Order of High School Sciences/History?

[gingersmom]

2 part question:

 

Is there a specific order you need to take high school sciences?

 

Freshman: Biology

Sophmore: Chemistry

Junior: Physics

Senior: Advanced Biology

 

Oak Meadow does Environmental Sciences for freshman year. Does this count as an equivalent to Biology?

 

Same thing for history.

 

Oak Meadow does Geography in 11th grade. Can you do geography in 9th grade and other history in 11th grade?

[Janice in NJ]

Most high school science curriculums are driven by the math sequence.

 

Biology course in high school - doesn't require math

Chem curriculum in high school - assumes that the child has had algebra I

Physics curriculum in high school - assumes that the child has had or is enrolled in Alg II with some Trig.

 

Because the "standard" high school science curriculum makes these assumptions, most kids take them in that order because it coincides with the math that they have had.

 

Many, many kids who know that they want to major in math or sciences in college take Alg I in 8th grade, Geo in 9th, Alg II in 10th, Precalc in 11th, and Calc in 12th.

 

So - they get physical science done in 8th, Bio in 9th while taking Geometry, Chem in 10th while taking Algebra II, Physics in 11th while taking PreCalc which gives them lots of Trig, and then they have enough math to take any advanced science - Bio, chem, or physics which can be an advanced algebra-based course or an advanced calculus-based course. Any of these classes can be either an advanced course with no specific AP distinction, an AP course, a dual enrollment course at a local college, OR another advanced college-level science course althogether: electronics, geology, astronomy, human anatomy, computer programming.......

 

That's the short answer. Homeschoolers modify to their heart's content! :001_smile: We're an all-over-the-map group by the time our kids hit high school: an education tailored to match the child and all that. Hey, if we're going to bear up under the burdens of homeschooling, you can BET that we're going to take advantage of our freedom where ever and when ever we can! :001_smile:

 

Make sense?

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

Edited February 7, 2010 by Janice in NJ

[Guest]

Not at all. The public schools here have one order; private schools most often depart from that. Several private schools have a combination biology/chemistry class that runs for two years instead of separating them into different year-long classes. Some have physics in 9th and that's it; some have it in 8th (conceptual, not calculus-based) and then again in 12th. Some have earth science or environmental science instead of physics. And a few schools offer electives like forensics, marine biology, astronomy, etc. It all basically depends on your child having enough math background to cope with equations in chemistry and physics.

 

My husband is a scientist, and everybody he works with has their own firm belief in what sequences is "natural" or works best. I don't think there is a any kind of magical perfect sequence.

 

Same applies for history. You can mix in geography with any/all history classes or make it a separate course, depending on what your goals are and what your child likes. High school graduation requirements don't require that a particular course be taken in a particular year as far as I understand it -- just that they are taken. Same thing with college admissions. In our state the UC system requires a certain number of years of math and science without specifying order.

[AngieW in Texas]

Now that I've done biology first with my two older girls, I won't do it that way again. Biology courses all seem to go heavily into biochemistry right at the beginning. That's very hard without having had high school chemistry yet.

 

For my youngest, I am going to do Conceptual Physics in 9th and then chemistry and biology.

 

My 14yo is doing OM Biology this year. It was pretty rough at first because of the biochemistry. The first 1/3 of the book was harder than the rest of it has been so far.

[Kareni]

Is there a specific order you need to take high school sciences?

 

 

Agreeing with the other posters that there is no specific order that is required for either science or history. For example, as regards science, my now college freshman followed this order:

 

9th: Physical Science

10th: Biology

11th: Geology

12th: Environmental Science

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Chris in VA]

FWIW, you can also do it the Well-Trained Mind way--

9th--Bio and Ancients World

10th--Astronomy and Medieval/Ren World

11th--Chem and Early Mod World

12th--Physics and Modern World

 

I did

Bio and Ancients World

Physical Geo for one semester and one semester Astronomy, and Medieval/Ren

Chem and 20th Cent World (I called it American History in The World Context)

Environmental (one sem) and Gov't (one sem)

 

You can imbed both American as I did and Gov't in the second and third years of World History.

