To order Upper School Courses (students ages 11-adult) for home school use, click CTT Order Page Upper School.
To order Lower School Courses (students ages 9-10) for home school use, click CTT Order Page Lower School.
WELCOME TO
CONNECT THE THOUGHTS ™
Home School Science Courses
enter the 21st century!
Here are some SUCCESS STORIES from parents and students who have used CONNECT THE THOUGHTS science courses with great success!
My daughter has been studying the Connect the Thoughts curriculum for nearly 3 years. She is nearly done with the science courses and 2/3rds of the way through the history program. For me, this curriculum is a dream come true.
As a home schooling parent, it has become obvious to me that a good curriculum is the hub around which the successful home schooling program revolves. One can be a superb teacher and have an excellent relationship and great communication with a child, but with a weak curriculum, both parent and child soon become discouraged and frustrated. For the one and one-half years of home schooling we did prior to finding the Connect the Thoughts program, I was constantly searching for good books, materials and curricula. While there is a lot on the market, the majority of it, in my opinion, is poorly written, insufficiently researched or boring.
Connect the Thoughts is a home run. Not only has my daughter gained a basic college level understanding of the sciences including geology, oceanography, meteorology, biology, chemistry and physics and the entire time line of history, geography, government, religion, philosophy and art, but she can also think on her own, form her own conclusions and research any subject imaginable. She has become an independent student.
Additionally, the curriculum is so fascinating, our entire family is learning along with my daughter, including my 91 year-old mother-in-law, who lives with us and greatly enjoys the materials. She reads everything she can get her hands on. From Homer to Shakespeare and tidal waves to black holes, no stone is left unturned for Connect the Thoughts graduates who, I believe, will make a difference because they can understand problems and envision solutions. The Connect the Thoughts curriculum is making this world a better place.
My deepest appreciation to CTT for caring enough to research and author these amazing materials.
A.B., home schooling Mom
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A round of applause from all the parents and students who have had the good fortune to use his materials, which obviously required much time and great attention to detail to produce. I especially like the selection of DVDs and videos included in the courses, all of which I watch, along with my daughter, whom we are home schooling
In college, I read the book, Intelligent Life in the Universe, by Carl Sagan. It tells the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the formation of planets to the development of life. I used this book as a framework for the physics, chemistry and biology I studied in college and the science I have studied since. It all fits together into one grand story. I was thrilled to see the set of ten Carl Sagan videos in one of my daughter's courses. I watched them many times. I am so happy my daughter and I now share this understanding. This is just one of many examples of how the materials have enriched our lives.
I think it is very positive for my daughter to see her parents' great interest in the same materials she is studying. It gives her the idea that learning is a lifelong pursuit, not something limited to only the first years of life. To me, this is one of the most important things that can be accomplished in school.
Let's hear another round of applause!
J.B., Home schooling Dad
I thought I knew a lot about Geology already, but it turns out there was a lot more I still had to learn. What I love about the Geology study guide is that it really explains the material well. Nice and simple and right to the point. I also think CTT did a good job putting the study guide together. With "Geology, A Self-Teaching Guide" and seeing "Amazing Earth" again along with this study guide, really makes Geology a fun subject to learn and simple to understand.
I have just started Oceanography and I love it already! So thank you for the mind-pleasing information that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
H.B., 14 year-old home schooler
The “Connect The Thoughts” curriculum has produced a profound transformation in my son, from a typical semi-literate, bored teenager, to an articulate and truly literate student with whom one can carry on an intelligent conversation, but more importantly, one who can also express his own ideas and feelings in writing, in an eloquent and logical manner.
Of course, when one reviews the curriculum and sees the incredibly logical gradient approach to studying history (in an objective, unbiased way), you see how any student, at any grade level or age, could not help but become an ideal example of what it means to be an “educated person” in today’s society. I’m sure that there are college graduates who would greatly benefit from this curriculum of study, as well as adults of all ages!
Actually, this curriculum only helps further the evolution of our species.
S.J.Y., father
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TO ORDER LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES FROM CTT FOR 9-10 YEAR OLDS, PLEASE GO TO OUR Lower School Order Page
TO ORDER UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES FROM CTT FOR 11 YEAR OLDS THROUGH ADULTS, PLEASE GO TO OUR Upper School Order Page
TO ORDER OTHER COURSES FROM CTT, PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT
www.connectthethoughts.org
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THIS IS FOLLOWED BY SAMPLES FROM LOWER AND UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE BASICS COURSES, OUR STARTER SCIENCE COURSES. THEN WE'LL SHOW YOU AN EXCERPT FROM UPPER SCHOOL PHYSICS, AND A TEST FROM THAT COURSE, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW INTENSIVE THE MATERIALS BECOME.
