Murphy101 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Ugh. I've graduated 2, almost 3 and I still hate this yearly decision. It would help if any of my kids could convienently follow a set pattern and goal. Anyways. So I have two high schoolers I would like to combine in science due to finance and time constraints. The vital details to consider in my science needs: One is mid way through algebra, the other just finished it. So by mid August, when we will start whatever science, they will be either finishing algebra or starting geometry. They are somewhere around competent and confident in their math ability. Both are college bound, one highly interested in medicine and the other is undecided. Both have done Abeka's physical science text. One liked it and the other hated it. They have both done lots of biology and dissections. Sorta bored with it. And my older three all agreed they hated Abeka's biology, so I'm not interested in it. I do not want to use apologia either. ETA: I would actually prefer a text that is not Protestant if possible, but it can't be anti-catholic. Whatever science is decided on, it needs to NOT presume the teacher can supplement or tutor or run experiments. However, if it provides lesson plans and experiments, I will make sure it gets done well. I strongly prefer lesson plans and detailed experiments. Microscopes and mess is fine, as long as it is thoroughly well planned out for me as to what to do when. A coop is out of the question. I'm thoroughly fed up with that mess and have no desire to wade into it again anytime soon. Online is very iffy bc of the high cost and the access to only one computer for two students. The computer is an iMac, if that matters. I'm not entirely adverse to this option, but I really don't think it is doable financially and logistically for my two students at this time. Alright. So if you were determining science for next fall within these parameters, what would you buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 In related questions... Does anyone have an opinion on Novare? I like that they do integrated sciences and use the physics, chemistry, bio sequence.. But it's new and expensive. But it seems to have lots of supporting materials... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I know I sound like a broken record :) but Hewitt's Conceptual Physics - I think there are some online helps/videos/etc now (not available when I did it). How many years of high school do they have left? And, if I remember right, you are near TCC? Maybe concurrent enrollment in some science classes later in high school? Martha, I have so much science stuff left from my boys, and I know you are close by...I'll PM you some of the texts I have available. Maybe I can purge my shelves and you can get something you can use :). Oh, I have an old edition of Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments - All Labs no Lecture. Another idea is to go with a softer science - health/nutrition. My 2 youngest did this and I think it's one of the classes they actually remember and use on a daily basis. (PS I have the nutrition text for RSU). Anything I have you are welcome to...free. I just don't want to package and mail anything :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I'd browse Kolbe's website and see what fits. You can get the textbooks used, inexpensively, so they each have their own text, then buy one set of lesson plans/tests and get the virtual lab acess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I would go with one of the following: chemistry, Conceptual Physics (as PP mentioned), an in-depth environmental science, or one semester each of botany/environmental science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 This. Georgia Public Broadcasting Chemistry and Physics. I sent for the teaching materials CD which was ~$38. It consists of a series of 30 minute videos online, but it also has note-taking guides (students fill in blanks in the notes as they follow the video) and numerous practice worksheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 I know I sound like a broken record :) but Hewitt's Conceptual Physics - I think there are some online helps/videos/etc now (not available when I did it). How many years of high school do they have left? And, if I remember right, you are near TCC? Maybe concurrent enrollment in some science classes later in high school?These are 9th/10th grade. I do plan for them to take CC concurrently when ready for it, but I want them to be better prepped for college math and science than I feel my oldest 3 were. I and they feel they got a solid education at home, but we admit to being severely limited by finance and options back then. So I'm always looking to improve in these areas bc I'm well aware they are make weak spots as their primary educator. If *I* am frustrated with the lack of quality materials available, I wonder how others in STEM careers and backgrounds don't lose their mind when looking for home school science and math materials. ;) Martha, I have so much science stuff left from my boys, and I know you are close by...I'll PM you some of the texts I have available. Maybe I can purge my shelves and you can get something you can use :). Oh, I have an old edition of Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments - All Labs no Lecture.Yay! That