regentrude Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I am not quite sure what to do about science for my 6thgrader. He does not like anything "hands on", experiments etc. - always asks "can't we just read about it?" He is, however, after all only 11 (almost 12) years old and college texts are a bit too much for him. All resources I have seen for the age group are "cutesy" or have a lot of hands on stuff he does not care for. What to use with a kid like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I don't think standard textbooks are cutesy. For example, Harcourt Science, or Holt McDougal. They have suggested experiments, but you don't have to do them. If you have Discovery Streaming you can watch science experiments online, so you can sort of get the benefit without collecting all the materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 WE're really enjoying A Short History of Nearly Everything. It gives the history of alchemy, chemistry, biology, physics, and geology. It does discuss evolution and some of the scientists led colorful lives which is usually only mentioned in passing. I would ask him what he's interested in learning and get living books on those topics. If it's physics, there is a good series on quarks, neutrinos, neutrons, electrons etc. I'd TIVO or stream programs of interest, watch them together and discuss. Check out your local science museum if you're lucky enough to have one. I'm sure 8Filltheheart can help you out here. She doesn't do any structured science until high school. Drop her a PM if she doesn't jump in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diviya Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I LOVED A Short History of Nearly Everything. And he has lots of references to other books. I think science books for laypeople would be a great way to learn about science for your son. And then you could go more in depth in any subject that catches his fancy. As someone else mentioned elsewhere (how is that for vague?) there are some off color references to the personal lives of some of these scientists. I have a whole list of science books for laypeople - let me know if you are interested and I can compile. Some might be too much for an 11 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Diviya - I'd be interested in your list! I'm currently reading books by Neil Degrass Tyson. I will hand off to DS10 when I'm finished to see if he's interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 If it's physics, there is a good series on quarks, neutrinos, neutrons, electrons etc. I'd TIVO or stream programs of interest, watch them together and discuss. Check out your local science museum if you're lucky enough to have one. Thanks - What's that series called? He'd be interested in that. He loves to watch documentaries; we have these used a lot in the past for various topics. Local science museum is two hours one way and not really an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Diviya - I'd be interested in your list! I'm currently reading books by Neil Degrass Tyson. I will hand it off to DS10 when I'm finished to see if he's interested. The book on Quarks is by Fred Bortz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 I don't think standard textbooks are cutesy. For example, Harcourt Science, or Holt McDougal. They have suggested experiments, but you don't have to do them. The textbooks (high school) I have seen have very little actual consecutive TEXT. They are a jumble of colors, side bars, boxes with "word origin", "math connection", pages with activities in the middle of the chapter, unrelated pictures (what does a photo of a chemist in a lab coat holding a test tube teach me about chemistry???)... DS is interested in chemistry. The Glencoe text I have has not a single double page that is just text. Any give page has all kinds of distracting features - it is not possible to just sit down and read these (unless I cover them in sticky notes: skip this, don't read that, this is irrelevant, skip next two pages...). Anything below high school I have seen is even worse. We would love a book that is written in good English as a consecutive text, having illustrations only when there actually IS something to illustrate, not as a page filler. Does something like this exist??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verity Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I'm using Noeo Chemistry II this year and have been really happy. It schedules books for us, we can pick and choose experiments (my kids aren't really into anything hands on either) and it's been a good taste of a lot of different things. I addon my 3rd grader, just have him use the primary grades notebook pages and drawing pages and figure this is good exposure for him. We are going to do Noeo Physics II next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 The book on Quarks is by Fred Bortz. Thanks, I found it on amazon. For what level is that? Amazon gave "young adult" for some books from the series, and "age 9-12" for others. DS is a strong reader, advanced in math, so it needs to be meaty for his age (our library does not have any, so I have to buy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Here is an excerpt from Quarks "Many questions remained a bout atoms and subatomic particles, including the nature of radioactivity and the powerful force that binds the nucleus together. But once again, scientists had reason to believe that