9th Gr Science?? Could Rainbow or Apologia General count?

[home4school]

I'm visiting here from the K-8. I have an upcoming 8th grader and a 6th. I try to keep them together for most all content subjects including science. I bought Rainbow and AGS at a used book sale for really great prices, thinking I would decide which to use for next year and just sell the other. Problem is, I like them both! And they are so different.

 

My questions are:

 

Would either of them be suitable for credit in 9th? I've read lots of threads here and a few other places on the 'net saying yes, saying no, saying maybe! If I "beef" one up with additional resources?

 

I think I'm leaning towards Rainbow for them next year. Doesn't seem as overwhelming and looks pretty hands-on. I will do it in one year, not two though.

 

So, that would leave AGS for 9th. To me it has a lot of info and shouldn't take much to make it worthy of a credit. We are in GA and I got this of the net:

 

 

Under the new graduation rule, all students will be required to successfully meet four science requirements. They are:

1. Biology (26.012)

2. Physical Science (40.011) or Physics (40.081)

3. Chemistry (40.051), Earth Systems (40.062), Environmental Science (26.061), or an AP/IB course.

4. A science requirement that may be met using identified courses from the academic sciences or elective areas as designated in the List of State Funded Courses and K-8 Subjects Rule (IDA2).

 

 

 

I'm assuming this 4th science is for a career-related field, right?

 

Also, if you have two students close in age and try to keep them together for subjects, how do you handle when one "crosses over" into HS and earns credits for things the younger may do along side?

 

Thanks for any insight.

 

Kim

[Miss Marple]

Are you required to meet the GA requirements? If so, I don't think Apologia General will work. You could go with Apologia Physical in 9th (that would meet requirement 2).

 

Also, the college your student plans to attend will have specific guidelines for science requirements. You should check any potential colleges in order to make your plans.

 

Personally, I don't award credits before 9th grade. I have 2 sons 16 months apart. The younger one has taken many of the same courses, but he won't get credit as an 8th grader. They will both be taking Chemistry next year and they will both get credit for it because they will be 9th and 10th. I have no plans to to graduate the younger one early, so he will have plenty of time to get his credits as a high schooler rather than giving him credits for earlier work. Others will do things differently :-)

[8filltheheart]

No, I do not think they are high school credit worthy.

 

I think you are going to find it next to impossible to keep them together unless your 6th grader has advanced math skills. High school science is math dependent except for biology and biology is becoming more and more chemistry dependent.

 

I would recommend no longer schooling them together. At some pt, it just becomes easier to teach more courses than trying to combine.

[Shelly in IL]

I don't think Rainbow is rigorous enough for high school.

[Heather in VA]

No, I do not think they are high school credit worthy.

 

I think you are going to find it next to impossible to keep them together unless your 6th grader has advanced math skills. High school science is math dependent except for biology and biology is becoming more and more chemistry dependent.

 

I would recommend no longer schooling them together. At some pt, it just becomes easier to teach more courses than trying to combine.

 

:iagree:

[Brindee]

I only have experience with Rainbow Science. DD is doing both years this year. Though she has a little ways to go, she has kept up with the rest of her schoolwork and done all the science as well--and it was fun, not rigorous. :)

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

I wouldn't keep them together for science any longer. Either the 6th grader is going to be lost (if you try to have him do high school science) or your high schooler will be shortchanged (if you do lower level sciences).

 

ETA that I don't believe either Rainbow or AGS could be used for high school.

[Kimm in WA]

Apologia General Science isn't considered a HS course. Physical Science & up are HS courses. If you split your kiddos up, Apologia is totally doable for an independent HSer.

 

Kimm

[Musicmom]

Echoing what others have said: Apologia General Science and Rainbow are not high school level, even if you beef them up. Here's an idea to consider:

 

For next year, when your older ds is in 8th, you could certainly do Rainbow Science with both boys. Then the following year, when your older hits 9th grade, start him in Apologia Biology. That would get him going on the high school biology, chemistry, physics sequence that a lot of colleges want to see, it would meet your state requirements, and it would give him an extra year to pursue an advanced science--a science that would meet that 4th requirement. For the younger ds, who would be 7th grade that year, have him do Apologia General (perhaps followed by Physical in 8th). Then, in 9th grade (or even 8th), he could start Apologia Biology and follow the same track. Do you see? It could work out very neatly.

 

You really do have to make a split once the older child hits high school. And it's not really that difficult because Apologia is written for the student to do independently. So it's not like you're suddenly teaching 2 science courses--they would each be doing their own, on their own, with you supervising. And they can always discuss with each other what they're learning, watch each other's experiments, etc, for fun. Down the road, you may well find the older one will enjoy watching the younger go through the courses he's done, and can help the younger out with the experiments, etc. resulting in some fun times (not to mention good review.) This is what happened with my dc.

 

HTH

[home4school]

Thanks for the input! Of course, it wasn't what I wanted to hear though!:tongue_smilie: Science barely gets done around here now. I can't imagine two sciences in a day.

 

Thanks again,

Kim