The basic truth about young general science instruction is that it’s a free-for-all. Everyone does it differently. Some do a stunning job in specific areas and do nothing in other areas, and some do a bad job in all areas. If you take the average 4-8 year old in the US or any other country, there’s usually a vast difference in what is in their heads about science…probably more so than any other subject.
Ah Freedom!
For this reason, we take full liberty to go wherever we feel like with the little’s. Our big object with them is to try and bring them into a fascinating journey and lay a tremendous foundation for further understanding. And that’s not all. It’s also to do it as much as possible with Mom and Dad because it is an incredible journey to share in together. We try to do this with both homeschool and classroom students. Fascinating, really fun, wild deep science as much as possible with Dad and mom is our motto.
For this reason we highly suggest using CWS materials together with many incredible resources.
No Calendar Needed
No calendar is needed for the little guys. Just slate 10-15 great hours a month and seize the moments for the glory of the Lord.
But…Be Ferocious!
While we say no formal plan is necessary, often a schedule is really, really wonderful because it helps to pull blessings off when everyone is tired and weary (which is often with Mom and Dad). And, it helps to carve time to do the very special and not leave it undone. Fail to plan; plan to fail is incredibly true. With stated goals every week, we’re givien a mission to accomplish for the glory of God and the blessing of our children and others.
Going into each week and each day with a plan gives strength to go for it when otherwise we might “veg” or be depressed or discouraged. And, the doing of the will of God brings incredible sweetness that might have been entirely missed.
For this reason we say, “Be a ferocious planner with incredible flexibility.” Elisabeth Elliott said, “In seeking the will of God, do the next thing”, i.e. Do the next obvious thing. We completely concur.
Be ferocious for the sake of your kids and others. Perseverance and completeness are hallmarks of faithfulness. And the Lord preserves and helps–not the perfect–but the faithful. –Psalms 31:23. Yes! We get really excited about that!
So, for those of you who love to schedule, here’s a proposed calendar. (It’s the same as the olders’ 1 1/2 month schedule.
“O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful…” –Psalms 31:23
Make it your memory verse this week. : )
The Plan
The calendar for littles will vary according to each family. Here are a few suggestions.
Core Videos
Talk a few minutes about them. Some of the littles will be able to take the quizzes and do the worksheets.
U-Choose
Check our many suggestions in the lesson or use your own.
Gold Digs or Digging Deepers
For the brave at heart, try to go over our pictures and explain them as you figure them out.
Or jump ship and dive into one of the many resources we suggest or ones you know of.
(Note: If you attack “Deep Science” as the children are younger and learn good techniques of teaching, you will be enormously more confident in Christ in the educational field as your children grow older. You will be a help to many and be used by the Lord to bring many blessings to your family and others.
For this reason, CWS is dedicated to helping its parents and associated teachers become acquainted with extremely cutting-edge techniques and resources regarding teaching. “Everyone an incredible teacher” is one of our goals. It opens amazing doors for parents, children and teachers–and there is no end to what can be learned.
General & Unit Links
Try level 1 and 2 on the link lessons. There are some U tube channels and websites that have mountains of excellent teaching videos, too.
Read a Magazine or Book
Check the “Catch-All’s” below.
Collection
See the Collection Lesson or start any Science collection you can think of.
Research, Reinforcement, Experiments & Field Trips
See the lessons for loads of suggestions.
The “Catch All’s”
Book Pile
One of our favorites is to put a stack of well-illustrated books (Science with a mix of all else and fun books) next to little’s on the couch and have them read 30-45-60 minutes. Many littles can be trained to hit it for 60 minutes. By “Read” we mean flip the pages for the very littles and expect more from older’s. This tremendously builds attentiveness and concentration when implemented 3,4, or 5 times a week. And, this is desperately needed in this crazily-low attention span “Phone age”.
It’s fantastic to read with Dad or Mom, too, either in the day or night. Everyone likes to be read to, even those of us very older’s at CWS.
For the record:
5 Books a Day Exposes Kids by Kindergarten to 1.4 Million Words
A new study by Ohio State University has found that reading five books a day to your children exposes them to about 1.4 million more words by kindergarten than children who don’t have books read to them. THIS has an enormous impact–and it increases the ability to concentrate which is invaluable. Little things does steadily over a long time have HUGE benefits.
