redsquirrel Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Can someone give me, or point me in the right direction of the basic information that should be covered in a middle school chemistry course? I am not looking for exhaustive or definitive, just the big picture points. Definitions, terms, stuff like that. It is the end of February. We finish at the end of June. This year is feeling fairly unfocused to me, but I am trying very hard to pull it together. I just don't want to miss anything huge. He will get 'real' chemistry in high school so this doesn't have to rise to that level. Plus, we are planning to use an algebra based physical science course next year and it includes a study of chemistry. So, this is more like our first bite at the apple, not the last. We are about to finish McHenry's The Elements and I am planning to start Carbon Chemistry next. We are working our way through the periodic table and I have some other things for him to read. I just feel like I am missing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Have you looked at the free middle school chemistry from the American Chemical Society? http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 I am using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Have you seen Real Science 4 Kids Level II Chemistry? It's not a complete chemistry curriculum, but what it does cover it covers extremely well, at about an 8th grade level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I am using it. If you're doing ACS, The Elements and Carbon Chemistry, I can't imagine you're missing anything major for middle school, especially if you will cover much of it again next year in physical chemistry. You could check the middle school science scope and sequence for a few different school systems or the TOC/website for Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 You are right. I am just having my usual mid-year science panic. And, it is really difficult to do pre-algebra chemistry in a way that feels meaningful. Everything either seems far too young or overly technical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 My ds's school used Holt Science and Technology Physical Science in 6th grade. I loved this book! No math required. Ds's school did not do all the chapters. Although chapters are not completely stand-alone, they are not cumulative. You can jump around, and you can skip much of the physics parts, if you like. I would probably not do something exclusively on elements. You can get an idea of the topics by looking on the HMH website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 You are right. I am just having my usual mid-year science panic. And, it is really difficult to do pre-algebra chemistry in a way that feels meaningful. Everything either seems far too young or overly technical. I sympathize. We finished up earth science early and I had planned to start physical science with my daughter last month, using Hewitt's Conceptual Physics and Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry (over about 18 months). I had to stop fairly quickly when I realized it just wasn't worth it for us right now until she finishes pre-algebra (we're at lesson 101 in Saxon) and gets a bit of algebra under her belt (we go year-round so we'll go straight into Alg 1). It was too frustrating for both of us. I've taken a semester to have her work on an Anatomy for the Artist that I've pulled together (mostly using www.alienthink.com for drawing right now---her passion is art). We'll go back to physical science later. I'm not clear on whether this is bothering your child or just you at this point. You've said you're doing physical next year and chemistry again in high school. Maybe he's had enough of a first bite and it's time to let it digest a bit. Is there a specific need to work on it intensively right now? Is he asking for more depth? I know, for me, a big part of the issue is that my background is science (physics) but my daughter is humanities all the way so I have a tendency to both overreach and obsess about the science end of it to the detriment of both of us, as well as find it frustrating when she doesn't get what seems so obvious to me. That's likely not your issue, but I throw it out there anyway. It usually takes my husband to give me a reality check and tell me it's time to back off a bit and change focus for a while. Maybe it's time to just move to a different science and let the math catch up a bit rather than stick with the chemistry beyond what you are already doing if you're both finding it frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I think what a middle school kid needs to understand about chemistry is really important, and really basic. Really important, because it comes up all the time - we studied cell biology earlier this year, and we're doing Botany now, and I can't imagine trying to convey even a basic understanding of photosynthesis if she hadn't studied any chemistry. But really basic, too, because what they need to get to understand the biology, physics, and earth science they study at this stage is a basic understanding of atoms, elements, molecules, bonding, acids & bases . . . it sounds like with the materials you are using you have more than covered what is really necessary for a 12 yo to understand before he has the math under his belt to do high school chemistry. Relax, you are doing great, mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arborite Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 We are following the same scheme as Red Squirrel: ACS and McHenry. DS became bored with ACS, which is all I had planned to use. It spends a loooong time hammering in just a few concepts. So I picked up McHenry, and a few entertaining companion books (Mysteries of the Periodic Table, Fizz). He is liking those fine. It does feel a bit formless at times, but I think enough is sinking in that this will all feel familiar in HS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arborite Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Paging through this now, but not quite sure what it is. Teacher resource? Not-quite-complete textbook? Are you using it? Have you seen CK-12's Chemistry Overviews? