MariannNOVA Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 If you are doing a STEM curric, please provide all the info you can -- who, what, when, how -- For philosophy, I am looking at (and leaning towards) Stottlemier. I am looking for suggestions for Science Curric (includes STEM) - the non-STEM part does not have to be teacher intensive - I would do 'pacs' or anything like that as the STEM will more than make up for the 'teacher time.' And, for very bright 7th graders, I am leaning towards Philosophy as somewhere in my mess of things, there is an excellent Stottlemier curric -- I figure we will do Logic in 8th grade. Share, please -- thanks many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) I am looking for suggestions for Science Curric (includes STEM) - the non-STEM part does not have to be teacher intensive - I would do 'pacs' or anything like that as the STEM will more than make up for the 'teacher time.' All this does not make a lot of sense to me. I'm not sure that you are using "STEM" the way I use it - science, technology, engineering, math as an abbreviation for that group of similar endeavours. If you could clarify what you are looking for, I would be happy to help. Ruth in NZ Edited September 22, 2012 by lewelma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 All this does not make a lot of sense to me. I'm not sure that you are using "STEM" the way I use it - science, technology, engineering, math as an abbreviation for that group of similar endeavours. If you could clarify what you are looking for, I would be happy to help. Ruth in NZ Actually, it doesn't make tons of sense to me either.:tongue_smilie: Do I need a 'typical' science curric (apologia for instance) or can I go with a STEM curric (JASON, or something like that)? That's my question - and thanks for being brave enough to help me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I'll admit to being confused as well. I'm not aware of any STEM curricula, per se, and we are STEM focused Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 I'll admit to being confused as well. I'm not aware of any STEM curricula, per se, and we are STEM focused Thank you!!!! :) That tells me a lot. So, when you have a moment, can you tell me what a typical science lesson entails in your homeschool? I would be most appreciative. So, now after confusing everyone, I am thinking of taking a serious look at Science Fusion. http://www.hmheducation.com/sciencefusion-homeschool/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 If you are doing a STEM curric, please provide all the info you can -- who, what, when, how -- First Lego League Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I think that when speaking of STEM, we are think more of curricula that prepares a student for a STEM major. I don't know of any STEM curricula per se. Science curricula is not all alike when it comes to scope and rigor. What may be easy to implement in a homeschool is often not rigorous enough to prepare a student for a STEM major in college. However, IMO, with enough time and effort a student can overcome a lack of rigorous education :) Mariann, if you are looking for a good science program that will equip your students for a future STEM major, you might want to post this question on the high school board. FWIW, I think the junior high years should be used to set a good base for the more rigorous science curricula in the high school years. Science vocabulary, scientific method, familiarity with the math of science, measurements, etc. are, IMO, the most important aspects of junior high science. In our co-op, the students who struggled in the high school sciences were the ones who had no familiarity with scientific notation, metric system, basic science vocabulary, and had no exposure to an orderly investigation (laboratory, scientific method). Science in junior high should be investigative, hands-on, and fun - IMO :) Doing a rigorous science in high school will be much more important when it comes to preparing for a STEM major. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 I think that when speaking of STEM, we are think more of curricula that prepares a student for a STEM major. I don't know of any STEM curricula per se. Science curricula is not all alike when it comes to scope and rigor. What may be easy to implement in a homeschool is often not rigorous enough to prepare a student for a STEM major in college. However, IMO, with enough time and effort a student can overcome a lack of rigorous education :) Mariann, if you are looking for a good science program that will equip your students for a future STEM major, you might want to post this question on the high school board. FWIW, I think the junior high years should be used to set a good base for the more rigorous science curricula in the high school years. Science vocabulary, scientific method, familiarity with the math of science, measurements, etc. are, IMO, the most important aspects of junior high science. In our co-op, the students who struggled in the high school sciences were the ones who had no familiarity with scientific notation, metric system, basic science vocabulary, and had no exposure to an orderly investigation (laboratory, scientific method). Science in junior high should be investigative, hands-on, and fun - IMO :) Doing a rigorous science in high school will be much more important when it comes to preparing for a STEM major. Hi, Cynthia: :seeya: Thank you -- now it is all making sense. I was totally lost.:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hcrocker Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I would second the recommendation for First Lego League. My DD1, 7th grade, is in her third year with a great coaching team (retired Air Force!), and DD2 is in her second year of Junior FLL. Their teams have worked on real-life applications of science, and for the competitions, they