Hi back. Long time since we have talked about writing. Well, I just went and read the article (it was 6 pages), with the goal of finding where he pulled the information. He did not do additional research. What was very interesting is that his first paragraph does not come from anywhere. There is a piece here and a piece there scattered through the article, but ds actually pulled out these tiny bits of information to create a holistic explanation of why there has not been a probe there before. The second paragraph was a straight forward summary of a 3 paragraph section on instrumentation. I am really impressed with that first paragraph and how difficult it would have been to write. So what I would like to know, is how to help him be able to do it again. What exactly did he do to achieve this success? Without knowing the "how", there is no way for me to help, except to say "good job." I would like to make the process he went through explicit. Definitely agree with you. I think that in 1 year, WWS has over powered his previous 3 years of formulaic writing (IEW and MCT). And I think I am beginning to see where SWB is going. Instead of teaching a student how to write a whole essay using a simple formula, she is teaching the student how to write individual parts of advanced non-formulaic writing. For example, I would never, ever put a descriptive paragraph in a persuasive essay. Or a narrative paragraph for that matter. But when you look at Rachel Carson's writing or even scientific american, you see both narrative and descriptive paragraphs in a persuasive argument. So, here are a couple of my ideas as to how to help him write like Rachel Carson or MLK. :D 1) Really focus on the importance of clarity of purpose, both in the topic and in the slant 2) Go through good magazines like SciAm, Economist, Nat Geographic and look at HOW they introduced their essays. 3) Start identifying paragraph types in these articles and then discuss what each paragraph adds to the article. If it had been left out, how would your impression change? 4) Let them write with as few restrictions as possible (from Regentrude) 5) Let them read quality literature of various genres to have a model (from Regentrude) 6) Make sure you give them the opportunity to produce their best work. Topic of their choosing, enough time, access to resources, etc (from Sadonna) Please help me make a list. HOW do you teach non-formulaic writing.

The standard set structure goes something like this: Intro Paragraph: hook, thesis, summary of 3 ( or more) points you plan to make 3 (or more) body paragraphs each with statement, support, development Conclusion: refer back to 3 (or more) points you have made, synthesize in some manner. Ok, so if it is not THIS or something like it, what would it look like? Obviously each one would be different, otherwise it would be formulaic , but there must be some standard that makes for good writing. What is it? Here are 2 intro paragraphs I found online. 1st is the standard formulaic style, and the second is without a formula. So how do you teach a student to write the second? High school education has several problems which must be solved to prepare America’s youth for the challenges of the 21st century. Overcrowded classrooms mean that students do not receive the individualized attention that they need to succeed. Increasing rates of crime are making students afraid to come to school, and preventing students from concentrating while they are there. In addition, the lack of technological resources like state of the art computers is preventing students from being competitive in the workplace after graduation. These problems all mean that some students are falling behind. When students fall behind, they need the attention of an instructor one on one to catch up. Because classrooms are so crowded, teachers are overworked. As a result. . . OR High schools across the country are bulging at the seams. As increasing numbers of Americans realize that education is necessary to attaining the American dream, our schools grow more crowded. At the same time, budget cuts have caused schools to cut back on the number of teachers. As the number of teachers has dropped, and classrooms have become more crowded, the quality of education in our public schools has declined. With a higher workload, burnout among even the best teachers has increased, and fewer people see teaching as the desirable profession they once did. Solving the problem of overcrowding by strictly limiting class size to 20 students would allow more students to get the instruction they need to become productive members of society, which is the most important goal of high school education in America today.

Thanks Regentrude for your thoughts. You have always had such a wonderful no-nonsense approach to teaching. This is what I want to discuss. When I talk about the "5 paragraph essay," I am not actually referring to the 5 paragraph part, (that is very easy to adapt), but rather the set structure. How do you teach kids to come up with an appropriate non-formulaic structure?

