sandra in va Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Do you use the tests that come in the Apologia book or do you make your own? I am a little disappointed in the level of difficulty in the General Science tests, but I have been too busy to make my own. Perhaps I am overly concerned about this. I'd love to hear how you handle testing in Apologia... Thanks in advance for sharing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 We are using Gen Sci---and while the content in the text is interesting and informative, I am very disappointed in the On Your Own questions, the study guide, Summary and tests. It's like the same questions are asked again and again with no real thinking necessary---just regurgitation of his wording in the text. I was appalled at the experiments in Module 7 ds just is finishing----sticking a shell in clay to show how a cast is made?! What!? In 7th grade science?! And then pouring plaster of paris in that to show how to made a mold?! Urgh. Ds refuses to do these experiments and then fill out a lab sheet to talk about the obvious? Sorry to go off on a tangent! But I think making up your own test with more thinking type questions is a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 If you have the time, I would suggest making your own. I have used General Science with my older three and will use it again next year with my dd. I am disappointed in the tests as well, but have never taken the time or effort to make my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra in va Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Thanks for the affirmation, ladies! At least I know there are others who feel similarly... I'm wondering - do the tests/questions get any better as you get to other levels of Apologia...making my own tests for all those years...oh my....I do have a science background, I'm more concerned about the time it would take... Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 There are groups on Yahoo devoted to teaching from Apologia Science texts. Some folks have posted alternative tests to use with various Modules. You can email Apologia to get alternative tests as well. I teach Apologia Physics at our co-op. The test questions are, for the most part, a duplicate of an OYO, Review or Practice problem. I have the students take the standard test for each module, but I add a few questions that require the student to think a little more deeply. I use the Apologia text because it's what works best for our co-op setting. However, there are some topics that are usually covered in a high school physics course that aren't mentioned. And while I appreciate that the labs are made to be doable at home, I find that several of them are really more of a demonstration than an experiment. I don't require my students to write up several of them .I am reworking several of them for use at co-op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I think it's fair to say there there is little, if any, critical thinking required for the Apologia tests. It's not just this one course, either. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra in va Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Thank you for posting - I've commented below... There are groups on Yahoo devoted to teaching from Apologia Science texts. Some folks have posted alternative tests to use with various Modules. You can email Apologia to get alternative tests as well. Thanks for that - I will check out that yahoo group and contact Apologia! I teach Apologia Physics at our co-op. The test questions are, for the most part, a duplicate of an OYO, Review or Practice problem. I have the students take the standard test for each module, but I add a few questions that require the student to think a little more deeply. That's a good idea - to use their tests but just to add in a few extra questions. I use the Apologia text because it's what works best for our co-op setting. However, there are some topics that are usually covered in a high school physics course that aren't mentioned. And while I appreciate that the labs are made to be doable at home, I find that several of them are really more of a demonstration than an experiment. I don't require my students to write up several of them .I am reworking several of them for use at co-op. Also good to know - I appreciate hearing your opinions about the experiments! Do you have any resources for better lab ideas that you could share or are you just reworking them on your own? I think it's fair to say there there is little, if any, critical thinking required for the Apologia tests. It's not just this one course, either. Ria Ria, what other courses have you experienced this with? I'm using a Science Explorerers text (Prentice Hall) with my son right now and I like it. I don't have any tests for it, though. I couldn't figure out how to purchase them from the publisher. I think I'm going to look into that option a little more for middle school science. I am tempted to use a comb of books - Apologia and some mainstream science texts for science in the future - to make a fuller course and to add in more difficulty in problem solving and on the tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Also good to know - I appreciate hearing your opinions about the experiments! Do you have any resources for better lab ideas that you could share or are you just reworking them on your own? I have used several sources, mostly online. Many of them are written for school labs which have more expensive (high-tech, usually) lab equipment than what we have availalble. Working in a co-op setting means that I do have some financial resources beyond what the typical homeschooler might be able to spend, but not as much as a traditional school would have. I was just given, however, a whole set of books that have some great experiments that I'm incorporating as I go along. I didn't get them in time for the first semester, but I'll be writing up some new experiments over the summer to be ready for the fall. As I do, I plan to post them to the Yahoo group. To help my students think outside the box, I do assign Next Time Questions from Hewitt's Conceptual Physics program. You can find them here: http://www.arborsci.com/Labs/CP_NTQ.aspx HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra in va Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 Thanks, Laura, you've been a great help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Thank you for posting - I've commented below... Also good to know - I appreciate hearing your opinions about the experiments! Do you have any resources for better lab ideas that you could share or are you just reworking them on your own? Ria, what other courses have you experienced this with? I'm using a Science Explorerers text (Prentice Hall) with my son right now and I like it. I don't have any tests for it, though. I couldn't figure out how to purchase them from the publisher. I think I'm going to look into that option a little more for middle school science. I am tempted to use a comb of books - Apologia and some mainstream science texts for science in the future - to make a fuller course and to add in more difficulty in problem solving and on the tests. Apologia General Science, Physical Science, Biology, and Marine Biology. I, too, much prefer the Prentice Hall Science Explorer series for middle school. I was very happy to find out that the middle school here uses those books...it made the transition very smooth for my kiddos. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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