Holt and Prentice Hall Physical Science links

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I'm researching physical science for 8th grade. I'm having a hard time seeing the Holt Physical Science and PH Physical Science. Can anyone send a link or tell me how to find out more about these? I'd like to see sample pages.

[Luckymama]

Here's the link to all the PH books, 2009 edition. Click on "earlier editions" in the left column to see older options.

[Mom22ns]

There is another choice in PH. Here is the link to their 9th grade book, Concepts in action http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZu6g&filter_161=&filter_423=6732&filter_422=&filter_424=&filter_281=&filter_425=&filter_446=&programFilterTypeList=161%2C423%2C422%2C424%2C281%2C425%2C446&PMDbSiteid=2781&PMDbSolutionid=6724&PMDbSubSolutionid=&PMDbCategoryid=814&&PMDbProgramID=52885

 

This is what we are using this year for 8th grade.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thank you, ladies!

 

I'm comparing these two (PH and Holt). Which one do you all like better? We are using 7th grade BJU Life Science with DVDs this year and learning a lot. I LOVE the DVD aspect. I don't have to teach!

 

I'd like to find something similar for physical science. I really don't want to have to teach "serious" science:lol:. Anything past elementary science, I'm more than willing to turn over to an "expert".

 

Yet, if the text has enough resourses and it is written clearly enough, I might be persuaded to teach it. I have other curriculua that I'm researching, but I'd like to eliminate one of these.

 

So....

Prentice Hall physical science or Holt physical science?

[Luckymama]

Well, I had the same question and ended up with CPO Earth Science :lol: --links for life and physical science are in the left column.

 

I am very familiar with the PH series as my older kids used it in 6th and 7th grade science. I think it's a great series, don't get me wrong, but I wanted something more than that. CPO texts are straight-forward without being boring---the text is in a wide center column with definitions and diagrams in smaller left and right columns, absolutely without visual clutter. The teacher's edition is a gem. It doesn't recreate the student book in a box surrounded by "how-to" information. I find those types of TE to either not have enough content/extension/activities OR way too much jammed into a small space.

 

The website is also full of additional content and activities, from graphic organizers to presentation slides to skills and practice sheets (either reinforcement OR extension) to the ENTIRE lab (called Investigations) book under "student record sheets."

 

You can view samples of the student text and the teacher's edition through that link above.

 

There are two different editions of the books if you're looking for used texts: the regular CPO Earth Science/Life Science/Physical Science and the California edition CPO Focus on (Earth Science/Life Science/Physical Science). One is not better than the other. The differences are in what topics are covered in which book, as California requires certain topics be covered at certain stages. The online additional information, however, matches up with the regular CPO texts. If you choose to use the Focus on... series, you'd have to spend a little time with the books and the website to figure out what to use when. The Focus on... books are available used for less, so one might choose to go that route :)

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Well, I had the same question and ended up with CPO Earth Science :lol: --links for life and physical science are in the left column.

 

I am very familiar with the PH series as my older kids used it in 6th and 7th grade science. I think it's a great series, don't get me wrong, but I wanted something more than that. CPO texts are straight-forward without being boring---the text is in a wide center column with definitions and diagrams in smaller left and right columns, absolutely without visual clutter. The teacher's edition is a gem. It doesn't recreate the student book in a box surrounded by "how-to" information. I find those types of TE to either not have enough content/extension/activities OR way too much jammed into a small space.

 

The website is also full of additional content and activities, from graphic organizers to presentation slides to skills and practice sheets (either reinforcement OR extension) to the ENTIRE lab (called Investigations) book under "student record sheets."

 

You can view samples of the student text and the teacher's edition through that link above.

 

There are two different editions of the books if you're looking for used texts: the regular CPO Earth Science/Life Science/Physical Science and the California edition CPO Focus on (Earth Science/Life Science/Physical Science). One is not better than the other. The differences are in what topics are covered in which book, as California requires certain topics be covered at certain stages. The online additional information, however, matches up with the regular CPO texts. If you choose to use the Focus on... series, you'd have to spend a little time with the books and the website to figure out what to use when. The Focus on... books are available used for less, so one might choose to go that route :)

 

 

Thanks, Luckymama!

