CPO Science ~ "For Dummies" version

[Colleen]

Thanks to Some of You Who Shall Remain Unnamed (you know who you are!), I've stumbled across CPO Science. I want it. Pronto. I've read a plethora of threads on the subject and still require the For Dummies explanation as to what I need & how to implement it. I do want hard copies of the books, that much I know. But whether I want the "regular" or CA-standards version? I dunno. Not sure it really matters? Beyond the practical details, though, I have to consider whether or not I'll put the program to good use. Help me think through this, if you would.

 

My oldest two guys used Apologia General and Physical Science in middle school. Suffice it to say it did the job, but we don't share the authors view on various issues and tire of the editorializing. I basically handed them the books, they slogged through, and the interest-o-meter registered close to zero. I'd prefer a secular text ~ and one that genuinely stimulates the intellect, if you kwim. But I've yet to hit upon something that lights my fire. Apologia is therefore my back-up for my third son. CPO would be so much more satisfying to him ~ and to me.

 

I love Earth Science, but Luke is a rising 7th grader and I wonder if perhaps Life Science would be more appropriate for him. So that's one decision I need to make. Beyond that, though, I've gotta be honest with myself and consider whether I can put CPO into practice. I'm a founding member of HENSE (Homeschoolers Neglecting Science Experiments). Aside from the most simplistic experiments in Sonlight's programs, hands-on science falls by the wayside. "Tweaking" isn't my forte, either; I tend to be an open-and-go kinda gal. Realistically, I'm not going to go through contortions trying to make a program intended for institutional use work here at home.

 

But (there's always that, isn't there?!) I'm so drawn to these CPO texts. I don't love the prices. Don't love how many different elements there are to curriculum. And definitely love the thought of collecting a bundle of science experiment supplies that I ultimately won't use. But the basic student texts and teacher's guides? Aaahhhh!!!! It's what I've wanted all these years.

 

So-o-o-o, how reasonable is it to plunge into this primarily as a "reading science and once in a blue moon doing some practical application (or not)" program? And will a program that attracts me now ultimately drive me bonkers since it's directed to a classroom?

 

Talk to me.:)

Edited April 13, 2012 by Colleen

[Joyofsixreboot]

:bigear:

[AStableBeginning]

:bigear:

[Penguin]

I recently purchased :

 

CPO Life Science (Calif. edition)

CPO Life Science Teacher's Guide (not the Calif. edition)

CPO Earth Science (not the Calif. edition)

and I have the CPO Earth Science Teacher's Guide (not the Calif. edition) on its way to me.

 

My DS11 (currently in5th) wanted to afterschool life science with a textbook. I am in LOVE with these books!!

 

Alas, my son decided that he didn't like the book while we were in Chapter 1 :( He got bogged down. The first chapter is about measurement, the scientific method and graphs. Math is not his favorite part of science.

 

But I think (hope) that Chapter 1 of the Earth Science book is going to save the day here. It is nearly the same material presented with less detail and at a (slightly) lower reading level. I'm guessing that this is because CPO's sequence uses Earth followed by Life. (As an aside, this is going to take some convincing on my part. DS11 does not at all like jumping and skipping around - it annoys him when teachers do this. He likes to start at the beginning of a book and work straight on through it. Maybe he will decide to do the Earth book before Life, idk.)

 

 

At first, I only ordered the textbooks but after reading more here I went ahead and got the Teacher's Guide for Life Science. And I am SO glad that I bought it. I was glad enough that I went ahead and ordered the one for Earth Science. Because I have a Calif. edition textbook and a non-Calif. Teacher's Guide things don't match up perfectly but this appears to be no big deal.

 

I am very glad that I bought the non-California edition of the Earth Science book though, because it has the Astronomy Unit in it. I have not analyzed this in depth, but I think that there are more differences between editions with Earth than Life. So I guess I would say that if you have to buy a mismatch between student and teacher with Earth I would proceed with some caution.

 

As for labs, I have decided to mostly ignore them and seek relevant experiments from anywhere-and-everywhere-else. So I can't offer any help there.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Penguin
clarity

[alisonf3]

We have been using CPO Life this year for my 6th grade dd. We both love it! She didn't love the first few chapters, but I think she was adjusting to the level of writing in it. This is her first full year at home and last year we just pieced together science for a few months. So, this was very different for her.

