If you were to put together a NON MATH HEAVY bio-chem/type science year...

[AimeeM]

What would you use? If dd finishes, and retains, what has been covered in math this year (private school), she will do Algebra 1 this fall, so it needs to not be entirely math dependent.

Apparently these days she wants to be a biochemist? I'm not even entirely sure what that is - I'm just thrilled that the girl wants anything to do with science after the science year she's had and having recently professed to *hate* science (she loved it before this year).

Next year is grade 7 or 8 for her. I love Lewel's suggestions in my other post, but those are more physical science, I think? Because that is where I *was* leaning with her.

It can be texts (nothing over an 8th grade reading level preferably - dyslexic), literature (same caveat), vids, hands on - whatever (just no young earth texts, please!).

I'm just looking for an intro for her - not anything super serious. I want her to have fun. She's definitely a visual learner!

[Gil]

I have only just discovered it my self but there is a series by Joy Hakim called The Joy of Science that I am looking at for fall or winter, my boys have yet to be hooked on Science, so I'm going to be investigating more to try and learn more about it.

 

ETA: It does not seem to have a strong Bio-chem focus, but to talk about how science has progressed naturally through the ages and addressing how it interweaves through everything, so that is what I like. I'm not a huge fan of segregated learning in the early years. Sorry if it doesn't help.

[AimeeM]

I have only just discovered it my self but there is a series by Joy Hakim called The Joy of Science that I am looking at for fall or winter, my boys have yet to be hooked on Science, so I'm going to be investigating more to try and learn more about it.

 

Yep - we've had those before. They are more the history of science, though, and I'm not sure which ones would relate to biology/chemistry? Definitely on my list of resources though.

I think your kiddos would enjoy them, if they like history, and learning about the people behind the science. The books are a good way to draw kids in.

[Gil]

Now that I think about it, neither biology nor chemistry were particularly math-heavy from what I remember. I think a good introduction to biology and chemistry should work just fine to get started.

 

Perhaps you can look for a quality, for-non-majors Biology and/or Chemistry college text. Beware that the reading level on college books outside of the major range widely from highly accessible (6th grade level) to ridiculous, even for a college freshman* so you have to preview the books for sure. Do you have a used book store in your area, I would go and check out what they have to get a feel of what might best serve your purposes.

 

I have found the Cathy Duffy site to be very useful for finding out about stuff that I need but dont know exists, here is her science page.

My boys really enjoy the highschool and college level supplements so maybe look into For Dummies, Complete Idiots Guide, etc for the sciences for something really accessible.

 

 

*I hate over-complicated stuff. Big words and long fanciful sentence structure is nice and all, but not when they get in the way of communicating the doggone point!

[Critterfixer]

I'd find out why she wants to be a biochemist and then focus on that aspect.

I took Biochem, and there are a ton of prerequisite courses before getting there. I'd say it would be optimal to have a fascination with life on the cellular level, a delight in diagrams, and in noticing how one little mess-up in a step can lead to catastrophe, and how the cell copes with that by having back-up systems. So you ought to love order in things. 

I'd say that there should be an equal love of the biology and the chemistry aspect of it, maybe a tad heavier on the chemistry side of things. I know that my love of Organic Chemistry was a big help. But it's a tough course at the college level.

 

Looking back at why I liked Biochemistry, even when it was kicking my tail section on a regular basis, I would say 1) I was motivated to do well, as this was the weed-out course for the medical-students, 2) I did very well in chemistry, and particularly loved Organic Chemistry and 3) I loved small things and complicated life cycles. I loved looking at the function of cells. I loved seeing where certain diseases had specific cellular roots. And I loved studying diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, especially viruses. 

If I was looking to fuel a students interest, I might see where they wanted biochemistry to lead to, and why they thought they loved it. Then I'd probably work at stimulating an interest in things on the micro level.