 

I found CPO science! It IS awesome! It is on my short list of physical science to choose from. I haven't tried to find out how to order. I would go with the regular book (not the California one) so that I could use the on-line helps.

 

I just got an email from Holt which said that they can only send samples of their books to schools. I won't choose something that I can't see. I'd love to see a sample.... it looks interesting.

 

I also emailed PH. I'd like to find out more just to be able to compare to other books. I'd really like to see how the Discovery Channel and other computer-based study helps fit into their curriculum.

 

I'll slowly research the list of physical science curricula until I have the best two or three and then choose one to use next year.

 

Thanks!

[Corraleno]

I found CPO science! It IS awesome! It is on my short list of physical science to choose from. I haven't tried to find out how to order. I would go with the regular book (not the California one) so that I could use the on-line helps.

You can easily use the on-line materials with the Focus On (California) books. The only real differences are things like Astronomy is in the Focus On Physical Science book whereas it's in the "regular" Earth Science book. You can still use the same materials, you just click a different page, that's all. Often you can find the Focus On books much cheaper than the regular ones; IMO it's not worth spending an extra $60-100 just to get the chapters in a different order, kwim?

 

I bought copies of middle school science texts from Holt, Glencoe, PH, and CPO and I vastly prefer the CPO texts. CPO is a small publisher founded by a physicist from MIT, and the science really comes first, instead of being an after-thought once all the bells and whistles (sidebars! vocabulary! key topics! etc) are plugged into the Holt/Glencoe/PH texts. The explanations in the CPO texts are very clear and focused, and the design is so much cleaner and less cluttered.

 

I also emailed PH. I'd like to find out more just to be able to compare to other books. I'd really like to see how the Discovery Channel and other computer-based study helps fit into their curriculum.

If the Discovery Channel DVDs that PH sells for the other sciences are anything like the ones for Earth Science, they are a total waste of money. I was sooo ticked off after paying $50 for the Earth Science DVD only to discover that the "videos" were 2-3 minutes long and totally useless. You can watch far better (and more relevant) documentaries on Discovery Channel itself, or rent them from Netflix, where you could get a year's subscription for the price of one ridiculous PH dvd. :mad:

 

Jackie

[Mom22ns]

We used BJU Life Science for 7th grade too, but I don't use DVDs. I have a science degree and love to teach it! I contacted Dr. Shoreman at DIVE because they list PH Concepts in Action as being a good choice for use with the DIVE Integrated Chemistry/Physics course but I couldn't find a syllabus. He offered to make one to fit my book if I would just send him the table of contents.

 

I decided not to use DIVE this year, but I think it looks good if you want a DVD teacher. I don't know if he will do the Holt book, but he will do the PH COA book.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks so much, Jackie and Debbie!

 

I really appreciate the help as I'm thinking about science next year. I really like the CPO. In a different post, Lori D. made the following suggestion for physical science. I just love her ideas!!

 

I think combining Lori's ideas (below) with a yummy text like CPO might be awesome.

 

 

From Lori D.:

 

Making our own Physical Science was the best science we ever did -- loads of hands-on fun, and set the pace that worked for us.

 

We used and enjoyed Reader's Digest How Science Works as the spine and for the experiments. We also used a number of kits for extra experiments, and for extra info, also used:

- World of Chemistry (Tiner) -- historical look at key discoveries and scientists

- World of Physics (Tiner) -- historical look at key discoveries and scientists

- parts of Rader's Chem 4 Kids and Physics 4 Kids websites

- a hand-me-down copy of Abeka's 8th grade student science book, Matter & Motion

 

 

Chemistry chapters in Reader's Digest How Science Works

- world of matter

 

Chemistry Kits:

- TOPS Analysis

- TOPS Solutions

- TOPS Cohesion and Adhesion

 

 

Physics chapters Reader's Digest How Science Works:

- energy, force, motion

- light and sound

- air and water

- electricity and magnetism

- electronics and computers

 

Physics Kits:

- TOPS Floating and Sinking

- TOPS Heat

- TOPS Motion

- Educational Insights Kit: Adventures in Science: Electricity

- Educational Insights Kit: Adventures in Science: Light & Color