Middle School Science Course Rationale

[dereksurfs]

Hi,

 

I was curious what criteria others have used to select science courses of study for 7th and 8th grade? I have planned to do Physical Science in 7th and Life Science in 8th for ds11. Initially I was going to select a more structured approach with a single packaged curriculum. This was mainly due to ease of use and grading. But the more I looked into them the more I really wanted to do our own custom, somewhat eclectic collection of texts and other supporting materials. However as I've been reading the High School forum I've realized that certain colleges not only accept middle courses, some require to see a course one might only take in middle school such as Algebra or Biology. These need to be documented and graded as a high school level course if they are. I guess that presents a bit more of a challenge when grading an eclectic science course one pieces together. I am also considering high school level Biology for 8th grade so that other more interesting sciences could be taken at the high school level such as Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy, Computer Science, etc... Do any of you think about satisfying some of the more basic high school requirements during the middle school years? Algebra for example is middle school standard now in California.

 

I honestly wouldn't mind skipping Biology all together and jumping right form middle school Life Science to Anatomy and other sciences. I did this while in school and it worked fine for me. I also majored in Life Science at the undergrad level. But things may be different now. I also know this most likely varies by the college, university and state in which one applies. I guess I'm just pondering it a bit more now that I know some of these courses may be considered or at least effect what is taken at the high school level. We live in California and our kids will probably go to college here.

[Matryoshka]

Biology is standard in 9th grade here now. I've been hearing a lot of the benefit of a "Physics First" approach to sciences, so I ended up having my kids take one of those courses in 8th (I used CPO's Physics: A First Course, which is not their middle school book, but for grades 8-10, to be taken concurrently or after Algebra 1). That worked really, really well; both my kids were really turned on to Physics. I'm planning to use the same book with my younger dd when she's in 8th grade.

 

Leading up to that, my older two did Life Science in 6th (went well) and Earth Science in 7th (too lite - used a 6th grade text - mistake).

My younger, a rising 7th grader, will be doing both Chemistry and some Biology next year.

[Penguin]

I am sure that you will get some better answers than mine, but I will chime in.

 

I have had two kids graduate from high school (one from a rigorous, private B&M and one from an IB program). Between the two of them, they applied to a very wide range of universities. I just looked at a few of the schools that they had applied to, and I didn't see any that specifically required a course called Biology. A biological science - yes. Biology - no. I suppose you will have to take your best guess as to where you think your child will apply. But my kids ended up applying to (and attending) colleges that were not even remotely on my radar when they were in middle school, so keep that possibility in mind! YMMV.

 

I did put my own custom, eclectic curriculum together for my 6th grader and I will do the same thing for the 7th and 8th grade. I was planning Life Science for 7th and then Physical Science for 8th...but now I am leaning toward continuing simultaneous science until high school. If my DS would have stayed in the International School, that is what he would have had until he entered the IB program. At that point, IB students take the same science for two years. Some take two sciences. If you want to take a look at the European simultaneous science system, you will find a lot of details in this old thread. Laura's posts are particularly helpful.

 

My DS will take Algebra in 8th grade, but I am not planning to have him seek high school credit for it.

 

 

 

ETA, you might want to read this recent thread in the high school forum if you have not already:

 

8th grade work on high school transcript

[Crimson Wife]

We are following the WTM cycle but started in K, so 6th will be chemistry (Mr. Q Advanced Chemistry) and 7th will be physics (Hewitt's Conceptual Physics). I'm planning on doing H.S. biology in 8th to free up slots for more advanced courses. One of those will most likely be anatomy & physiology because DD has expressed an interest in some fields that would require taking A&P at the college level. We'll figure it out when we get closer to 9th.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm thinking about this too. I'm coming at it from the opposite direction, though: we are a family of biology/life science types, and my dd has done various forms of biology, ecology, etc. for the past two years. So for 6th, she is going to do physical science, because she hasn't had that yet. So we'll cover astronomy, newtonian physics, electromagnetism, and basic chemistry (she did do chemistry in 3rd). But I'm up in the air about 7th & 8th. I'd kind of like to get physics out of the way, so she has more room for advanced biology in high school, but then I worry about her doing Conceptual Physics in 8th, and *not* having Physics on her hs transcript . . . how big of a deal is that? I'm also flirting with the idea of doing an overview/big picture course in 7th or 8th, using Science Matters & The Magic of Reality as spines, and exploring science concepts in context, as my dd is a very big-picture thinking.

 

So 6th is physical science, but for 7th-8th, I'm bouncing around between the following choices:

1) Earth/climate science - she hasn't had earth science, I work in this field & think it's important, but it's soooo depressing (the climate part)

2) Conceptual Physics - the whole physics-first logic, and free up space for advanced biology

3) Biology 1 - get it done early to make room for advanced bio topics, and make room for physics on the high school transcript.

 

I dunno, I have a year to think about it though!

