downthelane Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I'm trying to finalize a plan for my hs junior for chemistry. The reviews on Spectrum look good, but the lab materials are soooo expensive. It would be more economical for us to wait and do the chem lab with Landry the following year at 1/2 the price. So, here's the question - have any of you used an alternative lab with Spectrum other than the lab they provide and did this work well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I would definitely NOT recommend following that path or doing ANY other labs than Spectrum's. The lab component is integral into Spectrum's chemistry course. The labs are not something that are meant to supplement the chemistry course but are meant to be a significant part of the course. The textbook itself is very minimal and can easily be covered in a short time. However the labs are intensive and require about 2 hrs every single week. They require extensive write-ups which incorporate all of the the chemistry concepts being studied. If you don't want to pay for Spectrum's labs, you really need to choose an alternative text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I would definitely NOT recommend following that path or doing ANY other labs than Spectrum's. The lab component is integral into Spectrum's chemistry course. The labs are not something that are meant to supplement the chemistry course but are meant to be a significant part of the course. The textbook itself is very minimal and can easily be covered in a short time. However the labs are intensive and require about 2 hrs every single week. They require extensive write-ups which incorporate all of the the chemistry concepts being studied. If you don't want to pay for Spectrum's labs, you really need to choose an alternative text. :iagree: I received our shipment a few days ago, and after reviewing it, it felt like Labs with the text as the supplement. :001_smile: The Labs are an integral part of this curriculum. When deciding to homeschool high school, I knew science was going to cost me, especially chemistry and biology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I agree, not with Spectrum. We're doing that somewhat with DIVE. I've selected a few of them that we'll do, but the majority of the lab time will be a Landry intensive in the fall and watching the DIVE ones. Some of the DIVE ones aren't doable at home anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downthelane Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thanks all. Although I've not looked at the Spectrum text, it was starting to sound like a lab driven course. Back to the drawing board.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downthelane Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Ooops double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downthelane Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 I agree, not with Spectrum. We're doing that somewhat with DIVE. I've selected a few of them that we'll do, but the majority of the lab time will be a Landry intensive in the fall and watching the DIVE ones. Some of the DIVE ones aren't doable at home anyway. So which chemistry text are you using with DIVE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 So which chemistry text are you using with DIVE? Bob Jones. I looked at the different options, and it seemed like the most concise for what we want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downthelane Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thank you! I've not looked into the DIVE DVD's. I think I'll check this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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