swimmermom3 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 (edited) I find myself in the unenviable position of needing to plan science for 8th grade and...it is only three weeks until school starts. We began our earth science studies at the end of 7th grade using some of CPO online and a high school text mixed with GEMS projects. It worked fine, but moved too slowly and while ds loves computers, he is not as keen about reading texts online. Can I use CPO Earth Science for an 8th grader and condense it down over a 4.5 month period? Is there a difference between CPO Earth and CPO Focus on EArth Science? Is there a specific edition I need. What is the minimum number of resources I need: student text, teacher text, ? I need to be able to plan quickly and go. Can I condense Life Science down for the later half of the year? We did it in 5th grade, but ds would like to do some dissections. Do any of you have resources you are dying to sell me?:tongue_smilie: I didn't ask if you all think I am crazy, but I am sure a few of you;) will let me know what you think on that subject. Edited August 9, 2011 by swimmermom3 I really do use capital letters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 CPO Earth and Focus on are pretty similar. Some of the topics were moved around. I know someone had emailed me w/ the specific differences...what was moved where....maybe Matroyshka? Which Life Science are you referring to? CPO Life Sci or just Life Science in general? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 I was hoping you would respond.:D Thanks, Capt. If you find the differences, please let me know. In the meantime, I will shoot off a pm to M. Sorry, I did mean CPO Life Science. Will I need the student text, the teacher text and the Investigations manual as a minimum to get by with? Didn't Radiobrain do CPO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 You can get the Investigations manual on line, but I thought it just as easy to buy it so that I did not have to print it all out. Also on line (at the CPO site) were supplemental worksheets (intro to mass vs. weight or proper lab reports for example) that we found helpful as we had not done much formal science prior to CPO. I did use the TM, but I am sure you could do without. I am quite comfortable with teaching science, but since I was doing a lot last year the TM kept me on track. We did skip some of the intro labs and a few of the more complicated ones. We did nature study focusing on Geology to make up the difference. We did it over one year, using a 2 week pattern (reading, questions, lab, repeat). Most everything else I would say are on the CPO threads which I am sure you already read. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Helpful Thread Another one. Hope those help! I will check in later... I am NOT. SUPPOSED. TO BE HERE!!! :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 CPO Life Science for an 8th grader? I think it depends on the 8th grader and how much science he's done. Honestly, CPO Life Sci was a bit light for my 5th grader but we're a science family...... I would use CPO Life Sci as a framework and then beef it up w/ other texts such as The Way We Work by McCaulay and the Hoagland book. I also felt that CPO Life was very broad and shallow. I would prefer to do fewer topics and go deeper. But you may be looking for a survey course. That's what I was looking for, but decided what I was looking for wasn't what I needed. Honestly, now, take this w/ a grain of salt or two, I haven't BTDT, don't even have an 8th grader....but if it were me, if you want to do Life Sci for half the year, I'd ask him what life science topics he wanted to cover. Does he need some cell biology? Use Hoagland's book or McCaulay's book, outline, rewrite, find some experiments, borrow someone's microscope etc. Does he want to do human body? Which organ systems? That will bring in chemistry for sure....diffusion, proteins, etc. Does he want more biochemistry? WAnt do some anatomy? Do comparison of various anatomies. Does he want to learn some immunology? You can do several of those, say do one each month and I think have a nice life science course. But then again, what do I know? I honestly don't know what an 8th grade life science course looks like. But those Hoagland and MacCaulay books covers things I didn't have until college and some topics not until graduate school. I was hoping you would respond.:D Thanks, Capt. If you find the differences, please let me know. In the meantime, I will shoot off a pm to M. Sorry, I did mean CPO Life Science. Will I need the student text, the teacher text and the Investigations manual as a minimum to get by with? Didn't Radiobrain do CPO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 CPO Life Science for an 8th grader? I think it depends on the 8th grader and how much science he's done. Honestly, CPO Life Sci was a bit light for my 5th grader but we're a science family...... I would use CPO Life Sci as a framework and then beef it up w/ other texts such as The Way We Work by McCaulay and the Hoagland book. I also felt that CPO Life was very broad and shallow. I would prefer to do fewer topics and go deeper. But you may be looking for a survey course. That's what I was looking for, but decided what I was looking for wasn't what I needed. Honestly, now, take this w/ a grain of salt or two, I haven't BTDT, don't even have an 8th grader....but if it were me, if you want to do Life Sci for half the year, I'd ask him what life science topics he wanted to cover. Does he need some cell biology? Use Hoagland's book or McCaulay's book, outline, rewrite, find some experiments, borrow someone's microscope etc. Does he want to do human body? Which organ systems? That will bring in chemistry for sure....diffusion, proteins, etc. Does he want more biochemistry? WAnt do some anatomy? Do comparison of various anatomies. Does he want to learn some immunology? You can do several of those, say do one each month and I think have a nice life science course. But then again, what do I know? I honestly don't know what an 8th grade life science course looks like. But those Hoagland and MacCaulay books covers things I didn't have until college and some topics not until graduate school. I absolutely love "The Way Life Works" by Hoagland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Oh headslap! I remember that about CPO Life Science now, Capt. Thanks for the review. He's done a fair amount of science, but it has been 2-3 years since we covered cells and anatomy, which he loves. I have the Hoagland book and I may even have a schedule from one of my favorite boardies. I put everything away physically and mentally when I thought we would be doing K12. I should be good for life science then with a few dissection kits. I was thinking of how to do a transition from earth to life using a bit of marine biology. Hmmm. Happygrrl! So good to "see" you. Thanks for the links, I had not read all of them. I will probably need the TM since I don't really want to figure things out for myself. Shocking, isn't it? So no opinions on Focus vs. regular? Does everyone have "regular?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Most people have Focus b/c it's easier to find on the used market. There is a great site for schedules for the Hoagland book. Darn, let me see if I can remember it. The mom actually posted at the K-8 forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I was thinking of how to do a transition from earth to life using a bit of marine biology. Hmmm. A great way to go from earth to life is via historical geology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Here's the link. http://quarksandquirks.wordpress.com/biology-hs-level/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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