they had found the fundamental particles of matter. Matter was made of atoms, and atoms consisted of protons, neutrons and electrons. IT seemed that simple, but it wasn't. "Rutherford knew that everything wasn't quite right when he proposed his vision of atoms as planetary systems, but it seemed to be a reasonable explanation for Marsden's surprising results. One problem was that the well-establish equations of electromagnetism stated that an electric charge moving in a curved path would radiate electromagnetic waves, such as light, and gradually lose energy. If orbiting electrons obeyed those equations, they would soon spiral into the nucleus, and that would be the end of the atom." We just listened to that portion of A Short History of Nearly Everything! Another book my son is enjoying is "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Wolke. I believe 8FilltheHeart recommended it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 Thanks. I just ordered the Short History and one of the Fred Bortz books to try out. I remember reading books about science for non- scientists when I was a teenager; I had a couple of books by Russian authors on these subjects that I really enjoyed.. alas, they are lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 A book we've enjoyed (5th grade) is The Seventy Great Mysteries of the Natural World edited by Michael J. Benton. Each chapter covers a different topic and is written by a top scientist in the field. The sections cover origins, the earth (geology), evolution, biogeography and environments, plants and animals, animal behavior, global warming and the future. The reading level varies between authors. You can save the articles that are more high-school level for later, there are plenty that a middle school student would understand. As you can see this book would be of most interest to secular homeschoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Your ds would be right at home in our house. :) My kids read lots of varied science topics. I own several of the Bortz books. I think the publisher made a huge mistake in how they published them b/c when you look at them they look like they are intended for young children (thin books w/large print). However, the content is definitely not for the crowd that the appearance looks to target. Some of the concepts will go over a 6th grader's comprehension, but not necessarily to the pt that it negates what they will understand. (sort of like my 9th grade astrophysics loving ds watching the TC's dvds on black holes. He loves them and learns quite a bit while recognizing that he is not fully comprehending the physics involved.) I'm wiped out tonight after just getting home from taking our 11th grade dd on a campus tour w/the toddler in tow, way too tired to think about titles to recommend.:tongue_smilie: However, this site has many titles that are accessible to advanced 6th graders. http://charlottemason.tripod.com/hisci.html If you scroll down to the middle of the page, she has links to books categorized by the various disciplines. (do check the individual titles, though, b/c some are definitely more appropriate for higher levels.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 If he's doing Conceptual Physics now, would he like to do Conceptual Chemistry next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 If he's doing Conceptual Physics now, would he like to do Conceptual Chemistry next? He does not like it, so we are not going to finish. He understands it OK, made it through the first 9 chapters without difficulties, but does not like the format. Can't blame him, he is barely 12 and although cognitively ready for a college text, it just is too dry. Have not found the middle ground - younger age textbooks are too busy and not focused enough. Not sure if the thing I am searching for even exists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Well I'm certainly in no position to be helpful to you on matters of science, but is this text any good? http://www.amazon.com/General-Organic-Biological-Chemistry-Integrated/dp/0805381783/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297637680&sr=1-2 I think it is the Timberlake text used by that online course you (??) linked to on the hs board. It has an associated website http://www.karentimberlake.com It claims to be easy. As I had been looking for alternatives to Conceptual Chemistry, it had seemed reasonable. However I've never seen it in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I like this book for science literacy, Science Matters. It's written for adults, but in a way non-scientific brains can understand. It covers all science disciplines. We read most of it last year when my ds was in 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 You might take a look at Integrated Physics & Chem or Biology from Paradigm Accelerated. These are black and white text with a few illustrations. The programs are designed for high school but would probably be accessible to an advanced middle schooler. They have a more narrative and math-light approach than most textbooks. The physics one was written by John Tiner who has written some other enjoyable texts such as Exploring the World of Physics and Exploring the History of Medicine for the middle school level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 In a different direction, perhaps Kinetic Books Physics might be interesting. They have several different levels and include