Science questions

[JessaMae]

For the past two years, I haven't been very happy with our science and I don't feel like my kids have learned much.

 

I want to do something different for science next year. I was considering doing Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology. I'm just concerned that we should be doing something that covers more subjects since I feel we haven't learned much this year and last year. (previously my kids were in public school)

 

On top of this my oldest daughter will be in 6th grade (my other two will be 5th and 3rd) Is it feasible to do one science program with all 3? Or should I be putting my oldest dd in her own science program...I was looking at BJU. I just don't think I can afford to buy 3 separate science programs.

 

I guess what I'm wondering is at what age I should be separating them and having them do their own level of science? And how much general science knowledge should they have at that point?

 

Any advice appreciated :) Thanks :)

Edited January 26, 2011 by JessaMae
to be more concise

[luvnlattes]

I kept mine all together at the ages that you listed. But if I had it to do it over again I would separate my oldest one out and give him more of a logic stage course. I'm guessing BJU would be something like this since it's geared for 6th grade.

 

Last year "Artist" was in 6th grade. Some districts here have 6th grade in elementary and I wanted to do science together with everyone, so we used grammar level. This year we're doing logic stage science and he's really come alive. I think he was bored last year but just never said it.

 

You could keep the younger two together and do the Apologia you mentioned with them. I'm not sure what's involved with BJU but we've done Apologia in the past (astronomy and zoology) and I don't remember it being too time consuming. I'm not sure how involved you'll need to be with BJU.

 

I would think about what will give your oldest the right amount of challenge while keeping it interesting.

Edited January 26, 2011 by luvnlattes

[kristinannie]

I think Apologia would be fine for all three! You could just expect a little more of your oldest. If you want her to have her own curriculum, but have the younger two in the same subject, I would suggest NOEO. You can get physics 1 for the younger 2 and physics 2 for the older one. I have heard that physics is their best program.

[Snowfall]

You didn't mention this, but why not BFSU Vol. 2? It's geared for 3rd to 5th or 6th, so it would be great for all of your kids' ages. You do have to plan a little bit, but it's mostly just deciding which lesson you want to do next. The book is only about $30 and the download is only FIVE DOLLARS! (I had to put that in caps because it's so exciting!) So if you get the download and hate it, you're only out $5, but if you love it, you got your science for only $5.

 

Oh, but this is recommendation is based on you not having used it already and decided it's not working, lol. I didn't look at your signature first. :)

[hmschooln]

I'd second Noeo. With the grades they're all going to be in, I'd just get a level 2 and combine them. I was always a little unsure about focusing on one area of science a year rather than doing a broad overview of all the areas because that's how it was done when I was in school, but the three years we did Noeo my ds learned alot. This year I thought we'd do kind of a review year and even though I know he has learned quite a bit, I've been having Noeo withdrawl.:lol:

[JessaMae]

I REALLY appreciate all your replies. The only science we have tried is what comes with MFW ECC and CtG. It's just not working for us. (the science part I mean - I like the Bible and History parts)

 

I like the idea of having all the kids do the same subject - even if it's on different levels - I'll have to look into NOEO - thanks kristinannie.

 

And Snowfall - what is BFSU? I don't think I've heard of that? Is it Beautiful Feet maybe? I haven't looked at it, but $5!!! Wow!! Thanks for mentioning it.

 

Thanks for your "been there done that" advice luvnlattes! I will def. keep it in mind!

[JessaMae]

thanks hmschoolin - I'm definitely going to look into it. I was drawn to Apologia b/c I feel like the science we've been doing just touches on things, but doesn't go in depth. I'd prefer to study one subject more thoroughly. I'm just afraid I'm running out of time with my first dd! :001_smile:

[Dolphin]

Have you read the WTM on the science section? Cheap and pretty easy to use. Do a four year cycle of Earth and space, Biology, Chemistry, and physics. All the elective type of science things can be done in college if they are into science. Just work on the basics. I don't know about the physics yet, we are doing that next year. Chemistry is great, and you could do it with all of your kids together.

 

So you need adventures in atoms and molecules $8.95 at amazon and the Usborne science encyclopedia (about $20)

 

You read your chapter, have the kids use the encyclopedia to write the definitions of the words in bold, have them do the experiment, then write out these questions with answers

 

What did we use?

What did we do?

What happened?

What did we learn?

 

You can use things from around the kitchen, but I spent some extra money on this (about $40). It has been fun for the kids using beakers and test tubes. My son is younger so we do the the definition part out loud. My husband is a PhD research chemist, and he is amazed at what our 8 year old is learning. He says this is going to set him up really well for high school.

 

Hope that helps

[JessaMae]

That sounds great Dolphin... I will look into those books. Not sure I want to tackle Chemistry yet - that was my toughest subject. (I realize this is elementary chemistry but I will admit to being nervous about it anyways!)

