HELP! Another Chemistry question

[Leonor]

Please be patient with me as you read this long thread.

 

My ds16 is a junior and is currently doing Apologia Chemistry on his own while attending a coop for labs,etc once a week. His knowledge is not transferring well to the Apologia tests which are for the most part about calculations.

 

He enjoyed Apologia Biology and did well. He does not like Apologia Chemistry. Now, I realize that the chemistry course has less experiments than biology. He is putting in a lot of extra time watching Chemguy(which thanks to a previous thread we found and he is really enjoying) and The Teaching Company DVDs.

 

Although I have read through all the chemistry threads, I dont' know what to do.:confused: I'm frustrated.:banghead: I wish I would have researched this more. Apologia is supposed to be written to the student. He wants to do well.

 

This child likes to learn. I just found out that last year he watched videos on the history of chemistry. This child is always pulling information from the internet and doing things on his own, like watching Yale lectures on philosophy years ago. When he was in 7th grade he read through John Tyners book, The World of Chemistry, and enjoyed it.

 

He will not be going into any science related field and will not need any chemistry in college. He is a true liberal arts fanatic who excels at speech and debate. We are taking this course for the High School credit.

 

This has made me research and read every thread on science even if it's Physics in order to prepare for next year. But, I have a dilemma now.

I have read so much about Conceptual Chemistry but I have always dismissed it because I thought it was more rigorous. I didn't want a course that was for science minded students and college prep.

 

Has anyone done Chemistry like recommended in The Well Trained Mind? Has anyone used Chemistry: Concepts and Problems by Houk? I'm looking at The Well Trained Mind 1999. I don't know if her recommendations for Chemistry have changed.

 

Is there a Conceptual Chemistry for High School like the Conceptual Physics High School?

In my research on google I came across this High School that does a 9th grade chemistry course but I have not researched the text. I would need a teacher's manual to make sure any tests,etc. are correct.

https://www.qvsd.org/uploaded/Academics/Syllabi/High_School_Syllabi/Science/3312ConceptChem.pdf

 

Any suggestions? I'm learning along with him.

 

Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

My impression (which could be wrong because we've never done one) is that the conceptual courses are easier and meant for students that don't have the math required for a math based course.

 

What math has your son completed? Does he fully understand Algebra 1? We are almost done with Module 6 and it would definitely be more challenging if a student doesn't know Algebra 1 backwards and forwards. We are doing Algebra 2 this year and I feel like that has helped with the calculations, though not necessary.

[Michelle in AL]

I would recommend getting a tutor if possible for chem, especially if chemistry is part of what he might want to major in if he went to college.

[Michelle in AL]

Is his co-op teacher going over calculations in depth in class? If not, you might want to express your concern and see if she can include more of that in the class if time permits.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Is his co-op teacher going over calculations in depth in class? If not, you might want to express your concern and see if she can include more of that in the class if time permits.

Also make sure he does all the On Your Own, Practice Problems, and Review Problems.

[In The Great White North]

His knowledge is not transferring well to the Apologia tests which are for the most part about calculations.

 

 

What math has your son completed? Does he fully understand Algebra 1? We are almost done with Module 6 and it would definitely be more challenging if a student doesn't know Algebra 1 backwards and forwards.

 

:iagree:I think the problem may be math, not chemistry, also. Dd had theoretically finished algebra 1 in school before we started chemistry, but that was the root of all her chemistry problems. If he is having problems with the calculations, he needs to go back to the math - particularly manipulating equations and unit multipliers.

[Leonor]

Thanks for your responses.

 

No, his coop does not go over calculations in depth.

 

They do not even do the practice problems. They are not assigned.

I personally believe that they need to be done.

 

Every week he reads the module, does on your own and review questions and labs.

 

The do not review the answers to anything. I guess he goes over some of the concepts in the chapters and does the labs. The labs don't take that long. I'm not really sure what goes on because they meet 1x week but anywhere from 1hr 30mins to 2 hours.

 

How did you break up this course? How many modules a week? Doing on your own questions, review questions, practice problems, and labs, how many hours a week?

[Musicmom]

They do not even do the practice problems. They are not assigned.

I personally believe that they need to be done.

 

This could very well be your problem right here. Both my dc did Apologia Chemistry. They did all the practice problems (as well as the On Your Own questions and review questions) and carefully checked their solutions with solution manual before taking the test. I would say this is crucial to succeeding on the tests.

How did you break up this course? How many modules a week? Doing on your own questions, review questions, practice problems, and labs, how many hours a week?

My dc did one module every 2 weeks. The first 1 1/2 weeks they read the module, did the On Your Own questions and did the labs. The last 2-3 days were devoted to doing the review questions, practice problems and the module test. They spent about one to one and a half hours per day on it--and sometimes 2+ hours on days when they did labs. The last Friday, test day, was the shortest as they usually only had the module test left to do.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

This could very well be your problem right here. Both my dc did Apologia Chemistry. They did all the practice problems (as well as the On Your Own questions and review questions) and carefully checked their solutions with solution manual before taking the test. I would say this is crucial to succeeding on the tests.