do a skit, present scientific research, design and program Lego robots, and learn how to create solutions to scientific problems. They also do a presentation on the team's core values - such as teamwork, gracious professionalism, etc. The bonus - my kids think this is an extracurricular activity. LOVE. Good luck- Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 First Lego League I would second the recommendation for First Lego League. My DD1, 7th grade, is in her third year with a great coaching team (retired Air Force!), and DD2 is in her second year of Junior FLL. Their teams have worked on real-life applications of science, and for the competitions, they do a skit, present scientific research, design and program Lego robots, and learn how to create solutions to scientific problems. They also do a presentation on the team's core values - such as teamwork, gracious professionalism, etc. The bonus - my kids think this is an extracurricular activity. LOVE. Good luck- Heather Thank you -- this is helpful. We have done Odyssey of the Mind and that has been a good experience. Will look for FLL. thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) For logic stage science, we do not do textbooks and I am also not a fan of weekly "quicky" labs. Instead we do a large investigation at the end of the year. Here are our resources: Chemistry Topics: Periodic Table, chemical reactions, industry uses Texts: Ellen Henry's The Elements and Carbon Chemistry, RS4K level 2 Chemistry, and numerous library books Docos: Numerous Modern Marvels on Chemistry topics Hands on: mostly from RS4K Investigation: What mixture of ingredients makes the most pliable and bounceable silly putty? Physics Topics: mechanics, electronics, astronomy, flight Text: How Things Work (yes, the whole book!) + library books on electricity and flight Scientific American's astronomy articles going back 10 years - as read alouds that spawn discussion Docos: The Way Things Work, Numerous Modern Marvels on Physics/Engineering topics Hands on: Electronics kit. Mechanical Kit Investigation: How does the angle of attack affect the flight time of a kite depending on the wind speed? Biology (topics of his choosing) Topics: Biochemistry, Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology Texts: The Way Life Works; The Cartoon Guide to genetics; The stuff of life; Biozone's Evolution Docos: All of David Attenborough (and there are a LOT) Hands on: Hemophilia in the royal family, lots of microscope work, gene pool and genetic drift games Investigation: Which type of water supports the most diversity of micro-organisms, ocean, ditch, or river? Earth Science (this was more of a high school level course) Topics: Astronomy, Oceanography, Geology, Meteorology. Texts: Tarbuck's Earth Science, and Applications and Investigations in Earth Science (we only did about 2/3 of the text and ½ of the applications) Docos: TTC one of the Earth Science series (did not get through even 1/2 of the series) Hands on: Observed night sky and moon cycles, observed weather patterns/clouds, identified rocks, Applications and investigations book Investigation: How does the wind direction and speed and the orientation of the bay affect longshore transport of sand? HTH, Ruth in NZ Edited September 23, 2012 by lewelma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thank you!!!! :) That tells me a lot. So, when you have a moment, can you tell me what a typical science lesson entails in your homeschool? I would be most appreciative. So, now after confusing everyone, I am thinking of taking a serious look at Science Fusion. http://www.hmheducation.com/sciencefusion-homeschool/index.php I *looked* at Science Fusion too, but we discarded the idea - only because my daughter dislikes learning from the comp. Our science "lessons" aren't really structured. We splurged on tons of materials that she can use at her disposal. She does have textbooks (Behold and See 6 and Holt Science and Technology Earth Science) so that she can be grow good study habits, but beyond that, we just have TOPS units for hands on and a lot of *books* (George and The Big Bang, The Way Things Work, etc). We are REALLY focusing on math this year. Any STEM major will require math (obviously). We switched this year to a more rigorous, conceptual math program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Ruth, thank you so much for listing what you use! I was wondering about this and about to go through all your previous threads. I love that I don't have to do weekly demonstrations, although I've made available the resources available for Dd to do them on her own. My brother has a PhD in Chemistry and we're now thinking what big project would interest DD after we finish up our studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Ruth, thank you so much for listing what you use! I was wondering about this and about to go through all your previous threads. I love that I don't have to do weekly demonstrations, although I've made available the resources available for Dd to do them on her own. My brother has a PhD in Chemistry and we're now thinking what big project would interest DD after we finish up our studies. Agreed. Thanks Ruth! I love the idea of just doing one big investigation at the end of the year. I think you have too much time on your hands and we can help with that - you should post more about how *exactly* you go about your wonderful science plan :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mukmuk Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Yes, enjoying your post, Ruth :) Tracking your ideas as there are plenty we can use :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 For logic stage science, we do not do textbooks and I am also not a fan of weekly "quicky" labs. Instead we do a large investigation at the end of the year. Here are our resources: Chemistry Topics: Periodic Table, chemical