No decent science classes nearby, now what?

[MommyThrice]

How many of you successfully taught science at home? Or studied on-line?

I haven't been impressed with any of the science classes nearby. Two sons have taken from a local co-op with a great teacher, but they never have time to ask questions and most of the kids are not at all interested. They sit in class like tree moss! I even visited one that was supposed to be "more academic" and it wasn't. They need something more.

 

Now what? We do almost all of our classes at home except science, because I don't think I could answer my kids' questions. Any how do you do labs at home? I have a 14yo son that probably wants to be an engineer, so he needs a decent science foundation. A 12yo that wants to be some sort of scientist, so he really needs a good science foundation.

 

I only have to get the 14yo through one more year, then he can take classes at the local community college. He's studying biology this year. I'm tempted to let him take an elective - like maybe geology - and save chemistry for the college lab.

 

So, do you teach science at home? How do you accomplish the lab? Are there

any other options?

[regentrude]

For a science minded student, you can use introductory college textbooks for non-majors very well for high school sciences. The texts are written to the student and can be used as a stand-alone resource without a teacher. They do not assume any previous knowledge of the subject.

You can supplement the textbook with Khan academy videos, or a variety of online resources. You can buy study guides/student solution manuals/workbooks fro many of the books.

If you go this route, make sure to buy older editions which are available for very little money on abebooks.com or on amazon; stay away from the $150 current editions as the changes are largely cosmetic.

For labs, it is possible to do them at home. There are companies that supply complete lab kits for x number of experiments, all supplies included, with detailed instructions. We are currently doing chemistry at home, using the Chang general chem. text. We are using a lab kit from Labpaq with which we are very satisfied.

 

Then there is Open Courseware: free online lectures from MIT and other universities, for instance. So your student can watch the college lectures and follow along with the assignments.

[cheryl h]

I don't know if you are shooting for secular or faith based, but if we have to do science at home next year (9th), we will probably do it online through Apologia Academy. They do the labs at home, then have to submit their lab reports to the instructor, as well as other assignments. Apologia may not be what you are after, but I am sure that there are plenty of other online science courses that have a similar accountability. If they have questions on their assignments or labs, they email the instructor.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We have a science tutor come to our home once a week. Ds14 does the readings/assignments/labs at home but the tutor quizzes him and discusses the big ideas while helping him with formulas or other things that he might have trouble with.

[MommyThrice]

For a science minded student, you can use introductory college textbooks for non-majors very well for high school sciences. The texts are written to the student and can be used as a stand-alone resource without a teacher. They do not assume any previous knowledge of the subject.

You can supplement the textbook with Khan academy videos, or a variety of online resources. You can buy study guides/student solution manuals/workbooks fro many of the books.

If you go this route, make sure to buy older editions which are available for very little money on abebooks.com or on amazon; stay away from the $150 current editions as the changes are largely cosmetic.

For labs, it is possible to do them at home. There are companies that supply complete lab kits for x number of experiments, all supplies included, with detailed instructions. We are currently doing chemistry at home, using the Chang general chem. text. We are using a lab kit from Labpaq with which we are very satisfied.

 

Then there is Open Courseware: free online lectures from MIT and other universities, for instance. So your student can watch the college lectures and follow along with the assignments.

 

Thanks. I'd never heard of Labpaq before. I guess if the experiments don't line up with the text perfectly, it doesn't really matter, right? I think I've heard of some students studying the text first, then doing ALL labs together the last month or so of class.

[regentrude]

Thanks. I'd never heard of Labpaq before. I guess if the experiments don't line up with the text perfectly, it doesn't really matter, right? I think I've heard of some students studying the text first, then doing ALL labs together the last month or so of class.

 

It is quite obvious from the title of the experiment which can be done at what point through the text. And yes, doing all experiments at the end is possible. We find, however, that aligning them with the text helps cement the concept understanding, so I would try to distribute them throughout the year.

We find that writing good lab reports takes a lot of time; my DD would get sick and tired of it if we did nothing but lab for a month.

[MommyThrice]

I don't know if you are shooting for secular or faith based, but if we have to do science at home next year (9th), we will probably do it online through Apologia Academy. They do the labs at home, then have to submit their lab reports to the instructor, as well as other assignments. Apologia may not be what you are after, but I am sure that there are plenty of other online science courses that have a similar accountability. If they have questions on their assignments or labs, they email the instructor.

 

I definitely want to stay with a Christian text for my 12yo for biology - we may stick with Apologia although I don't like the "chatty" style. My other sons felt that they learned a decent bit about both evolution and creation from Apologia. But for Chemistry and Physics, it isn't so important to me.

[SonshineLearner]

I definitely want to stay with a Christian text for my 12yo for biology - we may stick with Apologia although I don't like the "chatty" style. My other sons felt that they learned a decent bit about both evolution and creation from Apologia. But for Chemistry and Physics, it isn't so important to me.

 

Look at Shepard's Biology, as it is more thorough than Apologia.... according to what I've heard....

[MommyThrice]

It is quite obvious from the title of the experiment which can be done at what point through the text. And yes, doing all experiments at the end is possible. We find, however, that aligning them with the text helps cement the concept understanding, so I would try to distribute them throughout the year.

We find that writing good lab reports takes a lot of time; my DD would get sick and tired of it if we did nothing but lab for a month.

 

So, how do you order from Labpaq? Do you fill out a request form?

[Gwen in VA]

We have done all high school science classes online -- we have used Scholars Online and Pennsylvania Homeschoolers primarily, but I know that Regina Coeli Academy and The Potters School also offer them.

 

The online classes usually (though not always) come with lab kits and labs to be done.

[G5052]

We've done mom-taught and local, and I've decided that online is best for subjects that I'm not as strong in. Yes, it is expensive, but you have to look at the overall picture and the priority you may want to place on certain subjects. If you take online you also won't have the expense and disruption of having to take them there.

 

I have one who excels in Latin, which is certainly something I want to encourage. So he's in online Latin now and will continue for the next few years at least until he has four high school credits. Of course it hurt to write that check, but people write checks for sports and camps and don't flinch. The investment is worth it to me. No curriculum or extra study on my part was going to bring me up to the point that I could answer the questions the way I needed to.

 

Now science, math, and logic I can handle, and I get by in history and literature....

[curlylocks]

I definitely want to stay with a Christian text for my 12yo for biology - we may stick with Apologia although I don't like the "chatty" style. My other sons felt that they learned a decent bit about both evolution and creation from Apologia. But for Chemistry and Physics, it isn't so important to me.

 

If you decide to stick with Apologia, you might consider VirtualHomeschoolGroup. They offer an online co-op style class that "meets" 2 - 3x/week.

 

My daughter has really enjoyed the Biology class.

[regentrude]

So, how do you order from Labpaq? Do you fill out a request form?

 

Looks like the website has been completely redesigned since we ordered... it was easy and you could see a whole list of products without doing the request form... I'll see if i can find the old link and if it still works.