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 I sympathize. We finished up earth science early and I had planned to start physical science with my daughter last month, using Hewitt's Conceptual Physics and Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry (over about 18 months). I had to stop fairly quickly when I realized it just wasn't worth it for us right now until she finishes pre-algebra (we're at lesson 101 in Saxon) and gets a bit of algebra under her belt (we go year-round so we'll go straight into Alg 1). It was too frustrating for both of us. I've taken a semester to have her work on an Anatomy for the Artist that I've pulled together (mostly using www.alienthink.com for drawing right now---her passion is art). We'll go back to physical science later. I'm not clear on whether this is bothering your child or just you at this point. You've said you're doing physical next year and chemistry again in high school. Maybe he's had enough of a first bite and it's time to let it digest a bit. Is there a specific need to work on it intensively right now? Is he asking for more depth? I know, for me, a big part of the issue is that my background is science (physics) but my daughter is humanities all the way so I have a tendency to both overreach and obsess about the science end of it to the detriment of both of us, as well as find it frustrating when she doesn't get what seems so obvious to me. That's likely not your issue, but I throw it out there anyway. It usually takes my husband to give me a reality check and tell me it's time to back off a bit and change focus for a while. Maybe it's time to just move to a different science and let the math catch up a bit rather than stick with the chemistry beyond what you are already doing if you're both finding it frustrating. It is bothering me, lol. It is always bothering me. We are actually doing quite a bit. He has read some books from the library, he is making his way through the book The Elements, by Gray along with the periodic table of videos, and we are using Ellen McHenry. I dropped the ACA program, for the most part. It spent such a long time on such small bits of information. My DS would start one lesson and then tell me exactly where it was leading through the rest of the chapter. I mean, I guess it was nice that it was so intuitive, but it felt a little easy. OTOH, have pulled out some really good lessons from it where we do need it. I also have the CPO physical science text book and it has three or four chapters on chemistry and they just happen to fit right into the flow of what we are doing. That was a bit of luck! My son is humanities and so am I. However we are a science loving family. We take it seriously. And, because I am a humanities person, I am always second guessing myself when it comes to science and math. I KNOW when the history or the literary criticism or the writing is good. I know why we are doing it and where it is going. I never feel like I am doing a good enough job in science. Whine, whine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 You have absolutely no reason to panic. You have simply encountered the reality of studying science.....dependency on math. Biology is dependent on biochemistry which is dependent on chemistry which is dependent on math. Physics is dependent on math. The goal of science in the younger yrs is to simply expose them to general concepts and instill a love for the subject. All high school level science is taught at a completely introductory level. There are no pre-reqs other than what I listed above. It sounds like you have established an excellent foundation. Perhaps now is the time to allow him to encounter science in a less structured way with books like these: http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Periodic-Living-History-Library/dp/188393771X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361971970&sr=1-1&keywords=mystery+of+the+periodic+table http://www.amazon.com/Periodic-Kingdom-Journey-Chemical-Elements/dp/0465072666/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361971820&sr=1-1&keywords=the+periodic+kingdom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 You have absolutely no reason to panic. You have simply encountered the reality of studying science.....dependency on math. Biology is dependent on biochemistry which is dependent on chemistry which is dependent on math. Physics is dependent on math. The goal of science in the younger yrs is to simply expose them to general concepts and instill a love for the subject. All high school level science is taught at a completely introductory level. There are no pre-reqs other than what I listed above. It sounds like you have established an excellent foundation. Perhaps now is the time to allow him to encounter science in a less structured way with books like these: http://www.amazon.co... periodic table http://www.amazon.co...eriodic kingdom You are right. Next year we start with Physical Science: Concepts in Action. He will be taking algebra through AoPS, so I hope it works out. I remember feeling so betrayed by my old friend Science when my nemisis Math showed up. I was angry about it! Before that science had been so easy for me, but it all went downhill after math showed up. I have been trying to prepare my boys by letting them know that "math and science are siblings. They are in the same family and you don't get one without the other" lol. I am hoping to soften the blow. I did have him read the first book at the beginning of the year, but the second one is new to us. I bet he will really like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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