Those planning to cover lots of Math/Science with their kids

[nmoira]

Completed:

R.E.A.L Science: Life (Level 1)

NOEO Physics I

MPH 3-6

Working on:

The Elements (McHenry)

Near Future:

Carbon Chemistry (McHenry)

Brain Science (McHenry) with Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science

Ellen McHenry's Botany and Elements 2 when they're out

The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects

Engineering the City: How Infrastructure Works

Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis: Projects and Principles for Beginning Geologists

The Science of Life: Projects and Principles for Beginning Biologists

Weather Projects for Young Scientists

Exploring the Sky: Projects for Beginning Astronomers

 

Future:

up in the air... flirting with Singapore Science, and looking closely at this thread

[Debbie in OR]

But one of the most important skills for both math and science (probably even more important than science itself when they are younger) is learning strategy. We love strategy games and play them all the time. I think they build the critical thinking skills necessary for understanding research, etc better than anything else. We love them.

 

HTH

 

Momof7, Would you elaborate a bit more on what kind of strategy games you use? I always pay close attention to your posts and this sounds like it would be very useful but I'm not sure what kind of games these would be. :001_unsure: Please and thank you!

[EKS]

You know--because both of my kids are math/science types, I actually do *more* in the way of literature and history with them because I know they won't be getting it after they leave home.

[swellmomma]

I put together my long term plan for math and science today for all 4 kids(which was interesting since the 4th is only 2 lol)

 

Based on my oldest kids here is the plan (most of these things will cycle through the youngers)

 

Science

5th gr SL sci 3(biology), Apologia Astronomy, Apologia Zoo 1, and start SL sci 4(physics)

6th gr finish SL sci 4, SL sci5 (human body), Apologia Zoo 2, Apologia Botany

7th gr WP Rock around the earth (geology), Weather study and Apologia Zoo 3

8th gr Apologia general science

9th gr Apologia Physical science

10th gr Apologia Biology

11th gr Apologia Chemistry

12th gr Apologia Physics

Gap year Apologia Marine Biology

 

Math

5th gr MUS Gamma, Horizons 3, manips

6th gr MUS Delta, Horizons 4, manips

7th gr MUS Epsilon, Horizons 5, LoF fractions

8th gr MUS Zeta, Horizons 6, LoF Decimals/percents

9th gr MUS pre-Algebra, TT pre-Alg

10th gr MUS Algebra 1, LoF beginning Algebra, TT Algebra 1

11th gr MUS Geometry, LoF Geometry, TT Geometry

12th gr MUS Algebra II, LoF adv. Algebra, TT Alg 2

Gap Year MUS Trig, LoF Trig, TT precalc

[lovemykids]

There are only a couple biology labs we're skipping, and other than just the sheer cost of things (microscope - eek!) and a couple tricky bits, like making my own hydrogencarbonate indicator solution (found a recipe online!), they're not really too bad so far.

 

Chemistry, though, I find very difficult to judge and some of the experiments that I do know something about don't look safe for home, and/or use materials that require special disposal. I have a friend who's a chemistry teacher who thinks they "could" be done, but you know... I don't need to make chlorine gas, even in a ziplock bag. So my current plan is to replace all or most of those labs with the ones in The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments... which looks really REALLY excellent, and has very thorough notes about both safety and disposal. If you're considering that, I would definitely get it at least a year ahead, so you can read through it and make your plans. It's not open-and-go as it is, and I need to sit down and really match up the topics.

 

I don't need to make chlorine gas, even in a ziplock bag. :lol:

 

Holy cow no! LOL. Thanks for the response. :)

[Hannah]

Momof7, Would you elaborate a bit more on what kind of strategy games you use? I always pay close attention to your posts and this sounds like it would be very useful but I'm not sure what kind of games these would be. :001_unsure: Please and thank you!

 

I'd like to know this too please. ETA: Are these the types of games you mean?

Edited October 11, 2009 by Hannah

[8filltheheart]

For younger kids (under 7-9.......it depends on the child. A couple of mine could manage the more complicated games at a younger age) games like Mancala, Othello, Blockus, chess, and card games like Spades, Hearts, etc.

 

For older kids, (all the younger kid games and) Risk, Statego, Word Exchange, Settlers of Catan (one of our absolute fav games of all time. We own the basic Catan, Seafareres, and Cities/Knights), etc Card games like Canasta, Manuevers, Shanghai Rummy, etc.