 

My dc did one module every 2 weeks. The first 1 1/2 weeks they read the module, did the On Your Own questions and did the labs. The last 2-3 days were devoted to doing the review questions, practice problems and the module test. They spent about one to one and a half hours per day on it--and sometimes 2+ hours on days when they did labs. The last Friday, test day, was the shortest as they usually only had the module test left to do.

:iagree: and that is pretty much our schedule as well.

[Susan C.]

Leanor,

Do you have the cd that comes with the text, it is $10-$15. It has the calculations and other helps.

[MomsintheGarden]

Thanks for your responses.

 

No, his coop does not go over calculations in depth.

 

They do not even do the practice problems. They are not assigned.

I personally believe that they need to be done.

 

Every week he reads the module, does on your own and review questions and labs.

 

The do not review the answers to anything. I guess he goes over some of the concepts in the chapters and does the labs. The labs don't take that long. I'm not really sure what goes on because they meet 1x week but anywhere from 1hr 30mins to 2 hours.

 

How did you break up this course? How many modules a week? Doing on your own questions, review questions, practice problems, and labs, how many hours a week?

 

:001_huh:

 

I hope you are not paying much for this co-op "class." My two oldest did Apologia Chem at the pace of 1 module/two weeks. They did ALL of the problems. I believe that since Ap Chem is written for the homeschool market, it is designed that students should be doing all of the problems to learn the material. Here is a partial schedule, to show how I scheduled:

 

Week 1

Apologia Chemistry:

M: Student Notes, Module 1: Introduction & Experiment 1.1: Air Has Mass

T: Module 1: Experiment 1.2: Air Takes Up Space, Units of Measurement, & The Metric System

W: Module 1: Manipulating Units, Converting Between Units, & Converting Between Unit Systems,

Th: Module 1: More Complex Unit Conversions, Derived Units, & Making Measurements

F: Module 1: Accuracy, Precision, and Significant Figures & Scientific Notation

 

Week 2

Apologia Chemistry:

M: Module 1: Using Significant Figures in Mathematical Problems & Experiment 1.3: Comparing Conversions to Measurements

T: Module 1: Density & Experiment 1.4: The Density of Liquids

W: Module 1: Review Questions

Th: Module 1: Practice Problems

F: Module 1: Test

 

Week 3

Apologia Chemistry:

M: Module 2: Introduction & Energy and Heat

T: Module 2: The Nature of a Scientific Law & The First Law of Thermodynamics

W: Module 2: Units for Measuring Heat and Energy

Th: Module 2: Experiment 2.1: Calibrating Your Thermometer

F: Module 2: The Calorie Unit & Measuring Heat

 

Week 4

Apologia Chemistry:

M: Module 2: Calorimetry

T: Module 2: Experiment 2.2: Measuring the Specific Heat of a Metal

W: Module 2: Review Questions

Th: Module 2: Practice Problems

F: Module 2: Test

 

Week 5

Apologia Chemistry:

M: Module 3: Introduction & Early Attempts to Understand Matter

T: Module 3: The Law of Mass Conservation & Experiment 3.1: The Conservation of Mass

W: Module 3: Elements: The Basic Building Blocks of Matter & The Periodic Table of Elements

Th: Module 3: Compounds & The Law of Multiple Proportions

F: Module 3: Dalton’s Atomic Theory & Molecules: The Basic Building Blocks of Compounds

 

Week 6

Apologia Chemistry:

M: Module 3: Abbreviating and Classifying Compounds & Classifying Matter as Ionic or Covalent

T: Module 3: Experiment 3.2: Electrical Conductivity of Compounds Dissolved in Water & Naming Compounds

W: Module 3: Review Questions

Th: Module 3: Practice Problems

F: Module 3: Test

 

etc...

 

GardenMom

Edited November 22, 2010 by MomsintheGarden

[Tullia]

Before each module exam, my son did all the review questions, all the practice problems, and wrote his own study guide which I looked at and sent back for revisions if I felt his version wasn't thorough. In addition, he worked the extra practice problems similar to any practice problems he'd missed. He watched the TC dvd's and worked through those problems too. After each module exam, he re-worked any missed problems and wrote a brief explanation of why he'd missed the problem. If our discussing missed exam problems together wasn't helpful, he e-mailed the author. Ds added his corrections and explanations from module exams and extra practice problems to his review for quarterly exams.

 

The math required for the basic Apologia Chemistry text isn't difficult, but the work is far easier if the student is comfortable with the math that is required. I should add that my son prefers chemistry to any other science courses he's taken. My son loves chemistry, had no strong feelings either way about biology, and doesn't enjoy physics. Could it be that your son has more affinity for biology?

 

HTH,

Martha

 

ETA: My son needed two full semesters and part of the summer (or maybe part of the following fall semester--I don't remember for sure) to finish partly because he pulled in several outside resources.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Martha in NM