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need half a credit for physical science ??


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Today after making a final decision for next semester for my high school senior I decided to look over my junior's credits.

 

Last year when we turned in our grades, the umbrella program sent an a list of the credits she earned when we lived in Louisiana plus the credits she earned after we moved to Tennessee. I saw that Physical Science was listed at only a half credit. There was another mistake in the paperwork and I "thought" that was a mistake as well. Until today, when I realized it is not a mistake.

 

The year she took Apologia's Physical Science she read the book, did some labs, did the study guide, and did the test for each module until December of that year. We had alot of illness in December, plus Christmas, then in Jan the flu, then in Feb my mother was in hospital for a month, in March she needed constant care at home AND we found out we were moving to TN.. We packed and house hunted in April and moved the first weekend in May. UGH...... somewhere along the line I think I told her.... "go ahead and finish just reading the book and listen to the MP3 audio as you read. You 'll cover the whole book but I'll only give you a half credit."

 

NOW, what do I do?? I don't want to just "give" her a half credit. I don't want to make her re-read the same book again.

 

Do you know of some "living" books I could have her read?

 

What about a book of just experiments? The only ones I see are for elementary grades.

 

Could I have her reserach the same topics in other materials and assign some 2 or 3 page written reports?

 

What would you do?

 

Thanks for answering all my questions these days!!! It is almost 6pm and I have been working on school stuff since about 8:15 this morning!:tongue_smilie:

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Could she read some of the chapters of Conceptual Physics? That would be different. My 8th grader (good at science and math) did it, so she ought to be able to read it and understand it. She could choose which chapters she was interested in - light or sound or relativity; she wouldn't have to cover the whole book. The teacher's guide says you are probably going to have to pick and choose even if you have a whole year. There is also a Conceptual Chemistry book. And there is a Conceptual high school science that includes some geology and biology, too. I haven't seen it, but that might work even better.

-Nan

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She could not do the assignments in the Apologia Book without re-reading those modules.

 

She could however do the labs from the last half of the book. IF she would do that willingly. She is one that would balk and say, I did that book in 9th! NO way I'm repeating it in 11th!

 

She did READ the entire book. But, I don't feel comfortable giving her a whole credit when she did half of the assignments and less than half of the experiments.

 

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Pam

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A wonderful book for experiments is Hands On Physics Activities with real life applications by James Cunningham and Norman Herr. It's for grades 8-12. It is a big book, but each topic has several sections with reading for the teacher, helps for teaching the math, experiments with questions and answers. She could probably just read the teacher parts for the basics and do experiments in areas she's not so familiar with. I love it! They also have one for chemistry that I'll get.

 

Or how about some Teaching Company videos? The Joy of Science has all topics.

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Are you sure they are giving her a 1/2 credit because you didn't do all the labs etc? In many places Physical Science isn't a high school science course at all so maybe they gave 1/2 a credit because it's traditionally a middle school course so it wouldn't be a full credit in high school.

 

Heather

 

Most umbrellas in TN consider Physical Science a high school, non-lab course. Not that you don't do labs but it doesn't meet the requirement of having a high school lab course. State colleges in TN view it the same way.

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Thanks for the suggestions, but other than the book list, it is still not what I am looking for.

 

1. "They" don't give the credit. "I" give the credit and the umbrella program puts the grade and credit on an official transcript.

 

2. I looked through boxes in the attic to find her notebook from Physical Science. I could not find it, so I have no memory of how many modules she actually did assignments for and how many she only read. I usually give a full credit when 80% of the book has been completed if around 150 hours have been put in to that book.

 

3. After talking with her, there is no way she'll go back to the Apologia book.

 

I did send an email to the director of our umbrella program asking her advice. The office is closed for the holiday. :(

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So are you looking to add more reading or more lab?

 

My dd used Experiences in Biology, and I think there's an Experiences in Physics. Not sure if it's a junior hi or high school physics, but they are good lab books for homeschools. Check out Castle Heights Press.

http://www.castleheightspress.com/category.sc?categoryId=9

 

For more reading, you could do a John Tiner book or something. Didn't someone give a list of reading matter, or was that on another thread I was following?

 

Julie

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