LOOOOOONG SCI-VIDEOS
There are many of Sci-videos you can purchase that are excellent. There are also many on the web to use. Check suggestions we give in various lessons such as U-Choose. There are also Sci-channels you can subscribe to like Awesome Science, Nations Geographic Kids, Ranger Rick and scads of great apps. We’ll be posting reviews on Sci-Apps in a few months.
We’ve been surprised at the number of very sci-smart 10 year olds who have seen a good amount of Sci videos and Sci-Channels and Sci-Apps.
While we always want kids to be readers, we can’t negate the great benefits of excellent science videos AND the nice reprieve mom can have while the kids are busy with them. It’s not easy being head of housekeeping, mom of all, teachers to many and wonderful wife. Breaks help enormously!
CWS 1 Month Calendar
| Mon. | Tues. | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | CORE VIDS. 1-4 pt.1 | CORE VIDS. 5-8 pt.1 | RESEARCH | GOLD DIGS / DD'S 1 | READ 1 |
| Week 2 | GEN. LINKS 1 | REINFORCEMENT | UNIT LINKS 1 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 2 | READ 2 |
| Week 3 | CORE VIDS. 1-4 pt.2 | U-CHOOSE | GEN. LINKS 2 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 3 | READ 3 |
| Week 4 | CORE VIDS. 5-8 pt.2 | UNIT LINKS 2 | EXPS 1 | EXPS 2 | READ 4 |
| Week 5 | Field Trips | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 4 | GOLD DIGS / DD’s 5 | CATCH UP or COLLECTION 1 | CATCH UP |
More Information (Click to Expand)
Why This Length
This calendar is for one of the two Global Topics currently loaded on CrossWired Science.
This 4+week calendar takes off 7 class sessions that the 1 1/2 month calendar has. Read the “Introduction” to the 1 1/2 Month Calendar if you desire to see how these additional days are added.
You can see here that this calendar is for 23 days not 20. This is because all but one month have 30 or 31 days. But, working with completed weeks may be better for your own planning. This is why we give the two make-up days at the end to make it an even 5 weeks. Besides, almost for certain, you will need them especially for the Gold Digs and Digging Deepers if you opt to do all in this calendar.
Customize-able
CWS is meant to be able to be customized for any family. If none of the calendars work for you, we have several blank ones.
The Greatest Need
The biggest thing day-by-day is to do what is best for your family. You, as the mom or dad, need to be blessed in the process of your homeschooling. It’s better to spend an hour together laughing and having fun than it is to spend that hour covering the best curriculum the world has to offer.
This is one HUGE reason why CWS is designed to be incredibly flexible. The is why one of our great goals is to cover–in as effective ways as we can–the needs of Science that greatly glorifies God and which gives a tremendous background in what we call “deep Science.” For wisdom to do this, we are completely dependent upon the Lord and cry out to Him for wisdom and help to do this every day.
Blank Calendar Downloads
CALENDAR QUICK TIPS
Here’s a quick break-out sheet that may give you a bird’s eye view of how a few things work. These directions are expanded in the “Directions” Button in every lesson at the top right of each lesson.
BTW: If you come up with things that are really helpful to you, please send us your ideas about calendars or anything else. We want to make a page that gives many suggestions. The way we see it, is we are all in this adventure together. We consider you a member of our team. We cherish suggestions, help, encouragements and prayers.
Remember, this too. A “God-plan” and turn a dull or dreary day into the best of days. No wonder Isaiah 32:8 says, “A noble man (or woman) plans noble plans, and by noble plans, he (or she) stands.”
Stands how? Stand blessed in the good and perfect creative will of God.
“Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” –Colossians 4:12
And, pray for us in this…we’re praying for you!
Quick Directions for Each Lesson
Quick Directions for Each Lesson
Week 1
Monday
CORE VIDEOS (CV) 1-4: Part 1
Worksheets or 10 “interestables”. (Then in Part 2 do the quizzes.)
or
Do quizzes for “First Timers”. Then in Part 2 , do “Second Timers”.