would be very helpful bc I'm a tactile person! Having the materials in hand always helps me make a more informed decision. Another idea is to go with a softer science - health/nutrition. My 2 youngest did this and I think it's one of the classes they actually remember and use on a daily basis. (PS I have the nutrition text for RSU). Anything I have you are welcome to...free. I just don't want to package and mail anything :) Wow. I think I love you. I'll PM you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 I'd browse Kolbe's website and see what fits. You can get the textbooks used, inexpensively, so they each have their own text, then buy one set of lesson plans/tests and get the virtual lab acess. Nope. Did that once and the plans haven't changed, so not doing that again. They were better than many, but we didn't like the text or the lesson plans at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Nope. Did that once and the plans haven't changed, so not doing that again. They were better than many, but we didn't like the text or the lesson plans at all. Martha, would you mind sharing which text and lesson plans you didn't care for? I had been considering using Kolbe's lesson plans down the road . . . I'd love to know more about why you didn't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 I thought conceptual physics by Hewitt was an 8th grade program?... Hmm. I *think* I have that around here somewhere.... Yes. I do. I have some plans and an experiment book for it too. It's a rather old and very banged up edition. ... Asked the older kids, third born says he used it in 8th grade. He says he "liked it okay." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 Martha, would you mind sharing which text and lesson plans you didn't care for? I had been considering using Kolbe's lesson plans down the road . . . I'd love to know more about why you didn't like it. I had the 9th grade physical science (aka intro to physics & chemistry). The text was extremely busy and distracting and felt like it was sprawled about rather than neatly, clearly and simply presenting the material. Cosmetic factor, but I didn't like the layout of the lesson plans either. They were squished and it was easy to over look or skip info. User error and personal preference, like the textbook layout. But not the 2 main reasons I wouldn't buy the plans again. The lesson plans repeatedly referred us to seek assessment or other help online. We didn't pay for an online course for a reason. More often than not, if we finally managed to get online to do that, it was annoying to see it was just to view something that could have easily been put in the lesson plan. It felt like lazy lesson planning. Instead of explaining a concept or giving examples, they said pay a lot of money to be told to look it up online. I don't need a lesson plan to do that. Also the lesson plans would say things like "student should know ___ concept or definition" but then it wouldn't give the concept or definition. The teacher (me) had to go look it up. Now, my first time teaching high school science I might not have known those things. I usually knew the concept or how things worked, but maybe not the scientific term for it, kwim? I'm more knowledgeable my 5th time around this block, but I distinctly remember being so frustrated with that. This is the most effective way I determine if they are grasping things on a day to day basis. I might not go over every assignment every day for them, but I am fairly good about touching base and the main reasons I buy lesson plans are: Discussion notes so I don't have to read the entire text ahead of them. Answer keys. (I also didn't like that Kolbe only gave answers to some of the material. If your kid was interested in the other questions? Oh well.) Scheduling and other teaching notes to streamline usage. Fwiw, I really liked Kolbe's high school history/ literature plans. They could have provided more discussion information, but I also didn't need it in those areas, so it didn't bother me. As always - YMMV. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I thought conceptual physics by Hewitt was an 8th grade program?... Hmm. I *think* I have that around here somewhere.... Yes. I do. I have some plans and an experiment book for it too. It's a rather old and very banged up edition. ... Asked the older kids, third born says he used it in 8th grade. He says he "liked it okay." Martha, i used this in our co-op with kids from 8th grade to 12th grade (taught it a couple of times). The 8th graders were my own boys :). It is definitely easier for the 12th graders than the 8th graders, but definitely useful and solid for any high school grade. All my boys did this with me...two are engineers now :) I have the nice teacher book you can borrow if you go that way (I'm hanging onto it...I don't know why lol but it was one of our favorite courses in our homeschool) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I had the 9th grade physical science (aka intro to physics & chemistry). The text was extremely busy and distracting and felt like it was sprawled about rather than nearly clearly and simply presenting the material. Cosmetic factor, but I didn't like the layout of the lesson plans either. They were squished and it was easy to over look or skip info. User error and personal