WHat science for science minded 7th grader

[TravelingChris]

My youngest did R +S two year life science program in 4th and 5th grade and loved it. We went to Calvert for 6th grade and she is very frustrated with the science as not being indepth (it is McGraw Hill). I was considering using BJU LIfe Science but she really doesn't want it since she had two years of life science recently. Her professed desire is to become an engineer and she is my only kid who follows or has ever followed dh into the garage to do woodworking or any other kind of project. She also loves inventing things and watching mechanical shows on tv (HOw SO they MAke that, Military Machines, etc- I don't know the names because she watches them with her father or by herself). I am trying to plan a rigirous yet interesting science sequence for her realizing that she will more likely want to do AP Chemistry or AP Physics further down the line than AP Bio.

[Susan C.]

Christina,

I did Apologia General Science with both of my kids in 7th grade. They both really liked it.

[titianmom]

You might want to build something on your own. Most of what I've found out there for elementary level is pretty lame IMHO if you're child is past the basics or into more of the physics side, etc.

 

I was thinking RS4K but their Physics 2 isn't completed yet. Just their Chem is, which is something you might consider. In the end, many of the sciences are inter-related if you know what I mean.

 

I'd also focus on math. Science and math go hand-in-hand. Make sure she has a good foundation if she seems to be headed toward a science career in the future; esp Engineering. 99.9% math if you know what I mean.

 

Lastly, have you checked out Thames and Kosmos kits? They are more hands on where you build things, etc. Great even as a main course for science at the elementary level! They have solar-powered physics projects, reg physics, chem kits, etc. that are supposed to be pretty good. We might do their powerhouse next year.

 

We're doing Astronomy next year; we have an observatory up the road and a pair of binos. I have a few books and an online course I'm considering, plus we may use SLOOH. http://www.slooh.com and http://www.synapses.co.uk/astro/astro.html . (He also has a mini CHemistry course that's supposedly pretty good.)

 

For 9th grade we'll be doing CPO's Foundations of Physical Sci text with the DIVE Physical Science program, FWIW. It's an honors science program; Dr. Shormann has all the honors science programs avail with kits, etc that you can use with Apologia, BJU, internet, Prentice Hall, and soon he'll add the CPO syllabus. http://www.diveintomath.com

 

Hope this helps some. Sounds to me like she'd love the Thames and Kosmos kits, tho. AND, don't forget the library!

 

Kim

 

PS: I have to add that, at the elementary level, you have more flexibility. Do what's fun and fill the year with things in areas SHE wants to cover. Don't worry about following what everyone else does. It's at the HS level that she'll have to fulfill requirements, like the Chem/Bio/Physics stuff. But really as long as they have like 3 or 4 courses of science and at least 2 (I think) with labs, she'll be okay...if you can do, like, 2 Physics courses and skip biology for ex I think you can do it. For ex, physics and advanced physics if she's going into engineering. Chemistry would be a good idea of course, also. (I'm doing physical sci at 9th to see what my daughter will focus on, myself. Bio? Chem? Physics? None of the above, ha?) But check with your county to make sure they don't insist on the typical trio.

Edited June 12, 2009 by titianmom

[Jane in NC]

TWTM suggested Chemistry for 7th in its older editions (haven't seen the new edition so I don't know if anything has changed.) My science minded kid did not fare well with the MicroChem kit that was recommended but I know others on this board have followed the recommendations with success. (Blue Hen may have written about this.) So while I claim that our seventh grade attempt at chemistry "bombed" (hence we abandoned it after one semester to move on to a Jason Project curriculum on wetlands), my son had a reasonable foundation so that he kept his head above water in 10th when he did AP Bio (with its significant biochem component) and in 11th when he took General Chemistry at the CC.

 

I would suggest that you take a look at the 7th grade chemistry suggestion in TWTM. This would give your daughter the opportunity to start working on how to write lab reports and how to use library books (not just a text) to research topics. A kid who likes science can really excel when given inquiry based options.

 

Jane

[8filltheheart]

My math/science kid completed several of the CyberEd Plato sciences this yr and loved them. I thought he had only finished 2, but he told me that he did all three this yr. (my memory is completely unreliable these days!!)

 

He did Earth and Space, Life Science, and Physical Science. He absolutely loved them and learned a lot. I definitely recommend them for self-motivated middle school students. (He spent a long time doing science every day b/c he enjoyed it so much.) B/c of everything he did this past yr, I am going to go ahead with Conceptual Physics for him in 8th.

 

Homeschool Buyers Coop has this on their website:

PLATO Learning (formerly CyberEd)

 

We are approaching the finish line with the Group Buy order pages for PLATO Science! We will be offering both Middle School and High School offerings. Life Science - Physical Science - Earth & Space Science --- Biology --- Chemistry -- Technical Fundamentals! All the programs you know and loved via our previous CyberEd programs will once again be available directly from PLATO Learning here at the Co-op! Guess what else? BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY ARE NOW FLASH-BASED!! That's right - no Authorware downloads needed. And, all programs are also MAC compatible. Get ready, because this one is right around the corner!

[titianmom]

http://down.platoweb.com/cybered.htm

 

They're shutting down Plato. ?? Am I understanding this correctly?

 

Kim

[8filltheheart]

http://down.platoweb.com/cybered.htm

 

They're shutting down Plato. ?? Am I understanding this correctly?

 

Kim

 

No. It used to be CyberEd Plato. I believe that CyberEd sold out completely to Plato. It was a business restructure and the coop has worked out a deal with Plato. http://www.plato.com/

[Orthodox6]

Here are some suggestions for engineering lessons you might enjoy for her. Better yet, that SHE may enjoy for herself ! :)

 

http://www.tryengineering.org/lesson.php

 

http://www.eir.ca/

http://www.eir.ca/students/

http://www.eir.ca/resources/

 

http://wings.avkids.com/

 

http://educate.intel.com/en/DesignDiscovery/

 

http://www.cubekc.org/lessons.html

 

P.S. All of the foregoing are free resources.

[Ruth in Canada]

My science-minded grade 7 ds and I just worked through Conceptual Chemistry. It was a great science year. Because he learns well by watching DVDs, the included DVD was a big hit. We did the questions orally to limit the writing--and so we could discuss the material together. Next up is Conceptual Physics, which I did 3 years ago with my dd. Even though she isn't terribly science-minded, she thoroughly enjoyed CP. We'll eventually circle back to do physics and chemistry at the AP level.

 

You don't say where your dd is in math. A little bit of algebra helps for both of these books--but they certainly don't require a full year of algebra I.

[Storm Bay]

We're liking RS4K Chem II. From what I recall of Dr. Keller's suggestions, she recommends doing Chemistry, then Physics, then Biology, so you could start with her Chem II while you wait for the Physics to come out. There's a lot more to it that the Chem I, and the lab books are good. The dc design their own experiments based on parameters the author gives.