Whitneyz Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 The kit from Thames and Kosmos is not working for me!!! I can't seem to understand what they are trying to do half the time and the experiments aren't working for us!!! I guess I'm hopelessly inept...and I spent so much money on this. Anyone have any comments? Anyone have any cheaper recommendations for Chemistry experiments for 3-8th graders? thx, Whitney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 (edited) Whitney, I would like to see what other responses you get before I launch into a lengthy diatribe. We purchased Chem C2000 to go with Noeo's Chemistry III. One day I found myself staring at the equipment on counter wondering, "What did we just learn here?" Nothing! Nada! Zip! Noeo had us reading a book on chemical reactions and we were covering acids and bases. There was a book for acid and bases but were we doing it? No. If I had not researched "limewater" before #6 that would have been a loss as well. Why were we starting with acids and bases? You get the picture. It wasn't pretty. We have made several adaptations; however, I would love to hear what other more experienced chemistry moms have to say. Edited January 21, 2010 by swimmermom3 typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yes, I don't think it is set up well at all! Anybody else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Whitney, I would like to see what other responses you get before I launch into a lengthy diatribe. We purchased Chem C2000 to go with Noeo's Chemistry III. One day I found myself staring at the equipment on counter wondering, "What did we just learn here?" Nothing! Nada! Zip! Noeo had us reading a book on chemical reactions and we were covering acids and bases. There was a book for acid and bases but we we doing it? No. If I had not researched "limewater" before #6 that would have been a loss as well. Why were we starting with acids and bases? You get the picture. It wasn't pretty. We have made several adaptations; however, I would love to hear what other more experienced chemistry moms have to say. Oh no! I'd been thinking of ordering NOEO III to help me get a handle on the T&K kit. We've had the kit since the beginning of the year but haven't been using it much because I don't really know how to structure using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I hate it. Everytime I see that stupid box I feel like an idiot. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynful Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Is it the Chem2000 experiments that no one likes or the way they fit in with NOEO? I have just the Chem2000 experiments and I wanted to get started with them just as something fun to do with my daughter. I think she's a mad scientist, really. :) I'm not hearing alot of love for it though. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 I use it with Real Science. The reason I don't like it is that they don't explain well how to do the experiments or what it's all about. I think it's really poorly laid out and VERY expensive. It has made science experiments PAINFUL. I've ordered some library chemistry experiments so I can salvage my science class!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) If you want to understand chemistry experiments, I would invest in Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture; ISBN-13: 978-0596514921 Really. :001_smile: It's for high-school +++ and it's not for the faint of heart. (Lots of dangerous chemicals, etc.) BUT he explains each experiment so well. Chemical equations, etc. Using the table of contents, you could read through the "big kid" experiments to see why your little kid experiments (with safer stuff) are supposed to be doing what they are doing. I think the idea behind the Thames & Kosmos kits is exposure. But I agree, I couldn't remember any of my college chem and most of the experiments left me digging through text books in order to answer the simplest questions. This book is an amazing reference. My daughter is using it now; lots of light-bulb moments; it makes the page-after-page of textbook info real. My son will definitely be using it too. The author has started putting together chem videos for You Tube. As you can see, these are recent. I was in contact with him this week; they have just started this project. Here is his intro video with shots of his "Home Lab" - drooling here..... http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHomeScientist#p/u/7/OS0uLXPWKlA This video shows what I like most about their approach. Chemistry is made as "real" as possible; they try to use "real" stuff when ever they can. Love it! http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHomeScientist#p/u/4/Uorlv05KLX4 All of the "info" that you need in order to understand what is going on is in the book. They have provided a link in the video (It will also help you see how the book is laid out.) http://blog.makezine.com/science_room/chemistry/laboratory_63_recrystallization_pur/'>http://blog.makezine.com/science_room/chemistry/laboratory_63_recrystallization_pur/ Tons more info here: http://blog.makezine.com/science_room/ And finally, complete kits are available at MakerShed. (You don't need these yet; you can use the Chem3000 at the Elem/Middle school level. But these are available if you want to work through the experiments at the high school/AP level in the book. The book lists the experiments according to three categories: High School chem for non-science majors; High School Chem for science majors; AP/College Level Chemistry.) https://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=93 Peace, Janice Enjoy your little people Enjoy your journey Edited January 22, 2010 by Janice in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Janice, thank you for all of the extra resources. I am looking forward to exploring them, especially The Illustrated Guide. With Chem2000, I knew things were bad the day I found myself seriously regretting selling our Apologia Chemistry book. I was actually yearning for Dr. Wile's explanations. Considering my loathe/love relationship with Apologia, that's saying something.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 You're welcome. How did the opera thing go? Good experience or no? Peace, Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 If you want to understand chemistry experiments, I would invest in Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture; ISBN-13: 978-0596514921 ...you can use the Chem3000 at the Elem/Middle school level. Janice- Just to clarify, I could use the chemicals from the T&K kit to do some of the experiments in the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Sorry. Not trying to be unclear. No, lining things up between the two in order to use materials from one to do experiments from the other would be an exercise in frustration. Inevitably, you will always be missing something. Instead, I was offering the book as way for you to (easily??? - I feel silly even saying that because it's not easy) self-educate in the art of chemistry lab. Most jr. kits are designed to expose kids to the basics: (copied from the Illustrated Guide book's description) Separating Mixtures, Solubility and Solutions, Colligative Properties of Solutions, Introduction to Chemical Reactions & Stoichiometry, Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions, Acid-Base Chemistry, Chemical Kinetics, etc.. The jr. kits do this in less-dangerous (and sometimes less than interesting) ways. Armed with the book, you might be able to discern some of the whys??? that you can apply to your jr. kit. (It's generally easy to look at a table of contents to see which area of chemistry the lab is supposed to reveal.) I'm sorry if this isn't the best answer. Really. I have no idea why pricey kits like that leave out so much of the chemistry. It really turns it into a toy instead of a meaningful self-teaching tool. I have no simple answer - just directions that I've gone in to find the answers that I needed. Also - don't know if it will help, but I think TWTM used to recommend Smithsonian ChemWorks & Micro-Chem kits from Smithsonian. The kits are no longer available, but the manuals are still on-line. I have no idea if they will help, but here they are: http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/discoverthis/chemmic-instructions.pdf http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/discoverthis/micxm-instructions.pdf Peace, Janice Enjoy your little people Enjoy your journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I also use the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments and I love it. It's not for the faint of heart and it is expensive, but I love it. I have been teaching it to a group of high schoolers in my garage. Most of the labs take 1 1/2 to 3 hours each. Feel free to pm any questions. I am also very impressed with the author's attention to safety and all the information that is jam packed into the labs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Is there anything similar to the Illus. Home Guide for physics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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