I completely agree that the test taking skill must be taught at some point. DS will be taking the IGCSE, so I assume we will follow the requirements that Laura described above. However, my concern is what Danielle describes below: THIS is my concern. Writing for these tests is not a life skill, it is a test taking skill. And I really hate to focus heaps of time on it, especially if it destroys this budding originality. One of the reasons we decided to homeschool was to avoid all the teaching to the test stuff, and do REAL learning. So lets say, we focus on just writing while he is 12-14. Then, at age 15, we start the year long slog of weekly timed test-style essays. Then, go back at age 16-18 to focusing on writing well. I'm fine with that. (well, mostly fine.) But then I am still stumped as to how to encourage/teach non-formulaic writing. From what I can tell, many writing programs use a formula of some kind and assume that kids will eventually leave it behind. Do they? And if you don't teach kids to write with a formula, how do you teach them to organize their thoughts? As for learning to write well, I like the idea of joining debate. Must research that. Thanks, Ruth in NZ

I would like to open a discussion on non-formulaic writing. The hive always has so much to say. :001_smile: I started thinking about this issue a couple of days ago after receiving my ds's paper on the Messenger space probe. We were reviewing all the different kinds of writing that he has learned over the past few years before we began something new. To give you some back ground, we used IEW for 2 years and focused mostly on summarizing novels and writing expository essays with the 5 paragraph model. Then, we spent a year using MCT's paragraph town which reinforced the 5 paragraph model. And this past year we used WWS which focused on scientific and historical narratives and descriptions and light-weight literary analysis and research skills. So I asked him to write an expository essay on something from Scientific American, and he chose the article on the Messenger space probe. He asked me how long it should be, and I told him as long as it took to say what he wanted to say. I did not want to guide him at all (which I told him) because I wanted to see what he could do with an open ended assignment (he had NEVER done one before). Writing is not his strong suit and I have felt like I have pulled my hair out for years trying to push him along and get him writing at grade level. Well, I guess in the back of my mind I expected a 5 paragraph essay with the standard intro, 3 body paragraphs, and conclusions. Needless to say I was SHOCKED to see what he produced, because it did not resemble what we had studied with IEW or MCT or what I had done way back when I was in school. It looked suspiciously like WWS, but not even that. Put quite plainly, it was not formulaic. So here it is. Obviously not perfect, but it is his work. I don't want to really discuss this particular piece of writing, but use it as a jumping off point for the more general questions below. DS is 11, almost 12. Mercury is one of the least known planets. Its heat and distance to the sun makes it nearly impossible to reach. In fact, Mercury is harder energy wise to reach than Jupiter, which is why the first space probe to ever land on Mercury, MESSENGER, only arrived in 2011. Orbiting Mercury is especially hard because at the distance Mercury is from the sun, the sun's gravitational field is stronger then the planet's own. Thus, a space probe attempting to enter orbit around Mercury at a normal speed would orbit the sun instead. MESSENGER solved this problem by spending six and a half years doing flybys around every inner-planet other than Mars. Each flyby slowed MESSENGER down so by the end of the sixth year and the second flyby around Mercury, MESSENGER was slow enough that its engine could do the rest. MESSENGER itself also needed to be prepared for its stay on Mercury. To protect its sensitive instruments from overheating at temperatures high enough to melt zinc, MESSENGER hid behind a sunshade. Although the solar panels had to stick out from behind the sunshade, they were held at a steep angle so as not to absorb too much sunlight. Because the camera also had to extend beyond the sunshade, it could easily overheat and had to be protected. The solution was to place the camera on forty grams of paraffin which melted when MESSENGER was low in its orbit and then froze when it was higher, thus removing some of the heat. Even with this incredible equipment, MESSENGER only sent back images for one earth year before the heat destroyed the probe's instruments. Altogether this planet deserves its nick name of Hades. Ok, what struck me was the following: 1) no 5 paragraphs 2) he has a clear cut intro and concluding sentences for the whole essay. 3) each paragraph has a clear cut topic, but the topic sentences are not "in your face" 4) there is no concluding sentence in the first paragraph, but it does not seem to need it 5) there is a concluding sentence in the 2nd paragraph that synthesizes rather than summarizes (right before the last "hades" sentence) 6) the paragraphs use different styles: Paragraph 1 explains a concept and paragraph 2 lists details to support a introductory sentence. So here is what I would like to discuss: 1) Do you think it is a worthy goal to create a non-formulaic writer? 2) If so, how do YOU go about it? And at what age? 3) If kids learn 5 paragraph essay early on, is it hard to leave it behind to become non-formulaic writers? 4) Would it be difficult to learn to write from the beginning without a formula, and then learn test-taking writing styles in high school? 5) Are formulaic styles required for computer graded exams like the SAT? 6) How would your grading criteria differ between formulaic and non-formulaic writing? 7) 5 paragraph essays are fast and thus very useful on essay tests. But tests are not the real world. Are they worth studying if you child is going into a STEM field? (In NZ there is no liberal arts requirement in University) In her audio lecture, SWB clearly states "I have never assigned nor would I ever be pleased to receive a 5 paragraph essay." This struck me HARD, as I find 5 paragraph essays (or more paragraphs, whatever) easy to write and easy to read because they are so clearly outlined. You can find the structure. The road map IS the essay. But you never see them in the real world. Ever. I'm guessing because they are typically simple and boring. WWS has very clearly influenced my ds's writing style. I would like to think for the better, but I still struggle to know how to clearly guide the development of a non-formulaic, writing-phobic, math-loving, pre teen!!! Lots of musing with very few answers. Thoughts? Ruth in NZ

