Classical Conversations Cycle 2 Science Weekly Matchups

One of my favorite aspects of Classical Conversations is that families can tailor the spine of the Foundations memory work to suit their style! 

History and literature matchup lists are abundant, but science matchups are a bit more difficult to find, so we thought we would do the work for you! 

(Speaking of work done for you, our hands-on science bundles are designed to match up with the weekly memory work. Check out the School Year Pack 2 for our Cycle 2 matchup. (We also offer a School Year Pack 1 Cycle 1 matchup, and School Year Pack 3 for our Cycle 3 matchup).

Here’s our massive list of Cycle 2 read aloud and living books divided by CC weeks. 

Want to try out one of our hands-on projects for free? We have tons of free samples on our website!

Week 1: Ecology, Days of Creation, definition of ecology

Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem,” by Jude Isabella

“Where is the Great Barrier Reef”

Welcome to the Neighborhood,” by Shawn Sheehy

Ecology: The Study of Ecosystems,” by Susan Gray

Coral Reefs,” by Gail Gibbons

What If There Were No Lemmings? A Book about the Tundra Ecosystem,” by Suzanne Slade

Over and Under the Pond,” by Kate Messner

Week 2: Ecology, land biomes

Seek and Find Biomes,” by Jorrien Peterson

A Walk in the Prairie,” and other books in the “Biomes of North America” series by Rebecca Johnson

The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World’s Largest Land Biome,” by L.E. Carmichael 

Tundra Biomes Around the World,” and other books in the “Exploring Earth’s Biomes” series, by Phillip Simpson

Many Biomes: One Earth,” by Sneed Collard III

The Coldest Tundra,” by Baby Professor

Inside Ecosystems and Biomes,” by Debra Housel 

Week 3: Ecology, Types of consumers

A Caribou Journey,” by Debbie Miller

Hungry Coyote,” by Cheryl Blackford

Oopik: Travels of a Snowy Owl,” by Bruce Hiscock

Ultimate Predator-pedia,” by National Geographic

The Animal Book,” by Smithsonian

Atlas of Animal Adventures,” by Emily Hawkins

Week 4: Ecology, Parts of the food chain

Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web,” by Victoria Crenson

Butternut Hollow Pond,” by Brian Heinz

The Food Chain Reaction series by Suzanne Slade follows four different ecosystems and asks “What if There Were No Bees?” and “What if There Were No Wolves?” among other titles. 

“The Wondrous Workings of our Earth: Understanding our World and its Ecosystems,” by Rachel Ignotofsky

“Secrets of the Garden: Food Webs and Food Chains in our Backyard,” by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld 

Here is the Coral Reef,” Web of Life series. This 7-book series explores a variety of ecosystems, by Madeleine Dunphy 

Week 5: Ecology, Cycles in nature

Exploring the Elements,” by Isabel Thomas 

Life Cycles,” by DK

The Great Big Water Cycle Adventure,” by Kay Barnham  

The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth,” by Anne-Sophie Baumann 

“Fun Facts about Nitrogen : Chemistry for Kids The Element Series,” by Baby Professor

Earth: The Illustrated Geography of our World,” by Susan Martineau

“A Drop Around the World: The Science of Water Cycles,” by Barbara Shaw McKinney  

Week 6: Ecology, Animal adaptation

Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration,” by Marianne Berkes

Atlas of Animal Adventures: A collection of nature’s most unmissable events, epic migrations and extraordinary behaviours,” by Rachel Williams

Atlas of Ocean Adventures: A Collection of Natural Wonders, Marine Marvels and Undersea Antics from Across the Globe,” by Emily Hawkins

Tiny Bird: A Hummingbird’s Amazing Journey,” by Robert Burleigh 

National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America,” by Jonathan Alderfer

Amazing Animal Journeys,” by Chris Packham 

State-by-state bird identification guides by Stan Tekiela  

The Peregrine’s Journey: A Story of Migration,” by Madeleine Dunphy

Week 7: Ecology, Pollution

The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadev Payeng,” by Sophia Gohlz

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia,” by Miranda Paul

“Who Was Rachel Carson?”