simulations. I think they offer a 30 day free trial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Regentrude: If he likes chemistry, have you considered Atkins' Molecules? It is a popular science book about chemistry, written for literate adults without much knowledge of chemistry, covering many interesting molecules -- much of it is previewable on google books to see if it would work, either now or later. I wouldn't say it's a course per se, but it would probably be of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I am not quite sure what to do about science for my 6thgrader.He does not like anything "hands on", experiments etc. - always asks "can't we just read about it?" He is, however, after all only 11 (almost 12) years old and college texts are a bit too much for him. All resources I have seen for the age group are "cutesy" or have a lot of hands on stuff he does not care for. What to use with a kid like this? Of course you can just "read about it" - who says you HAVE to do the projects that an author suggests? We sometimes don't, or we do our own - or we watch a video that ties into the topic, look up something online, whatever...or we just read. :) My kids have both enjoyed the Exploring Creation books by Jeannie Fullbright ~ and we don't always do the activities. They're great books to "just read" - the tone is very conversational (the kids and I both enjoy that) and there's lots of info... We have some of these around too - the site is UK, but you can get them on amazon right there. If he likes watching stuff - maybe some Bill Nye videos? I've never bought any, but we've found clips on youtube and they're fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I wouldn't recommend Kinetic books for a 6th grader. There are 2 high school levels: alg based and cal based. My ds took the alg based course in 8th grade. It was a good fit then (and it looks like your ds is on the same math level ds was in 6th grade). Another option might be Plato science. Ds completed all 3 courses in 7th grade. He really like them. My dd, otoh, found them dull. So, it really depends on the child. (Fwiw......his favorite was Earth/space.) https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/index.php?option=com_hsbc_epp_order&Itemid=1024 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in CA Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 This is too funny! Here I am researching all the Bill Bryson books my library has and I just noticed that I am actually reading one of his books right now. :lol: Lesson learned: Pay attention to the authors of books you are reading. Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I wouldn't recommend Kinetic books for a 6th grader. There are 2 high school levels: alg based and cal based. My ds took the alg based course in 8th grade. It was a good fit then (and it looks like your ds is on the same math level ds was in 6th grade). Another option might be Plato science. Ds completed all 3 courses in 7th grade. He really like them. My dd, otoh, found them dull. So, it really depends on the child. (Fwiw......his favorite was Earth/space.) https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/index.php?option=com_hsbc_epp_order&Itemid=1024 I'm looking at Plato science as a possibility for next year. So you see these as needing to do all three to complete a full year? It would make a difference in how many we signed up for. Could you share what your daughter found dull about them? My daughter is going be working through Saxon 7/6 for math then into pre-algebra over the next school year (we're starting 7/6 in the next couple of weeks and we work year round). For her, science is okay, but not her main strength or passion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I'm looking at Plato science as a possibility for next year. So you see these as needing to do all three to complete a full year? It would make a difference in how many we signed up for. Could you share what your daughter found dull about them? My daughter is going be working through Saxon 7/6 for math then into pre-algebra over the next school year (we're starting 7/6 in the next couple of weeks and we work year round). For her, science is okay, but not her main strength or passion. No, you don't need all 3 for a single yr. My ds just loves science and can never get enough of it. He did all 3 courses, plus read several of the PH Explorer books, and read many science related titles from the library that yr. :tongue_smilie: The Plato courses are like oral textbooks w/small video instruction as well. We rarely use textbooks and my dd did not the textbooky content. Reading whole books on topic is more her style, so that is what she is doing. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I LOVED A Short History of Nearly Everything. And he has lots of references to other books. I think science books for laypeople would be a great way to learn about science for your son. And then you could go more in depth in any subject that catches his fancy. As someone else mentioned elsewhere (how is that for vague?) there are some off color references to the personal lives of some of these scientists. I have a whole list of science books for laypeople - let me know if you are interested and I can compile. Some might be too much for an 11 year old. Oh I would dearly love such a list too! Yes, PLEASE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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