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High School science questions...help please


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If this is a really dumb idea, please let me know...:D

 

Background: I've been trying to decide how to handle high school science over the next 4 years and have some questions about several ideas. I had been torn with the idea of using either Conceptual Chemistry or Tarbuck's Earth Science. My concern is that Earth Science is not really high school level. Would using Tarbuck's book help make this more high school level? My dd would rather do Earth Science. If we did Conceptual Chemistry it would be an Introduction to Chemistry for us, we would handle Chemistry 1 in 11th grade and probably use Spectrum Chemistry.

 

 

The main question being do you/will colleges see Earth Science as a true high school level course?

 

 

Here is another idea...

 

I've been looking at Spectrum Chemistry and thought that maybe I could have dd complete the Bridge Math course they offer before taking Chemistry. This would probably cover the skills she needs help with and thereby not have to take Conceptual Chemistry to prepare. The Bridge Math is only 7 weeks and could be done over the summer. What do you think?

 

Here is where my question gets ... messy...:lol:

 

After looking over the site, I read about Rainbow Science and the role it can play in High School..

 

 

 

We could start Rainbow Science now (even though we are doing Physical Science right now we would start at the beginning with this) and might finish Year 1 before the fall. We could then start Year 2 in 9th as a biology, but I would add Abeka biology text with it. Would this make it a true credit of high school biology?

 

If this would work we would have Biology for 9th, and then Bridge Math over the summer and be ready for Chemistry for 10th. We would then go on to Spectrum Chemistry.

 

Note: She will be taking Algebra 1 in 9th and Geometry in 10th.

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My concern is that Earth Science is not really high school level. Would using Tarbuck's book help make this more high school level? .

 

There is nothing intrinsic "high school" or "Jr. high" about the topic of Earth Science. There are college courses on the topic and you can make the course as hard as you want.

You can use Tarbuck and Lutgens Earth Science which is a college level text.

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I think "earth science" (titled that way) is generally viewed as middle school, not high school level. However, the Tarbuck's text is a college text! So, I think if she wants to study that text, I would go for it... but I would suggest saving it for senior year, and on your transcript, giving the course a better sounding title (such as "Introduction to Geology" or "Geology and Earth Sciences" or "Geology, Oceanography and Astronomy", etc.) that would be more reflective of the higher level of the course.

 

I think your idea of doing biology in 9th, then Bridge Math in the summer and Spectrum Chemistry in 10th is a good one. I would skip Rainbow Science, though. It's good... but it's definitely middle school level (my kids did it in 6th and 7th), and you really don't need it (plus it's expensive!) I'd go with just the Abeka biology (or another high school biology text) for Bio.

 

Then finally, I'd suggest doing a physics course in 11th grade. Colleges like and expect to see those 3 core sciences (bio, chem & physics) covered in high school. This way, your dd would have all those done in 9th-11th, just in time for college apps, and then she'd get to enjoy the earth science in 12th. And with the right title, the earth science could look good as a planned course for senior year.

 

HTH! :001_smile:

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For my non-sciency Dd we are using Teaching Company "Joy of Science" DVDs using the Intergrated Science text.

 

We spread it out for a three year course (3 science credits) and having her do labs and projects to go with it. For year 1 she covered Chemistry and Astronomy. Year 2 she is doing Physics and Geology. Year 3 she will do Life Science and we will add more to it as I think the Integrated Science text doesn't go deep enough.

 

I figure she will get all the basics and she also has time to go deeper on topics that interest her.

 

For a sciency kid... I think I would use it for a 9th grade science all in one year. And then go AP for the next 2-3 years of science. I am wishing I did this for Ds who is a very sciency kid. I think he would have just had more fun with it.

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When I was investigating high school science, I polled several of my siblings (spread across the US). I believe my sister in NY had Earth Science in 9th grade at her dc's high school. Here in FL, Earth Science is a 9th grade science class. I grew up in IL and 9th grade was Physical Science, but I understand that has kind of fallen out of favor with colleges these days...