I had to have them twice when I was pregnant with my first. Apparently B12 and Iron go down together, and both got so low at the beginning of my third trimester that I would have needed a blood transfusion after birthing my ds. Ruth in NZ

For younger kids, I agree completely with the previous posters. 1) First you need to read, read, read books (and watch some good documentaries). You don't need a curriculum in elementary school. I personally organize my library reading in a method suggested by the WTM. Each year I choose a different science, and each term a different topic. (last year was Earth/space Science: with terms on Astronomy, Geology, Oceanography, and Meterology.) Then, we just read. I read to them, they read to me, they read independently. I did this up to 6th grade; this year my 7th grader is doing high school chemistry, so he has a textbook. The only exception I have found to avoiding curriculum in elementary/early middle school is elementary chemistry. I have yet to find a library book that covers basic elemental structure and bonding, so I use a short curriculum along with library books on chemistry. I also do NOT require a write up for anything we read unless my child wants to. 2) Then, you want to develop curiosity: asking questions and finding answers. Do this casually, in every day life. I think it is a habit that you can develop in a similar way that I have worked hard to develop a "literary" attitude. I had to learn that I needed to celebrate good words my kids found in literature, and that I needed to savour poems during tea time with my kids. You need to do the same thing in science. Brush up on middle school level science and just bring it up when you see it in action in the kids life. Then, go outside. Look up and look down. Ask questions. Why are there so many earthworms in this soil but not it that soil. How does the rain water flow down the steps? Where does the moss grow on those steps? Do squirrels really like acorns? or would they eat walnuts if I put some out? (my sister won the Virginia Academy of Science 1st prize for that one!) But you don't have to do a big project. You just have to ask "Why?" and then try to answer your questions. In elementary school, you don't have to document it, you don't have to graph it, you just need to explore the world around you. This suggestion I like a lot. And I think I might do some reading on physics for next year, so I can do it justice. HTH, Ruth in NZ

Here is what we did for middle school physics: Topics for 4 terms: mechanics, electronics, astronomy, flight Text: How Things Work (yes, the whole book!) + library books on electricity and flight Scientific American's astronomy articles going back 10 years Docos: The Way Things Work, Numerous Modern Marvels on Physics/Engineering topics Hands on: Electronics kit. Mechanical Kit Investigation: How does the angle of attack affect the flight time of a kite depending on the wind speed? Ruth in NZ

Ds has read for four days, perhaps eight hours, and is 20% done. He really likes it. Ruth in NZ

oooh, I like this!

