brendafromtenn Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 O.K. if I am just crazy as a loon, just let me know. BUT.....I have a very science guy that will probably go into engineering. I would like to get him through as many of the Apologia books as we can before he goes off to college. Science and math are his gifts, along with writing. Am I just CRAZY to start the General Science text in 6th grade instead of waiting for 7th.? Has anyone done this? Blessings, Brenda:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace is Sufficient Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 My son, who is finishing 11th grade, loved science in his younger years. He's pretty smart at math, but doesn't like all the work! He took Apologia's General Science in 6th, Physical in 7th, Biology in 8th, Chemistry in 9th, and then we hit a bit of a snag. He wasn't really ready for physics in 10th, partly because he'd not had trig yet, which I was given to understand should be at least simultaneous if not prior to physics, but also I just thought he seemed a bit young for it. So, for 10th grade, we gave him some options -- I don't remember what they all were -- two of them were electronics or Apologia Anatomy & Physiology via the Potter's School, as neither of those were courses I could teach well. He chose the latter, and though it was a challenging course, he did quite well. (Actually, not bragging, but point of info regarding starting science a year early... he's gotten As in all of the above courses.) This year, he's taking physics at home -- my husband can teach that -- using Apologia, and doing great. Next year... ??? not sure yet, as it depends on some other choices. Options are some kind of electronics course, as he's probably going into some field related to computer hardware or networking, maybe something at the CC, maybe one of the Apologia advanced courses??? Really don't know yet. HTH Blessings, Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Yes, we started it when DS was 10yo. Very doable. I could have started even earlier with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 You're not at all crazy. Let him have fun learning! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendafromtenn Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 DS#3 will be doing Pre-Calc in 11th grade. So, if that is the case, then we should do General Science in 7th. Trig is very important for Physics. I forgot that. It would look like this: 7th: General Science/Pre Algebra 8th: Physical Science/Algebra I 9th: Biology/ Algebra II 10th: Chemistry/Geometry 11th: Physics/PreCalc 12th: Advanced Physics/? CC If I start this series earlier, in 6th, he won't have the math that he needs to do Physics. Hmmmm...... Thanks for reminding me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 I wouldn't worry so much about math. I wouldn't stop him from advancing in sciences just because of math anyway. We took two years (well, one and a half) for General Science, because DS had so much on his plate, and he wasn't quite ready for the level of work I was asking of him. So now, he's into Physical Science, starting mid-year, and his math is caught up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nissi Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Yes, my youngest started Apologia General Science at age 10 and loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 (edited) I wouldn't worry so much about math. I wouldn't stop him from advancing in sciences just because of math anyway. We took two years (well, one and a half) for General Science, because DS had so much on his plate, and he wasn't quite ready for the level of work I was asking of him. So now, he's into Physical Science, starting mid-year, and his math is caught up.:iagree: If your ds is a science guy, you may want to encourage him in the math area as well, maybe doing some over the summer or something so that he can do the science he'd like to do. I don't think it's all that uncommon for kids to do the General starting in 7th, so if he's a science guy and wants to get in lots of science, he probably WOULD want to start the General in 6th, and work on his math, which would give him room to expand and dig deeper into more advanced sciences later on. He'd be able to do AP Sciences, possibly, in highschool with more of a science background. This is all if HE is totally interested in doing this to reach his goal, and/or because he loves science. Some people have said their child didn't do advanced sciences in highschool, but had a good base from what they did do, and did fine in engineering and science related fields in college. So, it comes down to a choice that you and he need to make based on the goals and interests of your ds. Edited May 3, 2010 by Brindee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 My science-y boy started them in 5th grade because his sister was doing it and it has worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosiermom Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 My science-oriented dd did Apologia Physical Science in 7th grade along w/ pre-algebra. She needed just a few pointers on some of the problems using alg skills. We did not do Apologia General Science (we did RS4K in 6th gr). She has con't w/ Apologia Biology as an 8th-grader w/ no problems at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani3boys Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 My oldest ds started General Science in 6th grade, and it went well for him. He is currently a 7th grader finishing up Physical