 

I would think that if you are using a high school or college level text, you'd have nothing to fear.

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Thanks Anita and Sue! It has been rather confusing. I spent some time today reading through old threads about 9th grade science, etc. It seems that 9th grade varies greatly. I just don't want to be caught having done dd a diservice. I'm glad I still have a little time to look at this. I can't really look at colleges she might attend, since my dh is now in the Army and moving is a reality for us now. I know she would prefer liberal arts type colleges, since she loves the humanities.

 

I'm looking at Abeka for biology and possibly Oak Meadow, but I'm still looking...

 

Where I went to school, Earth Science was taken in 9th and Biology in 10th. I read somewhere here that it was better to take Biology after Algebra I. I hope that isn't that case, because if we take Biology next year it will be alongside of Algebra 1.

 

Thanks so much!

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When I was investigating high school science, I polled several of my siblings (spread across the US). I believe my sister in NY had Earth Science in 9th grade at her dc's high school. Here in FL, Earth Science is a 9th grade science class. I grew up in IL and 9th grade was Physical Science, but I understand that has kind of fallen out of favor with colleges these days...

 

I would think that if you are using a high school or college level text, you'd have nothing to fear.

 

I went to three high schools....

 

Private Christian school in 9th... and I have no clue what I took for science-LOL I faintly remember doing weather, so maybe earth science?

I went to a ps in Indiana for 10th and 11th grade. I took biology in 10th and that was all I was required to do in Indiana.

I went to a ps in Illinois for 12th grade and took chemistry. I didn't have to take it but I did anyway. I also took geometry in 12th grade as I took Alg I and II only in Indiana and that was all I was required to do.

 

As of next school year, our ps school district in IL will require: biology, chemistry, and physics or approved equivalent. The order can vary but with approval from science dept.

Edited by AnitaMcC
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. I read somewhere here that it was better to take Biology after Algebra I. I hope that isn't that case, because if we take Biology next year it will be alongside of Algebra 1.

 

 

Can't see why that would be necessary... seeing as there is no math in biology. You'll need math for chemistry and physics.

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For my non-sciency Dd we are using Teaching Company "Joy of Science" DVDs using the Intergrated Science text.

 

We spread it out for a three year course (3 science credits) and having her do labs and projects to go with it. For year 1 she covered Chemistry and Astronomy. Year 2 she is doing Physics and Geology. Year 3 she will do Life Science and we will add more to it as I think the Integrated Science text doesn't go deep enough.

 

I figure she will get all the basics and she also has time to go deeper on topics that interest her.

 

For a sciency kid... I think I would use it for a 9th grade science all in one year. And then go AP for the next 2-3 years of science. I am wishing I did this for Ds who is a very sciency kid. I think he would have just had more fun with it.

 

We are using Joy of Science this year as well. I love it, and so does my 8th grade ds, but my 9th grade dd looks like she is being tortured by having to watch it. I'm wondering how you split up the lectures.

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Just a note on Earth Science, my nephew in IL is taking it in 11th grade. He is in mostly honors classes and has been in the gifted program. The school district is considered excellent. He is taking it because he doesn't like science and wanted an easier science, but I think it can be taken at any level as long as the materials used are appropriate.

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We are using Joy of Science this year as well. I love it, and so does my 8th grade ds, but my 9th grade dd looks like she is being tortured by having to watch it. I'm wondering how you split up the lectures.

 

 

I just matched up the lectures to the text book chapter (the course guidebook has it all laid out, including supplemental books that are recommended and when to use them). She watches anywhere from 1 to 3 lectures in a week. Sometimes she watches all the letures in a day or two and then spends a few weeks with the text book and then does some activities with her brother (he just enjoys participating in the activities but it does not "count" towards his course requiremens).

 

We are going in order of the text book chapter based on "topic" (First year covered chemistry then astronomy, Second year covered physics then geology, and next year for third year will be life science). Usually each chapter of text has 2-4 lectures. I scheduled the pace based on number of chapters to number of weeks in school year.