 

We have the lab guide and have not used it much. We have either come up with another lab to use instead or have looked at microscope slides online. I couldn't invest in a microscope this year so some of the labs weren't possible for us.

 

This blog http://wildoakacademy.blogspot.com/2011/03/cpo-life-science-part-one.html has helped with scheduling and supplementary work.

[KarenNC]

Since I also fall into the "neglecting hands-on experiments" camp more often than I would like, I recently subscribed to Adaptive Curriculum's Activity Objects for science and math through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op. I figure a virtual lab is better than no lab, right :). If you get only the science one, it's $49 for the year. Here's the sample

http://www.adaptivecurriculum.com/us/lessons-library/science-AO-introduction.html

 

I'm still deciding between CPO and Holt Science Fusion for earth science next year (we chose to do life science for 6th).

[redsquirrel]

I have been using CPO Earth and Space with my 6th grader. I can say that it has NOT been a problem using the text in a homeschooling situation. Some school texts are just impossible, but this has been fine.

 

The text is dull. The hands on part saves the program. I can't imagine slogging through it without doing the experiments on a regular basis. It was created to be hands on. You do an experiment and then read the text. I can honestly say that when my son talks about anything he has learned in science this year it is always in reference to an experiment.

 

You will get through the year fairly quickly if you don't do the experiments. There are 19 chapters in the teachers book for Earth and Space. Every chapter is divided into a two or three sub-chapters and follows a pattern. First lesson 'pretest', which is only on the teacher's CD, and seems to be a worksheet. I have never done those and never felt the loss. Second lesson is the experiment that pertains to the sub-chapter and then the third lesson is reading the sub-chapter and answering the questions. That patter repeats itself twice for most chapters and then there is a chapter review. So, if you don't have access to the pretest that is two 'lessons' per chapters gone, if you don't do the experiments that is another two lessons per chapter gone. You are left with the 30 sub-chapters that don't take very long to read. The text is picture and graph heavy with lots of white space (very good, btw) but there are generally only 5 or 6 pages per sub-chapter. My son can read a sub-chapter in about 10 mins.

 

To be fair, there are things you can add on to the program. The skills and practice sheets (available at the CPO website) add a whole level of work to the program. We have mostly not used those. They are very math heavy. They seem to mostly take the experiment further. There are also things like scientist biographies and things to teach internet search skills. Those sheets are not included in the teacher's plan and are mostly for enrichment. I am guessing they are there for teachers who have honors classes or who need to make the program work for older kids. If you aren't planning to do many of the experiments you could add in the skills and practice sheets to make it a more challenging program.

 

There is math in the experiments, but that is a fact of life in science from this age on (or it should be). And it isn't too much. It is mostly timing things and getting the average. As far as I can tell, the first couple chapters in ALL school science texts are about the scientific method, measurement, definition of terms etc, etc.

 

I don't have my son write his answers to the section review or chapter review questions. I did at the beginning, but it was just torture. The questions are in there so a school teacher can ensure the student did the reading. I use them as discussion questions and it made our life easier. I also think it made his understanding better. We can talk about the questions, come up with our own questions, look stuff up etc.

 

This has been a great science year! My only problem with CPO is that their physical science program looks too equipment heavy to manage easily at home. I have a year before I need it. We are doing the ACS chemistry program for 7th grade. But, I would really like to make the CPO physical science program work.

[TN Mama]

:bigear: I have both the Earth and the Life student books and want to hear more!

 

(I also seem to be a member of HENSE, much to the chagrin of my children.)

[TN Mama]

AND... I was supposed to subscribe. Oops. :)

 

Subbing

[Heathermomster]

Funny that you made this posting, because I've been pondering experiments for next year with my rising 7th grader, using the CPO Life Science (CA edition) text. The CPO Life Science book is very well laid out. I don't find the pages cluttered or confusing. I like that you can print a page from the PDF if necessary, though I did purchase a used classroom text. I plan to textmap the first chapter or so with DS to ensure he understands the layout.