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES
These are science courses for students, ages 11-adults.
These courses are intended to be done one hour a day, five days a week, until completed.
THE END RESULT OF CTT'S SCIENCE STUDIES IS A STUDENT CORRECTLY LOCATED IN SPACE. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE IN RELATION TO THE PLANET, AND THE UNIVERSE. THEY KNOW HOW THINGS FUNCTION IN THE UNIVERSE. The student understands science and its value today, and is using their knowledge and awareness to improve current conditions.
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES OVERVIEW
Science for Upper School is a three-four year program, comprised of eight courses. These cover science basics, biology, oceanography, meteorology (the study of weather and of the atmosphere), biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and space exploration, and a science review and project course. Again, these courses include many films and documentaries. Additionally, the student will perform literally hundreds of experiments and exercises, as the world he lives in, and the Universe which surrounds it, becomes increasingly comprehensible.
At the end of his science studies, the student will decide which area of science interests him, and following a step-by-step study guide, does a science project of their own. (In fact you, the parent, will not be allowed to assist! This is not a “science fair”. The student must study, come up with a thesis in his area of science, and an experiment to prove or disprove his thesis. The student, in short, will be functioning as a scientist!)
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE I - SCIENCE BASICS
The student is given a complete grounding in the essential principles of the Scientific Method and the Law of Cause and Effect, and develops the tools he will need to experience the adventure of science.
But the Upper School course goes into much more detail. The student is given an overview of science. The student is shown, through the information offered and by his own experience, that all science is based on the ability to categorize ideas and objects. He learns the difference between pure and applied science. He is shown the strengths and weaknesses of logic as a scientific tool. The student studies the principles of structure, form and function as methods of classification. Once these concepts have been thoroughly experienced by the student through many dozens of exercises, the student is ready to look at the “Tree” of science, and investigate its main branches; Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physics and Astronomy.
This course thoroughly sets up an Upper School student for their future studies in science, providing the needed tools to approach this sometimes daunting subject with authority and confidence.
Tests are provided after significant areas have been studied. Answer Guides come with the course, for the teacher’s use, as well as a teacher’s guide to assist teacher and student in this first approach to science. This course requires no additional materials.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 50-70 hours | $75.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE II - GEOLOGY
The first Upper School Earth Sciences course, Geology covers in a creative and complete manner all of the essentials of this subject. Built around the college level text, Geology, A Self-Teaching Guide (not included), and the documentary, Amazing Earth (not included), the student learns rapidly about such important concepts as how the planet came to be, plate tectonics, the mechanics of earthquakes and volcanic activity, the various sorts of materials in the Earth and how they differ from each other. Vital concepts in this area of study, such as erosion and weathering, radioactive dating, elements and isotopes, and the commercial uses that geological products and principles are put to, are also explored.
As in all the Connect The Thought courses, definitions are covered, then the written or viewed material are studied, and then many exercises and experiments are done to make this subject far more fun, interesting and useful for the student. An Upper School student should get this course done in a semester. A student must have completed Upper School Science Basics, before taking this course. Tests and answer guides provided. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost of Course | |
| 90-110 hours | $90.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE III - OCEANOGRAPHY
Intended to be done immediately after Geology, this course provides the student a thorough understanding of what oceans are, and how they function as a part of our planet. The mechanics of oceans, currents, waves, and tides are covered thoroughly. The structure of oceans is investigated. The life cycles and food chains of our global oceans are detailed graphically, with the aid of the eight documentaries entitled Blue Planet – Seas of Life (not included), which contain visual images certain to thrill and entice almost any student. The history of oceanography and underwater exploration is also explored.
This course makes good use of a book the student already has in his possession, Geology, A Self-Teaching Guide (not included). As with every Connect The Thoughts Course, all materials, including the documentaries, are broken into small sections with words carefully defined in the study guide, guaranteeing the student the optimum learning experience. Additionally, the course is filled with interesting and vital exercises, to provide the student a real sense of control over the subject and its particulars. Tests and Answer Guides provided. About ten weeks of study. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 50-65 hours | $60.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE IV - METEOROLOGY
The last Earth Science course for Upper School, Meteorology provides the final piece to the puzzle of the planet we live on. Having come to grips with our lands and seas, the student now conquers our atmosphere. Developed around The Idiot’s Guide to Weather (not included), written by an expert Meteorologist and working forecaster, the student masters an understanding of the mechanics of atmosphere, clouds, precipitation, storms of all sorts, cold and warm fronts…all of the elements that make our planet’s weather. The student develops skills which will allow him not only to thoroughly comprehend weather forecasts made by others…but to do some forecasting himself.
