seemesew Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 I am trying to decide what to do for science with my 1st, 4th, and 7th graders. We've been using the good and the beautiful but we are ready for a change after a few years of it, plus we've done some of their units 2x. I'm looking at Apologia Chemistry and Gods Design for Life currently since I found them cheap used. I like that Apologia has a lot of experiments and my kids would enjoy that part immensely, but it also looks really overwhelming and I'm not sure I want to read the text because it is SO long! We are also used to unit studies so a year of 1 topic looks kind of... boring? I like that there are quizzes for each lesson for my 7th grader as well and there are lots of fun components. For Gods design it looks so much easier to navigate and is more like unit studies with 3 units in each year. The text is also shorter to read, and it looks like most lessons have something hands on to do but not quite as much as Apologia. there are also quizzes and a younger book I could get for my little one that looks cute and easy to use with it. I do wonder if its "enough" but at the same time something is better than nothing...right? A few other things is that I am super busy and stressed with 7 kids; one is graduated, one is 11th grade, two are in public school, I'm homeschooling four of the 7, and two are foster kids. I'm going about 5 or 6 different directions each day, so I need something simple that I will actually do and my kids will enjoy. Out of those two which do you think would fit my situation better? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nm. Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) . Edited January 19 by Nm. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittany1116 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 If you need it just to check a box, go with MB. It is best for the 4th, will be light for 7th (require the challenge questions at that age), and largely over the head of the 1st. Apologia will probably make you dread science unless it's a topic everyone is obsessed with, which is unlikely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted December 28, 2023 Author Share Posted December 28, 2023 36 minutes ago, Nm. said: it’s okay to just do interest led books for science through grade 8. My DH is a teacher and recommends that over curriculum any day for history and science. I have similar ages and that is what we’re doing for 7th. His science and history are pretty light this year and it’s perfect because we are working on harder math and English. He spends his free time drawing, juggling, playing complicated board games and building intricate Lego buildings. So if I had to choose between those two options… it’d be “nothing” is better than something. Since you described how stressed you are- I’d simplify things down to the absolute basics until that stress is gone. There’s only so much time in a day. A lot of what we try to formally teach them is unnecessary & could just be time spent doing life. Also I like to remember the 10,000 hour rule (though it’s not perfect). What skill do they want to master and take with them? Very good points! I'm so ready to do nothing 😩 I feel torn though because my 7th grader is a foster child and I do feel like I need something to show that she's doing science. And my 4th grader is begging to do science "experiments", Maybe I could just do an experiment a week or something 🤔 but having a book and reading is a nice idea so I dont have to come up with stuff on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted December 28, 2023 Author Share Posted December 28, 2023 20 minutes ago, Brittany1116 said: If you need it just to check a box, go with MB. It is best for the 4th, will be light for 7th (require the challenge questions at that age), and largely over the head of the 1st. Apologia will probably make you dread science unless it's a topic everyone is obsessed with, which is unlikely. That's what I'm afraid of with Apologia 🥴 I guess I'm down to MB or nothing since everything else looks way too hard for me right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nm. Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) . Edited January 19 by Nm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted December 28, 2023 Author Share Posted December 28, 2023 25 minutes ago, Nm. said: For nothing… create a booklist for the 7th grader and have her read through it. I PMd the link to mine to give you an idea… it’s a combination of interest led and SCM nature study. I order a couple from each list at a time and he just reads it. for my children who like experiments we have some science kits, microscopes, and there are tons of science kits at the library we occasionally get. Thank you! I'll look at your list! That's probably the way I should do it and it is the way I'd enjoy doing science at this point. I'm so ready for something different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessinTX Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 You could also maybe look at Blossom & Root. It essentially is a booklist, and then some videos and experiments or craft projects to choose from, but even has a section that is labeled "for the minimalist" which is just some basic reading on the topic, and maybe that's all you do some weeks. Along with a video or two. Or maybe you assign additional reading from the "Book Basket section" (just more books on the same topic) as independent reading for your 7th and maybe 4th grader. And on weeks you have just a little more bandwidth and/or your kids are really into a topic, you pick a project or experiment. But you have a few (I think there are usually at least 3 choices) already thought up and supplies listed. She has different topics listed by grade- up to 5th grade, but honestly I think you can use any of them for any grade. The main difference might be in the notebooking pages, and the older the kid the more of the reading they would be doing on their own as opposed to reading aloud. Just an idea... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nm. Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 (edited) . Edited January 19 by Nm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 On 1/12/2024 at 7:43 PM, JessinTX said: You could also maybe look at Blossom & Root. It essentially is a booklist, and then some videos and experiments or craft projects to choose from, but even has a section that is labeled "for the minimalist" which is just some basic reading on the topic, and maybe that's all you do some weeks. Along with a video or two. Or maybe you assign additional reading from the "Book Basket section" (just more books on the same topic) as independent reading for your 7th and maybe 4th grader. And on weeks you have just a little more bandwidth and/or your kids are really into a topic, you pick a project or experiment. But you have a few (I think there are usually at least 3 choices) already thought up and supplies listed. She has different topics listed by grade- up to 5th grade, but honestly I think you can use any of them for any grade. The main difference might be in the notebooking pages, and the older the kid the more of the reading they would be doing on their own as opposed to reading aloud. Just an idea... I haven't looked at blossom and root! I like that way you explained it so I'm going to check it out for next year. that sounds really doable and more of what I want. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 On 1/13/2024 at 7:21 AM, Nm. said: JessinTx’s comment about notebooking pages reminded me of journals if you need something to show for it/ if you think she’d like it. My oldest doesn’t care for it, but both my girls and one of my boys love them. I prefer the core journals- they are more flexible and can have topics change frequently. The topical ones are nice here and there. For example DD10 has an endangered animals one since last year. She won’t finish it for probably a couple years. It’s usually a lot of research/writing in the topical ones. I don’t mind her taking her time on it though. dd10 is enjoying Kitty Doodle core journal this year : I had forgotten about those books. Maybe I'll check them out. I did start Masterbooks and I'm quite liking it! We are using it as a spine and then I found a bunch if books on the topic at the library. The way I'm doing it takes 30 minutes for 2 lessons and we are enjoying it! The language is more simple and holds my kids attention better, and mine since its so short. Its early to say but for the 6 lessons we've done I'm enjoying it. Its kind of like doing their own thing but with some guidance of the spine and filing it out with books they choose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nm. Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 (edited) That’s perfect! Is it the beginners one or regular? Edited January 19 by Nm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 On 1/16/2024 at 11:30 PM, Nm. said: That’s perfect! Is it the beginners one or regular? The regular one! There are some simple experiments too, which is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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