 

I like chapter 1 of the book because it teaches the scientific method. I'm tying CPO chapter 1 with his math to get a metric units review done. Lab 1A will be a blessed interruption to the monotony of the subject matter.

 

I purchased a microscope recently along with a Microscope Adventure! unit by Kym White. DS is playing with the microscope now and having a good time with it. The mechanical stage is awesome. Do you own or are you considering the purchase of a microscope?

 

Looking at the lab manual, experiments 1A, 6A, 8B, 9A, and 10A seem very straightforward, don't require extensive pre-planning, or a microscope. The DNA Science Wiz kit gets good reviews.

 

If I weren't using CPO Life Science, I'd probably look at the Holt Science and Technology Integrated Science red book. DS currently uses the green one for 6th grade.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

We have had a fantastic CPO science year. We used Life science this year and plan to use Earth next year. I buy the books used on Amazon.

 

We made extensive use of the skills and practice worksheets and read many of the recommended literature selections for the 6-8 and 9-12th grade reading levels. For us, those were some of the best parts of the program. We did not do all the experiments/demonstrations. If we skipped an experiment/demonstration we often went over the results in the teacher's manual. My dd still learned so much.

 

We also added in a few demonstrations from elsewhere.

 

Science, math, biographies of scientists, science literature, critical thinking, and so much more-- CPO has worked well for us this year.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

The DNA Science Wiz kit gets good reviews.

 

 

:iagree:

 

My daughter had so much fun with this kit. :001_smile:

[Heathermomster]

We have had a fantastic CPO science year. We used Life science this year and plan to use Earth next year. I buy the books used on Amazon.

 

We made extensive use of the skills and practice worksheets and read many of the recommended literature selections for the 6-8 and 9-12th grade reading levels. For us, those were some of the best parts of the program. We did not do all the experiments/demonstrations. If we skipped an experiment/demonstration we often went over the results in the teacher's manual. My dd still learned so much.

 

We also added in a few demonstrations from elsewhere.

 

Science, math, biographies of scientists, science literature, critical thinking, and so much more-- CPO has worked well for us this year.

 

Thank-you SO MUCH for mentioning the Skills and Practice worksheets. I just found them on-line here. Is this what you are using?

 

Check out Wild Oak Academy. This link is so awesome!!

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I just found them on-line here. Is this what you are using?

 

 

Yes, those are the ones. Be forewarned--the answers aren't online. Unless something has changed, you will need a teacher's CD-Rom for the answers. You can sometimes buy them used on Amazon. You can also contact your state rep for one.

 

You can probably work out the answers yourself, but sometimes it's nice to have an answer key. :001_smile:

[Colleen]

Thanks for the replies thus far. I confess I want someone to come right out and tell me to go for it.:D Again, though, trying to be realistic. As an open-n-go person, I'm not likely to supplement and substitute as so many describe.

 

I recently purchased....

Where did you buy your books?

 

We have been using CPO Life this year for my 6th grade dd. We both love it! She didn't love the first few chapters, but I think she was adjusting to the level of writing in it.

Can you elaborate re the writing portion of the program?

 

Since I also fall into the "neglecting hands-on experiments" camp more often than I would like, I recently subscribed to Adaptive Curriculum's Activity Objects for science and math through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op. I figure a virtual lab is better than no lab, right :).

Hmmm, something to consider. Thank you.

 

The text is dull. The hands on part saves the program.

Uh-oh. This doesn't bode well for me! On the other hand, reading the text in the samples is what piqued my interest. It didn't strike me as a dull ~ but then again, I enjoy the first chapter of Apologia General Science, which is often described as driest chapter in the text. Call me loopy!:tongue_smilie:

 

My only problem with CPO is that their physical science program looks too equipment heavy to manage easily at home.

Yes, this would be a concern for me as well.

 

Hope to keep hearing more here ~ thanks again for sharing your experiences.