 

Snowfall - I checked your siggie and found BFSU :001_smile: - but where is the $5 download? I found the book on amazon.

 

Off to check out NOEO

 

thanks everyone!

[momto2Cs]

Snowfall - I checked your siggie and found BFSU :001_smile: - but where is the $5 download? I found the book on amazon.

 

:bigear:

[Snowfall]

The $5 download is at the Outskirts Press website, but their website is down for maintenance today. I'm such a doof I kept googling and googling, thinking I'd get a link that worked, because I was getting their website and it looks like it's working, but there's a little notice on the side saying they're down for scheduled maintenance. So I'm not sure when they'll be back up. It says later today. :)

[Laura in STL]

I just wanted to add that I think Apologia Anatomy and Physiology is more advanced that some of their other books. I am using it with 3rd and 5th this year and it is a lot of information. I think it would be fine for 6th, personally. Especially if you required vocabulary to be written out and some outside research for reports. We are doing it for three quarters of the year, then covering botany in the remaining quarter since that book seems simpler. JMHO, I'm sure some of the other suggestions are great, too.

[JessaMae]

Thanks Snowfall - I'll check it out tomorrow then!

 

Laura in STL - did you get the notebooks and the experiment kit also? What do you think of those if you did? I had heard it was the most advanced of the elementary books Apologia offered. I thought I would get the junior notebook for my youngest (and the reg. ntbk for my older dds) and possibly some easier Usborne books for youngest as well.

 

~Jessa

[Dolphin]

Jessa,

Just wanted to let you know that I was horrible at Chemistry, it used to give me nightmares in high school. I think that is why I am enjoying it so much. It is so straight forward that even I get it, and I like it.

Math and chemistry were my 2 big fears going into homeschool. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am learning and understanding myself. If you go that route and have any questions, pm me.

Nicole

[JessaMae]

Dolphin - thank you :) I really appreciate hearing that! I was looking at NOEO and saw that their chemistry II program uses both of the books you recommended :) I'm glad to have so many options! Now if I could just decide :)

[momto2Cs]

The $5 download is at the Outskirts Press website, but their website is down for maintenance today. I'm such a doof I kept googling and googling, thinking I'd get a link that worked, because I was getting their website and it looks like it's working, but there's a little notice on the side saying they're down for scheduled maintenance. So I'm not sure when they'll be back up. It says later today. :)

 

I just bought and downloaded it. Thank you!

[Aludlam]

I just bought and downloaded it. Thank you!

 

Be sure to give us a review!

[Jean in Wisc]

For the past two years, I haven't been very happy with our science and I don't feel like my kids have learned much.

 

I want to do something different for science next year. I was considering doing Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology. I'm just concerned that we should be doing something that covers more subjects since I feel we haven't learned much this year and last year. (previously my kids were in public school)

 

On top of this my oldest daughter will be in 6th grade (my other two will be 5th and 3rd) Is it feasible to do one science program with all 3? Or should I be putting my oldest dd in her own science program...I was looking at BJU. I just don't think I can afford to buy 3 separate science programs.

 

I guess what I'm wondering is at what age I should be separating them and having them do their own level of science? And how much general science knowledge should they have at that point?

 

Any advice appreciated :) Thanks :)

 

You can do a lot of science in those early years together. I use to choose a book to read out loud to my kids (any interesting textbook is good for this). Sometimes we'd curl up together and read, read, read. Other times I'd read to them while they ate lunch and did the dishes. I'd read straight through the book, discussing what we had learned. Then, after the book was done, we'd gather all the supplies needed to do the experiments, and we'd do as many of them as we could in a day (or morning or several mornings), using the experiments as a review of what we had studied. Then the rest of the year (since it never took that long to get through a book), we would check books out of the library that related to what we had studied. Either I read them out loud to the kids or they read them to themselves. We did any of the experiments in them that interested them.

 

The little ones got to listen in and participate in the hands-on. The big ones had to do more reading and studying from the library books after we were done.

 

If you do science this way, when you are done, you can go on to do history the same way--reading straight through the book and then doing the projects in a few days of 'project days'. Then they could choose biographies and other books about history during the rest of the year.

 

I often did science in the summer to free up the school year. We also had a hour of quiet where they each had to be in a different room. The littles could play in their rooms. The older ones read--this was a good time for them to read the science and history books they had brought home from the library.

 

It wasn't until junior high that I broke them off separately. In JH, I make the kids begin to study, take tests, and write the papers they are going to do in high school. If you wait to do this until they are in high school, their learning curve on how to take a science test, how to write short essay history tests, etc., shows up in their transcript.

 

HTH,

Jean