I see the classical method as incredibly strong in language skills, skills that are required in ALL fields. For elementary students, I focus on the basic skills - language arts and math. History and science take a back seat, get it in when we have time. Learning to communicate is so very very important, even for STEM majors. So in elementary we do about 10 hours per week of language arts and 2 hours per week of formal science (plus about 4 hours of DVDs). I agree with PP that science DVDs are wonderful. Our favorites are David Atenborough for Biiology and the TV series Modern Marvels for industry and engineering, and The Way Things Work for Physics. As previous pp have noted, I don't do a lot of hands on during the first 3 terms, and focus all my attention on a real scientific investigation in term 4. This condenses my stress to just 2 months and allows for a more authentic exposure to what science is all about. I have written extensively about this approach on 2 threads: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107 and the one previously posted: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740 Like Regentrude, we don't do latin or greek. And we also do much less history. My dh reads to the kids about 30minutes per night history texts or literature. We do very little outlining, timelining, notebooking, summarizing of historical topics, or studying of original sources. During our writing time, my kids usually pick scientific topics. Starting in 7th grade, I have begun to work with my older son to be able to outling/take notes on a science textbook. As pp stated, we drop many other subjects during our science fair term (9 weeks). I drop: spelling, vocabulary, grammar, typing, and logic (keeping math, writing, foreign language, music). Also, for the last 2 weeks, all writing and math is what is required for the science fair write up, so we drop all formal curriculum basically in all subjects except mandarin and music (subjects with tutors). I think where we really get in the extras is in general discussion at the dinner table, while on walks, discussing the news, etc. My dh and I are much more likely to notice science news like the Mars lander than things like the Olympics. We just live and breath science, kind of like SWB does in literature and history. It oozes out. So I would think that more than half of my kids science education is in casual conversation and general family enthusiasm. I'll be driving down the street and wonder out loud why there is such a backup at the light. Then, we spontaneously start designing an observational study to determine why. We just do science all the time. I would suggest that you sit down and think about your goals for science education at the different years. You have a spread of ages, which poses its own challenges. But without goals, it becomes much more difficult to lay out plans. More time on science is not really a goal or a plan. I have just written out my goals and how I lay out a plan and assess here: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=414500 Ruth in NZ

I just bought the TE. I simply covered up the answers while we orally answered the questions. Then slid the paper down to see if we were right. The tests in the back have the answers written separately, so I just photocopied the tests for him to write on. Ruth in NZ

