Should I use Lyrical Life Science level 3: Human body with a 7th and 8th grader?

[Kathie in VA]

I was thinking of having them both do Apologia General Science w/ a co-op (if I can find one) but I'm also realizing the my rising 3rd grader will be doing a co-op that uses Lyrical Life: Human body. So now I'm wondering if I should just get that whole program and do it with all my kids? Their website does say it's for jr high level.

Then again if we do LL3, then my oldest will enter 9th grade w/o something like General Science as prep work. We haven't been very formal about science.

 

TIA

[periwinkle]

LLS Volume 3 is best suited for middle school ages; I suppose the co-op will do some adapting/supplementing for 3rd graders. However, it is not a full year course as it is written (if you do science several times a week, anyway). Oldest ds used it many years ago and worked through it in 9 or 10 weeks (or thereabouts?)-at the most a semester.

 

If you're going to be using Apologia (or any textbook) for 9th grade biology, it would be helpful (not necessary) for the 8th grader to complete a similar course this year. Apologia's Physical Science can also easily be coompleted at home, giving you another option besides the General Science (which we skipped). Or you could do another volume or two of LLS with the olders...maybe the earth science/geology...I haven't seen that one, but it sounds interesting.

 

hth

[Christy B]

I was thinking of having them both do Apologia General Science w/ a co-op (if I can find one) but I'm also realizing the my rising 3rd grader will be doing a co-op that uses Lyrical Life: Human body. So now I'm wondering if I should just get that whole program and do it with all my kids? Their website does say it's for jr high level.

Then again if we do LL3, then my oldest will enter 9th grade w/o something like General Science as prep work. We haven't been very formal about science.

 

TIA

 

The Lyrical Life Science 3 is a great program; it's certainly very "meaty". The Apologia General Science does cover a lot of the same material in the second half of the book. If you wanted, you could use the LL3 as your main program for the school year, but then have the 8th grader complete the rest of the Apologia General text as "independent study" -- maybe do a couple of units this summer, do a unit when your co-op takes a break, etc.

 

We had planned to break Apologia General into two years (7th and 8th); in part, because I wanted to supplement the second half of the Apologia with LL3. I actually prefer the presentation of material in LL3; probably because it is so similar to the way I studied it in high school.

 

HTH!

[Kathie in VA]

Thanks for all the help.

 

The co-op I was referring to is Classical Conversations-Foundations. I guess they will be using the songs for the science memory work. Hmmm, they might also be getting their 'labs' from there also as they seem to correspond. I'll have to ask. So that means it will be one chapter per week for about 24 weeks.

 

oops, it's not a full year program? So I guess spreading it out over the 24 weeks would really require me to add some work for my 8th grader! hmm. Yep, their website even says that all three of the Life Science programs make up one year's worth of science for Jr. High.

 

I hadn't thought of even looking to see how it compares with General Science's coverage of the same topic. ?Have the 8th grader use both programs; skipping the human body study in General Science? hmm. a thought. I'll have to think on that idea as well.

 

ug. I just thought it would be sooo nice to have all the kids on the same topic/program again.... But I really need to watch what the older two use now as they are getting close to those H.S. years where science topics are defined and required.

 

Thanks.