PinkInTheBlue Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 In searching the boards I've seen there are a few of you that do recommend this science. I'm really not interested in spending $180 on a science I haven't even seen although I've always been interested in it. I see on hometrainingtools.com I can buy each subject for about $30 for the student book and $22 for the worksheets. The teacher book covers all 3 topics and is $50. I also see a kit with the "hard to find" items for $50. I'm still looking at about $100 for something I don't actually know much about. SO, thoughts? :) Is it really incredible? I'm thinking Biology would be were we'd need to go next. Is this "hard to find items" kit something I'd be glad to have? "This kit contains 24 of the harder-to-find items for the experiments in the Real Science 4 Kids Level 1 curriculum (Chemistry, Biology, and Physics). It includes prisms, seeds, iodine, a 6-volt battery, light bulb, bar magnet and more." Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArwenA Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I am really happy with RS4K and have used Biology 1, Chemistry 1 and pre-1 and am using Physics 1, all very happily. We add in extra reading as there isn't enough material for a full year of study if you just do one science. We don't always do the experiments (my eldest isn't hands on and I'm always happy to just read:)) so when I bought from the same place I opted against the "hard to find items kit". How hands on are you? I think that would be the key part of deciding if you want the hard to find kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 I would say I'm moderate at best on hands on. Here and there I don't mind a bit of it but I really prefer conversation, reading and sheets. So, not doing most of the experiments would not throw off the text? Thank you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in AR Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My 3 oldest dc have all gone through Chemistry and they enjoyed it and seemed to learn a lot. I don't think there were any hard-to-find items for the chemistry labs; iodine we found at either Wal-Mart or Walgreens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chai Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 We've only used chemistry which I think is excellent and it got a vote of approval from my chemistry PhD husband. He did most of the experiments with my dd. I wouldn't do any science program without the experiments, in fact we added more in using Atoms and Molecules. The books are very engaging--my dd reads them for fun. I have the biology books but haven't used them yet. I've heard that biology is not quite as good as chemistry. I agree that the cost is high if you use it all over one year. I'm stretching them out over 3 years by adding in extra reading and experiments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 We used RS4K Physics Level 1 for 4th grade. My son is not particularly science oriented. Neither am I. Pros: • Excellent quality student's text • Some of the experiments were fabulous (rolling a matchbox car down a ramp into a line of banana slices pinned to a piece of cardboard to see how much force is needed to smash the banana) • Experiments did a great job of adding math into physics Cons: • Expensive curriculum • 10 week program • Some expensive supplies • Some experiments didn't work (especially when I bought those expensive supplies) • Some of the material was over MY head Overall, I found it expensive for a 10 week program. If I am going to have to supplement a 10 week program to make it last a year, I may as well create the year long program from scratch. My 20/20 hindsight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArwenA Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I would say I'm moderate at best on hands on. Here and there I don't mind a bit of it but I really prefer conversation, reading and sheets. So, not doing most of the experiments would not throw off the text? Thank you :) We still do quite a few, depending on our mood, but if you don't do them all that is certainly NOT a problem. If you like lapbooks you can do those too, they have been a wonderful part of our science studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I really like RS4K chemistry level I (chemistry is the author's specialist subject, and it shows) but the biology was a mismash of levels (life cycle of the frog plus detailed cell work, all in one course) and I found the experiments in the physics to be unreliable. With my second son I will be doing half of bio first (the easy bits) then chemistry, then the rest of bio. We'll probably skip the physics and use other resources. Knowing what I know now, I think I'd definitely buy the chemistry; it really was excellent with very successful experiments, and the materials were easy to find so I didn't need a kit. I wouldn't bother with the others. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted January 23, 2008 Author Share Posted January 23, 2008 You ladies all give wonderful thoughts and reviews. Thank you!! Any more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimerinkydo Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 We are in the middle of Physics. We too, have had some of the experiments not work well so I allow my son to choose whether or not to do the experiment. We read the chaper and take notes. We are supplementing with kits and things from our charter school's library. I think it is okay but too pricy. We not enjoying this as well as we did the apologia astronomy that we used last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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