 

Basically, they are games where you need to be able to anticipate how your plays affect the other players and your future options. You need to be able to plan/see the multiple options well before your turn and how they will impact your decisions for the next several plays. (Definitely not relying on chance.)

 

It has been very interesting to watch the kids play the games with other kids over the yrs. It is very easy to identify kids that simply "play" a turn without understanding strategy. They are the opponents that are easily demolished and no challenge to play. Just being observer......I have seen my kids either attempt to teach other kids how to think strategically or give up and make sure that when they are over that they do something else.

[Jennefer@SSA]

For younger kids (under 7-9.......it depends on the child. A couple of mine could manage the more complicated games at a younger age) games like Mancala, Othello, Blockus, chess, and card games like Spades, Hearts, etc.

 

For older kids, (all the younger kid games and) Risk, Statego, Word Exchange, Settlers of Catan (one of our absolute fav games of all time. We own the basic Catan, Seafareres, and Cities/Knights), etc Card games like Canasta, Manuevers, Shanghai Rummy, etc.

 

Basically, they are games where you need to be able to anticipate how your plays affect the other players and your future options. You need to be able to plan/see the multiple options well before your turn and how they will impact your decisions for the next several plays. (Definitely not relying on chance.)

 

It has been very interesting to watch the kids play the games with other kids over the yrs. It is very easy to identify kids that simply "play" a turn without understanding strategy. They are the opponents that are easily demolished and no challenge to play. Just being observer......I have seen my kids either attempt to teach other kids how to think strategically or give up and make sure that when they are over that they do something else.

 

Karen, thank you! After reading your first response I started scrolling through to see if anyone else had asked you to elaborate here b/c I was curious, too. This is really helpful and to be honest something I could use work on as well. I have never been good at strategy games b/c as a child all I wanted to do was read. I left the game playing up to my sister and dad. ;)

[elegantlion]

For younger kids (under 7-9.......it depends on the child. A couple of mine could manage the more complicated games at a younger age) games like Mancala, Othello, Blockus, chess, and card games like Spades, Hearts, etc.

 

For older kids, (all the younger kid games and) Risk, Statego, Word Exchange, Settlers of Catan (one of our absolute fav games of all time. We own the basic Catan, Seafareres, and Cities/Knights), etc Card games like Canasta, Manuevers, Shanghai Rummy, etc.

 

Basically, they are games where you need to be able to anticipate how your plays affect the other players and your future options. You need to be able to plan/see the multiple options well before your turn and how they will impact your decisions for the next several plays. (Definitely not relying on chance.)

 

It has been very interesting to watch the kids play the games with other kids over the yrs. It is very easy to identify kids that simply "play" a turn without understanding strategy. They are the opponents that are easily demolished and no challenge to play. Just being observer......I have seen my kids either attempt to teach other kids how to think strategically or give up and make sure that when they are over that they do something else.

 

Thanks for the recs. My son taught himself to play poker by watching on TV and has recently gotten active with Magic, The Gathering.

 

Clue and Chess are more mainstream games we enjoy.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I can't keep science curriculum materials in the house for more than a few weeks before they're thoroughly learned, so I have given up on buying expensive teacher-led stuff. I emphasize Latin, Greek, composition and literature because if I didn't we'd never notice it through the all-science-all-the-time atmosphere in this house. My kids were basically on vacation for a week with unlimited media, junk food and all those things I don't let them have, while I was sick and they were with Grandma. And you know what they did? Science. They watched The Science Channel, and they looked at Grandma's whole backyard one bit at a time under the microscope they insisted I pack for them, and they did engineering experiments.

 

Some of the materials we've found useful in this approach:

a Brock Magiscope

The Young Scientist Club

Eyewitness books

RS4K (just the books)

activities out of Ellen McHenry's materials

Scouts

 

I keep a science box with bagged experiments and the instructions and supplies in it, and a whole bookcase devoted to nature stuff that was interesting enough to bring home. I keep the field guides there too.

[Greta]

Hope this helps!