[TravelingChris]

I did Chemistry Biology Physics in that order for the first two (and one had an extra field biology class and the other has marine science and earth science as two half credit extra courses). Now with my youngest, most science loving child but one who doesn't like biology much- she will do physics, chemistry, biology and then a second year of physics that require one to have calculus.

 

Now for social sciences my oldest did well trained mind sequence plus an extra class in geography which took two years and government for a half credit. My second did geography, US History for two years, half year of government, is doing half year of economics now, and will do world history next year. My youngest will do world history, US history,government and economics in 11th, and geography in 12th.

[gingersmom]

Thank you everyone!

 

I'm feeling a lot less stressed.

 

I think I feel extra pressure for the high school years that I do everything exactly right. I am constantly checking the admissions requirements for schools my daughter will most likely apply to.

[EKS]

My preferred order (starting in middle school) is:

 

6th: Life

7th: The physics part of a good physical science course (high school level)

8th: The chemistry part of a good physical science course (high school level)

9th: Earth science/Environmental science

10th: Biology

11th: Physics

12th Chemistry

 

If you don't want the earth science/environmental science, just move everything back a year. With a good middle school background, in life science, physics, and chemistry, a student should be well prepared for AP level biology, chemistry, and physics in high school.

[kpupg]

Now that I've done biology first with my two older girls, I won't do it that way again. Biology courses all seem to go heavily into biochemistry right at the beginning. That's very hard without having had high school chemistry yet.

 

:iagree:

 

My ds is taking AP Biology at our public school. So far, it is really what I would call biochemistry. I guess that's the way it's taught these days ... but I'm a fossil, so I didn't know that. We're lucky ds is a science lover, as he already studied the fundamentals of chemistry, so was ready for the chemistry concepts that are pretty much assumed in the course (there was only a brief one-chapter overview of chemistry early in the course).

 

For my dd, two years younger, who is not a science lover, we will be looking at chemistry before biology. Physics will have to wait due to the math connection. But biology will be at least second, rather than first, so dd can know the chemistry.

 

That's the plan today, anyhow :)

 

Karen

[EKS]

Biology courses all seem to go heavily into biochemistry right at the beginning. That's very hard without having had high school chemistry yet.

 

 

Yes--though I think a good high school level physical science course or conceptual chemistry course in middle school would serve just as well.

[eumyang]

My preference would be for a high-school student to be exposed to each of what I consider to be the main branches of science - biology, chemistry, physics, geology and astronomy - in four years. Of course, with five branches in four years, I would lump geology and astronomy together and call it "earth/space science".

 

As for order, I would go for the

(conceptual) physics -> chemistry -> biology -> earth/space sci.

sequence. It make sense, to go from the very small to the very large. Other sequences exist; I've seen

biology -> chemistry -> physics -> earth/space sci.

and

earth/space sci. -> biology -> chemistry -> physics

in other high school course catalogs.

 

In social studies, there are also four "subjects" that I think a high school student should be exposed to:

world history

U.S. history

government & economics (1 semester each)

other social sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, combined into a year course)

... but I don't know if the order matters. A friend of mine teaches at a private high school where they follow this sequence:

world hist. -> govt./econ. -> U.S. hist. -> other social sci.

I myself went to a public high school eons ago and took went through this sequence:

govt./econ. -> world hist. -> U.S. hist. -> other social sci.

I know that we followed this sequence because at my old high school, English students took world lit. in sophomore year and american lit. junior year, so having the corresponding social studies classes match up allows for interdisciplinary activities.

 

 

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[Cheryl B in VA]

There are many different options for history sequence. Our school system is changing their sequence beginning next year. Old sequence: World History 1500 to today; World Geography or AP European History; American History, AP option; US and VA Government. New sequence (which makes more sense): World History and Geography to 1500; World History and Geography 1500 to present; American History, US and VA Government. Here is what I did with ds #1: World History 1500 to today; Ancients; AP American History; Government and Economics. Ds #2 is a freshman and here is his sequence: 20th Century; Medieval/Ren./Ref.; American History; Government and Economics. So, follow the teens interests but make sure American history and government are covered.