Tuesday
CORE VIDEOS (CV) 5-8: Part 1
Worksheets or 10 “interestables”. (Then in Part 2 do the quizzes.)
or
Do quizzes for “First Timers”. Then in Part 2 , do “Second Timers”.
Wednesday
RESEARCH
This lesson deepens the information presented anywhere in the Global Topic.
Thursday
GOLD DIGS or DIGGING DEEPERS 1
Do the worksheet one session then complete the quiz the second. Each week, overlap one Gold Dig or DD with the next using the worksheet to help complete the quiz.
Friday
READ MAGAZINE OR BOOK 1
Read according to plan recorded on plan sheet. These are printable in each Book lesson.
Week 2
Monday
GENERAL LINKS 1
These can be watched one day, then re-watched another day with 10 “Interestables” recorded and the 2 best starred. Or they can just be watched for enjoyment one time. We will come back to the best links later.
Tuesday
REINFORCEMENT
This lesson solidifies the information presented anywhere in the Global Topic.
Wedensday
UNIT LINKS 1
These can be watched one day, then re-watched another day with 10 “interestables” recorded and the 2 best starred. Or they can just be watched for enjoyment one time. We will come back to the best links later.
Thursday
GOLD DIGS or DIGGING DEEPERS 2
Do the worksheet one session then complete the quiz the second. Each week, overlap one Gold Dig or DD with the next using the worksheet to help complete the quiz.
Friday
READ MAGAZINE OR BOOK 2
Read according to plan recorded on plan sheet. These are printable in each Book lesson.on.
Week 3
Monday
CORE VIDEOS 1-4: Part 2
Do First Timer or Second Timer quiz.
Tuesday
U-CHOOSE
Choose what you want to do from the list provided in the lesson. The 1 1/2 month plan gives one more hour a month to do this.
Wedensday
GENERAL LINKS 2
These can be watched one day, then re-watched another day with 10 “interestables” recorded and the 2 best starred. Or they can just be watched for enjoyment one time. We will come back to the best links later.
Thursday
GOLD DIGS or DIGGING DEEPERS 3
Do the worksheet one session then complete the quiz the second. Each week, overlap one Gold Dig or DD with the next using the worksheet to help complete the quiz.
Friday
READ MAGAZINE OR BOOK 3
Read according to plan recorded on plan sheet. These are printable in each Book lesson.
Week 4
Monday
CORE VIDEOS 5-8: Part 2
Do First Timer or Second Timer quiz.
Tuesday
UNIT LINKS 2
These can be watched one day, then re-watched another day with 10 “interestables” recorded and the 2 best starred. Or they can just be watched for enjoyment one time. We will come back to the best links later.
Wedensday
EXPERIMENTS 1
Experiments do not have to be performed at the time of the Global Topic. You can have experiment days any time during the year or have an experiment Marathon once a year over 1 or 2 weeks 8 hours a day! We like these the best! Every topic will be reviewed often with the Merge Software we will be adding in the future and every Global Topic is revisited as your children grow older so experiments any time during the year is fine.
Thursday
EXPERIMENTS 2
Experiments do not have to be performed at the time of the Global Topic. You can have experiment days any time during the year or have an experiment Marathon once a year over 1 or 2 weeks 8 hours a day! We like these the best! Every Global Topic will be reviewed often with the Merge Software we will be adding in the future and every Global Topic is revisited as your children grow older so experiments any time during the year is fine.
Friday
READ MAGAZINE OR BOOK 4
Read according to plan recorded on plan sheet. These are printable in each Book lesson.
Week 5
Field Trips
Have fun with these! Do more than just one for every Global Topic
GOLD DIGS or DIGGING DEEPERS 4
Do the worksheet one session then complete the quiz the second. Each week, overlap one Gold Dig or DD with the next using the worksheet to help complete the quiz.
GOLD DIGS or DIGGING DEEPERS 5
Do the worksheet one session then complete the quiz the second. Each week, overlap one Gold Dig or DD with the next using the worksheet to help complete the quiz.
Catch Up
A collection can be done here or the Gold Digs or Digging Deepers can be done here–or whatever you like!
Catch Up
A collection can be done here or the Gold Digs or Digging Deepers can be done here–or whatever you like!