 

Yes, tremendously. Thank you so much for this great information! :001_smile:

[Laboroflove]

We use Singapore math, Horizons math, about to use Mind Benders (I've been using logic squares off the internet), Noeo science and I will soon start Pentathlon games (you can purchase game set even if you don't want to compete). My 5th grader will join a math team next year. I'm not sure when I'll switch her to BJU science. Noeo is doing an excellent job now and I'd like to use their Chem 3 next year. Right now she's (the older one) is interested in engineering or vet.

[TechWife]

But one of the most important skills for both math and science (probably even more important than science itself when they are younger) is learning strategy. We love strategy games and play them all the time. I think they build the critical thinking skills necessary for understanding research, etc better than anything else. We love them.

 

 

Can you make some recommendations for strategy games? We have Risk, but are there others that middle school aged kids would enjoy?

 

Edit to add: just saw the other responses! Thanks!

Edited October 11, 2009 by TechWife

[FairProspects]

Can you make some recommendations for strategy games? We have Risk, but are there others that middle school aged kids would enjoy?

 

Well, I don't have kids that age, but in my family growing up we played Hearts, Rummikub (a strategic tile game based off Gin-Rummy), and Sequence (board game with card-like strategy) often at those ages.

 

Blockus is a newer strategic game that we also love and I think could easily be enjoyed by middle schoolers. Risk was forbidden in our house because of the major fights and emotional tears/conflict that it caused :D. HTH!

[TechWife]

We definitely have a bent for the STEM disciplines in our house! Many of the fun activities my son does are geared toward these subjects. Over the years, we have used these materials and/or science activities:

 

Preschool years - Wild Goose Science Kits, lots of science museum visits

 

Elementary years (they all run together) - RS4K Chemistry and Physics w/lots of optional supplementary reading such as biographies on scientists, inventors and their work. Astronomy has been absorbed experientially as we own a high powered telescope, associated computer programs and related reading materials. We have done small model rockets for years, and in the 5th grade we completed the experiments in the rocketry guide from NASA. We began FIRST LEGO League (FLL) in 4th grade, so he is in his fourth year of that fantastic program. Learned HTML at summer program at local private school. I think he started w/Tomiya and OWI robot kits around 4th grade. Started LEGO Mindstorms NXT in 4th grade. 5th grade used the Power House kit from Thames and Kosmos. Other kits used/built in free time included a radio, solar car, bubble gum (there were too many of those kits to remember). Good microscope for 10th birthday. Horizons Math for 3rd-5th (we started homeschooling in the 3rd grade).

 

6h grade - We did Earth Systems Science for 6th grade using a variety of materials. Our frame was the FIRST LEGO League research project. We used Dr. Art's Guide to Planet Earth for the first half of the school year and then found various resources online and in the library on Geology for the second half of the school year. Completed this kit. Horizons Math 6. Started JAVA Programming. Began playing with Alice and Phun in free time. This electronics kit was for Christmas.

 

7th grade - this is where we are now. We are using Prentice Hall Science Explorer Life Science, complete with all of the labs. From this point on, I consider the labs to be extremely important in learning science. The supplies for this program to be readily available from Home Science Tools and the experiments are easy to complete at home. I am supplementing with the Thames and Cosmos Middle School Core Science Kit and the Thames and Cosmos Genetics kit. The first real science fair project will be completed this year as well. Continuing FIRST LEGO League and reading science/technology references & biographies on his own time. Using HTML to build web site for his FLL team. For math, the official curriculum is Chalk Dust Pre-Algebra. DS is taking a Geometry in Art class in our co-op as well. Life of Fred Fractions, Decimals & Percents and Algebra are read widely during free time. We have these books available for reference (they were read casually when they first arrived in our house and are now part of our reference collection: Math On Call and Algebra to Go). I have just ordered Geometry to Go and expect the same thing to happen when it enters the house. This Christmas, DS will receive a drafting kit and his grandfathers drafting board from his high school years. He already has this book to use with it.

 

8th grade: We will use Prentice Hall Science Explorer Physical Science. We will use the text and labs and continue to supplement with the Thames and Kosmos Middle School Core Science Kit. We will evaluate whether or not to continue with FLL or to move up to FRC. Math will be Chalkdust Algebra. I'm sure we'll find other fun stuff to do as well.

 

I haven't planned further than this other than a move to FRC will occur during the high school years if it didn't happen in the 8th grade.