[Embassy]

I am using CPO Physical, Earth, and Space Science. I purchased the teacher's edition and the student edition from Abe Books. We only started it in January. We do other science as well so I am using it over 2 years time. Each area starts off with an investigation instead of an experiment and then comes reading the text and completing worksheets. I've had to adapt most investigations because we don't have the necessary equipment, but we have been able to teach the concepts with the adaptations. For instance a recent investigation required teaching about experimental and control variables using photogates and a physics stand. I didn't have anything like that. After some thinking I used a marble raceway that we had. Instead of photogates timing the energy car we had to rely on human response time. We studied that previously so my children understood that what we were doing wasn't the most reliable method. Instead of changing the angle in the original investigation - we changed the angle of one piece of the raceway to determine if different pathways of the same length changed the amount of time it took for a ball to travel the length of the raceway. We changed the track in the middle and at the end and did multiple measures of each and compiled and analyzed our data. I've been very pleased with what my children are learning with this program. My youngest son isn't doing the textbook or worksheets, but has learned quite a bit from just participating in the investigations.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

FWIW, my daughter hasn't found the Life Science text dull. :001_smile:

 

There are lots of opportunities for writing--end of section questions, extra research, etc. You can do as much or as little as you want. We do a mix of written and verbal responses to answer section and chapter questions. We also do some narration.

[Colleen]

Im very interested in the earth science.

 

Great minds think alike, eh?;)

[Colleen]

FWIW, my daughter hasn't found the Life Science text dull. :001_smile:

 

Good to know ~ thanks! You mentioned that you're using Life Science this year, then plan to move on to Earth Science. Someone else suggested that CPO sequence, as reflected in the difficulty of the books, is the reverse of this. I'm trying to get a feel for whether or not one text is significantly more challenging the other. What grade is your student who currently uses Life Science?

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Good to know ~ thanks! You mentioned that you're using Life Science this year, then plan to move on to Earth Science. Someone else suggested that CPO sequence, as reflected in the difficulty of the books, is the reverse of this. I'm trying to get a feel for whether or not one text is significantly more challenging the other. What grade is your student who currently uses Life Science?

 

 

She is 10yo/5th grade.

[Colleen]

I am using CPO Physical, Earth, and Space Science. I purchased the teacher's edition and the student edition from Abe Books. We only started it in January. We do other science as well so I am using it over 2 years time. Each area starts off with an investigation instead of an experiment and then comes reading the text and completing worksheets. I've had to adapt most investigations because we don't have the necessary equipment, but we have been able to teach the concepts with the adaptations. For instance a recent investigation required teaching about experimental and control variables using photogates and a physics stand. I didn't have anything like that. After some thinking I used a marble raceway that we had. Instead of photogates timing the energy car we had to rely on human response time. We studied that previously so my children understood that what we were doing wasn't the most reliable method. Instead of changing the angle in the original investigation - we changed the angle of one piece of the raceway to determine if different pathways of the same length changed the amount of time it took for a ball to travel the length of the raceway. We changed the track in the middle and at the end and did multiple measures of each and compiled and analyzed our data. I've been very pleased with what my children are learning with this program. My youngest son isn't doing the textbook or worksheets, but has learned quite a bit from just participating in the investigations.

Thanks for sharing, although just reading this paragraph makes this HENSE member wilt.;) What's the difference between the "investigations" and the "experiments" ~ or is just a matter of semantics?

[redsquirrel]

What CPO calls 'student investigations' the rest of the world calls experiments. The experiments (or investigations) are all available for free on their website. It makes it easy to figure out what you need before the year starts. Just go through all the investigations and make a list of all the materials needed.

 

And I do not think that there is much difference in difficulty for earth and space/life science. I have seen both used in 6th and 7th grade in public schools. I have physical science used in 7th or 8th grade. I have also seen 'physics a first course' listed as and 8th grade class.

 

When I say I have 'seen it used' I mean they have shown up in searches. I haven't actually been in the schools to see it used.

[kalanamak]

 

The text is dull. The hands on part saves the program. I can't imagine slogging through it without doing the experiments on a regular basis. It was created to be hands on. You do an experiment and then read the text. I can honestly say that when my son talks about anything he has learned in science this year it is always in reference to an experiment.

 

Are you using a kit?