This I find very funny since the approach you are contemplating, as I see it, is very similar to the one I use. For the first 2 years I homeschooled, I had the exact same problems: 1) I typically would get "bored" with a specific science program 2) So would the kids. 3) I have an entire bookshelf of books on different science topics that we never use b/c it wasn't in the curriculum. 4) I got too bogged down with "following the plan" that it was tough to stray. Sound familar? So, I started thinking about what it was I really wanted to do. For any subject you need 1) goals, 2) a plan, 3) resources, 4) a time to do it, 5) assessment if you met your goals. So here you go: YOUR GOALS: First of all, you need goals. You do. They will help to guide you so that you don't constantly feel like a failure. If you don't have any, I will give you some to think about. Elementary age: 1) They need exposure to lots of different areas of science 2) They need to not fear science, and actually find it somewhat interesting. Middle school (7th and 8th grade): 1 and 2) from above and 3) They should be able to read and understand difficult text and diagrams/charts/graphs 4) They should be able to write clear, concise short answers to a variety of questions types 5) They should understand and have experience with the scientific method The 2 elementary-age goals will help prepare them better than most things for middle school science. Notice they are very easy to achieve (imagine assessing your kids to see if they have met your goals:001_smile:). So, you will be able to say that your laid-back method is working to achieve your goals. So for your elementary-aged kids, here is how I see it: YOUR PLAN: I know you don't want to plan, but you need to do a little bit. Really, just a little. You have already started. This year: Life Science. subtopics so far include Ornithology, Botany, Ecology, Human body, and Cell Biology Next year Chemistry RESOURCES Ornithology: Apologia Botany: Apologia Ecology: Mr Q Human Body: Mr Q Cell Biology: Mr Q For the bunny trails: go to the library or play on the internet. As for the experimenting part: go pick some kits that you know you can do. Be realistic. Really realistic. I would suggest that you do some gardening for your Botany unit. TIMING This is where I think you are stumped. Here are your options: 1) Do you want to "strewn" and just lay resources around? 2) Do you want to have a set time for 30 minutes 2 times per week? 3) Do you want to achieve a certain number of pages each week. 4) Do you want to just "get around to it." Think about YOU as the teacher/facilitator and your students' needs and pick an option that will work for you. From what you have said, option #3 would NOT be for you. ASSESSMENT Well, it depends on your goals. I have stated my goals for elementary and middle school science education. So to assess elementary, I make a list of the topics they have covered, including the rabbit trails, the movies, the field trips. I am always surprised at the end of the year just how many topics we have coverd. I include everything, even conversations at the dinner table. Then, I evaluate how much personal interest they have. Are they excited when science comes up? When they have a question, do they find the answer on the internet? Do they actively engage in dinner conversations about science? In our house, there are no tests or write-ups, because memorizing scientific facts is not a goal of mine in elementary school. ******* It seems to me that you kind of went about things in a backwards manner. You found resources, even though you did not want to follow a curriculum. But what you really needed to do first was make goals and plans, and THEN find resources to make them happen. When you just follow a curriculum, you really assume that the person writing the curriculum has included the important goals and plans so you don't have to think about it. (This is how I approach Logic, I just pick a curriculum and do it). But when you choose to do your own thing, you really need to think about those things since you are no longer outsourcing that thinking to a curriculum writer. Don't be afraid of a bit of planning. I am talking about an hour for a whole year. It is worth your time. Without a plan, you always feel like you are not doing enough. This leads to that sense of worry that we, as homeschoolers, can constantly feel if we are not careful. Hope this helps to organize you thinking. Ruth in NZ

It is excellent, one of our favorite curriculum. We did it together. Ruth in NZ

Sue, I am a bit confused and would love to help. You say you want to do interest led, but want a plan - this makes sense to me. But then you say you don't want to be tied down to a curriculum but you have bought apologia and MrQs lesson plans. You seem to think "my" way is tough, but all I do is go to the library and get out books on a topic and read them (we are not talking Science Fair here). I am not trying to make you do it my way, but would kindly suggest that you need to think about your expectations of interest led. True interest-led (without a plan) is much tougher IMHO because you have to find resources on the fly. And for me at least, I need to "have my head in the game" and need some time to switch gears to facilitate a new topic. Dig a bit into these conflicting thought and tell me what you think you really want to do. What do YOU mean when you say "interest led," what kind of curriculum or plan fits into YOUR definition?" Why exactly are you trying to go interest-led? What do you hope to achieve that you couldn't with a curriculum? What are you willing to give up from your idealistic goals (yes, we all have them) to make it actually something you can implement? I have been privately helping quite a few people tailor a program for their dc, and sometimes they really need to stop and think about what it is they are after. Remember, it must work both for the student and the parent, if it doesn't, it won't get done. So don't discount your own needs. Ruth in NZ

Asia The Master Puppetteer Daughter of the mountains Singing Tree South America Chucaro: wild pony of the pampa I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Barton De Trevino The King's Fifth, by Scott O'Dell Polynesia Call it Courage Have not read the South American books yet, so can't vouch for them. Ruth in NZ