Edited October 12, 2009 by TechWife

[Kareni]

Two more recommended thinking games:

 

Quarto

 

and

 

SET

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mama2Three]

Loving this thread. It's amazing to me that some on here are planning high school science for their early elem DC. My DH's family is very math/science oriented -- his dad and 4 of 7 siblings are engineers, 1 sibling is a math teacher, and DH is an accountant. You all are definitely giving me things to think about, thank you!!! :)

[stripe]

Interesting about the strategy games as I was just reading John Holt's How Children Fail (picked up from a library bag sale), which contains his reflections on teaching math (in the 50s). He discusses playing "20 questions" with the kids, and how some of them have and some of them do not have good strategy -- for example, how to know when to move from narrowing it down to a range of choices to guessing one specific answer, and that most/all of them only like when their question is answered with a "yes," even though a "no" may tell the same amount of information.

[lovemykids]

Thanks for all the recommendations everyone. This is something I wrestle with every so often. Coming away from this thread, I am revisiting two curriculums that I had reviewed before but dismissed. I am very impressed with Oak Meadow and Singapore Science. I may do a combination of both for my dd, who has just informed me that she wants to be a chemist. :001_huh:

I am also going to supplement her math studies with Saxon math. :glare:

WDYT?

Thanks Hive!

[mycalling]

This thread has been great. I've leisurely read it and researched everything along the way. I've fine-tuned my Math and Science plans through HS, except...

 

I still have not found a middle school-level Chemistry program I like. I've accumulated two pages of options through High School, but not what I'm looking for to use with 4th-6th graders. I want something with depth and pictures giving a nice intro into all of what Chemistry encompasses with 7th-8th grade level experiments explaining the principles they demonstrate. Any ideas?:bigear:

 

My tentative plan is RS4K Chemistry with DK Eyewitness Chemistry, but I'd prefer an all-in-one. If I went the RS4K route, I'd probably get the Kogs and use the whole program as a foundation for our schooling next year. Decisions, decisions.

[Storm Bay]

You know--because both of my kids are math/science types, I actually do *more* in the way of literature and history with them because I know they won't be getting it after they leave home.

 

 

This is a good idea. I'm finding now, though, that I'm still having to choose my battles and how many I care to wage ;). My dd doesn't have any trouble reading it, it's the analysis and writing essays. I'm hoping that by the time dd is 16, she'll be easier to work with. My other two will be easier to work with in this area, even my math/science oriented ds will be easier. They're more likely to prefer doing literature to grammar, which is how I presented it to my dd, 14. She'd rather do more grammar than literature at this point.

[Debbie in OR]

Thanks, momof7! My parents just taught my kids how to play Canasta this week....they LOVE it (it is going to be my little secret that it's actually helpful and teaching them strategy):tongue_smilie:.

 

Settlers of Catan looks fabulous and is now in my shopping basket at Amazon for a Christmas present. Thanks for the suggestions....I love it when fun meets purpose ;).

[lovemykids]

DD the Elder is accelerated and on the young side, so we've got lots of time for diversions. She does about 15-20 minutes of main topic math a day, plus maybe another 10-15 minutes as part of a daily warm-up. I'm allotting a bit more time for math while she's going through The Cryptoclub, as the process of encoding and decoding can be time intensive. I'm always on the lookout for something off the beaten path.

 

Completed:

RightStart B and part of C (not a good fit)

Singapore 2A-3B, part of 4A

LoF: Fractions and Decimals & Percents

Venn Perplexors A-C

Can You Count in Greek?

Some MEP units

It's Alive

Logic Countdown, Logic Liftoff

 

Currently working on:

The Cryptoclub

Becoming a Problem Solving Genius

Challenge Math

Brain Maths (puzzles, from SingaporeMath.com, we have found a few errors in the solutions)

Venn Perplexors D

Mathematics 6 (selected sections and problems)

CWP 5 (slowly working through the series)

It's Alive and Kicking

various other puzzle books

Orbiting With Logic

 

Near Future:

Alien Math (working with different number bases)

Piece of Pi

some MEP units

LoF Pre-algebra books as they come out (DD loves Fred)

A Game of Logic (Lewis Carroll)

 

I'm up in the air about IMACS middle school math program. I'm hoping to use it, but haven't yet set aside enough money to purchase the first few units for evaluation. The downside is homeschoolers cannot purchase answer keys, so DH and myself will each have to do all the problems and compare answers.

