Homeschool fail - I caused this (with a little help from Conceptual Chemistry)

[Pegasus]

I recently posted a homeschool success so I thought I would balance it out with a  homeschool fail.  Maybe someone else can benefit from my lesson learned!

 

DD's engineering science course (this is a physics class) touched on the ideal gas law in lecture this week but didn't dally as they assumed all the students would be very familiar with it from chemistry.  DD says that she was not familiar with it and sought further clarification after class. 

 

We used Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry in 9th grade so I assumed that DD simply didn't remember it.  I dug out this textbook and looked up the ideal gas law.  Oops!  Yes, the textbook does cover it, but it is buried deep in one of the environmental applications of chemistry chapters that we skipped!  So, I accept the bulk of the blame for not scrutinizing these skipped chapters more closely to locate such a basic chemistry concept.  However, I place just a smidgen of fault with the textbook for tucking it away in an otherwise skippable chapter.

 

Although I'm calling this a homeschool fail, it is actually another good lesson for DD, that she is going to run across concepts that won't be covered in depth by her instructors and she needs to rely on self-study and seeking extra assistance outside of class, as needed. 

[Mike in SA]

Recognition is a big step! You can always add sources to fill content gaps.

 

BTW, though I love Suchocki's text, this is an example of why I feel it does not provide adequate rigor for college preparatory content. It simply doesn't have sufficient depth. As a prelude for further chemistry, it's great.

[hollyhock]

Thanks for posting! Failure stories are just as helpful as success stories and, as an inexperienced high school mom, I like hearing both. Besides, it's not too much of a failure because your daughter is learning to be resourceful.

[GoodGrief]

There will always be gaps in courses, whether homeschool or otherwise. I don't even consider it a fail!

[OnMyOwn]

If your dd remembers anything from 9th grade chemistry while she's in college, I call that a success.