What kind of things do you need for the book (just a few on the biggies ... I'm not pressing you for a comprehensive list. :))

[Embassy]

Thanks for sharing, although just reading this paragraph makes this HENSE member wilt.;) What's the difference between the "investigations" and the "experiments" ~ or is just a matter of semantics?

 

It could be semantics. It depends on your definition of experiments. If you define experiments as demonstrations then it is not the same. The investigations are inquiry-based and hands-on. I've done some experiments before where I demonstrate something and then instruct my kids on why it happened. The CPO Investigations tend to lead the child through the process of formulating a question and figuring it out through doing it themselves and then analyzing the data to find the answer to the original question.

[Embassy]

 

The text is dull. The hands on part saves the program. I can't imagine slogging through it without doing the experiments on a regular basis. It was created to be hands on. You do an experiment and then read the text. I can honestly say that when my son talks about anything he has learned in science this year it is always in reference to an experiment.

 

 

My son hasn't found the text dull (CPO Physical, Earth, and Space Science), but he prefers to do the questions at the end of the sections orally. I wouldn't do CPO without the investigations though. It is the major part of the curriculum. The textbook reinforces what a child already learned in the experiment.

[Embassy]

So how hands on is it?

What percentage would you say is discovery based?

 

I'm looking for minimal text and loads of hands on. My student is doing Exploration Education physical this year.

 

Percentage is hard to say. For CPO Physical, Earth, and Space science we do most of the worksheets to accompany each section so the hands-on part is about 30% of our time. The textbook is about 2 inches thick so it isn't minimal text.

[redsquirrel]

So how hands on is it?

What percentage would you say is discovery based?

 

I'm looking for minimal text and loads of hands on. My student is doing Exploration Education physical this year.

 

If you want minimal text and loads of hands on then check out TOPS Science.

[redsquirrel]

Are you using a kit?

What kind of things do you need for the book (just a few on the biggies ... I'm not pressing you for a comprehensive list. :))

 

I am not using a kit. I went through all the 'student record sheets' aka investigations aka experiments and just wrote down what was needed. It is all laid out. I got most of it at Home Science Tools and there wasn't anything exotic. A couple things, like the stream table or a displacement tank or a bucket with a spigot or a convection chamber we either had or I made in a matter of mins. I am NOT a crafty person. I had stuff like sand and clay and sandpaper and cups. I bought density rods, rock samples, a mineral testing kit, a water testing kit, a spectrometer, styrofoam balls, weather thermometers, a barometer, and other stuff. Things like a cloud chart were available online.

 

I should add that I do this every year. I buy my science curriculum in the early spring or summer and then spend the summer getting every single little thing I will need for all the experiments. I bag it up, and have it all ready to go. It's easy if you have it all in the house ready to go. It makes the experiments happen. I do NOT want a pile of unused (wasted money) science stuff sitting there at the end of our school year.

[Colleen]

I should add that I do this every year. I buy my science curriculum in the early spring or summer and then spend the summer getting every single little thing I will need for all the experiments.

 

Oooh, boy. This is not something I'd want to do. I sense a market for a homeschooler who sells CPO science kits.;)

 

So how hands on is it?

I'm looking for minimal text and loads of hands on.

My impression is that the text is more than a minimal portion of the program. Too bad we can't pool our preferences. I'll take on the text, you take on the dirty work.:)

 

It could be semantics. It depends on your definition of experiments. If you define experiments as demonstrations then it is not the same. The investigations are inquiry-based and hands-on. I've done some experiments before where I demonstrate something and then instruct my kids on why it happened. The CPO Investigations tend to lead the child through the process of formulating a question and figuring it out through doing it themselves and then analyzing the data to find the answer to the original question.

 

Ummm....it's all Greek to me.

[Matryoshka]

Percentage is hard to say. For CPO Physical, Earth, and Space science we do most of the worksheets to accompany each section so the hands-on part is about 30% of our time. The textbook is about 2 inches thick so it isn't minimal text.

 

It is not minimal text. There is lots of reading. I have my kids take notes on the text. I also have my kids do most of the skills sheets, and that adds a lot to the program, imho. When we did Life Science, they did all the end-of-chapter questions written out. This year (with Physics), there are more skill sheets with more math, so we're doing the end of chapter assessments orally.

