Julie of KY Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 What is your favorite AP chemistry text (it doesn't really have to be AP, but solid advanced chemistry for a second year of chemistry). I understand chemistry, so I'm not so concerned about teacher support for the text. Why do you like your favorite? Are there texts that you don't like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I used Zumdahl's AP text with both of my own kids, also w/o any teacher support materials. We all liked it very much here: clear presentation, extensive coverage (beyond AP syllabus; my kids liked the molecular orbital chapter), and more than enough practice problems. Last year I tutored AP chem out of the Brown et al textbook. It's also fine, though I still preferred Zumdahl. Brown had more of a written-to-the-test feel to me, the visual layout wasn't as easy for me (personal preference), and the titration chapter wasn't as clearly written (IMO). But Brown also had lots of good problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Zumdahl is what I was leaning toward, but I've also heard lots about Chang. I'm a math/chemistry person and I'm a math/chemistry person and I teach chem lab from the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry. I'm afraid I may have to read aloud the text to my oldest. It'll be a great reveiw for me. I can also download it from Learning Ally (if they have it). I'll be teaching a kid that is extremely gifted but also quite dyslexic. I won't have to teach the chemisty, but he needs to hear it rather than read it. He intuitively gets all the math of chemistry. I can't predict if my other kids will get to that level of chemisty, but I bet they will also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 We have Brown, Zumdahl, Silverberg, Oxtoby, and Olmstead. Dd(1) picked Zumdahl, then moved to Brown because she liked the explanations better. She is now using Oxtoby at Dartmouth. Dd(2) picked Silverberg. None of them are the latest and greatest edition. I freely pull problems from all of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 When I taught AP Chem, I used Chang. That was about 5 years ago, before I started homeschooling, so it was the 8th edition (if I remember correctly). I think they're now on the 11th edition so I can't speak to the latest iteration but I really liked the Chang that I used. It was clear, rigorous, and the pages weren't busy and cluttered with tidbits of "Did you know...?" kind of information. (I don't know if they've changed the 11th edition to be more like this.) I have older versions of Zumdahl, Brown-LeMay, and Silberberg on my shelf here at home. If anyone would like to know anything about them, just ask. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I'm afraid I may have to read aloud the text to my oldest. I just bought Ace Reader, which has an upgrade available for text to voice. I didn't get the upgrade, but it might help you out with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 [/size] I just bought Ace Reader, which has an upgrade available for text to voice. I didn't get the upgrade, but it might help you out with this. Not a problem - I have two kids that qualify for Learning Ally because of dyslexia and Learning Ally already has any of these chemisty texts available to download as human read books and then my son could listen on the ipad. I'm sorting out how best for him to learn/be taught expecially as he heads to college, but for now we also just do what works. It's always fun to listen to people talk about how as kids get older you don't get to sit and snuggle on the couch for schoolwork. My husband just laughs, as he listens to my oldest and I do math. We often snuggle on the couch - I read Art of Problem Solving - he spits out answers, I have to have pen and paper to keep up with him and there is alot of banter and laughter. This is the first year he's ever picked up a pen to write out a math problem. I'm pushing him to "read" more math problems and he strugles with other technical reading. He's also very dysgraphic. On the other hand, he's an avid reader of literature and tests profoundly gifted in both reading comprehension and in math. It's been a challenge to sort through exactly how he processes language since he is so gifted it masks many of the difficulties he has in language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest norovirus Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I am taking AP Chemistry from Mr. Moskaluk at PAH (its the best class I've ever taken) and we're using Chang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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