Science, and is looking forward to Biology in 8th grade. He would like to be a doctor, so science and math are his favorite subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicmom Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 DS#3 will be doing Pre-Calc in 11th grade. So, if that is the case, then we should do General Science in 7th. Trig is very important for Physics. I forgot that. It would look like this: 7th: General Science/Pre Algebra 8th: Physical Science/Algebra I 9th: Biology/ Algebra II 10th: Chemistry/Geometry 11th: Physics/PreCalc 12th: Advanced Physics/? CC If I start this series earlier, in 6th, he won't have the math that he needs to do Physics. Hmmmm...... Thanks for reminding me. Could you also start him in Pre-algebra in 6th? Or.... if you have considered Videotext Algebra, you could start that in 7th regardless (it incorporates pre-algebra) and he would be ready for Precalculus by 10th grade. So it would look like this: 6th--General Science/Prealgebra 7th--Physical Science/Algebra I 8th--Biology/Algebra II 9th--Chemistry/Geometry 10th--Physics/Precalculus 11th--Adv Physics/Calculus 12th--Adv Chem/higher level math The above is basically what my ds did--except we didn't use General or Physical Science (used Rainbow instead). We started Apologia with Biology in 8th. He also did both Physics and Adv Physics in one year in 10th (great prep for the SAT II!) Then in 11th he ended up doing another Adv Bio through MIT OCW, alongside Calculus BC, and this year in 12th he did Adv Chem and Multivariable Calculus. He is going into engineering/computer science. The other thing you could do to line up with your math plan as it stands is add in a year of Adv Chem before you go on to Physics, but I guess I'd recommend accelerating the math as well as the science if he's headed for engineering or the sciences. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 My dd is going to start next year (6th grade, she'll be just under 12) and I, like some of the other posters, almost wish I'd started her this year. Though she's having a great time with The Elements.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Brenda, Some of mine have started the Apologia texts in 6th as well with no problems. But I have another suggestion. I really wish, if I could do it again, that I would have used the 6th and 7th grade years to let me dc (espcially science-minded oldest) explore science rather than read, memorize and test in science. We did do delight-directed science projects one year and it was a hit. But I would have taken it further. I would let them do every project in backyard ballistics and put together a chemistry ste and read excellent science books and biographies. I would have had them do a science fair project (and we did do some of this, but I would have tossed the text and pursued the science fair with a vengeance). Anyway, just a thought. I have another chance. My rising 7th grader told me last week he wants to go into engineering, so, yea!, I'm going to try to assemble a neat chemistry set this summer (we had a great thread on that several months ago). So long as the math is in place, your dc can sail into hs biology in 8th grade with no problems. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 (edited) Lisa, that's the thing I've been batting back and forth to myself, whether we'll jump in with the Apologia sequence now or take a different route with kits and interest-driven stuff (GEMs, whatever). So you're saying if you do that you'll entirely SKIP the general science and physical science books and go right into biology in 8th? Does that come back to bite you, skipping Physical Science, when you hit chemistry? I just totally had not thought of that, hmmm... Edited May 4, 2010 by OhElizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Lisa-PS. Do you have a link to that chemistry set thread? I'm searching, but I haven't found it yet. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendafromtenn Posted May 4, 2010 Author Share Posted May 4, 2010 Well, #3 ds does the science exploring all on his own....We have gotten him sets of this and sets of that for years for his birthday. He participates in scouts and is constantly building things. He reads science books on his own. And we have done the WTM style of learning up to this point. But now it is time for some type of text style of learning. This text style really fits his learning style better. Anyway, THANKS for all the wonderful ideas that I have gotten from this post. Just incredible! Blessings, Brenda P.S. continue to pray for the flood victims in TN. It is bad here. Very bad. Going to help with that today at our church. Our homeschool "umbrella school" Faith Heritage Christian Academy in Millington has ALSO been flooded. 