 

Far Future (2 or 3 years, quite possibly bits and pieces, and timing depends on science sequence):

LoF, including statistics (primarily as a teaching tool)

Art of Problem Solving

Modern Algebra: A Logical Approach Vol 1 and 2 (if only for proofs and problems)

Geometry (Moise/Downs)

Gelfand, various books

mathematical logic

business/finance math (maybe only a short unit)

 

I'll post science later... more muddy there after the next couple of years. I'm getting some ideas from this thread though.

 

I like some of these suggestions!

The strategy games are going on my wish list as well.

Some good books by Issac Asminov:

A Short History of Chemistry

A Short History of Biology

Understanding Physics

How did we find out about…..series

Asimov on Astronomy

Asimov on Chemistry

[Capt_Uhura]

My biggest issue is that we are a math/science family. Well, public school squelched DS's love of math and I've not been successful (YET) in reigniting but I'm still trying. DS6 enjoys math so hopefully I can keep those fires going! Anyhow, they both LOVE history as well. But as someone posted in another thread, by the time we get the skill areas (language arts, math) done, I'm pooped, the boys want to play with LEGOs, and the toddler needs attention. We could easily do science and history every day - as far as wanting to do it - implementing that is something else entirely. I think I need to shift to more of a big picture that we have years ahead of us and to just nibble at it. There is just so much great science, fun math in addition to the skills math, interesting history - but then there is also grammar, spelling, writing, roots (which the boys actually really enjoy), logic, music, art - where do you find the time to do it all?

 

Capt_Uhura

[melmichigan]

Patchfire,

 

I guess I answered my own question, didn't realize until you talked about it and I went a venturing that CTY uses CyberEd or PLATO science for their classes! I'm already using the same stuff and didn't realize it until I noticed that the scope and sequence was identical and noted the copyright at the bottom of the page. It's much cheaper through the homeschoolbuyersco-op. Now I understand why it was so highly recommended on the Davidson Forum. You made my day, thank you! (The AP biology seems to be the same material as well.)

 

Correction, the "Honors" biology is PLATO, AP Biology is Thinkwell.

Edited October 19, 2009 by melmichigan

[Capt_Uhura]

MelMichigan - so you're saying the very expensive CTY online courses you can take once you take and qualify for via the SCAT is the same as the PLATO Science Middle School courses you can purchase through HSBuyer's Co-op?

[Kareni]

I don't believe that these resources have been mentioned:

 

the Living Math! site

 

and the related Yahoo group Living Math Forum

 

They are well worth some investigation.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[TravelingChris]

Yes, we are doing things differently for my third who is a math/science kid and likes textbooks for history.

 

7th grade- LOF Fractions, Decimals and Percents. Start of Alg. 1

8th grade- LOF finish ALg. 1 if not done, Alg. 2

9th grade- LOF Geometry

10th grade- LOF Trigonometry

11th grade- LOF Calculus

12 grade- LOF Statistics

(we may very well add to this or move faster. SHe will be done with the Decimal book right before Christmas or earlier)

 

Science plan so far,

7th grade BJU Life Science/ old physical science text

8th grade Earth Science with Physical Geography text, and various Metereology, Astronomy and Oceanagraphy texts

9th grade- DIVE Chemistry, maybe also DIVE Bio

10th grade- AP Chem, maybe something else too lije second half of Bio

11th grade- Physics,

12 grade- AP Physics

 

THis is not firmed up. She is very strong in math and science and is potentially wanting to do engineering.

[Storm Bay]

My biggest issue is that we are a math/science family. Well, public school squelched DS's love of math and I've not been successful (YET) in reigniting but I'm still trying. DS6 enjoys math so hopefully I can keep those fires going! Anyhow, they both LOVE history as well. But as someone posted in another thread, by the time we get the skill areas (language arts, math) done, I'm pooped, the boys want to play with LEGOs, and the toddler needs attention. We could easily do science and history every day - as far as wanting to do it - implementing that is something else entirely. I think I need to shift to more of a big picture that we have years ahead of us and to just nibble at it. There is just so much great science, fun math in addition to the skills math, interesting history - but then there is also grammar, spelling, writing, roots (which the boys actually really enjoy), logic, music, art - where do you find the time to do it all?

