Reflections Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 We are using CPO's Physical, Earth and Space Science this next year (for 8th grade). Is there anyone else out there doing it too??? I am in the midst of planning and gathering supplies and was wondering if there was anyone else who was too. I can't find anyone in my local circle who has even heard of this program, much less using it. I was looking for maybe anyone who has mapped out a syllabus for it and maybe we could compare notes. I am also wondering if they were going to try to get some of the harder to find and more expensive items (like photogates) or if they were just going to do it "old school" and what that was looking like for them? (I walked into RadioShack hoping for some help, and he not only looked at me like I had three purple heads, he tried to sell me a cell phone plan upgrade:001_huh::glare:). I also wanted to complain that I've tried to get the CPO state rep to email me back but to no avail. I was thinking about calling the company but I am hesitant because I had heard that CPO feels like homeschoolers can't "do" the program.:glare: :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I started it this past school year and we will continue on this next school year. So far I have been able to adapt labs (up through unit 2) with things I have around the house. I don't plan on getting any special equipment. One lab we just ended up watching others do the activities on Youtube. Instead of the photogates we did the labs with the knowledge of response time error. While we don't have the special equipment, my kids are learning the concepts in the labs just fine. I'm quite happy with the curriculum. I haven't fully mapped out everything, but here is what I have. 1.1 Measurements Investigation 1A Skill and Practice Worsheet Using your Textbook Read pg 5-10 and complete pg 11 in text Check for Understanding with parent Scientific Notation Skill and Practice worksheet SI Units Skill and Practice worksheet 1.2 Time and Distance Investigation 1B Photogate Lab watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFiMiOk_ZD0 and Read pg 12-15 and complete page 16 in the text Check for Understanding and Guided Practice Converting Time with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.2 Indirect Measurement with me Skill and Practice 1.2 Measuring Length with me Skill and Practice 1.2 Averaging Skill and Practice 1.2 Stopwatch Math Skill and Practice 1.2 Understanding Light Years with me 1.3 Converting Units Read pg 17-22 Complete pg 23 with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.3 Dimensional Analysis with me Skill and Worksheet 1.3 Significant Digits with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.3 Science Vocabulary Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.3 SI Unit Conversion Extra Practice 1.4 Measurement and Graphing Read pg 24-28 and complete pg 29 Check for Understanding and Reteach with me pg 23 in TM Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.4 Interpreting Graphs Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.4 Recognizing Patterns on Graphs Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.4 Creating Scatterplots with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 1.4 What’s the Scale with me Complete Chapter 1 Assessment 2.1 Inquiry and the Scientific Method Read pg 33-38 and complete pg 39 Check for Understanding and Writing a Hypothesis with me Investigation 2A (water from fish tank syphon) Skill and Practice Worksheet 2.1 Scientific Practices Skill and Practice Worksheet 2.1 What’s Your Hypothesis 2.2 Experiments and Variables Investigation 2B (use marble racetrack and time how long it takes from one point near the top to the bottom using different starting tracks) Read pg 40-42 and complete pg 43 Check for Understanding with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 2.2 Recording Observations in the Lab Skill and Practice Worksheet 2.2 Identifying Control and Experimental Variables Skill and Practice Worksheet 2.2 Using a Spreadsheet with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 2.2 Lab Report Format 2.3 The Nature of Science and Technology Read pg 44-46 and complete pg 47 Complete chapter 2 Assessment pg 48-50 Mapping Earth 3.1 Position, Coordinates, and Maps Investigation 3A: Positive and Negative Position Read pg 51-59 and complete pg 60 Check for Understanding with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.1 Position on the Coordinate Plane Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.1 Latitude and Longitude Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.1 Map Scales Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.1 Navigation 3.2 Topographic Maps Investigation 3B: Topographic Mapping Read pg 61-64 and complete pg 65 Check for Understanding with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.2 Topographic Maps 3.3 Bathymetric Maps Read pg 66-68 and complete pg 69 Check for Understanding with me Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.3 Bathymetric Maps Skill and Practice Worksheet 3.3 Tanya Atwater Biography Complete chapter 3 Assessment pg 70-73 Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 We completed CPO Earth and Space this school year. It was just Earth and Space, no physical science. I found a teacher's edition to be very handy for labs I couldn't manage at home. The TE has all the lab paperwork filled it with likely results. There were a couple times we just worked the problems without completing the labs. I bought my TE off Amazon. It has a plan for the investigations and readings as well as all the answers. I am not doing CPO PS for 8th grade... I don't think, lol. I did get the book super cheap, but I think I am going with Concepts in Action instead. I think there are a lot of people interested in CPO PS, but intimidated by the equipment. I was able to create a workaround for most everything in Earth & Space. I don't feel that confident for PS. I wish I did, because we had a great year doing Earth Science. I think the CPO program is great. If you are looking for something like the photogate you need to go to a science supply site. Home science tools doesn't carry them. The CPO photogates are made just for them and perform several specialized functions, or so I gather. And, you apparently need two of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Thanks Wehomeschool, your break down looks just like mine. I am also putting together lists of supplies needed broken down by labs. I was also going to include some of the outside reading or movies as suggested in the TE. I am not planning on the photogates - I am going to use stopwatches and such. And I am also planning on researching the harder to do labs on youtube. Oh, and just to add interest, I was going to let ds7 and ds2 participate with some of the labs. Redsquirrel, I have the TE and it seems to be useful but I was hoping for a little more lab setup handholding. One can't have everything, I suppose. I got it super cheap off of AbeBooks and I am not complaining (much :D). This curriculum is the only one I was sure of once I found it. All my others I have waffled on until just recently. Thanks for responding. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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