Need science suggestions for co-op....

[thowell]

I need suggestions for a solid science program for co-op for grades 6-8. The director wants a General Science course. Here is the way it will be taught. We will meet once a week for an hour. During that time we will do experiment if needed or go over text or administer test. I am to give the kids enough work through the week to cover their science at home. Each student will purchase a copy of whatever book we use. She wants this to be a challenging class and all the science a student would need for the school year. Being from a Christian perspective would be great or at least a neutral POW. Thanks for any suggestions!

[Dina in Oklahoma]

I've never used it, but maybe Exploring Creation with General Science, 2 Volumes: Second Edition

 

http://www.christianbook.com/exploring-creation-science-volumes-second-edition/jay-wile/pd/238409?item_code=WW&netp_id=526209&event=EBRN&view=details

[Leanna Tomlinson]

We have used both Apologia's General Science and Rainbow in a co-op. They both work well.

 

I think Apologia's is slightly easier to use in the co-op setting because of the predictable rotation.

 

Just a thought....we always administer the tests at home. It seems a waste of time to test together when we only have an hour a week. I think it's a good idea to test together occasionally to build test taking skills, but it's not the best use of time for the entire school year.

[thowell]

Do you know if Apologia will give a price break if you order over 20 books at the same time?

[AFwife Claire]

Just a thought....we always administer the tests at home. It seems a waste of time to test together when we only have an hour a week. I think it's a good idea to test together occasionally to build test taking skills, but it's not the best use of time for the entire school year.

 

That's what we do too. We actually use BJ science (life science this year, physical science next year), so each student buys a test packet. They take the test after I have gone over the material and done the labs with them in class, and then they hand the test in to me the next week in class (I'm the only one with the answers). They also have to read the next chapter and answer the review questions after each chapter section so they are prepared to discuss the chapter when we meet. It's been fun!

[coffeefreak]

You could do Considering God' Creation or Real Science 4 Kids. Both of these work well in a co-op setting. Real Science 4 Kids is EXTREMELY doable because the kids could read the lessons at home and you would do the experiments with them on the day you meet. The experiments use household equipment and the teacher's guide is very good at explaining all the parameters and what you're looking for. We're using level 1 and pre-level 1 this year at home and have had great success.

 

Blessings!

Dorinda

[thowell]

BJU was actually my first choice I just wasn't sure we would have time to finish it. Can you tell me how you structure your class? How often do you meet and for what length of time? It seems like it would be impossible to get through the course meeting only once a week for an hour. But this is why the director wants to structure it so that the kids have enough homework to last through the week.

 

 

That's what we do too. We actually use BJ science (life science this year, physical science next year), so each student buys a test packet. They take the test after I have gone over the material and done the labs with them in class, and then they hand the test in to me the next week in class (I'm the only one with the answers). They also have to read the next chapter and answer the review questions after each chapter section so they are prepared to discuss the chapter when we meet. It's been fun!

[AFwife Claire]

BJU was actually my first choice I just wasn't sure we would have time to finish it. Can you tell me how you structure your class? How often do you meet and for what length of time? It seems like it would be impossible to get through the course meeting only once a week for an hour. But this is why the director wants to structure it so that the kids have enough homework to last through the week.

 

Sure! It's a really small co-op of jr. high boys--just 4 of them. We meet all day once a week for literature/writing, history (using TOG), Spanish, and science. For science, we usually end up meeting about 1 1/2 hours. It takes me about 45 minutes usually to go over the chapter. In the back of the life science books, where the labs are, there are a lot of other worksheet-type pages. We end up doing a lot of those together in class to review what they should have read and learned during the week (or sometimes . Then we do labs for about 45 minutes. But this is where it gets tricky, because some chapters have a lot of labs, or the labs take a long time (like the dissections, for example). Other chapters have very few lab activities. Each week is definitely not the same amount of time! I went through all the labs, and I downloaded the "BJU life science lab equipment" page from www.hometrainingtools.com. Then I went through and marked off what I wanted to buy, after I had decided which labs we were going to do. It helped to have a big master list to work from. We have 2 microscopes between the 4 families, and that has worked out fine.

 

Also, there are only 27 chapters in the book, but some of the chapters are very long. We're in the "anatomy/physiology overview" chapters right now, and they are so long! Not really complicated, but one chapter covers the skin, skeletal system, and muscular system! I wish we could have taken 2 weeks for a few of the chapters, but we are in a time crunch--we're supposed to finish the week before I am due with #8! Next year, for physical science, that book only has 21 chapters, and I look forward to being able to move a little bit slower!

 

The life science book has been an excellent introduction to biology, though, and doing it in a co-op has produced some really great discussions between the boys. They have really learned a ton.