Fish: A Tale about Ridding the Ocean of Plastic Pollution,” by Brendan Kearney

Week 8: Ecology, Aquatic biomes

A Voice for the Everglades: Marjory Stoneman Douglas,” by Vicki Conrad 

Song of the Water Boatman and other Pond Poems,” by Joyce Sidman and Beckie Prange

Song of the Wetlands: Voice of the Redwing,” by Tish McFadden

Over and Under the Pond,” by Kate Messner

“Ocean Anatomy,” by Julia Rothman

Fun in the Mud: A Wetlands Tale,” by Sally Bolger

At the Marsh in the Meadow,” by Jeanie Mebane

Over the Wetlands: A Hurricane on the Bayou Story,” by Caroline Starr Rose

Week 9: Astronomy, Parts of the sun

“The Sun,” by Seymour Simon

Barefoot Books Solar System,” by Anne Jankeliowitch

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System,” by Joanna Cole

Dr. Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System,” by Maggie Aderin-Pocock

The Astronomy Book: Wonders of Creation,” by Jonathan Henry

“Sun,” by Steve Tomecek

Always Looking Up: Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer,” by Laura Gehl 

“Where is Our Solar System?”

Solar System: By the Numbers,” by Steve Jenkins

Week 10: Astronomy, Planets

The Planets,” by Gail Gibbons

“Who Was Galileo?”

50 Things to See with a Telescope,” by John Read

The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney,” by Alice McGinty

When is a Planet Not a Planet: The Story of Pluto,” by Elaine Scott

Elon Musk and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Young Readers’ Edition,” by Ashlee Vance

Astronomy for Kids: How to Explore Outer Space with Binoculars, a Telescope, or Just Your Eyes!” By Dr. Bruce Betts

The Planets: A Smithsonian Visual Guide,” by Robert Dinwiddie

The Mysteries of the Universe,” by Will Gater 

Week 11: Astronomy, Phases of the Moon

The Moon Book,” by Gail Gibbons

Destination Moon: The Spiritual and Scientific Voyage of the Eighth Man to Walk on the Moon,” James Irwin 

Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson,” by Katherine Johnson

Hidden Figures, Young Readers Edition,” by Margot Lee Shetterly

How We Got to the Moon,” by John Rocco

“Who Was Neil Armstrong?”

Trailblazers: Neil Armstrong,” by Alex Woolf

Views from Above: An Astronaut Photographs the World,” by Terry Virts and Buzz Aldrin

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon,” by Joyce Lapin 

Week 12: Astronomy, Other solar system bodies

Astronaut Scott Kelly: My Journey to the Stars,” by Scott Kelly

Visual Galaxy: The Ultimate Guide to the Milky Way and Beyond,” by National Geographic

The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide,” by Terence Dickenson

Usborne’s “The Ultimate Book of Space

Star Finder: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Night Sky,” by DK

What We See in the Stars: An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky,” by Kelsey Oseid

Guide to the Stars constellations chart, by Ken Graun

National Audubon Society’s “Field Guide to the Night Sky” 

The Boy Whose Head was Filled with Stars: The Life of Edwin Hubble,” by Isabelle Marinov

Week 13: Astronomy, Space missions

The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity,” by Elizabeth Rusch 

The Work of His Hands: A View of God’s Creation from Space,” by Colonel Jeffery Williams 

“Who Was Sally Ride?”

Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet,” by Buzz Aldrin and Marianne Dyson

Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover,” by Markus Motum

Week 14: Physics, States of matter

Matter: Physical Science for Kids,” by Andi Diehn

My First Book about Physics,” by Patricia J. Wynne

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom,” by Teresa Robeson

Physics for Curious Kids,” by Laura Baker

“A Drop Around the World: The Science of Water Cycles,” by Barbara Shaw McKinney  

Matter Matters,” by Tom Adams

Changing Matter,” by Tracy Maurer

Physics: Why Matter Matters,” by Dan Green

Week 15: Physics, Energy

Energy: Physical Science for Kids,” by Andi Diehn

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” by William Kamkwamba and Brian Mealer. The Young Readers edition is an inspiring read aloud option that combines personal triumph with scientific discovery. 

“Who Was Isaac Newton?”

Usborne’s “Illustrated Dictionary of Physics

Week 16: Physics, Laws of motion

“Who Was Isaac Newton?”