This is a x-post that I thought might help explain what I do. I thought I might expand a bit on how to get the kids on board and excited about "what is next." Science in my house is both interest driven and organized/systematic. Yes it can be done.:001_smile: I start before summer, mentioning in passing about how "I can't wait until next year because we will be doing earth science." I drop little hints, "did you know that earth science has 4 major fields: astronomy, geology, meteorology, and oceanography." Every couple of week for months, I say something else quite purposefully, dropping seeds of interest. "I know so little about crystals, I can't wait until geology." Eventually, the kids start asking "what are we studying next year again?" or "Do we get to study sand next year?" And "oh, I can't wait until we get to astronomy!" Then, once we are in the earth science year, I drop hints during the first unit on Astronomy, "did you know that geology is next?" A few weeks later, I might mention " wow, I had no idea that geology was such a huge field - rocks, crystals, soil, ground water, plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes. I just don't think we will be able to do it all. What should we skip?" Then, it goes something like, "ah, mom, we can't skip any of it. I love geology." etc. I think you get the idea. These are breadcrumbs, leading the way to path I want them to follow. It works shockingly well!!! Just today, as I was talking excitedly about finding some good chemistry books in the library for next year, ds(8) asked "what is chemistry?" "Well, it is all about atoms and reactions, like when you put vinegar and baking soda together." "oh, I love chemistry," he says. The first little breadcrumb in place... As the kids get older, I start to ask for input. My ds when he was 10 was quite adamant that he wanted to study microbiology, and I wanted him to study genetics and evolution, so there you go 3 units for 3 terms. The 4th term being for the science fair project. The younger one (1st grade at the time) could obviously not do those topics, so I chose easier things: botany, zoology, and ecology. But it is nicer when both kids are studying the same big topic, which happened this year. Kind of depends on the field. So how do I get the topics for the different sciences? Well, you do some research. Find out the big divisions within the subject for the year. Then, I check the library for good books. I check them out while I am planning for the following year and look over them and make sure there is enough of the good stuff at an appropriate level. If there is not, I have to buy some, but this has been pretty infrequent in 6 years. Then, I make a bit of a schedule. Each year has a subject (earth and space science), and each term has a topic (geology) and subtopics (crystals, volcanoes, ground water, erosion). The term topic is pretty well set in stone, but the subtopics can be very fluid. We often can't get to all of them, because we are following rabbit trails, which is just fine. Too much time spent on crystals and soil, leaves too little time on volcanoes and earthquakes. Oh well. There is always more to learn. But at the beginning of the next term, we start the new topic (switching from geology to oceanography which are all a part of the year's subject of earth science). I do agree with SWB that systematic study of any field is the hallmark of a classical education. I also like using a spine and then getting more books out, but the spines I use are MUCH more detailed than the ones she suggests. So I get a spine for geology, and a different spine for oceanography. Rather than a spine for earth science, which will be more vague and general because there is more to cover. I disagree with SWB that kids need to summarize, list facts, draw pictures each week to review/document their studies. I have found that this KILLS the love of science learning in my kids. Who wants to read about astronomy if you know you are then going to have to sit at the table and write a summary? yuck:tongue_smilie:. My kids sometimes choose to write about science for their fortnightly reports during writing time. We use IEW, so they spend 1 or 2 weeks with crafting their words/sentences/paragraphs, and then editing and copying over. Much more satisfying than just the repetition of weekly note booking. But each to his own. During each topic, we do some easy hands on stuff as a family. For example, for astronomy, we follow the moon, identify the constellations, and watch NASA launches; for geology, we grow a crystal, look at road cuts, watch the news for earthquakes (ug, think Christchurch); for oceanography we notice jetties, look at sea creatures, and watch the waves; and for meteorology we identify cloud types, study weather maps, and make measurement equipment. All of this is just observing the world-- making what we are learning come to life. It has no scientific method component, and there is no reason to write it up as a lab report. It is just fun and educational. Then, after 3 terms of reading, we do 1 term on a large-scale investigation. This year's investigations are: ds(11)-- how does the wind speed and direction affect longshore transport of sand? And ds(8)-- How does land slope and vegetation affect the depth of the topsoil? This is where the kids will write up their project in a scientific report, including hypothesis, method, results, and discussion. They make a poster and then present at the science fair. And one more X-post We follow rabbit trails, but they are rabbit trails within the topic. I don't discourage the kids learning other topics within science when we are studying astronomy, for example, but the whole family is focused on astronomy. We are all noticing the moon cycle and finding stars in the sky. We are reading books and watching docos. And my dh comes home with news on NASA's new launch, and we watch it over breakfast on a streaming NASA TV. It is exciting. If they want to grow a crystal or read a Magic School Bus book on rain forests, fine, but the whole family is focused on astronomy. This systematic focus helps the kids explore topics they never would have thought or on their own (oceanography for example) and helps to direct the rabbit trails within the topics. DS(11) was particularly interested in soil when we studied geology for 9 weeks and spent extra time on that subtopic. For geology, he studied rocks, crystals, plate tectonics, and soil/erosion (but ran out of time for ground water and volcanoes, when the term was up we moved on to oceanography). I don't think that either of us would have ever thought to study soil. How boring.... until you learn a lot about it. So IMHO, elementary school is about exposure in addition to the excitement that everyone always talks about. HTH, Ruth in NZ

