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Can anyone tell me about RS4K level 1?


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We used it. Calvin was a very bright 9yo; Hobbes tagged along with the experiments.

 

Chemistry: good, workable, evenly targeted and fun. I think we did a chapter a week - text-book read-aloud one day; experiment and write up another.

 

Biology: a weird mishmash. Some of the topics Calvin had known since kindergarten (life cycles of butterflies and frogs, etc.); others were fun, high-level cell work.

 

Physics: rather dry and we had a hard time getting the experiments to work. I know failure is a scientific result too, but it's more fun with young ones if things work, or if you can discuss why they didn't.

 

So I'd recommend the chemistry book, but not the others.

 

Laura

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We used it. Calvin was a very bright 9yo; Hobbes tagged along with the experiments.

 

Chemistry: good, workable, evenly targeted and fun. I think we did a chapter a week - text-book read-aloud one day; experiment and write up another.

 

Biology: a weird mishmash. Some of the topics Calvin had known since kindergarten (life cycles of butterflies and frogs, etc.); others were fun, high-level cell work.

 

Physics: rather dry and we had a hard time getting the experiments to work. I know failure is a scientific result too, but it's more fun with young ones if things work, or if you can discuss why they didn't.

 

So I'd recommend the chemistry book, but not the others.

 

Laura

 

 

I agree with everything Laura says. Chemistry is great, the others only so-so.

 

 

 

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What about geology? I'm thinking chemistry and geology, and depending on how long those take us, maybe Ellen McHenry's The Brain.

 

I encourage you to carefully read the geology sample pages for RS4K geology. It will tell you what you need to know. I am not a fan of RS4K.

 

Ellen McHenry's The Brain is really really good! I cannot say enough good things about it. DS got so much out of it, I wish she had more!

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I encourage you to carefully read the geology sample pages for RS4K geology. It will tell you what you need to know. I am not a fan of RS4K.

 

Ellen McHenry's The Brain is really really good! I cannot say enough good things about it. DS got so much out of it, I wish she had more!

 

 

 

I know what you're getting at. I don't know. In these times it may help for kids to know that there are people out there who feel that way. More and more of them every day it seems. Especially where I live. Their heels are dug in deep. The odds are about 99% here that my children will encounter and possibly be aware of that different "view." I haven't really given it much thought, but maybe we ought to prepare our children in some way with interacting with people who would want to argue about science in conjunction with religion, and how to gracefully get themselves out of those situations.

 

Thanks for mentioning it though. I like RS4K and that's the first time I've seen any mention or hint of that in any of her books. I wasn't even aware that a geology component was available. Duly Noted.

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I know what you're getting at. I don't know. In these times it may help for kids to know that there are people out there who feel that way. More and more of them every day it seems. Especially where I live. Their heels are dug in deep. The odds are about 99% here that my children will encounter and possibly be aware of that different "view." I haven't really given it much thought, but maybe we ought to prepare our children in some way with interacting with people who would want to argue about science in conjunction with religion, and how to gracefully get themselves out of those situations.

 

Thanks for mentioning it though. I like RS4K and that's the first time I've seen any mention or hint of that in any of her books. I wasn't even aware that a geology component was available. Duly Noted.

 

 

If you still want to use RS4K geology for the reasons noted above, please be aware you will need to supplement with additional materials; RS4K leaves it out and will not get you to that place of dialog. :)

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I like RS4K and that's the first time I've seen any mention or hint of that in any of her books. I wasn't even aware that a geology component was available. Duly Noted.

 

I really really like RS4K Chemistry. I wish I'd known about it when I was taking college level chemistry. It had my DD, who was 4 at the time, quickly understanding concepts that took me a lot longer to grasp.

 

But it definitely has ID language, which I'm assuming is what is being alluded to here.

 

In general, I consider the texts too easy. When I we looked at it, my kids were 4 and 7. The 4 year old easily handled pre-level-1 (which I guess they're calling Elementary now?), and the 7 year old was fine with Level 1, occasionally going up to the "high school" level when he wanted more info about something. But I find the same to be true of most elementary science textbooks - they're geared towards reading level more than comprehension level.

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But I find the same to be true of most elementary science textbooks - they're geared towards reading level more than comprehension level.

 

Yes! Doesn't it drive you batty? DS went through every single elementary level science I could find by the end of kindergarten. It was all so easy. It is nothing more than reading practice. I am putting DS in NOEO Biology II this year with plans to heavily supplement and I hope it will challenge him.

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I can handle ID, I'm just not into the literal 6-day thing.

 

In my experience with the texts it's nothing more ominous than using the word "designed" at times. Whatever the author's personal life is doesn't concern me.

 

The geology sample was the first I've read any hint in the books to even address that topic. And like I posted I wasn't even aware there were geology books. But it did give me pause.

 

Actually to answer your original question better. I like RS4K but I honestly feel that they are too expensive (even used) for what you get. You can finish a book and lab in 10 weeks. I use other things for science as well because I don't feel there's enough in RS4K to make a whole year and I don't want to buy every book for a particular level, kwim?

 

So for me any RS4K books I use are used in the beginning of the year as more of a lead in to other studies.

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