Reefgazer Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 What's your recommendation? I promised myself I wouldn't overly fret about it like I did chemistry and biology. I just want a good, solid physics program for 8th grade (she'll be taking algebra concurrently, if it matters). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Other then: (as I and others suggested on other post) Hewitt CP with some kind of lab TOPS for example Exploration Education, has it all and would be right on level for M.S. if you use the advanced but does include Chemistry which you've already done. Power Basics is a textbook and workbook style but it would get it done. CPO Physical Science has lab book but many of the labs are not doable. Another good choice is How Things Work by Louis Bloomfield.... which also has a lecture that someone should link? Online provider Fascinating Education Oak Meadow has a PS course for 8th grade too. There are of course Physical Science/Physics curriculum from many of the more religious providers. If you could give an idea of what you're looking for? Religious/Secular, Textbook/online, lab based or lesson based with some labs. When searching on these boards and other places I would specifically look for Physical Science. You can easily leave out the Chem and Earth Science. Physics as a search topic tends to turn up more advanced options(although I tried searching "physical science" in title only and I get a lot of everything else). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 My son really enjoyed the physics part of Rainbow science year 1. It's only half the year(other half is chemistry). But I sat with him for some of the labs, helping mark things when he did the experiments. It was fun. And he learned a lot. Super easy, independent program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 We didn't focus particularly on physics for 8th grade, but we used Prentice Hall Science Explorer, TOPS, and Exploration Education throughout middle school HTH!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 I'll cross-post this reply over on the General Education board, so someone looking there can benefit from the conversation also. Of the options suggested, Conceptual Physics looks most appealing. The problem is, I can't seem to find sample pages online to look at. I went to Barnes and Noble and they had the book, but it was shrink wrapped and they wouldn't open it for me and didn't have an examination copy available to look at. I am looking for a fairly rigorous textbook to teach the concepts (not algebra or calculus based, since DD will only be doing algebra concurrently with physics next year), but I am open to an online or book format for lab exercise to demonstrate the concepts taught in the book. DD is looking forward to physics, actually. I don't really want religion near my science, but I can deal with a religious publisher if the religion is not integrated into the science (i.e., Bible verses scattered here and there are easily passed by and don't offend me). I looked at the laboratory options offered and TOPS looked like a hot mess to me; I couldn't grasp their organization and it seemed as if there were 1000 +1 activates to choose from for each concept, and (I may be mistaken on this), but it seemed as if you had to pay $12-$20/topic to gain access to the hot mess. I really liked Exploration Education and am seriously considering that! I liked what seemed to be the open and go format, and although it is a bit expensive, DS can use it in a few years too. I can easily pass over the chemistry concepts we already covered. I did find mostly advanced info when searching "physics" as s topic, but I appreciate the good advice I've received in this thread. I looked at Real Science 4 Kids last year for chemistry, and it was surprisingly rigorous and well put together. We passed on it for other reasons, but I wonder if their physics is similarly good. I did hear they were a religious publisher, but the chemistry materials were not at all religious, so that must apply to biology. I'll have to look at Fascinating Physics; looks intriguing. Other then: (as I and others suggested on other post) Hewitt CP with some kind of lab TOPS for example Exploration Education, has it all and would be right on level for M.S. if you use the advanced but does include Chemistry which you've already done. Power Basics is a textbook and workbook style but it would get it done. CPO Physical Science has lab book but many of the labs are not doable. Another good choice is How Things Work by Louis Bloomfield.... which also has a lecture that someone should link? Online provider Fascinating Education Oak Meadow has a PS course for 8th grade too. There are of course Physical Science/Physics curriculum from many of the more religious providers. If you could give an idea of what you're looking for? Religious/Secular, Textbook/online, lab based or lesson based with some labs. When searching on these boards and other places I would specifically look for Physical Science. You can easily leave out the Chem and Earth Science. Physics as a search topic tends to turn up more advanced options(although I tried searching "physical science" in title only and I get a lot of everything else). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 As I recall, I looked at that for Chemistry for this year I liked it, but the chemistry and physics are each only 1/2 year and I was looking for a year's course. I'm going to take another peek at it, though. My son really enjoyed the physics part of Rainbow science year 1. It's only half the year(other half is chemistry). But I sat with him for some of the labs, helping mark things when he did the experiments. It was fun. And he learned a lot. Super easy, independent program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Some more thoughts in response to your previous post: If I was to do middle school over again, I would check out CPO. I learned of it too late. Hewitt's Conceptual Physics - I have seen consistently positive reviews on the high school boards TOPS - Dh used TOPS (and Exploration Education) with ds as a hands-on supplement to the PH SE text, so I did not have 100% direct involment with it - They chose topics that were of interest and the units were very well laid out - At the time, they were just starting to offer more of the supplies. I loved that and took advantage of it - Lori D. wrote extensively about which units worked well and which did not but I am unable to find them using the search function - you might want to PM her - I also wrote about our experiences but I can't find them using the search function either. I did not save any info because I did not have direct involment with it We used RS4K Physics for 4th grade years ago. I am sure that it has changed and evolved since then, but I will post my review, fwiw. Any religious content that it might have had went over my head (and I am sensitive to it). I seem to remember a WTM discussion about particular wording wrt intelligent design. Gravitas Publications website is http://gravitaspublications.com. We used RS4K Physics Level 1 for 4th grade. My son is not particularly science oriented. Neither am I. Pros: Excellent quality student's text Some of the experiments were fabulous (rolling a matchbox car down a ramp into a line of banana slices pinned to a piece of cardboard to see how much force is needed to smash the banana) Experiments did a great job of adding math into physics Secular Cons: Expensive curriculum 10 week program Some expensive supplies Some experiments didn't work (especially when I bought those expensive supplies) Some of the material was over MY head Overall, I found it expensive for a 10 week program. If I am going to have to supplement a 10 week program to make it last a year, I may as well create the year long program from scratch. My 20/20 hindsight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Derek Owens has a good program in physical science and physics. If you order the course through lucideducation.com instead of using him as the instructor, it's still mostly independent and less than half the cost of an online class with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamahammer Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 We're loving Rainbow Science, too. Bonus for me is that the lab kit comes with everything we need at all, except water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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