 

I did buy one big CPO lab item - the car/ramp/timer/photogates. So many of the experiments used them, and I really didn't want to reinvent the wheel. I have two kids taking it together (and another one in a couple of years), so the cost wasn't any more than signing them both up for Derek Owens or another online course. I also shared the cost with a friend who's doing the labs with us. We'll split the cost when we sell it after our youngers are done. It's been really worth it. It would have been even more worth it if I had done it the first year we did CPO rather than the third (these items are not necessary for Life or Earth science, but if I was going to end up buying them anyway, they would've been nice to have for the couple of experiments that used them).

 

All the other CPO lab items are easily replicable with inexpensive materials. The photogates and timer, especially, are not. I looked up generic photogates on ebay and they cost as much or more than the CPO ones, and would need me to adapt them to use easily. So I said uncle and bought the real deal.

[Create Your Ritual]

Would something like THIS work for Earth Science for those who have used CPO Earth?

 

http://www.qualitysciencelabs.com/earth-science-labs/qsl-earth-science-lab-kit/

[Colleen]

Would something like THIS work for Earth Science for those who have used CPO Earth?

 

http://www.qualitysciencelabs.com/earth-science-labs/qsl-earth-science-lab-kit/

 

I wonder, too. That looks so much more inviting than piecing together my own supples!

[redsquirrel]

Well, there is stuff in there you won't need and there will be things not in there that you will need.

 

It wasn't an issue getting stuff together on my own. I went through the experiments and kept a running list of what was needed. Then I went to home science tools and found it. Not really a challenge. I didn't buy stuff like sand and rocks and clay because I have that in abundance.

 

Some of the stuff not in that kit are the things that I had to fudge anyway. Things like a displacement tank, a large bucket with a spout, a wave box, a convection chamber, the stream table set up. I am also not seeing items like a mineral testing kit (I see rocks but not the whole testing kit), a water testing kit and a spectrometer. It is hard to tell from the picture. It would be nice if they gave a listing of what is in there and what it is used for.

[Create Your Ritual]

In case I am not the only one that could benefit from this, I wanted to give you a link to Luckymama's blog posts about CPO Earth Science labs.

 

http://nowisthebesttimeofourlives.blogspot.com/2010/09/adapting-stream-table-lab-investigation.html

[Create Your Ritual]

I also ran across this -

 

http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/SPage2/earth.cfm

 

AND... with the blog above (nowisthebesttimeofourlives) - I just clicked on the CPO Earth Science link at the bottom of one of the blog posts and it took me to everything she did for the year. Very helpful!

[paceofnature]

I also ran across this -

 

http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/SPage2/earth.cfm

 

AND... with the blog above (nowisthebesttimeofourlives) - I just clicked on the CPO Earth Science link at the bottom of one of the blog posts and it took me to everything she did for the year. Very helpful!

 

Thanks for this! I am slowly starting to pull everything together for next year and these links will be really helpful!

[redsquirrel]

Power point presentations for earth and space, life science and physical science are also available at the CPO site, along with lots of other materials.

[JadeOrchidSong]

I also ran across this -

 

http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/SPage2/earth.cfm

 

AND... with the blog above (nowisthebesttimeofourlives) - I just clicked on the CPO Earth Science link at the bottom of one of the blog posts and it took me to everything she did for the year. Very helpful!

 

Thanks for the link. We will do earth science in the fall and will probably use CPO earth science. Do you think I can use it for both boys, who will be 9.9 and 7.8?

[Mom-ninja.]

A couple things, like the stream table or a displacement tank or a convection chamber we either had or I made in a matter of mins.

 

I don't even know what those things are let alone make them.

[redsquirrel]

I don't even know what those things are let alone make them.

 

If you read through the student investigation pages at the CPO website you will. :001_smile:

[Mom-ninja.]

I keep telling myself I'm *not* interested in using CPO.

[Mom in High Heels]

Is there anywhere to buy an inexpensive geobox? If James Bond were here, we'd probably figure out a way to make one, but I'm afraid it's out of my realm. I found one, but it's $79. Any ideas where to get one that's less?