You may not realize this but America is unusual in having unlimited downloads. We are restricted quite tightly in NZ, so streaming eats up our plan quickly. DVDs are key. But we ALWAYS have them polish them when we rent them at the video store. And we don't ever bother with the kids section at the library. Adult section is usually ok. Ruth in NZ

Robin Hood by Pyle Black Beauty Sewell We also really liked: Tika Liktak although it is out of print Oh, there are so many more. How many do you want?!?!?! Ruth in NZ

I see you are new. Welcome to the board. There is an extensive thread on the logic board covering this question that is well worth your time to read. It is called science...again...someone shoot me now. (I like the title!) http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107 Ruth in NZ

Biozone has modular textbooks that cover many different biology topics including ecology, evolution, and environmental science. They keep the costs down by making thing black and white so that they can update them for little cost on a regular basis. The website has nice samples to look at and quite a few of them are available on Amazon US for $10. I have used the evolution book and was VERY impressed. http://www.biozone.co.nz/modular.php Ruth in NZ

I have not seen "the Planet Earth", but the science you describe is Ecology - how plants and animals interact with each other and the environment in which they live. Population Ecology asks what affect the size of populations - weather, competition, or factors internal to the species. Behavioral Ecology asks what affects the behavior of animals. Community ecology asks how all the different aspects of a community work together along with the environment. Environmental Science has more of a human focus than Ecology, and thus is more political. My PhD is in Ecology, so if you have any other questions, I'm happy to answer them. Ruth in NZ

I am starting to get all the articles together from the internet, and more than half so far lead nowhere! (Can you tell I am frustrated?!) I have contacted CAP, but I was wondering if anyone has already put together a new list of current websites? Ruth in NZ

I am starting to get all the articles together from the internet, and more than half so far lead nowhere! (Can you tell I am frustrated?!) I have contacted CAP, but I was wondering if anyone has already put together a new list of current websites? Ruth in NZ

My dh works full time and is doing a part time PhD. So he does less than he used to (he used to do all the cooking): He earns the $$$ He makes bread 2x/week, and cooks 1 dinner/week During his lunch break, he does all the errands in the city (he can walk to all the stores) He photocopies or prints anything I need He does all the history read alouds at night for 45 minutes 5 nights/week He drives the boys to violin lessons on the weekend (2 different times) He practices violin with the younger boy 4 nights/week As for chores, he is in charge of all things financial, all computer problems, mowing the lawn, and fixing anything that breaks He also listens to me talk about homeschooling! Wow, writing it all down makes me feel very lucky! Ruth in NZ