 

Capt_Uhura

 

 

My eldest, who is now 14 and plans to major in science (most of the time; once in a while she'll say math or that she wants to do nothing ;)) didn't do any formal science for the first few years she was home. Actually, not until she was 12. We did some group science classes and lots of other reading. I did have her do the human body one year, and simply draw things for the work (she's very artistic and at that time liked it; she also learned) as well as do a human anatomy colouring book. She garnered so much information this way that by the time she started formal classes, she was far ahead of where she would have been had she stayed in ps. She's now doing a college Conceptual Chemistry course simply because I want her do learn the conceptual part first (I think she has enough math) and because last year she still claimed she hated math (she did hate arithmetic.) She's going to take an AP Chem course later in high school; at least that's my plan.

 

Science doesn't have to be a formal subject when they're little. Also, dd would take science books out on her own when she was quite young. For a while she was going to make pink and purple cars when she grew up (not enough on the road) and be a race car driver. Later, she planned to be the first woman on Mars and read a lot of books on the planets, but could have cared less about stars and galaxies at that time (she was about 7). She didn't bother reading any political books during the time she planned to become president so that she could repeal the mandatory education act (she was 8), however ;).

[lovemykids]

I don't believe that these resources have been mentioned:

 

the Living Math! site

 

and the related Yahoo group Living Math Forum

 

They are well worth some investigation.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Oh yes, I was going to say....

 

:iagree:

 

Living Science as well. (yahoo group)

[melmichigan]

MelMichigan - so you're saying the very expensive CTY online courses you can take once you take and qualify for via the SCAT is the same as the PLATO Science Middle School courses you can purchase through HSBuyer's Co-op?

 

That is what I am seeing. I remembered being told that the classes for CTY are almost all from other programs. So I went a looking. I was told that CTY's math is EPGY's program for the younger grades, and it's Thinkwell for the higher grades. That was easy enough to look at. And I remembered PLATO being discussed in conversations about CTY science on the Davidson Forum. So I went a clicking last night and pulled the detailed information for the middle school life science http://cty.jhu.edu/ctyonline/science/detailedcourseinfo/pla-lif.html and low and behold it matches exactly the PLATO life science class my DD9 is taking. So I clicked on the demo. Well, welcome to CyberEd PLATO science...available on the homeschoolbuyersco-op for $50 on group buy within a timed login and a little more for 24 hour login. :lol:

 

And to think, I only paid $200 for unlimited login for all three PLATO middle school science classes. What would that have cost on CTY? :tongue_smilie: Then add in the math, that I'm getting through the open enrollment for $135 instead of $2000. I'm saving a BUNDLE!

Edited October 18, 2009 by melmichigan

[8filltheheart]

Patchfire,

(The AP biology seems to be the same material as well.)

 

I would not recommend the Plato high school biology available through Homeschool Buyers Coop for an AP course. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even use it as a stand alone base level high school biology course. I purchased the course last yr to supplement Campbell's non-biology major college text book for my dd. (And she did this as a non-AP course.) Plato's biology was not AP equivalent. Perhaps they have a different version available directly through Plato?

[Ravin]

We are definitely a scienc-y family around here. For first grade, we're doing a tour of the animal world during the first half of the year, and building a "tree of life" to hang them on. In the second half of the year, we'll be doing nature study and focusing on the ecology and environment of our local area and region.

 

Next year I plan on using R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Earth and Space with DD. I'm a very bio-oriented person so I've pretty much done our curriculum for this year on my own, but I want something more formal for physical science.

 

Currently we have weekly lessons for both science and history, so I give them equal weight. We'll probably spend more time on science than history next year.

[LittleIzumi]

Don't forget membership to the science museum, lol.

[melmichigan]

I would not recommend the Plato high school biology available through Homeschool Buyers Coop for an AP course. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even use it as a stand alone base level high school biology course. I purchased the course last yr to supplement Campbell's non-biology major college text book for my dd. (And she did this as a non-AP course.) Plato's biology was not AP equivalent. Perhaps they have a different version available directly through Plato?

 

:iagree: We use the Glencoe science books with the current middle school offerings and will do the same for any of the other PLATO classes. We use them to supplement as well. For that I think they are good, especially for visual kids. And we are using them with my science minded 9 year old. They consider the biology, "honors" biology according to the CTY site. CTY's "AP" biology is Thinkwell. I was still surprised it was even called honors. Thanks for correcting me!