 

If anyone is interested I can email it as an attachment how I scheduled it out. I still need to work on the life science more because I feel that Joy of Science is only enough for 1 semester, so I want to add on to it to make it a full year worth of credit.

 

We do very little of the supplemental readings because Dd just isn't interested. She looks up info on line with her brother when she wants more information or needs clarification.

Edited by AnitaMcC
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Just a note on Earth Science, my nephew in IL is taking it in 11th grade. He is in mostly honors classes and has been in the gifted program. The school district is considered excellent. He is taking it because he doesn't like science and wanted an easier science, but I think it can be taken at any level as long as the materials used are appropriate.

 

 

As of next school year our school district will only accept biology, chemistry, and physics (or approved equivalent) towards the three year science requirements for their graduation. All other sciences will be considered electives. But up to this year I think they only required two years of science and one had to be a life science and another a physical science.

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I just matched up the lectures to the text book chapter (the course guidebook has it all laid out, including supplemental books that are recommended and when to use them). She watches anywhere from 1 to 3 lectures in a week. Sometimes she watches all the letures in a day or two and then spends a few weeks with the text book and then does some activities with her brother (he just enjoys participating in the activities but it does not "count" towards his course requiremens).

 

We are going in order of the text book chapter based on "topic" (First year covered chemistry then astronomy, Second year covered physics then geology, and next year for third year will be life science). Usually each chapter of text has 2-4 lectures. I scheduled the pace based on number of chapters to number of weeks in school year.

 

If anyone is interested I can email it as an attachment how I scheduled it out. I still need to work on the life science more because I feel that Joy of Science is only enough for 1 semester, so I want to add on to it to make it a full year worth of credit.

 

We do very little of the supplemental readings because Dd just isn't interested. She looks up info on line with her brother when she wants more information or needs clarification.

 

Which Integrated Science text are you using? And do you think it could be covered in two years?

 

Thanks!

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Which Integrated Science text are you using? And do you think it could be covered in two years?

 

Thanks!

 

I think it can easily be covered in 2 yrs, and in 1 yr if you don't do the supplemental readings. There are 25 chapters in the text and 60 lectures on DVD.

 

We are using: ISBN 978-0471161172 Trefil and Hazen, The Sciences: An Integrated Approach http://www.amazon.com/Sciences-Integrated-Approach-2nd/dp/0471161179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295416145&sr=1-1

 

We also use the publisher's website for online quizzes and other weblinks available based on chapters, it is for the 4th edition but so far it seems to mesh up the same as 2nd edition.

http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=index&itemId=0471219630&itemTypeId=BKS&bcsId=1602

Edited by AnitaMcC
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Our schools require physical science, bio, chem and physics. We are doing AP bio for Jr. year and then going for a calc/physics combo for Sr. year. We are doing pre-calc. this year for math. Dd has done Alg. 1,2, and Geometry. The ps. guidance counselor strongly suggests doing physics as more colleges are requiring it. She told us to hold off "specialized" science until Sr. year and use them as electives.

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Thanks everyone!

 

Anita, the integrated science sounds very interesting. I think my dd might like that approach.

 

memphispeg, thanks for the information about Physics. When I was in school, this was usually taken by a certain group of students (those interested in pre-med, engineering, etc.) and not generally taken by all. I'm glad to see that schools want to see this now. It has always been a part of our high school plan, but its importance in what colleges want to see was not known to me.

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I think it can easily be covered in 2 yrs, and in 1 yr if you don't do the supplemental readings. There are 25 chapters in the text and 60 lectures on DVD.

 

We are using: ISBN 978-0471161172 Trefil and Hazen, The Sciences: An Integrated Approach http://www.amazon.com/Sciences-Integrated-Approach-2nd/dp/0471161179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295416145&sr=1-1

 

We also use the publisher's website for online quizzes and other weblinks available based on chapters, it is for the 4th edition but so far it seems to mesh up the same as 2nd edition.

http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=index&itemId=0471219630&itemTypeId=BKS&bcsId=1602

 

Thanks so much. This is helpful. And sorry for the hijack!

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