reactions, industry uses Texts: Ellen Henry's The Elements and Carbon Chemistry, RS4K level 2 Chemistry, and numerous library books Docos: Numerous Modern Marvels on Chemistry topics Hands on: mostly from RS4K Investigation: What mixture of ingredients makes the most pliable and bounceable silly putty? Physics Topics: mechanics, electronics, astronomy, flight Text: How Things Work (yes, the whole book!) + library books on electricity and flight Scientific American's astronomy articles going back 10 years - as read alouds that spawn discussion Docos: The Way Things Work, Numerous Modern Marvels on Physics/Engineering topics Hands on: Electronics kit. Mechanical Kit Investigation: How does the angle of attack affect the flight time of a kite depending on the wind speed? Biology (topics of his choosing) Topics: Biochemistry, Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology Texts: The Way Life Works; The Cartoon Guide to genetics; The stuff of life; Biozone's Evolution Docos: All of David Attenborough (and there are a LOT) Hands on: Hemophilia in the royal family, lots of microscope work, gene pool and genetic drift games Investigation: Which type of water supports the most diversity of micro-organisms, ocean, ditch, or river? Earth Science (this was more of a high school level course) Topics: Astronomy, Oceanography, Geology, Meteorology. Texts: Tarbuck's Earth Science, and Applications and Investigations in Earth Science (we only did about 2/3 of the text and ½ of the applications) Docos: TTC one of the Earth Science series (did not get through even 1/2 of the series) Hands on: Observed night sky and moon cycles, observed weather patterns/clouds, identified rocks, Applications and investigations book Investigation: How does the wind direction and speed and the orientation of the bay affect longshore transport of sand? HTH, Ruth in NZ It does help. thank you for taking the time to share!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) you should post more about how *exactly* you go about your wonderful science plan :D. This I have already done! Here are the posts: Resources (above list plus elementary): post 62 and 64 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7 Systematic and Interest led at the same time: post 65 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7 Goals of scientific education: post 83 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9 Evaluating usefulness of lab work: posts 1, 2, 3, 14 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=425932 What output is required: post 2 and 9 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=412041 and post 8 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977 Running scientific investigations (week by week for 10 weeks): posts 1 to 60 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740 Shorter examples of scientific investigations: post 47, 48, 54, an 61, 65, 66 (and others on this thread) on http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=5 Protecting your student from misinformation about how the scientific method works: post 90 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9 Creating a plan for your student. post 22 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=414500&page=3 and post 2 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977 HTH, Ruth in NZ Edited September 23, 2012 by lewelma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 This I have already done! Here are the posts: Resources (above list plus elementary): post 62 and 64 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7 Systematic and Interest led at the same time: post 65 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&page=7 Goals of scientific education: post 83 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9 Evaluating usefulness of lab work: posts 1, 2, 3, 14 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=425932 What output is required: post 2 and 9 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=412041 and post 8 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977'>http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977 Running scientific investigations (week by week for 10 weeks): posts 1 to 60 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740 Shorter examples of scientific investigations: post 47, 48, 54, an 61, 65, 66 (and others on this thread) on http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=5 Protecting your student from misinformation about how the scientific method works: post 90 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=263107&page=9 Creating a plan for your student. post 22 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=414500&page=3 and post 2 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=416977 HTH, Ruth in NZ You make so much sense that it confuses me :lol:. I'm sure my science loving daughter wishes you could replicate yourself - especially when I've all but resorted to handing her a book or text or lab and telling her "it's on you kid" when it comes to science. (Can you tell that I'm not incredibly science-minded myself? Poor kid) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Agreed. Thanks Ruth! I love the idea of just doing one big investigation at the end of the year. I think you have too much time on your hands and we can help with that - you should post more about how *exactly* you go about your wonderful science plan :D. Ruth has posted about her way of doing a scientific inquiry: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=361740&highlight=scientific+investigation and also about the way she evaluates the usefulness of science activities: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=425932&highlight=scientific+investigation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Love the tag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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