The Gravity Tree,” by Anna Rowling

Newton’s Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist,” by Kathryn Lasky

The Book of Big Science Ideas: From Atoms to AI and from Gravity to Genes… How 15 Big Ideas and more than 50 Big Thinkers Changed our World,” by Freya Hardy

The Physics Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained,” by DK

Giants of Science: Isaac Newton,” by Kathleen Krull

Lives of the Scientists: Experiments, Explosions, and What the Neighbors Thought,” by Kathleen Krull

Isaac Newton: The Scientist Who Changed Everything,” National Geographic Kids

The Ocean of Truth: The Story of Sir Isaac Newton,” by Joyce McPherson

Week 17: Physics, Laws of motion, force

Eyewitness Force and Motion,” DK

The Magic School Bus Plays Ball: A Book about Forces,” by Joanna Cole

Newton and Me,” by Lynne Mayer

You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Gravity,” by Anne Rooney

Feel the Force,” by Tom Adams

Newtonian Physics for Babies,” by Chris Ferrie

High-Speed Thrills: Acceleration and Velocity (The Science Behind Thrill Rides),” by Nathan Lepora

Fly to Mars! Forces in Space,” by Louise Spilsbury

Week 18: Physics, Laws of motion

Forces: Physical Science for Kids,” by Andi Diehn 

Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Goal and Launching a Rocket,” by Matthew Brenden Wood

Pushes and Pulls,” by Sharon Coan

Investigating Forces and Motion,” by Jane Weir

Forces Make Things Move,” by Kimberly Bradley

“Who Was Galileo?”

Who Was Albert Einstein?” 

Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion,” by Eileen Coates

Isaac Newton: Famous English Scientist,” by Anne Marie Sullivan 

Week 19: Physics, Laws of thermodynamics

The Laws of Thermodynamics: A Very Short Introduction,” by Peter Atkins

How Heat Moves,” by Sharon Coan

Energy Animated,” by Tyler Jordan

Energy: Physical Science for Kids,” by Andi Diehn

Energy,” DK Eyewitness

Week 20: Physics, Laws of thermodynamics

Sound, Heat, and Light: Energy at Work,” by Melvin Berger

The Magic School Bus in the Arctic: A Book about Heat,” by Anne Schreiber

My First Book About Engineering,” by Patricia J. Wynne 

Super Simple Physics: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide,” by DK

The Physics of Everyday Things: The Extraordinary Science Behind the Ordinary Day,” by James Kakalios

Week 21: Physics, Laws of thermodynamics

Antarctica: A Continent of Wonder,” by Mario Cuesta Hernando 

The Endurance: Shackleton’s Perilous Expedition in Antarctica,” by Meredith Hooper

Up on Denali: Alaska’s Wild Mountain,” by Shelley Gill

Melting and Freezing,” by Lisa Greathouse

Week 22: Physics, Light

Light Waves,” by David Adler

Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World,” by Sue Fliess

The Lights that Dance in the Night,” by Yuval Zommer 

Let’s Make a Rainbow: The Science of Light and Optical Physics for Kids,” by Chris Ferrie  

Lights Day and Night: The Science of How Light Works” by Susan Hughes 

The Magic School Bus Gets a Bright Idea: A Book About Light,” by Nancy White

Claude Monet: He Saw the World in Brilliant Light,” by Amy Guglielmo

Week 23: Physics, Heat flow

Differences of Conduction, Convection, and Radiation,” by Baby Professor

Heat,” by Ian F. Mahaney

Heat: The Energy that Warms Us,” by Jennifer Boothroyd

The Science of Heat,” by Angela Royston 

Burn: Michael Faraday’s Candle,” by Darcy Pattison 

Heat Wave,” by Eileen Spinelli

How Conductors Work,” by Victoria G. Christensen

Science Storybooks: Where’s the Heat Thief,” by Min Soo-Kwak

Week 24: Physics, Electricity

Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos,” by Robert Lawson

A Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin,” by Michael Rosen

What’s the Big Idea Ben Franklin?” By Jean Fritz

“Who Was Nikola Tesla”

A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla,” by Azadeh Westergaard 

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World,” by Elizabeth Rusch 

The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip,” by Joanna Cole

Oscar and the Bird: A Book About Electricity,” by Geoff Waring 

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