[Crimson Wife]

I'm personally going to be using Conceptual Physics as an "honors" middle school course, and then a calculus-based physics in high school. The specific course is still TBD but perhaps one of the ones offered by CTY or EPGY.

[Matryoshka]

But I'm up in the air about 7th & 8th. I'd kind of like to get physics out of the way, so she has more room for advanced biology in high school, but then I worry about her doing Conceptual Physics in 8th, and *not* having Physics on her hs transcript . . . how big of a deal is that?

 

 

We did Physics in 8th (with more math than just conceptual) - they will do Trig or Calc-based Physics in high school.

[nmoira]

We've opted for an unconventional approach.

 

A couple years ago my eldest (now going into 6th, but advanced in terms of coursework) went through an online "middle school" course series in 12 months -- PLATO, but I'm not sure if that's the old name or the new. It was underwhelming with the exception of a few of the biology modules. I have both the Galore Park and Singapore Interactive (well, "I" something) middle school series, but am similarly underwhelmed. I'd thought of moving on through the Conceptual _______ route, but jettisoned that and stuck with stories.

 

We've opted for the reading popular science books until 8th grade, at which time she'll start rigorous formal science. She did a year of intensive reading, and has continued this school year with at least a book a week. I provide lists of acceptable titles, and try to keep about five shelf feet of books on hand. It's not a substitute for systematic study, which will come, but she's gather an immense amount of background knowledge, and hearing the voices of scientists and science lovers, feeling their excitement, getting a sense of wonder and enthusiasm I'd never be able to generate with coursework. She recently finished Rabid, The Ghost Map, Zoobiquity and The Bonobo and the Atheist and is now working her way through Temple Grandin's works.

 

For math we're not doing a standard progression, but she'll have the equivalent of Algebra 1 and 2 through AoPS while in middle school.

 

As far as her transcript, I can cobble together an "integrated study" course description for 6th and 7th if needed. This combined with "for credit" science camps (including at least one field work camp, 10 days this year, 12 next), formal science in 8th, and the advanced maths should be sufficient.

 

ETA: She's also working through Hakim's Story of Science series concurrently with her history cycle.

[Luckymama]

Definitely read the linked thread about 8th grade courses on a high school transcript.

 

Dd used CPO Earth Science in 5th grade. It was a great science year.

 

She used CPO Life Science in 6th grade. She participated on a middle school Science Olympiad team, studying basic chemistry, chemistry of baking, rocks and minerals (more geology), tree botany (went well with Life Science), and basic structural engineering (building balsa towers to hold a certain load).

 

For seventh grade she began with the free ACS Middle School Chemistry. It quickly became obvious that she had learned almost all of the topics while prepping for Science Olympiad the previous year! So we moved on to studying this year's SO topics---------basic electricity and magnetism (algebra-based), more structural engineering (balsa booms this time; added in the West Point Bridge Contest), more depth in geology (using a college-level nonmajor text, Earth Science by Tarbuck), more depth in tree botany, and basic astronomy (using a college-level nonmajor text, Astronomy by Chaisson). If I had to describe this science year on a transcript I would call it "Integrated Science" :lol:

 

Next year she will take algebra-based physics using the Giancoli text. I am in the process of having my syllabus approved by the College Board as an AP course. I will decide halfway through the year if I will have dd take the AP Physics B exam or the SAT Physics subject test. I will list this class on her highschool transcript (should she homeschool highschool---still undecided) as AP Physics B (should she take the AP exam) or Physics (should she take the SAT subject test).

 

I've known for a while that dd was advanced in math. I didn't realize her science ability until this year.

 

Derek, I don't know if I'd be comfortable skipping Biology and going from middle school Life Science to Anatomy. There is so much chemistry in biology now that I'd be afraid of some serious gaps in knowledge, of topics a highschool Anatomy class would assume the student to know completely.

 

(I sure hope this all made sense and is relevant to the discussion. I'm taking sinus meds and my though process isn't what it should be!)

 

Editing to add-----since dd will have the math needed, we will be following the "physics first" school of thought if she is home for highschool: algebra-based physics in 8th, chemistry in 9th, biology in 10th, and then whatever she wants to do for 11th and 12th. I think she would probably lean toward AP Physics C (calculus-based), astronomy and geology (we would pay for her to take the last two at the university).

[8filltheheart]

I have only had 1 of my kids take a high school science credit in middle school. All of them take a minimum of 4 yrs in high school, some taking more than 1 per yr. My current rising 9th grader deliberately did not take a high school credit last yr. She was already in geometry and could easily have taken chem or physics, but she decided that she wanted to use it as her last yr of completely non-textbook, unrestricted science topics. She loved what she studied this last yr and learned at ton, so no regrets.

 

As far as what.......yes, when it comes to high school credits I make sure that the courses are very recognizable as standard materials. The only exception to that is independent studies that my kids may do as an advanced course of study like the astronomy 3 course ds self-designed this yr after completing the first 2 textbooks that Cal Tech uses for their first 2 astronomy courses.

