Feeling like a Science failure.. help

[michaeljenn]

I have an upcoming 8th grader and I feel like we have completely floundered when it comes to science.  It is that one subject that keeps getting pushed aside when things get too busy.  We have done a little science here and there, but have honestly not stuck with anything for a full year.  We tried Apologia General last year and got about half way through it. She HATED it... it was so much to read and she felt as if it was too wordy.   My daughter is honestly diligent about her work and we have been very consistent in all of our other subjects.  WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE??  I don't want to go back to Apologia.  I am not sure if I want a textbook science either.  I figured I have one more year left until high school and part of me wants it to be a fun year.  However, I feel like I have completely ruined her science education.  Can anyone recommend a good get-er-done science program that she may actually enjoy??   

[Fardo]

Maybe look to outsourcing to an online class? It would keep you from pushing it to the side, and it means that your daughter has a teacher they can talk to if she's at a lost a loss due to lack of familiarity. Although TBH I wouldn't see that being too much of an issue - most middle school science courses assume a complete beginner in my experience. 

 

Alternatively, if outsourcing is not an option and you don't want a text book, why not have a look at what The Well Trained Mind suggests? 

[PeterPan]

Read an Abeka text and do a couple kits from Home Science Tools.  That would be a get 'er done option.

 

If you want interesting, the BJU Earth Science is good and has videos. The Physical Science from them is going to be harder, with a good chunk of math, meaning you need to make sure her math is ready. But the earth science is really fun topics. Some people don't want to do earth science for high school (it's a regional thing), so 8th can be a great time to do it. I got earth science for 8th at a cs and again in 9th at the ps, but I'm kind of an earth science fan. :)

 

Another direction, maybe a little more fluid but still quite interesting at that age, is the Chem 101, Bio 101, Physics 101 dvds. They include suggestions to flesh them out, but they're really interesting just to watch too. Just depends on what direction you want to go for high school.

 

Also Rainbow Science has a really nice level that can work for 8th. It would be very open and go. 

 

We did lots of oddball things and science turned out to be one of dd's top scores on the ACT. Now granted it's a lot reading comprehension, but still it was kind of funny. I definitely wouldn't say it's bad to do oddball things. 

Edited August 12, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[Mama2BugNBear]

We're using the God's Design series from Answers in Genesis. We used God's Design for Life last year and we're using God's Design for Heaven & Earth this year. Lessons are succinct, the projects/experiments are simple enough to execute, and it doesn't take forever for us to accomplish. It's for 3-8th grade levels and them challenge sections for 6-8th grade seem challenging enough without taking tons of time. My oldest is a technical "1st grader" per state cutoffs, but we're working on a 2nd grade level. We do modify the questions and quizzes to a point to make my 1st grader stretch but be able to attain. We really like that when we cycle back around, there will still be challenging work for her to accomplish.

 

I did a video on YouTube walking through the Heaven & Earth books if you care to see inside the books.

[purduemeche]

We ran into the same thing year after year, so this year we have outsourced. My oldest three are signed up with Memoria Press Online Academy science classes.

 

 

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[Mrs Twain]

I would recommend the BJU Science grade 6 with the DLO (distance learning online). Don't get put off that it is "only" a 6th grade course. It is a high-level, in-depth basic overview of general science. It is well-taught, and if your daughter studies and takes the tests, it would provide her with a solid science foundation for high school.

[Ravin]

Conceptual integrated science course fron conceptual academy might be worth a look.

[Peaceseeker]

I would use this last year before high school to have fun with science and relax.

 

We have done interest led sciences for middle school and once I dropped the experiment/demonstration pressure I was putting on myself things got a lot better. We read a few good books from the library on any topics they were interested in and watch some cool documentaries. Last year we did geography and this year we are doing astronomy. Lots of documentaries and books out there on those topics! If I can incorporate a couple of science field trips into our year that touch on these topics I get even more homeschool mom points ;)

 

I feel like we 'did' more science with this relaxed approach than we did in elementary when I was always stressing about it and trying programs that never got done. My kids are fascinated with the world around them and have tons of questions. I think curious minds and thinking that science is cool are the best high school science prep work I can do (along with keeping their math on track!) Tonight I came home to them still up at midnight on the porch with dad because there was a big meteor shower they begged him to watch with them.

 

Just a different perspective for you! It's something I learned here on these boards :)

Edited August 13, 2017 by CaliforniaDreaming

[HomeAgain]

I have a smaller kid here, but I'm backing up science this year.  Someone mentioned Mobymax on another thread.  It's a free online program for K-8th and it allows me to customize what subject he sees, order of lessons, etc.  So we're doing BFSU as our main, but then I have Mobymax on reserve with lessons in the same order so we can hit that weekly.  Just in case.

[kiwik]

How about getting the big fat notebook how to ace science one and supplementing with eureka science and other on line stuff.

[Clemsondana]

If your kid likes to work independently, you could try a self-teaching guide in whatever science you prefer. This year we're doing self-teaching astronomy paired with an awesome 'illustrated with color photo's books and it seems to be working. It's definitely not wordy.

[sweetpea3829]

ScienceFusion (minus the labs and whatnot) is a great middle school Science.  It's topical, so let her choose a topic or two and have her work through it.  It's nowhere near as wordy as Apologia, but it's content is just as good.  

 

It has a "textbook" and then you can also access that online, along with a digital lesson. 

[mommyoffive]

We ran into the same thing year after year, so this year we have outsourced. My oldest three are signed up with Memoria Press Online Academy science classes.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Oh that sounds neat.   Have you used them before?   

 

I would love to hear your thoughts on it 

[michaeljenn]

We have decided to go with BJU DLO for Science:) Thank you for all of your suggestions.

[SporkUK]

I know that feeling. My kids happily reads Horrible Science and similar books, watch science documentaries and going to science events, but it feels like most science curriculums fall flat or just don't get done. My oldest is about to be Year 8 and I'm very much feeling an overview is needed to at least check his foundational knowledge is solid before moving on. 

 

So, what I've decided rather than trying to find one thing is to create units with the goal of doing one a month with all the fun bits and such we have now. I'm using Big Fat Notebook for Science as a unit list rather than a spine - it has 11 topics, 10 we're doing in this (meaning it will go into Year 9, but the last 4 are biology/ecology based so the plan is to tie it into that next year's stuff - and one on human biology has been added to our PE & Body Knowledge which has a different unit page since it's a major interest here). I have a table in a google doc with each topic and a list of things I've found for it (both for him and things for the younger siblings). I'm going to add an 'essential facts' thing to each one I think, we're planning to start it next month so still in the tweaking stage.