[redsquirrel]

I don't. I just used a clear plastic shoe box that came with a lid.

 

If there is a particular investigation that you are wondering about you can ask me.

 

There was one with a geobox that I didn't do. There was a demonstration video on the CPO site and I figured that was good enough.

[Matryoshka]

Is there anywhere to buy an inexpensive geobox? If James Bond were here, we'd probably figure out a way to make one, but I'm afraid it's out of my realm. I found one, but it's $79. Any ideas where to get one that's less?

 

I just used a rubbermaid container with a lid.

[A.J. at J.A.]

I just used a rubbermaid container with a lid.

 

Me too - worked fine.

[JadeOrchidSong]

I recently purchased :

 

CPO Life Science (Calif. edition)

CPO Life Science Teacher's Guide (not the Calif. edition)

CPO Earth Science (not the Calif. edition)

and I have the CPO Earth Science Teacher's Guide (not the Calif. edition) on its way to me.

 

My DS11 (currently in5th) wanted to afterschool life science with a textbook. I am in LOVE with these books!!

 

Alas, my son decided that he didn't like the book while we were in Chapter 1 :( He got bogged down. The first chapter is about measurement, the scientific method and graphs. Math is not his favorite part of science.

 

But I think (hope) that Chapter 1 of the Earth Science book is going to save the day here. It is nearly the same material presented with less detail and at a (slightly) lower reading level. I'm guessing that this is because CPO's sequence uses Earth followed by Life. (As an aside, this is going to take some convincing on my part. DS11 does not at all like jumping and skipping around - it annoys him when teachers do this. He likes to start at the beginning of a book and work straight on through it. Maybe he will decide to do the Earth book before Life, idk.)

 

 

At first, I only ordered the textbooks but after reading more here I went ahead and got the Teacher's Guide for Life Science. And I am SO glad that I bought it. I was glad enough that I went ahead and ordered the one for Earth Science. Because I have a Calif. edition textbook and a non-Calif. Teacher's Guide things don't match up perfectly but this appears to be no big deal.

 

I am very glad that I bought the non-California edition of the Earth Science book though, because it has the Astronomy Unit in it. I have not analyzed this in depth, but I think that there are more differences between editions with Earth than Life. So I guess I would say that if you have to buy a mismatch between student and teacher with Earth I would proceed with some caution.

 

As for labs, I have decided to mostly ignore them and seek relevant experiments from anywhere-and-everywhere-else. So I can't offer any help there.

 

Can you please elaborate what differences there are between earth science California edition and the non Californai edition? I just purchased California edition and they'd re on the way. I do not want the astronomy unit since our co-op will do God's Design for Earth in 2012-2013 followed by Apologia Astronomy in 2013-2014. I just want to know the other differences you have noticed. Thank you!

[Matryoshka]

Can you please elaborate what differences there are between earth science California edition and the non Californai edition? I just purchased California edition and they'd re on the way. I do not want the astronomy unit since our co-op will do God's Design for Earth in 2012-2013 followed by Apologia Astronomy in 2013-2014. I just want to know the other differences you have noticed. Thank you!

 

The California Earth has no Astronomy (moved to California Physical Science), and the Biome unit that is normally in the Life Science book shows up in Earth Science in the California Edition. There's also an odd chapter on "Natural Hazards" that is very California-oriented - wildfires and mudslides feature most prominently, along with extra stuff on earthquakes and volcanoes above what was in the entire separate units about those, with a bit on flooding and hurricanes - but not a word about tornadoes. I think weather in general gets short shrift in this book - nothing about fronts or cloud types or even much of anything on what weather forces cause the hurricanes - more on what to do in a hurricane watch.

 

I loved CPO Life (I did have California for that too, but I don't think the differences are as big), and we just had a wonderful year with CPO's Physics: A First Course.

 

I think Earth is their weakest title, but I think the California book is weaker than the regular edition, so that may be coloring my thinking. I also used the book in 7th grade when it's meant for 6th - that is also probably coloring my thinking.

Edited July 7, 2012 by matroyshka

[JadeOrchidSong]

Sorry this is a side note for the link above about SL 5. Thanks for the link. It looks awesome!