shukriyya Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 what else is there for logic stage biology? I'm not totally sold on either of these. And a search has yielded pluses and minuses for both. We have used ES during grammar stage for physics and while I liked some of it I found there to be too much writing and the reading was rather dry at times. I had thought CQ was going to be our choice but now I'm not so sure. Mainly because I'm not keen on the spines being used though if the rest of the program is good I can navigate them. I looked into NOEO and it looks very similar to ES. So what else is out there science moms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I ended up choosing Memoria Press. They do biology over 5th and 6th grade. I am just combining them into one year. I have to add my own hands on, as there are no projects included. But I like the books they use. I also had looked at Sonlight's 5th grade science and liked what it covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 Hmm, I looked at those and they're not quite what I'm looking for though I'm having trouble articulating just what it is I am looking for. I reviewed both ES and CQ and am leaning towards ES though a search tells me they are very similar in approach and content. I would love to hear from folks who have used either of these curric. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 We're using ES's Logic Stage biology w/Tiner's Exploring the World of Biology added on. The spine is dry reading and not always very clear. I like the flexibility of Paige's plans because I'm a tweaker. I really couldn't make up my mind between ES & CQ. (I'm sure you saw my posts in your search.) In the end, I just picked one. It isn't a perfect program and my oldest isn't loving it. (DD#2, on the other hand, loves :001_wub: ES's Lapbooking through Biology.) But, it is getting done and she's doing some of it independently, which I needed this year. I hope you find what you are looking for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 Thanks, RootAnn. Yes, I did see several of your posts when I searched and you were in the same conundrum I am :) Was there a specific reason you picked ES or did you just decide either would work and went with ES? I know I'll tweak which ever program I choose but I don't want to have to tweak so much that it becomes a different curric. iykwim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 I would have had to tweak either program too much, so we're using books and hands-on. Some of the books we're using include: The World in a Drop of Water Life in a Bucket of Soil The Plant Hunters Skunk Cabbage, Sundew Plants, and Strangler Figs The Body Book (Donald Silver) The Father of Anatomy: Galen and his Dissections The Code of Life Nature's Champions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 I do like the living books approach but I want to make sure I cover all the basics. I was just reviewing the logic stage Biology portion of TWTM and I think that using TWTM rubric combined with living books might be the way to go. I have also found a fascinating non-text book on the subject which takes the approach of the underlying unity of all living things. It looks to be fairly comprehensive and gets great reviews. It can be found used for a decent price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I do like the living books approach but I want to make sure I cover all the basics. I was just reviewing the logic stage Biology portion of TWTM and I think that using TWTM rubric combined with living books might be the way to go. I have also found a fascinating non-text book on the subject which takes the approach of the underlying unity of all living things. It looks to be fairly comprehensive and gets great reviews. It can be found used for a decent price. Yes, this is a great book, but I decided it was a little advanced for my 5th grader, and am holding off. Not sure how old your dc is. I'm doing a cobbled-together approach with Biology too, using BFSU B-threads, loosely, as a spine and incorporating lots of living books. I haven't been sold on anything out there for this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 CQ is really nothing but small reading selections from the books they require, some charts, and questions. It was a huge disappointment, especially since I spent so much money on the books and things to do experiments with. I could never recommend it. Science is my biggest weakness as a home school mom. I learned no science in school. My older son learned science from Apologia, and it was a good program in that what he learned he was able to apply to day to day life. However it was offensive to me how much religion was worked into the curriculum. I may have to use it again though, because it really allowed my ds to self study something that I do not know. I seem to have no talent to over come and self study in this area from secular materials myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I did Nancy Larson Science II with my 4th and 6th grader, NL III when they were 5th and 7th, and Nancy Larson Science IV has just come out this week. I think I will be ordering it shortly. I think it's for ages 11 to 13, but they don't have a lot of info on the site yet. It's pricey, but it has worked very well for us. Nancy Larson Science 4 :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 In elementary, my son learned mostly about zoology, botany, and ecology. So for the logic stage, he studied biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and evolution. We used the book you listed plus these others: Texts: Biochem: The Way Life Works (the one you referenced) Genetics: The Cartoon Guide to genetics, The stuff of life Evolution: Biozone's Evolution (we did it together because it is a high school level book) Microbiology: his investigation with lots of internet research Docos: All of David Attenborough again (he is just great) Hands on/investigation: Hands on: Hemophilia in the royal family, lots of microscope work, gene pool and genetic drift games, nature study, bird watching, fern and mushroom identification, biology in cooking Investigation: Which type of water supports the most diversity of micro-organisms, ocean, ditch, or river? Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I have also found a fascinating non-text book on the subject which takes the approach of the underlying unity of all living things. It looks to be fairly comprehensive and gets great reviews. It can be found used for a decent price. I read the pdf version of that book from here. My boys liked The Way We Work by David Macaulay as supplementary reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I have used ES Bio and own CQ Bio. I never used CQ because it was brand new and they didn't have the materials kit. I believe that is now available. We liked ES well enough; science isn't my strong suit either, but it got done and the kids didn't dislike it. You could also look at Noeo, which we are using this year for Physics. We also used it for Chemistry. I like that it comes with everything you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 20, 2012 Author Share Posted October 20, 2012 Thanks for all the replies. They are all so helpful as I pull things together. Ruth, I'm curious to know how you used the book I referenced. Did you simply read and discuss? Did you have your ds follow up with some research of his own? And David Attenborough, that's a great suggestion. Arcadia, that website looks like a great resource. I went ahead and bought the book as I found a great deal on a used copy but it will no doubt be helpful for others who are wanting to use the book as a resource. The book is pithy but light in tone and the artwork helps make it accessible to the non-biologist. If I can find a way to work with it I think it will make a great source book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Ruth, I'm curious to know how you used the book I referenced. Did you simply read and discuss? Did you have your ds follow up with some research of his own? He read it and we discussed it. This took about 8 weeks. Sometimes he would draw some of cartoons for fun which really helped him to clearly see how a cell's machinery works. He did not write anything about it, he did not do any additional research. He really loved the book. And I think he will be reading it again in a few years to reinforce what he learned. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novafan Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 I did Nancy Larson Science II with my 4th and 6th grader, NL III when they were 5th and 7th, and Nancy Larson Science IV has just come out this week. I think I will be ordering it shortly. I think it's for ages 11 to 13, but they don't have a lot of info on the site yet. It's pricey, but it has worked very well for us. Nancy Larson Science 4 :001_smile: Will this be a Biology program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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