Non-AP Science/History Texts for HS??

[CyndiLJ]

As I am researching high school materials for my 8th grader, I am finding that it appears that every single textbook is designed for those AP students or those going the college prep route. As we are looking definitely at the trade/technical route for several of our children, I am asking myself:

 

What ever happened to standard old textbooks?

 

Is EVERY kid college bound and in need of such intense work in high school? Seems my only alternative is to go the special ed route, but that is way too low. Can anyone direct me towards curriculum, particularly science, that is secular in nature (we homeschool through a public program and it must be secular) that is not going to waste time prepping my child for a future that he is not going to have? Please don't flame me about limiting their options, there is just a growing interest in our family towards trades and I support that 100%...not every kid needs to go to college to have a happy future, but it does seem that high school textbooks assume every kid IS going to college. So sad.

 

Thanks for your help, the Hive rocks!

 

Cindy

[Melissa B]

I would consider the Holt high school science texts to be more standard material and secular. Oak Meadow also has a good syllabus to go along with the Biology and Environmental Science texts.

 

 

 

As I am researching high school materials for my 8th grader, I am finding that it appears that every single textbook is designed for those AP students or those going the college prep route. As we are looking definitely at the trade/technical route for several of our children, I am asking myself:

 

What ever happened to standard old textbooks?

 

Is EVERY kid college bound and in need of such intense work in high school? Seems my only alternative is to go the special ed route, but that is way too low. Can anyone direct me towards curriculum, particularly science, that is secular in nature (we homeschool through a public program and it must be secular) that is not going to waste time prepping my child for a future that he is not going to have? Please don't flame me about limiting their options, there is just a growing interest in our family towards trades and I support that 100%...not every kid needs to go to college to have a happy future, but it does seem that high school textbooks assume every kid IS going to college. So sad.

 

Thanks for your help, the Hive rocks!

 

Cindy

[Musicmom]

Here are a few standard secular high school science texts you could check out:

 

Biology: Holt or Glencoe (we've reviewed both as supplements--Holt is colorful and clear; Glencoe has a little more ecology in it.)

 

Chemistry: Holt, Prentice Hall, Addison-Wesley (I didn't really look at these when ds breezed through them looking for extra topics, so not much feedback for you. If Holt Bio looks good, though, Holt Chem might be similar.)

 

Physics: Holt and the other publishers above probably have texts, but I've never looked at them. A less mathy text you might look into, though, is Conceptual Physics (the high school program) by Paul Hewitt. I've heard really good things about Conceptual Physics on this board. If I had a non-mathy child and was just looking for the kind of physics knowledge everyone should have for life, I'd look at this one.

 

All of these texts can be found quite inexpensively (used) on Amazon.

 

ETA: Just remembered you were asking about history texts also. Here are a couple standard ones we've used:

 

World History: The Human Odyssey, by Jackson J. Spielvogel

Holt American Government

 

(These are also available used on Amazon, which is where I got our copies.)

Edited May 27, 2012 by Musicmom
Added info

[TippyCanoe]

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[regentrude]

Look at what your local ps uses. The typical textbooks (Holt, Glencoe) which are used in public school are a medium high school level.

 

Unfortunately, the quality of these texts leaves to be desired, which is why many people use introductory college texts for their high school students; those books are of a much better quality.

 

I would look at this completely differently, however: if you know your students will not go to college and this will be their last and only exposure to the material, that would be a special incentive for me to use the most rigorous material they can handle, so that their only exposure gives them as much knowledge as possible. One does not study science and history merely to be prepared for college.

Edited May 27, 2012 by regentrude

[TippyCanoe]

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[regentrude]

"Rigorous" does not necessarily have to come in textbook or lecture format...

That's what I'm aiming for, with a child who is college bound but will probably not continue in formal history studies -- a lasting interest, an understanding of interconnections with other disciplines, experience in finding multiple resources to follow up an interest or issue, discussion of some of the big themes, some exposure to original sources, a look at quirky aspects of history as well as straightforward political and military ones, and most of all a view of the many, many ways it is possible to pursue historical interests in adulthood.

