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Should I even try to combine History and Science for 5th and 7th graders?


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This is difficult because the 5th grader is a little delayed. By public school standards, he was an average student. But, really, looking at his capabilities at home, it feels like he might be a year behind. The 7th grader is ahead and easily ready for 9th grade. Everything he reads is high school level and above. 

 

Can I combine what they are doing? Or forget it? 7th grader has never covered life science so I thought maybe if we went that direction, I could at least combine science. 

 

Also, if you think combining something is a good idea, please offer suggestions as to what to use. 

 

On history...7th grader has thoroughly covered US history, but 5th grader has not. But with younger children in the house, I am having trouble getting much done beyond the basics these days (plus 7th grader is still doing Latin lite). Maybe Runle Geography for the older one?

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You could do the Bio 101 and Chem 101 dvds with both of them.  They will be enjoyable to the younger and are easily supplemented with books and projects for the older.  (think book basket)  Just really depends on how serious you want junior high to be.  I think there's still a lot of flex at that age.  

 

For the older you could do MOH, using the book basket materials and options for the oldest kids.  If the older wants to do it totally independently, reading it himself, then do something different with the younger.  

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My 4th and 7th graders haven't been combined in history for two years, although they're using different levels of the same program and are in roughly the same time periods. They just needed different things.

 

This is the first year I have them separated in science. The 4th grader is using Mr. Q, and the 7th grader is using Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia plus some supplemental books. We're doing earth science, and we go over the vocab (from Mr. Q) together and do the projects from Mr. Q together. It's working well.

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My 5th & 7th graders are totally separated this year, for the first time.    We used to combine both history and science, and they separated (by my older's request to do more and move faster) for science about two years ago.   We continued to combine history through last year.   I think it's a good age to separate.

 

I also think the suggestion to combine your 5th grader with a younger sibling might have merit.   If you handle it along the lines of "you are here to help your sibling" it might be a good role for that child.

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