4 inches of water in the school. Please pray for these people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homemomandnild Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 My Dd used it in 5th, and I plan for Ds to use it in 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlotteb Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 I've never heard that you should do Trig. before Physics. Hhhmm... I took Physics in high school myself and never had trig beforehand. Is this a new idea? The way DS is progressing in Math (he will do Pre-Alg in 8th grade), he will probably never get to trig in high school either. I have him scheduled for Physics in 11th grade though. Would this be a problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicmom Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Lisa, that's the thing I've been batting back and forth to myself, whether we'll jump in with the Apologia sequence now or take a different route with kits and interest-driven stuff (GEMs, whatever). So you're saying if you do that you'll entirely SKIP the general science and physical science books and go right into biology in 8th? Does that come back to bite you, skipping Physical Science, when you hit chemistry? I just totally had not thought of that, hmmm... A few years ago when ds was middle school age, I went to a homeschool convention session on high school science that was given by Marilyn Durnell of Apologia (co-author of Apologia Biology). She specifically said you do not need to do anything formal in science until high school biology. And in fact, she almost advocated doing informal, delight-directed science up to that point (esp in grade school.) So, no, I don't think skipping General or Physical Science would pose any problem at all later. We did Rainbow Science in 6th and 7th, partly because I felt it was a lighter, gentler introduction, more colorful and engaging (and I attended the session about this time), and partly because I was planning on Apologia for high school and didn't want my dc to get burned out on Wile's format/style by the time we got there (sometimes when you've been doing a particular curriculum for awhile, you get to a point where you just need a change.) I've never heard that you should do Trig. before Physics. Hhhmm... I took Physics in high school myself and never had trig beforehand. Is this a new idea? The way DS is progressing in Math (he will do Pre-Alg in 8th grade), he will probably never get to trig in high school either. I have him scheduled for Physics in 11th grade though. Would this be a problem? I don't think you necessarily need trig before Physics, but concurrent would be good. If you're planning on more of a conceptual physics course, then it may not be a problem, but for a math-based course it may be. I do know that if you do Apologia Physics (esp the Adv Physics), the math will involve some trigonometric functions. But it wouldn't be that hard to learn the trig you need to get along. As long as he's had geometry at that point, he could do a quick, separate study of trig to get up to speed. My ds didn't have a complete understanding of trig at the time he hit those problems, but between what he'd been exposed to and the explanations in the physics book, he figured it out and did just fine. The fuller understanding came a month or so later when he did trig for real in his precalculus course. Anyway, THANKS for all the wonderful ideas that I have gotten from this post. Just incredible! Blessings, Brenda P.S. continue to pray for the flood victims in TN. It is bad here. Very bad. Going to help with that today at our church. Our homeschool "umbrella school" Faith Heritage Christian Academy in Millington has ALSO been flooded. 4 inches of water in the school. Please pray for these people. Brenda, I just heard about the flooding in TN this morning and immediately thought of you. Praying for the people there and for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 ... partly because I was planning on Apologia for high school and didn't want my dc to get burned out on Wile's format/style by the time we got there (sometimes when you've been doing a particular curriculum for awhile, you get to a point where you just need a change.) Thanks, those are really good points I hadn't considered!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Lisa, that's the thing I've been batting back and forth to myself, whether we'll jump in with the Apologia sequence now or take a different route with kits and interest-driven stuff (GEMs, whatever). So you're saying if you do that you'll entirely SKIP the general science and physical science books and go right into biology in 8th? Does that come back to bite you, skipping Physical Science, when you hit chemistry? I just totally had not thought of that, hmmm... Absolutely no need to do General and Physical Science before Biology and Chemistry. The two most important prerequisites for upper level science, IMO, are math and study skills. And here's the thread about putting together an inspirational chemistry set. I re-read it yesterday! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 My son started General this year and is doing great with it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to move him to physical next year simply because I worried @ biology in 8th but I think he will do fine. So, yes, I think general is fine for 6th for some kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendafromtenn Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 Then it is o.k. by me!;) Thank you to ALL who posted such wonderful ideas for me. I think what we will do is "try" General in 6th and see how it goes. We can pull back if we have to. Oldest dear son suggested that we put Advanced Chem or Advanced Bio. AFTER Regular Chem, which would give us a buffer year so that PreCalc and Physics would fall together in 11th grade.:D So here is what it would look like: 8th:Algebra/Biology 9th: Algebra II/Chem 10th: Geometry/Advanced Chem or Advanced Bio 11th PreCalc/Physics 12th: Calc/Advanced Physics Going to our church again to help with flood victims. The need is SO great here in TN. Please pray for these families. (Not much school getting done here this week. But God's work is!:D) Blessings to you all! Brenda:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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