 

 

Completely agreed. I find this, however, much easier for history than for sciences. A rigorous systematic high school level science approach without textbooks or lectures? Very, very difficult to pull off. (And the OP asked specifically about "particularly science")

[WishboneDawn]

Look at what your local ps uses. The typical textbooks (Holt, Glencoe) which are used in public school are a medium high school level.

 

Unfortunately, the quality of these texts leaves to be desired, which is why many people use introductory college texts for their high school students; those books are of a much better quality.

 

I would look at this completely differently, however: if you know your students will not go to college and this will be their last and only exposure to the material, that would be a special incentive for me to use the most rigorous material they can handle, so that their only exposure gives them as much knowledge as possible. One does not study science and history merely to be prepared for college.

 

:iagree:

 

I'd also add that a lot of the "harder" textbooks are actually much better written and more engaging then the others.

 

That said the free CK12 texts look excellent.

[CyndiLJ]

I have found the Conceptual Physics/Conceptual Physical Science/Conceptual Integrated Science textbooks and think they are amazing and exactly what I was looking for! I don't necessarily want "dumbed down" textbooks, I guess I am looking for for materials that are more real life relevant. So often it appears that high school is the new college, and I just don't see the need for that sort of pounding to the degree that everyone now seems to think is necessary, particularly if you don't have college bound students. I also find the standard textbooks to be plain old awful...far too disjointed in their attempts to be entertaining, main ideas are totally lost in all the garbage inserted on every page.

 

I am thinking about using the Uncle Eric books as a core for high school history as my son already picked up one and carried it away to read on his own without me saying a word, and came back and said he enjoyed it a lot. In a timely stroke of luck I found a thread specifically about this that is active currently on the board right now!

 

Wondering though, does anyone have any other ideas for history? Not looking for a traditional textbook, must be secular in nature, and I am open to any approach that helps tie history to our world today, making it relevant.

 

Thanks!

Cindy

[michon]

Check out the History of US books by Joy Hakim. They are an interesting read for US History. Those books along with the Uncle Eric books and a few "must reads" for high school will work. We have used Holt in our charter school for English, they're ok. But, keep this in mind. Even in the schools they only use the textbook for the classes as needed. I prefer the literature based approach for learning history. (Sonlight, WTM, Beautiful Feet, etc.)

[regentrude]

Wondering though, does anyone have any other ideas for history? Not looking for a traditional textbook, must be secular in nature, and I am open to any approach that helps tie history to our world today, making it relevant.

 

 

Teaching Company lectures! They are fabulous.

 

Btw, we do use a textbook as a spine, but since we are covering World history over four years, the textbook readings play a small role, because she only reads a quarter of the book per year. We mainly use it to orient ourselves and then read original literature and use TC lectures.

[Brenda in MA]

Wondering though, does anyone have any other ideas for history? Not looking for a traditional textbook, must be secular in nature, and I am open to any approach that helps tie history to our world today, making it relevant.

 

Thanks!

Cindy

 

Perhaps try some of the case studies in Critical Thinking in US History? I used selected sections of this during our study of US History because I like the approach it takes in helping a student understand that there often is "bias" and "agenda" in historical writings. Critical Thinking in US History has collections of passages on a specific topic written by authors of varying viewpoints. A lot of times there is no one right answer, but having the student read one view immediately followed by an opposite view helps him/her to see how the author's perspective/bias effects the writing he/she produces.

 

I think this lesson is so critical for a student to understand in today's world because news and reporting is often delivered in sound bites or quick pieces that are presented as strictly factual reporting, when in actuality, there is a lot of opinion embedded in there. Unless the student has been trained to analyze and think about what is presented, he/she could easily be led to a particular viewpoint that the owner of the newspaper, website, TV station, etc. holds without being forced to think and develop his/her own opinion on the matter.

 

We also enjoyed the Miller/Levine Biology text with the Kolbe syllabus. The Kolbe syllabus offers a regular and an honors track. The tests that come with the syllabus also have specific questions directed at the regular track and others for the honors track. My son enjoyed the rich illustrations in this text that helped explain the material.

 

Best wishes in finding good resources for your family.

 

Brenda