jabuford Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 This was mentioned on the Thread below about what your favorite science curricula and I was curious if I had googled the correct science explorer. Is this the book from Phschool.com or the science experiments book from Amazon? Or is it something else all together? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I believe they're referring to the Prentice Hall books for middle schoolers. Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jabuford Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Their website is terrible, but start here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 What amazes me is that they changed the website recently, and unless I'm missing something, it it even more terrible than it was before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 You're right. The website is worse than before. It's a shame, because the Science Explorer books are very good, but the website is horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jabuford Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 So what do you buy on here that is so good? The teachers edition is only for "real schools" , have any of you used the interactive textbook? Do these books have hands on activities? How do you teach without the TE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 We use the textbook and the workbooks. I bought the CD but we haven't used it at all. I have degrees in the sciences so am comfortable teaching without the TM. We read a section each day, then they do the corresponding workbook pages. We talk about the concepts, using the review section as a guide. Some chapters are more difficult than others and we adjust how much time to spend on each depending on the difficulty and interest level. Although we spend lots of time talking about how you would design and carry out experiments, we rarely do any ourselves, although we've only done life sciences and weather/climate so far. I expect to do more hands-on stuff when we do chemistry and physics. My kids have the opportunity to do some intensive labs (dissection, microscopy, etc.) during the summer at a local academic camp, so I'm comfortable skipping much of the lab work for now. We also supplement with United Streaming and various animations I find online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I actually find it easier to look at the printed catalog. I buy the student book, teacher's book, and guided reading and study workbook. The good thing about the TE is that it has the answers to the section assessments and chapter tests. I need that. The answers to the workbook are only in an expensive All-in-One book, so I generally have to fumble around to check that. There are hands-on experiments, but I tend to not be motivated enough to get around to doing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Once you register with Prentice Hall as a hser (I did it over the phone), you can buy anything in their catalog, regardless of the little icon that says you can only purchase with a school p.o. Their customer service has been fabulous, which is really good since their website and their online ordering system is a mess. I highly recommend getting a paper catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauranc Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 How long is each book? I'm just wondering how long each book takes to go through... Thanks, Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Most people have their kids cover 2 to 3 a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Is there a big difference between the new version with the new covers and the old? What workbook should I choose to go with the books if I buy the old covers? Is the workbook necessary? Would these be ok for science advanced 4th-5th graders? Any experiment kits available? Are the All In One teacher's packs worth the money for home use? Does the lab activity video cover all the experiments in the books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaNY Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Is there a big difference between the new version with the new covers and the old? What workbook should I choose to go with the books if I buy the old covers? Is the workbook necessary? Would these be ok for science advanced 4th-5th graders? Any experiment kits available? Are the All In One teacher's packs worth the money for home use? Does the lab activity video cover all the experiments in the books? We just finished using the older edition text, and now we're using the current edition. The only real difference I see so far is the fact that they have a short standardized test prep section at the end of each chapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauranc Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Most people have their kids cover 2 to 3 a year. Thanks... ...Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 The 2002 edition workbooks have matched up almost page-for-page with the 2000 edition student texts. If you get student texts that are more recent than 2000, then there will be a workbook that matches up exactly. The workbooks are cheap, even direct from the publisher. For the experiments, I highly recommend the Lab Zone Easy Planner. It has all the teacher information for every experiment in the entire series. You won't find it on the website unless you type in the ISBN 0-13-181196-7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Just FYI. On ebay, there is a buy it now complete 15 book set 2000 edition for ~$30 plus shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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