Middle school science

[Kathy G]

Has anyone found any middle school science with true challenge? I feel like I have exhausted every avenue for my 7th grader. We might go ahead and do high school science, but I really want to wait one or two more years and then do AP sciences. Any suggestions? We have supplemented thus far, but next year will be tougher to do that way as I will be working full time. We are Christian, but we prefer the secular curriculum for this subject.

 

Thanks!

[regentrude]

I found the middle school materials rather pathetic and do not use them with my kids.

We use high school materials in Middle/Jr high, but there are very few high school science materials that I like:

Tarbuck's Earth science, Hewitt's Conceptual Physics, Campbell Exploring Life (although my DD was ready for the harder Concepts and Connections in 7th grade), and I just got Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry which looks good, too. All of those would make solid materials for an advanced middle school student.

(Most high school books used in ps are so dumbed down and so distracting with all sidebars, activities, colored boxes that *I* have a hard time focusing.)

We use college texts for high school sciences, because the quality is so much better. Introductory texts for non-majors are just the right level for a high school age student. They start from scratch and do not require prior knowledge.

[Roadrunner]

I found the middle school materials rather pathetic and do not use them with my kids.

We use high school materials in Middle/Jr high, but there are very few high school science materials that I like:

Tarbuck's Earth science, Hewitt's Conceptual Physics, Campbell Exploring Life (although my DD was ready for the harder Concepts and Connections in 7th grade), and I just got Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry which looks good, too. All of those would make solid materials for an advanced middle school student.

(Most high school books used in ps are so dumbed down and so distracting with all sidebars, activities, colored boxes that *I* have a hard time focusing.)

We use college texts for high school sciences, because the quality is so much better. Introductory texts for non-majors are just the right level for a high school age student. They start from scratch and do not require prior knowledge.

 

Would you mind telling us how you would schedule them?

[lewelma]

I found the middle school materials rather pathetic and do not use them with my kids.....

(Most high school books used in ps are so dumbed down and so distracting with all sidebars, activities, colored boxes that *I* have a hard time focusing.)

:iagree:

 

We are currently using Tarbuck's Earth Science. There is a high school and a university text which are almost identical, with identical photos and graphs and even large pages of material using the same wording. We are using the university text because it was cheaper.

 

There are 24 chapters and 700 pages, which is too much IMHO for middle school. We will only complete 14 chapters - chosen based on his interests. The investigation book is very good. you can't really do experiments in earth science because it studies processes affecting the entire earth:D, so investigations are the next best thing. There is a google doc somewhere showing the top 1/3 of the entire investigation book, but I can't find it on a quick search. If you are interested, let me know and I will hunt it down.

 

Ruth in NZ

[regentrude]

Would you mind telling us how you would schedule them?

 

Do you mean how I schedule the intro college texts for high school, or how I schedule middle school?

 

My son is in 7th grade and we use a variety of materials this year. We did a few units from Exploring Life (evolution, cell structure, photosynthesis and cellular respiration). We now use a few chapters from Lou Bloomfield's "How things work" (which I forgot to mention above) on electricity. We may add in some conceptual chemistry later this semester.

Last year in 6th grade we did a semester of Earth science using Tarbuck and a variety of other resources, and then did some Conceptual Physics.

For the middle grades, I aim at exposure; I do not really care about a systematic treatment, but want them to acquire a good background of various scientific knowledge on which to build a formal science education in high school.

ETA: DS is very visual and has great retention from anything he sees, so we watch a lot of documentaries for science.

 

For high school:

DD did high school bio in 7th using Campbell Concepts and Connections. We did not do a lab because we knew she would take another biology course.

For "real" high school, we do physics first and begin with Knight, Jones Field College Physics.

For 10th grade DD does chemistry using the General Chemistry text by Chang (the easier one of the two).

If everything goes as planned and she completes calculus 1 over the summer, she will take a calculus based physics class at the university for 11th grade. In 12th she will either do AP bio at home or take a class fro dual enrollment (which I hope we get to work, as I do not care to teach biology). If we do not get calc in, we'll do bio in fall of 11th and begin calc based physics in the spring.

[EKS]

I use high school resources for the middle grades.

[Roadrunner]

Do you mean how I schedule the intro college texts for high school, or how I schedule middle school?

 

My son is in 7th grade and we use a variety of materials this year. We did a few units from Exploring Life (evolution, cell structure, photosynthesis and cellular respiration). We now use a few chapters from Lou Bloomfield's "How things work" (which I forgot to mention above) on electricity. We may add in some conceptual chemistry later this semester.

Last year in 6th grade we did a semester of Earth science using Tarbuck and a variety of other resources, and then did some Conceptual Physics.

For the middle grades, I aim at exposure; I do not really care about a systematic treatment, but want them to acquire a good background of various scientific knowledge on which to build a formal science education in high school.

ETA: DS is very visual and has great retention from anything he sees, so we watch a lot of documentaries for science.

 

 

 

This is extremely helpful!!! I am going to make an assumption that algebra I in 6th grade would be necessary to handle those texts in middle school. I love the idea of mixing materials in middle school. Thank you!

[regentrude]

This is extremely helpful!!! I am going to make an assumption that algebra I in 6th grade would be necessary to handle those texts in middle school. I love the idea of mixing materials in middle school. Thank you!

 

You don't need algebra for Earth science or biology. The Conceptual Physics text uses a minimal amount of algebra, it is NOT an algebra based physics course. I'd say prealgebra, an idea what a function is, and a good understanding of ratios would be needed. You can do a lot of it pretty much without any math. For the Bloomfield, not much math is needed; it is very verbal, with graphs, and the very occasional equation which si translated into everyday language.

[Roadrunner]

You don't need algebra for Earth science or biology. The Conceptual Physics text uses a minimal amount of algebra, it is NOT an algebra based physics course. I'd say prealgebra, an idea what a function is, and a good understanding of ratios would be needed. You can do a lot of it pretty much without any math. For the Bloomfield, not much math is needed; it is very verbal, with graphs, and the very occasional equation which si translated into everyday language.

 

Thanks!!!