The result of having completed these Earth Science courses will be a student with a very firm grasp of what our planet is, why it is the way it is, and how it’s likely to change. Earth Science courses should be done back-to-back. This course will take about 10-14 weeks. Tests and answer guides provided. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 70-85 hours | $60.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE V - CHEMISTRY
What are the building blocks of the physical universe? What, per science, is matter? What is energy? How does matter and energy function? What is soil, water, air? What is gold, silver, uranium? What is an atom, how is one structured, and what do atoms do?
Chemistry is the study of the basic building blocks of the Physical Universe. This comprehensive course covers atomic theory in detail. It covers the various ways atoms bond to create all physical things. The course explains solids, liquids, gases, and kinetics. Detailed, but with practical and fun exercises which help make chemistry interesting and "real" for the student, and with the math of chemistry de-emphasized in favor of a conceptual understanding. A full semester. This course requires no additional materials.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 60-100 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE VI – BIOLOGY & HUMAN HEALTH
How does science define life? How do we differentiate between life forms? What are the needs of living creatures of all types, as we understand them? This course continues the trend in CTT Science courses of focusing on the easily observed in order to master scientific concepts important to our survival on this planet. In understanding the nature of life and ecosystems, the student takes a huge step toward understanding his own responsibilities in maintaining the planet and its systems. He also comes to an understanding of the history of this important science, and many of its most important concepts.
Also contained in this course is a significant component on human anatomy and health, including several wonderful and illustrative documentaries, broken down into easily studied and understood components, as with all our courses. Sex education is covered in this component, in a manner not too ridiculous or trying for the student. About a semester of study. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 65-100 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE VII - PHYSICS & SPACE EXPLORATION
Here are the rules of the physical universe per modern science, no more, no less. This is what the student learns in Science VII. What is gravity? What are energy, force, and mass? How does everything work?
A thorough view of the history of physics, teaching the student scientific laws which are in operation in the physical universe through fun and creative (and simple) exercises...with virtually no math. Einstein is thoroughly explained. A breakdown of quantum mechanics, quarks, and the newest theories gives the student an opportunity to understand much that is currently “cutting edge”. Also, there are many documentaries, each carefully broken down for words and concepts, and with many, many exercises, on the history of space exploration, and what science is currently doing to understand the universe. About a semester of study. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs. The student will need a telescope or binoculars to work with.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 85-105 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE VIII - SCIENCE PROJECT
The final science course. A thorough review of where science came from, and then a look at what science is doing right now. This is followed by three major science projects, two of which selected by the student from his own now extensive scientific studies and interests. Science is brought up to date, and made an immediate pursuit of the students. Completing this course, the student will KNOW he understands modern science, its history, what science is, what interests him about it, and what might be done tomorrow! This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 60-200 hours | $80.00 |
TO ORDER UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES FROM CTT FOR 11 YEAR OLDS THROUGH ADULTS, PLEASE GO TO OUR Upper School Order Page
LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES
These are science courses for students, ages 9-10, or older students with reading difficulties.
SCIENCE I - SCIENCE BASICS
What are the real basics of science? What would you want a young student to thoroughly understand before approaching the details of this most complex subject? What would be the skills and understandings a young student could develop which would make all his science studies to follow exciting and comprehensible?
After a thorough review of the subject, several basic principles and skills establish themselves as the keys to the kingdom of “the rational”. This course, written for Lower School students (ages 8-10) who read well, will hand your student the keys.
The essential skills of a scientist, upon which all science is understood and from which all science is derived, are carefully taught to the student via a series of important or key words; simple, tailor-made articles and exercises. The abilities to observe, to break a problem down to its component parts, and to reason out solutions are all developed.
A student is meticulously shown the two most important tools of science. These are the Scientific Method, and the one element of nature all science depends upon, the Law of Cause and Effect. These two concepts are illustrated to the student through a series of exercises and experiments the student does himself. The result of doing this course will be a student who understands the essence of science, its purpose and methodology, who is already confronting the subject, and who is ready to study science in earnest armed with the tools science itself uses to dissect and understand our universe.