Edited October 19, 2009 by melmichigan

[stripe]

I am so happy this thread has taken off.

 

What math programs do you use that you like?

 

(ETA: I deleted a question I'd already received an answer to in PM.)

Edited October 23, 2009 by stripe

[LadyAberlin]

Well I really like Critical Thinking company's Mathematical Reasoning books. I am also enjoying Abeka first grade math. I know that Abeka isn't thought of highly as far as the conceptual development goes, but they actually present things really well in the Homeschool guide. My ds5.5 is in the 1st grade book and doing really well. We have used Horizons K bk 1, MUS Primer and 1/3 of Alpha. Ds didn't like Alpha and he liked Horizons, but I didn't. I feel the conceptual development is better in Abeka than horizons. I hear people switch from Abeka around 4th grade, so I'll have to look into it at that point for the reasons why. I know I don't care for Abeka highschool math. We've tried Singapore and Rightstart and my ds didn't like them. We could possible try Singapore again at the point we switch from Abeka or we may move into BJU because I think it is really strong in concept development. I do like BJU's Highschool math. I've taught co-op classes using it. I have on my list to look at for highschool and jr high LOF, Video Text, Thinkwell and Art of problem solving.

[Storm Bay]

I am so happy this thread has taken off.

 

What math programs do you use that you like?

 

(ETA: I deleted a question I'd already received an answer to in PM.)

 

 

Did you ask this in repsonse to a specific poster? I can't tell as I don't read this in threaded mode.

[stripe]

I originally had a specific question to a particular person, but I realized I already had the answer.

 

Since this thread has garnered some excellent science ideas, I'm interested in sharing additional math resources too. :)

[freerange]

One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Science arrived this morning & is already proving a hit, so I'm ordering the Maths version for when its published next year.

[melmichigan]

:iagree: CTY's "AP" biology is Thinkwell.

 

 

Just for giggles, I looked this up and it's $140 on the thinkwell website. :)

http://www.thinkwell.com/homeschool/store

Edited October 24, 2009 by melmichigan

[Annie Laurie]

Science and math aren't my strong suits and I had never liked them- until I started homeschooling. I have honestly learned to enjoy math through my kids' programs and living math books. RightStart math has been a delight for me. :001_smile:

 

My dh is a huge math and science guy so it's been important to him to emphasize both in our hs. And anyway, I think he's right that math and science are undervalued in the U.S. but are extremely important in today's world.

 

I've been at it for awhile and tried a variety and I can't say we're set on anything beyond elementary for my younger set since things will change as we go along. They are 8, 7, and 5. But I know we'll finish RightStart and most likely follow that with Videotext. ETA: I forgot to mention that my very math dd is also using Miquon which I love! And I really like Singapore so I don't know if we'll go to Videotext or Singapore after completing RS.

 

My oldest is using Oak Meadow high school Biology right now and I like it so my other kids may use OM high school science too.

 

My younger set is using Sonlight science and maybe some Singapore science. They're also using logic resources from Prufrock Press.

Edited October 24, 2009 by Annie Laurie

[Kareni]

A couple of science books that I recommend are David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work and The Way We Work.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Storm Bay]

I originally had a specific question to a particular person, but I realized I already had the answer.

 

Since this thread has garnered some excellent science ideas, I'm interested in sharing additional math resources too. :)

 

Aside from the things we use for math class that I posted way, way back (this thread has been around for a few weeks already :)), math books we like just for fun are:

 

Murderous Maths -- there are a number of titles in this series

The Number Devil (my kids had mixed feelings about that one, but the math part is really fun.)

 

My eldest is in high school now, and I've just learned about a fun book full of math fiction for adults called Riot at the Calc Exam and Other Mathematically Bent Stories I saw in the AMS catalogue (American Mathematical Society). Also, nonfiction for general readership is Famous Puzzles of Great Mathematicians by Miodrag. S. Petkovic

 

Also, we're planning on dd doing an elective based on a text we saw at the AMS for advanced high school math students called Mathematical Ciphers from Caesar to RSA. It's a textbook with some software programs to assist with exercises, but first we have to find out how we'd grade that. I'm not sure if you could have an answer key for all of that or not, or if there is one to that book. If not, she could always do it on her own for a non-credit course.

 

AMS has an entire page devoted to books for advanced high school math students.