First Biology,chemistry and Physics course before AP?

[Rosepetal]

Hello,

 

My children do plan to go into STEM careers. I am planning for my kids High School Science for 2015-2016 and beyond..As I can't afford online tutoring for this year as kids are already registered for two different online English classes.

First, I just don't have the money to put into a microscope and other lab equipment.While looking for something to help me, I ran across the Dive CDs. I really like the looks of it. The lectures seem advanced and the labs are all on video.

Has anyone used DIVE for science?What is the format of the Dive in course?Can kids do science independently? If so, please tell me about your experience. Which level did you use? Which textbook did you use with it?How is the Dive free Internet Textbook for reading?What did you like/dislike? Would you use it again or recommend it to others? If you had it to do over, would you do anything differently (like use a different textbook)? 

Are Dive in Science courses rigorous enough for Stem career kids?How to use Dive in courses from Grade 9 -12 including AP Exams?Which text book is solid to use with dive in cd's or is free internet textbook reading enough?After these courses,kids have to do AP Courses for AP exams?

Thanks for Reading!

[AngieW in Texas]

I've never used DIVE or even looked at DIVE, but I do know that the Georgia Public Broadcasting videos for Chemistry and Physics are very good. I had any students who missed my class watch the video from that series that covered the same material.

 

Biology doesn't need a lot of complicated or expensive equipment. I really liked the biology course from Oak Meadow. I was able the buy the textbook, syllabus, and teacher manual used on the OM_HS email loop for about $30 altogether. It uses a lot of paper labs rather than hands-on labs. When I say that something is a paper lab, I mean that data is given and the student analyzes it rather than actually doing a hands-on experiment.

 

I taught at a dropout prevention school last year and was in charge of prepping kids for the Biology end-of-course exam. We did not have a budget to buy equipment, but I still managed to have some very good simulations/activities that helped to get the point across.  I'll link some of those below.

 

http://www.tiemanbiology.com/uploads/6/3/2/3/6323843/dna_replication_paper_clip_activity.pdf DNA replication activity

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/pattymcginnis/592/Files/506%20Lesson%202%20Egg%20Osmosis%20Lab.pdf  osmosis lab with eggs

http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/nc01001395/centricity/domain/3021/attack_of_the_viruses.pdf  virus life cycle

http://chroma.gs.washington.edu/outreach/genetics/download/toothpickfish.pdf genetics lab

http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/ns.chips.html  natural selection activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheap lab equipment that you ought to buy (<$10)

http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-0-01g-Digital-Scale/dp/B0012LOQUQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1436618418&sr=8-3&keywords=digital+scale&pebp=1436618432450&perid=0WDDMYT31T1E89H20W8R 

 

[Mom22ns]

Hello,

 

My children do plan to go into STEM careers. I am planning for my kids High School Science for 2015-2016 and beyond..As I can't afford online tutoring for this year as kids are already registered for two different online English classes.

First, I just don't have the money to put into a microscope and other lab equipment.While looking for something to help me, I ran across the Dive CDs. I really like the looks of it. The lectures seem advanced and the labs are all on video.

Has anyone used DIVE for science?What is the format of the Dive in course?Can kids do science independently? If so, please tell me about your experience. Which level did you use? Which textbook did you use with it?How is the Dive free Internet Textbook for reading?What did you like/dislike? Would you use it again or recommend it to others? If you had it to do over, would you do anything differently (like use a different textbook)? 

Are Dive in Science courses rigorous enough for Stem career kids?How to use Dive in courses from Grade 9 -12 including AP Exams?Which text book is solid to use with dive in cd's or is free internet textbook reading enough?After these courses,kids have to do AP Courses for AP exams?

Thanks for Reading!

 

I used DIVE for dd for ICP - 8th grade, Biology - 9th grade and Chemistry - 10th. Textbooks: ICP - PH Physical Science Concepts in Action; Biology - Miller/Levine Biology; Chemistry - BJU. I don't recommend the free internet option. The readings are very difficult and the families I've known that tried have struggled and/or given up. I liked doing the PH books and would never consider doing a Christian Biology only as there is too much material left out, but if you want Christian, BJU books are the best match up with DIVE and are very solid (with the exception of Biology).

 

DIVE is a solid on-level high school science program. It does work well independently, although I worked with my dd. It does not prepare kids for AP exams, but does prepare them for AP level work.

 

Our experience with DIVE is that ds hates it with a passion and would not use it. I first bought ICP when I had health issues and needed a teacher to fill in for me. He despised it and dropped it as soon as my health returned enough to work with him again. DIVE is boring. His is no-nonsense presentation of information (with just enough repetition and Christianity thrown in to be annoying here :). It worked for her though. 

 

I would not plan on 4 years of science without labs though. His labs on the DVDs are Dr. Shoreman talking through a series of still images of what would be happening. They are great when there is something to expensive to buy and they do a great job of walking the kids through the labs, but they are not a replacement for doing labs. If you kids are potentially STEM kids, I would REALLY not skip labs.

 

Also, if your kids are STEM focused, I would consider bringing English home and spending your money on math or science, whichever one you feel least prepared to do. Math is the most critical preparation for any STEM kid.

[mumkins]

Which science and math do you recommend Debbie? I too was looking at DIVE, but went over DIVE and Apologia with the kids. Both really want Apologia. My oldest doesn't know what she wants to do, but maybe something with animals. My 2nd wants into robotics.