Julie Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I am wanting to give this a go with my my DD, she is 8, 9 in Feb. and a 3rd grader. I was toying with idea of getting Chemistry 2, rather than 1, anyone out there who can offer up an opinion? I am looking for something with lots of hands on, if anyone has another curricula to suggest I am open. :P Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinD Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Chemistry 2 should be fine. I taught it last year to my daughter (10), and my two nephews (7 and 9). The 7 year old found it a bit challenging but the others did just fine and really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 Thanks for your help! I assume your kidos enjoyed the program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 We did Chem I when mine were 8 & 6, I think. The older one would have turned 9 around Christmas. That's the BEST year of science we've had, hands down. My older one is very science/mathy boy, younger very literary/artsy girl. Both did very well & loved the prog. The next year, we did Bio I & II, blended, because of their ages, right on the cusp like that. We all hated it. Not sure if it was too dry, not enough hands on, too much to blend them...I did end up just assigning the Bio II reading to the older one & Bio I to the younger. Bio II was intense. I'm not a science person, but I had...shoot, now I can't remember if it was 2 or 3 years of it in highschool, 2 sem in college. Did fine, found things interesting in all of them, but never loved any of it. *I* loved NOEO Chem I! And Bio II was already enough over my head that I don't expect to be able to teach science past this year or maybe the next. I hope I'm wrong--I hope it was just the program--but wow. It was TOUGH. So I'd *strongly* rec Chem I for your 8/9yo. We did a lot of the optional experiments in there on top of the assigned ones & used them for Christmas gifts--homemade marshmallows, homemade fingerpaints (included our little one at the time), homemade gloop. SO fun. And I'm not really into cooking/baking/crafts/arts/mess. I still loved it. Dh was jealous. Awesome program! ETA: Part of the reason I ordered Bio I & II last year was because Chem I was so good I couldn't stand to "miss" any of them, & based on my kids' ages, that was going to be my only chance at Bio I. I kinda think if I'd stuck w/ just Bio I we might have been fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 Thanks for your reply, super helpful, you now have me rethinking skipping ahead to Chem 2 you have made Chem 1 sound so fantastic, and the optional experiments sound really fun. Not sure if we would be able to take on Bio 2 next year or not. Thanks for your input, lots to ponder before I push the order button........ Anyone done the Chem 2 and can chime in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) We loved Chem I. I was considering Bio I and II next year just like the pp said. Do they match up at all? Was it okay doing one with olders and one with youngers? Edited September 26, 2011 by Excelsior! Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfinlady Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I did Chem II with my then 4th grader last year. It was almost too tough. I would definitely go with Chem I if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I am doing chem I with my gifted 8YO and chem II with my gifted 10YO. Each is in the correct level. The labs are fun for both, but the reading in level 2 would be tough for an 8 YO. If you want more labs (and the added books do have plenty) you can always supplement with the ChemWiz kits (each $20 kit has lots of experiments and everything you need packed inside, except for little stuff, like a 9V battery) or go ahead and get the Adventures with Atoms and Molecules book used with Chem II. Have fun-- chemistry is a blast :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 We loved Chem I. I was considering Bio I and II next year just like the pp said. Do they match up at all? Was it okay doing one with olders and one with youngers? I spent a TON of time matching up topics. It can be done, but it doesn't come that way. But I also reordered it to match our growing season--I can't remember how much of that made a difference. Mine were 7 & 9 last year & had always done science together. They LOVE doing stuff together. I don't think they felt like it was *really* separate, one reading out of the Usborne Encyclopedia while the other read something simpler, but...there wasn't a good reason for it, either. They were both perfectly capable of the Usborne reading. None of the material from either I or II felt as much like "living" lit as the Chem books did. Maybe that's just my perception? But the Chem set had so much more to DO & talk about & understand. Bio was DRY. It seems to me like there'd be enough fascinating stuff to do, read, talk about wrt Bio that it just should have been so much better. I wish I'd just had them read the books we already owned instead. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I am doing chem I with my gifted 8YO and chem II with my gifted 10YO. Each is in the correct level. The labs are fun for both, but the reading in level 2 would be tough for an 8 YO. If you want more labs (and the added books do have plenty) you can always supplement with the ChemWiz kits (each $20 kit has lots of experiments and everything you need packed inside, except for little stuff, like a 9V battery) or go ahead and get the Adventures with Atoms and Molecules book used with Chem II. Have fun-- chemistry is a blast :) Yeah, our kids got a couple of things like "make your own snow" for Christmas that year. It would have been fun anyway, but having just done similar experiments made it interesting on top of fun, imo. But you definitely don't need to supplement Chem I (ime), while Bio is...um...lacking in experiments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thanks for all the advice and feedback. Those Chem Wiz kits look like a fun add on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Yeah Bio 1 isn't turning out to be nearly as well done as Physics 1 was. I just add some extra things in and it's been fine. It might even be the topics. For example, I think weather is kinda boring. That's just my opinion though. ;) You know, weather IS boring, & it's not exactly Bio, is it? I got Janice Van Cleave's Bio for Every Kid & failed to use it, but theoretically, that would have helped. :lol: But really, for anything to have helped *enough*...well...there wouldn't have been much point in paying what I did for the NOEO, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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