 

I don't know it that helps or hurts. My personal favorite book for my boys (5th grade) has be The Way We Work by David Macaulay. It's mostly human stuff, but there is an emphasis on things at a cellular level and how they form the greater structure of the body. it might be OK, or she might lean in another direction and want to do things on the macro level first. 

Basically, I'd see if she's bio focused or chem focused and go from there.

[Crimson Wife]

Ellen McHenry's "Carbon Chemistry" would be good. It's a semester program.

 

We also found a Microbiology for nursing majors text at our local Friends of Library shop that my oldest enjoyed reading through. It is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Microbiology-Human-Perspective-OLC-Nester/dp/0072919248/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399568854&sr=1-1&keywords=0072919248

 

Be forewarned that it does have a chapter with some rather graphic pictures of STD's. I personally decided that it was probably good for DD to see those photos because they serve as reinforcement of my anti-casual hookups message.

[Farrar]

There's also the guides that go with the Hakim series.  I haven't used them, but I've heard they make the series more sciencey.

[AimeeM]

She loves both biology and chemistry (leaning more toward chemistry, if I were to guess). I could re-do The Elements, add Carbon Chem, and then find something for light biology (I like the The Way We Work as a suggestion there - thanks!).

 

As for what she wants to DO - this week she wants to cure cancer... and find our ability to fly (apparently she believes we all have that ability, but no one has been able to access the part of the brain/whatever that would allow us to do so - she wants to find it). So... yeah. I love 12 year olds. Some kind of Ted Talk a teacher had them watch at school? Said teacher has also offered to be her testing subject? <----- *chuckle*

 

To answer more seriously, though, she's always enjoyed biology/life science and chemistry, but I think more specifically chemistry unless that has shifted drastically.

I'd find out why she wants to be a biochemist and then focus on that aspect.

I took Biochem, and there are a ton of prerequisite courses before getting there. I'd say it would be optimal to have a fascination with life on the cellular level, a delight in diagrams, and in noticing how one little mess-up in a step can lead to catastrophe, and how the cell copes with that by having back-up systems. So you ought to love order in things. 

I'd say that there should be an equal love of the biology and the chemistry aspect of it, maybe a tad heavier on the chemistry side of things. I know that my love of Organic Chemistry was a big help. But it's a tough course at the college level.

 

Looking back at why I liked Biochemistry, even when it was kicking my tail section on a regular basis, I would say 1) I was motivated to do well, as this was the weed-out course for the medical-students, 2) I did very well in chemistry, and particularly loved Organic Chemistry and 3) I loved small things and complicated life cycles. I loved looking at the function of cells. I loved seeing where certain diseases had specific cellular roots. And I loved studying diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, especially viruses. 

If I was looking to fuel a students interest, I might see where they wanted biochemistry to lead to, and why they thought they loved it. Then I'd probably work at stimulating an interest in things on the micro level.

 

I don't know it that helps or hurts. My personal favorite book for my boys (5th grade) has be The Way We Work by David Macaulay. It's mostly human stuff, but there is an emphasis on things at a cellular level and how they form the greater structure of the body. it might be OK, or she might lean in another direction and want to do things on the macro level first. 

Basically, I'd see if she's bio focused or chem focused and go from there.

 

[AimeeM]

Ellen McHenry's "Carbon Chemistry" would be good. It's a semester program.

 

We also found a Microbiology for nursing majors text at our local Friends of Library shop that my oldest enjoyed reading through. It is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Microbiology-Human-Perspective-OLC-Nester/dp/0072919248/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399568854&sr=1-1&keywords=0072919248

 

Be forewarned that it does have a chapter with some rather graphic pictures of STD's. I personally decided that it was probably good for DD to see those photos because they serve as reinforcement of my anti-casual hookups message.

 

I don't mind the STD pics (same reason as you)! Thanks!

We'd need to review Elements before Carbon Chem, I think - it's been a couple years since Elements, and I do not think she's had much chem coverage at school this year.