lewelma Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 My ds will be studying Chemistry next year using an IGCSE text to help him prepare for the Cambridge exams. The text and content is somewhat uninspiring and a bit easy. I am hesitant to use a different text because the test is content specific with a lot of details on chemistry used in industry. Plus, I want him to learn how to study by going for a somewhat easy exam. I am also concerned about having him read through 2 textbooks for fear of overwhelming him and/or having him lose track of what he needs to know for the exam. How can I make this year more interesting? Lectures: TTC seems to only have the high school chemistry lecture series that most people don't like Labs: I am having a very difficult time getting chemicals into NZ, but I am still researching it. He will be doing a 3 day lab course for homeschoolers to cover the material, but not as much fun as a bit every week. Science Fair project: we will be doing one I am open to ideas on non fiction books, biographies, documentaries, or anything else that might make chemistry as exciting as I think it should be. Thanks for your help, Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Some of these texts have interactive sites to accompany the materials. I thought they looked fun- if you understand chemistry. (I hope to someday). ;) Edited May 15, 2012 by MomatHWTK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 These videos are helpful. http://www.gpb.org/chemistry-physics/students/all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 My ds will be studying Chemistry next year using an IGCSE text to help him prepare for the Cambridge exams. The text and content is somewhat uninspiring and a bit easy. I am hesitant to use a different text because the test is content specific with a lot of details on chemistry used in industry. Plus, I want him to learn how to study by going for a somewhat easy exam. I am also concerned about having him read through 2 textbooks for fear of overwhelming him and/or having him lose track of what he needs to know for the exam. How can I make this year more interesting? Lectures: TTC seems to only have the high school chemistry lecture series that most people don't like Labs: I am having a very difficult time getting chemicals into NZ, but I am still researching it. He will be doing a 3 day lab course for homeschoolers to cover the material, but not as much fun as a bit every week. Science Fair project: we will be doing one I am open to ideas on non fiction books, biographies, documentaries, or anything else that might make chemistry as exciting as I think it should be. Thanks for your help, Ruth in NZ There is an MIT OpenCourse on Kitchen Chemistry. It is pretty short (maybe a dozen lessons). Each lesson has a couple recipes which demonstrate some chemical principle that is associated with food. There are also some cool readings. Each lesson seems to stand by itself, so you could probably mix and match. Periodic Table of Videos has some interesting short videos that might fit into chem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray is a stunning book that your son might enjoy browsing through. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 You guys are wonderful! thanks! The book is in the library and the videos/lectures are excellent and free! I was also looking through Amazon for some lay person non-fiction and found a few books, but I can't really tell if they have any chemistry in them. Does anyone have a suggestion for something like one of these but with some chemistry in it? Serendipity:accidental discoveries in science Napoleon's buttons: how seventeen molecules changed history Thanks, Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I have no first hand knowledge of the book; however, I've heard excellent reviews of The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Thanks! That was actually the book whose name I could not remember! Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TippyCanoe Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miselainia Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 There is an MIT OpenCourse on Kitchen Chemistry. It is pretty short (maybe a dozen lessons). Each lesson has a couple recipes which demonstrate some chemical principle that is associated with food. There are also some cool readings. Each lesson seems to stand by itself, so you could probably mix and match. There is also an open course for high school students that you could pull from: http://courses.moodleshare.com/course/view.php?id=128 I don't know if it would work for you, but there's an app for the iPad my husband bought that accompanies The Elements book. I haven't looked at it much but he loves it. I also found The Experimenters: Twelve Great Chemists by Margery Evernden at the library, which I liked so well I bought for required reading at my house (we moved from that area and I haven't seen it since). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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