Tests are provided after significant areas have been studied. Answer Guides come with the course, for the teacher’s use, as well as a teacher’s guide, to assist the teacher and student through this important, initial approach to science. This course requires no additional books or film.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 34-45 hours | $60.00 | |
SCIENCE II - EARTH SCIENCES
The second science course for lower school, this course covers the basics of Geology, Oceanography and Meteorology. Built around simple, inexpensive workbooks and brief articles, the student learns about what the Earth is made of, plate tectonics, types of rocks, earthquakes, volcanism, oceans, the water cycle, tides, currents, waves, ocean life, seasons, weather and climate…each with its own section of study and its own fun, illuminative exercises. This course should, along with Science Basics, take a young student one school semester to get through, at about 2-3 hours per week. This course has no required materials, except for the indicated exercise experiments.
As always, tests and answer guides are provided.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 40-55 hours | $60.00 | |
SCIENCE III - BIOLOGY
The third LS science course covers the basics of biology, from observation and categorization, to a basic understanding of human anatomy and health issues. At two-three hours per week, around a semester. Tests and answer guides are provided. This course has no required materials, except for the indicated exercise experiments.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 32-45 hours | $60.00 |
SCIENCE IV – PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY
The Fourth LS science course offers the student a beginning understanding of physics and astronomy. Such difficult ideas as matter, energy, space, time, force, solar systems, galaxies, planets, suns and stars are all covered, with a simple history of these sciences. This course has no required materials, except for the indicated exercise experiments.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 40-60 hours | $75.00 | |
SCIENCE V – LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE PROJECT
The Fifth and final LS science course offers the student the opportunity to do three science projects. In the process, the student is taught how to do thorough research, using various tools such as the internet, books, film, etc. The student also learns vital, indispensable techniques on how to write long and effective reports, preparing the student to transition into Upper School. This course has no required materials, except for the indicated exercise experiments.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 50-100 hours | $60.00 |
TO ORDER LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES FROM CTT FOR 9-10 YEAR OLDS, PLEASE GO TO OUR Lower School Order Page
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LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE BASICS
DATE: LESSON # 1:
1. FULLY UNDERSTAND AND USE IN SEVERAL SENTENCES:
Observation- Really looking at a thing.
Describing – Writing (or saying) what a thing looks like, what it feels like,
2. EXERCISE:
Pick one object, small enough for you to lift easily. Use something in your
Pick it up, and look at all of its sides. What does it look like? What does it feel
3. EXERCISE:
Have another person look over the same object. Let them sit next to it, look at it,
pick it up. Let them study it until they’re ready to write 25 words or more
Then, look at their description and at yours. Do both of you agree? Are there
anything? What have you learned about people, and how good they are at
To purchase Lower School Courses (for 9-10 year-olds, or those older students who struggle with reading), click here.
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UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE BASICS
DATE: LESSON # 23:
81. FULLY UNDERSTAND THE WORD:
Behaviors- The things the living creatures (or objects in
Invention- A tool or machine, created by Human Beings to
Environment- Everything around us which can directly effect
Horticulture- The study of growing and caring for plant life.
Animal Husbandry- The study of farm animals, and the best way
Medicine- The study of the effect of drugs on the human body, as
Botany- The study of plant life.
Zoology- The study of animal life.
Human Anatomy- The study of how the Human body is put
Biology- The study of life, what it is and how it works.
Subject- The object, item, person or animal being studied.
82. READ AND MAKE SURE YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND:
AN OVERVIEW OF SCIENCE- part two
Science began with things that were most easy to see. The oceans and
They began their studies with just a few tools…their eyes, ears,
The first science was born out of need. People have physical needs.
So the first science generally had to do with human beings and
Horticulture- The study of growing and caring for plant life.
Animal Husbandry- The study of farm animals, and the best way
Medicine- The study of the effect of drugs on the human body, as
These grew into:
Botany- The study of plant life.
Zoology- The study of animal life.
Human Anatomy- The study of how the Human body is put
Which eventually grew into:
Biology- The study of life.
All of this began simply by curious men, trying to improve their
DATE: LESSON # 24:
83. EXERCISE:
Look around. What in this space can directly effect you? (Don’t forget
84. EXERCISE:
Select a single object from your environment. Pick something you
85. EXERCISE:
(Note – Start this exercise, and continue the course. Keep records.)
Buy seeds for a flower or vegetable from a store. A small
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UPPER SCHOOL PHYSICS
DATE: LESSON # 7
27. EXERCISE:
Let’s do one of Galileo’s experiments on inertia. Get a tennis ball, and a board.