preference, like the textbook layout. But not the 2 main reasons I wouldn't buy the plans again. The lesson plans repeatedly referred us to seek assessment or other help online. We didn't pay for an online course for a reason. More often than not, if we finally managed to get online to do that, it was annoying to see it was just to view something that could have easily been put in the lesson plan. It felt like lazy lesson planning. Instead of explaining a concept or giving examples, they said pay a lot of money to be told to look it up online. I don't need a lesson plan to do that. Also the lesson plans would say things like "student should know ___ concept or definition" but then it wouldn't give the concept or definition. The teacher (me) had to go look it up. Now, my first time teaching high school science I might not have known those things. I usually knew the concept or how things worked, but maybe not the scientific term for it, kwim? I'm more knowledgeable my 5th time around this block, but I distinctly remember being so frustrated with that. This is the most effective way I determine if they are grasping things on a day to day basis. I might not go over every assignment every day for them, but I am fairly good about touching base and the main reasons I buy lesson plans are: Discussion notes so I don't have to read the entire text ahead of them. Answer keys. (I also didn't like that Kolbe only gave answers to some of the material. If your kid was interested in the other questions? Oh well.) Scheduling and other teaching notes to streamline usage. Fwiw, I really liked Kolbe's high school history/ literature plans. They could have provided more discussion information, but I also didn't need it in those areas, so it didn't bother me. As always - YMMV. :) Ah, yes, I totally see how all that would be frustrating. I'm grateful for your feedback, as I hadn't seen a sample of the lesson plans for myself. Thank you for taking the time to share that info with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Well poop. I just ordered the Kolbe Biology plans, etc. Hopefully I'll be able to make them work. Luckily, my degree/profession werebiology based, so I guess I have that going for me. I think after that we will switch to dual enrollmentfor science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Ah, yes, I totally see how all that would be frustrating. I'm grateful for your feedback, as I hadn't seen a sample of the lesson plans for myself. Thank you for taking the time to share that info with me. Well to be fair, you can see this in the sample plans, but it was my first time home schooling high school science, so I just didn't have the experience to pick up on those issues at that time. And the layout issue of the text or plans wouldn't be an issue at all for other of my children. And I suspect a large number of home school students are not having scientific discussion multiple times a week with their parent(s), so I doubt those parents are aggravated as I was by these details. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Martha, i used this in our co-op with kids from 8th grade to 12th grade (taught it a couple of times). The 8th graders were my own boys :). It is definitely easier for the 12th graders than the 8th graders, but definitely useful and solid for any high school grade. All my boys did this with me...two are engineers now :) I have the nice teacher book you can borrow if you go that way (I'm hanging onto it...I don't know why lol but it was one of our favorite courses in our homeschool)Awww. I have books I feel that way about too. You can pry my Lials BCM and Intro to algebra out of my cold dead hands. And Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings. And Prairie Primer. ETA: Got distracted. Lol I meant to write that I'd love to see your nice CP book and I will return it as I got it, I promise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Well I went to a catholic convention and very nearly got talked into Kolbe by my daughter bc she really likes the miller Levine text they are using next year. It is not the dragonfly one, but the newest one with the parrot on it. We didn't buy it at the time bc Kolbe doesn't have the new course plans finished and available for sale yet. I'm not particuliarly thrilled bc I'm doubtful they have updated what I found annoying about the course plans. Though I'd love to be pleasantly surprised. Also, he said the virtual labs are excellent and well received and if they weren't then Prentice hall would have changed them. Meh. Call me jaded but I know that is debatable claim bc Pearson Hall is under contract to be paid whether they change it or not, so it's not unusual for screwy tech and support to be lacking. Also, is the virtual lab just vids of experients and dissections? Bc I can find dissection videos online rather easily for free. Either way, I'll probably want hands on labs in addition anyways. But my daughter really liked the text. And I've heard good things about it too. Anyone have an opinion on Kolbe using the new Miller Levine and virtual labs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Spectrum Chemistry This will give your students a good chemistry foundation and it will be gentle on you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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