Holt McDougal High School Science

[kalphs]

Dd is considering using Holt McDougal High School Science for the Rhetoric Stage of the Trivium.
For those who has used Holt McDougal, what did you like/dislike about the curriculum?
Is there an online vendor which you would recommend ordering from to obtain the supplies needed for the labs?
Thank you!
 

[Dmmetler]

My DD is doing an outside bio class using Holt McDougal.

 

Pluses-the book is up to date, and fairly well written. It is much less dry than Campbell. The homeschool packet is big-lots of extra stuff. I would suggest using it mostly online and only printing if absolutely necessary, because it's a lot. The online extras are good. It is a secular, evolutionary biology based text. There are multiple levels of worksheets and tests available.

 

I'd consider it a reasonable alternative to the high school level Campbell (not AP) or Miller-Levine.

 

The labs are fairly standard-a basic lab kit from Home Science tools for almost any other textbook series will likely suffice.

 

There are AP extensions included, but I really wouldn't plan on using it for the AP exam without a lot of supplementing. There are definitely standard AP labs/content not emphasized or included (for example, there is no ethology lab).

[Tess in the Burbs]

My son is using the Environmental Science Holt Mcdougal book this year.  We bought it through Rainbow Resource in the spring, but  You only get 1 year access to the teacher materials(worksheets, tests/quizes, answers), so I emailed Rainbow a month before I wanted to start to get the code.  

 

We have enjoyed this program so far.  I like that there are a variety of outputs.  Some weeks he has answered questions, or done a study guide.  Other weeks we did the critical reading and map sheets.  I print out what we want for the week.  The site has some quirks though.  I finally found a link to get signed up for alerts.  So now I know when the site is down for maintenance or why my log in won't work.  It is secular content.  Lots of rabbit trails you can investigate with little side boxes of info.  We have not done a lot of labs with this program.  The lab this week was create a desert or marine environment.  So he's got cactus in the window and he's not supposed to water them.  Observe. I'm hoping to do more labs as we get into this.  There are lab supply lists in the book.  I would think any of the science supply places to be fine in finding material.  You didn't say which book you are using.  Biology/Chem/Physics would be easier to find supplies for in a kit since it would be similar to other programs. 

 

We have used Christian based science materials up to this point.  However,  I have been pleased with this secular text and I would consider trying another subject as we move through high school.  It's easy to be very school like though, I am trying to make it fun and flexible where possible and not just a read and regurgitate situation.