Input on Grade 8 Aspie and Science

[Oakblossoms]

This boy used to love science. Science topics were the things he would hyperfocus on. Like reading every book about reptiles and then amphibians from the library.

 

We use a VA and their suggestion for this year was a physical science study. We hadn't really done much in thay way. So, I just kept those topics. I looked into Apologia because we have the books and he was overwhelmed. We did about 3 chapters of The Elements and that was a flop. We have a lot of fun kits that his younger brothers are enjoying. But, he has no interest in them. He doesn't like lots of steps. He has some OCD issues with messes and stuff on his hands.

 

He learns really well if he can just read. He can be quite the sponge.

 

So, The plan for the rest of the year is to use The Usborne Science Encyclopedia. He reads one of the topics from a list the school provided. He looks at the links, tries any easy experiments, and does a written narration/summary.

 

Any thoughts or input?

[dsmith]

My ds is very similar. He also doesn't like a lot of steps, and can't stand getting messy. Last year we ended up using Aha! Science and he really loved it. He still remembers most of what he learned. We've been using RS4K this year after trying TWTM science recs, and I've been thinking about trying Plato Learning. He would much rather read about science than do science, but I try to get him involved in the experiments, even if he is only watching or helping me do them. Someone mentioned watching experiments on YouTube on another thread. Maybe you could find some experiments related to what he is reading about to watch?

[heart'sjoy]

Mine are younger but when you mentioned not messy and short. I thought of the Adaptive Science middle school activities that are online manipulations of experiments with questions and lab sheets to fill out.

 

We purchased our yearly subscription through homeschoolbuyerscoop.com for 50$ a year.

 

I think there is a free week trial in the info at homeschoolbuyerscoop.com;)

 

OOps I don't know how I put that thumbs down smile on the subject??

Edited December 14, 2010 by heart'sjoy
smile???

[MamaSheep]

We combined Science Explorers with a Thames and Kosmos kit for 7th grade Physical Science last year and ds seemed to quite enjoy it. The SE book had good, clear explanations and the kit gave us some fun hands-on demonstrations of the principles involved. The kit projects are coordinated with that text in Awakening Wonder, but you could just as easily get the same kit and read about a topic in the Usborne book and then find activities in the kit that coordinate. Most of them are not messy, and for the ones that were he got me or his trusty lab assistant (little sister) to do the messy parts. (Hands are a pretty big issue for my ds too. I carried size xxs disposable gloves and individually wrapped sani-wipes in my purse for a looong time, just so we could go out and function in the world.)

Edited December 14, 2010 by MamaSheep