Roll the tennis ball up the board (or hill.) It will accelerate out of your hand,
Imagine setting the ball rolling in outer space. There would be nothing around
In your experiment, what force caused the ball to move upwards in the first
What force or forces do you believe caused it to move back down, and
28. EXERCISE:
Solve these problems, using d = vt, or a variation of this formula. Write down
A man walks five miles an hour for two hours. How far does he walk?
A man walks two miles an hour for six hours. How far does he walk?
A car goes 50 miles an hour for ten hours. How far does it go?
A man travels six miles in three hours. How fast did he walk, on average?
A man travels 20 miles in five hours. How fast did he walk, on average?
A car goes 100 miles in four hours. How fast did it go, on average?
A man walks 3 miles an hour and goes 18 miles. How long did he walk?
A man walks 2 miles an hour and goes ten miles. How long did he walk?
A car goes 40 miles an hour and goes 360 miles. How long did it go for?
(answers at end of course)
29. EXERCISE:
The first law of Planetary Motion states that each planet moves in an ellipse
Place a large piece of paper of a board, so it won’t move. Stick a strong tack
Get a pencil, and a piece of strong string. The string must be long enough to
DATE: LESSON # 8
30. EXERCISE:
To understand why the Earth has day and night, and how this is not caused by
Get a flashlight and a globe. Have a friend hold the flashlight in one place,
31. EXERCISE:
The second Law of Planetary Motion states that the line joining the Sun and
Do some research. Find out what day this year is perihelion, and what day is
two days. (This has nothing to do with the length of days, which are caused by
To purchase Upper School Courses (for 11 year-olds to adults), click here.
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FOLLOWING IS A SAMPLE TEST ANSWER GUIDE FROM UPPER SCHOOL PHYSICS: (The answers are the simplest acceptable. The student has far more information by the time they take this test, and usually answers with far more detail.)
UPPER SCHOOL PHYSICS
TEST # 5 – ANSWER GUIDE
1. What is (and how fast is) the Speed of Light?
The speed light travels when unimpeded. 186,000 miles per second.
2. Who was Einstein?
The great German-American scientist who discovered Special and General Relativity.
3. What is Spacetime?
The idea that space and time are tied together and may be aspects of the same thing.
4-5. What is (explain) Special Relativity.
The great theory by Albert Einstein, which stated that light moves at the same speed, regardless of the speed the observer of light is moving. In other words, the speed of light is an “absolute”, an unchanging fact regardless of one’s own motion. No object can move faster than light.
The theory also states that all motion is relative. This means that all mathematical and physical laws are the same for all observers if they are moving at a constant velocity relative to each other…but they change if the observers are not moving at the same speed. Pg 61 study guide
6. What is Dilation?
The act of expanding or stretching a thing. Pg 61 study guide
7. What is Einstein’s formula explaining the relation between matter and energy?
e=mc2 Pg 61 study guide
8. What is the Principle of Equivalence?
Einstein’s discovery that it’s impossible to tell the difference between acceleration and gravitational fields. Pg 61 study guide
9-10. What is (and explain) General Relativity?
Einstein’s theory that space and time are one thing, which can be imagined as a huge, flat surface, and that gravity is the mass of objects “denting”, or pushing
downwards, part of that surface, creating a sort of spiral below the mass, which other masses drop into. Pg 62 study guide
11. What is a Continuum?
A continuous whole, no part of which can be separated from the rest.
12. What is Gravitational Lensing?
The fact that objects of great mass exert enough gravity to bend light.
13. What is a shockwave?
A large amplitude wave sent out from an explosion or collision. Pg 66 study guide
14. What is a Frame of Reference?
A set of ideas and beliefs used to evaluate new ideas or beliefs. Pg 66 study guide
15. What does “Counter-Intuitive” mean?
Opposite to what one normally thinks of as right. Pg 67 study guide
16. What is a prototype?
The first model or example of a thing, used as a starting point in its development.
Pg 67 study guide
17. What does “1 G” mean?
“One gravity”, the force exerted by gravity at sea level on Earth. Pg 67 study guide
18. What is a Dynamo?
A machine capable of creating an electric current. Pg 70 study guide
19. What is a Unified Field Theory?
A theory which will explain all the actions of the physical universe, including atomic particles, gravity and electromagnetism. A Theory of Everything.
20. What is Free Fall?
Falling without restraint, resulting in a temporary release from gravity.
The student who misses between 1-2 questions reviews the correct answers before moving on. The student who misses 3-4 questions reviews the correct answers and the related materials to the missed questions before moving on. The student who misses 5 or more questions reviews all the written materials (but no exercises), and retests before moving into the next section of study.
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