[Chrysalis Academy]

We did Physics in 8th (with more math than just conceptual) - they will do Trig or Calc-based Physics in high school.

 

 

 

I think this is a common choice - a conceptual or algebra-based physics in middle school, then calculus-based physics in high school. But I'm talking about potentially skipping high school physics - letting algebra-based or conceptual physics in 8th grade be it . . . and wondering what the down-side would be, for a student that had 4 high school science credits, but not physics.

[Luckymama]

 

 

 

I think this is a common choice - a conceptual or algebra-based physics in middle school, then calculus-based physics in high school. But I'm talking about potentially skipping high school physics - letting algebra-based or conceptual physics in 8th grade be it . . . and wondering what the down-side would be, for a student that had 4 high school science credits, but not physics.

 

This would fall into the "it depends" category. Does the college or university have particular requirements, not just X years of science taken during high school? What field might your student want to study in college? I cannot imagine someone going into a STEM field having only conceptual physics in eighth grade!

 

This is copied directly from a major research university's website

 

• Prospective majors in biology, chemistry, physics and all prospective majors in Engineering are expected to take at least one year each of biology, physics, and chemistry, and are strongly urged to take two years of chemistry.

[Matryoshka]

I think this is a common choice - a conceptual or algebra-based physics in middle school, then calculus-based physics in high school. But I'm talking about potentially skipping high school physics - letting algebra-based or conceptual physics in 8th grade be it . . . and wondering what the down-side would be, for a student that had 4 high school science credits, but not physics.

 

I'd get a bit twitchy about no Physics at all. My older two will have at least 4-6 science credits (including Physics) during high school proper on top of the 8th grade Physics they took. My more Bio-oriented kid will have year-long courses in Biology, Chemistry, AP Biology, Physics, Anatomy, and semester courses in Forensics and possibly Marine Bio. My more Tech-oriented kid will have Biology, Chemistry, then probably AP Chem and AP Physics..

[8filltheheart]

This would fall into the "it depends" category. Does the college or university have particular requirements, not just X years of science taken during high school? What field might your student want to study in college? I cannot imagine someone going into a STEM field having only conceptual physics in eighth grade!

 

This is copied directly from a major research university's website

 

• Prospective majors in biology, chemistry, physics and all prospective majors in Engineering are expected to take at least one year each of biology, physics, and chemistry, and are strongly urged to take two years of chemistry.

 

It really does depend. Our oldest never took physics at all, not even alg based physics in 8th grade. He was accepted into his engineering program w/o any problems. He jumped right into cal-based physics his freshman yr. While it wasn't easy for him, he did fine. All college level science courses start off at introductory level. The pace is faster and the content higher, but other than math, first semester general science classes typically have no other pre-reqs.

 

(fwiw, the reason he did not have physics is b/c of our parenting philosophy of giving our older children strong suggestions/guidance and if they opt to ignore it, we let them suffer the natural consequences. He wanted to take anatomy/physiology so he could help tutor his then girlfriend/now wife over taking the physics strongly recommended by us. So, he ultimately had to work a lot harder in college in his physics class than if he had taken the course in high school, but it didn't hurt him or set him back in any real way.)

[dereksurfs]

Thanks for sharing the interesting thought processes from all so far. There are quite a few things to consider which I know will vary per child somewhat.

 

I just looked at our local CC which offers a 4 unit Marine Biology course which transfers to UC/CSU schools. That is something I may consider for 8th grade science since it is a huge area of research here in the Monterey Bay. Although it looks kind of intense for his first live college course, hmm... If not 8th then maybe 9th grade. If ds11 skipped 'general' high school Biology he would still take Chemistry and most likely Anatomy/Physiology in high school. I just want to leave room for the more interesting, less generic material which we'll cover in part during middle school. Maybe I could find a high school level marine biology course and use that in 8th grade.

[TarynB]

 

 

I think this is a common choice - a conceptual or algebra-based physics in middle school, then calculus-based physics in high school. But I'm talking about potentially skipping high school physics - letting algebra-based or conceptual physics in 8th grade be it . . . and wondering what the down-side would be, for a student that had 4 high school science credits, but not physics.

 

IMO, if a student definitely wants to pursue medicine or another health-related field (non-engineering), then algebra-based or conceptual physics (non-calculus physics) as the only physics prior to university can be fine because it frees them up for more advanced bio, chem, and/or A&P at the end of high school, which can be very desirable. Whether that conceptual physics taken as an 8th grader is "rigorous enough" may be another issue that could depend simply on curriculum choice. One downside is that it is difficult to predict, when a student is just an 8th grader, what they might want to pursue four or more years down the road - medicine/health or engineering or more general STEM or something entirely different. But some kids know early, so IDK. Just my two cents, another way to look at it.