Help with choosing Logic stage science program!

[s.shaffer]

How many of you use the WTM recommendation for Logic stage science? I'm trying to decide if we should do this or buy a curriculum. I've looked at Real Science 4 Kids, RSO and have read about Elemental Science. I'm looking for a Chemistry program in particular to use with my 6th grade and maybe even my 3rd grader too. Any suggestions? I can't decide what to do!:confused:

[StephanieZ]

We're using Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn Science this year for logic stage and I love it. It's solid.

 

The kids like it. It is painless. It gets done. I can add labs that work for us. . . using stuff we already have or can easily get. . .

 

Love it.

[LauraGB]

Have you considered using any of The Teaching Company's dvds? This year we are studying Earth Science and have decided (so far) to do Our Night Sky and Meteorology, along with a lot of extra hands on things. I previewed some of Our Night Sky and it looks fantastic. The TC has a lot of great courses. Their site is http://www.teach12.com/teach12.aspx.

[patchfire]

For chemistry, we loved Ellen McHenry's The Elements. There's a follow-up curriculum to that, Carbon Chemistry, which we haven't used, though I'm thinking about using it in the spring.

 

Dd wanted to go through "middle school science" quickly (and move on to more substantial stuff - her words!), so I purchased access to PLATO science via the homeschool buyers' co-op. I also got the CPO textbooks for extra reading.

 

Another thought for chemistry for your older child is Conceptual Chemistry.

[Jen in PA]

We are just getting started on My Pals are Here (Singapore Science), and we love it so far. DD has actually read ahead quite a bit and is begging to get to all of the experiments in the activity book. DH and I are very impressed with the critical thinking component, the Higher Order Thinking Skills book.

[StephanieZ]

Not WTM, but I am very, very happy with Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn Science program.

 

I'd think it'd work well for Gr5 & up moderately gifted. Gr6 & up "normal".

 

Caveat: they cover reproduction quite openly. No morals, no "sex ed" topics, but anatomy/biology very openly.

 

FWIW, I also LOVE that "health" topics are intertwined with the life science sections. Dental hygiene, nutrition, drugs, tobacco, etc. Very well done, IMHO. Again, no morals, no peer pressure stuff or social stuff, just the facts.

[mcconnellboys]

I put together my own stuff ala WTM. I like Ellen McHenry's chemistry stuff (and am using it as part of my repertoire of science stuff this year, too). I also add in a lot of books about chemistry topics.

[s.shaffer]

Thanks for your input everyone. I'm going to look into them. I did decide to get the Chem2000 set as recommended in the most recent WTM and my dd is working through that along with the book on the periodical table SWB recommends. We are in week 2 so I don't have that much feedback on how it is going yet except that my dd is VERY excited about the chemistry set and doing the experiments.