Science questions

[Amy in CO]

Hi, I am new here. I have a 13 (almost 14) yr old daughter, and 10 and 7 yr old boys.

 

We are preparing for high school this coming year. We tried Apologia this year and it is just not a fit. My daughter loves experiments and that part of science, but she loathes the reading. I think we have figured out that the problem boils down to a poor vocabulary. She can not remember what words mean unless they are frequently used words. We are working on this problem, but I don't forsee enough of an improvement before maybe her junior year to be able to do a more rigorous science program. And I want her to enjoy science, as much as my dh and I do.

 

Anyways, I found a program at Rainbow Resources called Science Power Basics. It is supposed to have the content of a high school course, but a lower level vocabulary. I wasn't impressed with the experiment they showed, so I was thinking of adding Castle Heights Experiences in Biology.

 

So, my question is, have any of you used either of these two programs? Any opinions?

[Beth in SW WA]

I think we have figured out that the problem boils down to a poor vocabulary.?

 

Hi Amy,

Welcome to The Hive (resistance is futile:))...

 

Yes, Bio has tons of vocab. All traditional Bio programs will require students to make many vocab cards to study, study, study. Apologia doesn't have any less or more than most programs out there. I would consider just staying w/ Apologia if you already own it. There is no getting around vocab memorization for tests.

[againes]

I haven't found anything better than apologia. I would suggest you look at the chapters. Some chapters are much harder than the others. The micro chapters in Bio are extreamly hard vocabulary. Did you use donnayoung's site with vocabulary and schedules worked out? That site is a godsend for us. My girls also had to learn to do the study guide and then STUDY it. I guess it was homeschool or something...they thought they just had to do it not actually check it and learn it. We began doing much better once they learned what a study guide was. :) I might also suggest getting the books on audio for her to listen too. Hey you could all listen in and discuss at the supper table. Then the little ones would learn the vocabulary along the way.

 

This is just my 2 cents. I hope you can find a good fit for her.

[Stacy in NJ]

There is a vocabulary program called Science Roots that teaches vocab coordinated with Apologia. Here's a link. http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/latinlifesci.htm

 

HTH, Stacy

[Lori D.]

... I don't require our boys to memorize the more obscure vocabulary from Apologia Biology. I DO make sure they know ALL the terms necessary to understanding the various processes described, but allow them to skip a few of the terms in chapters with an overload of vocabulary they are never going to see again (i.e., in the most recent chapter, we skipped the specific names of the male and female reproductive organs in a fern).

 

Yes, there is value in practicing the skill of memorization. But, as their teacher, it's important to decide *what* will be of *most* benefit for them to memorize. I did have them learn the vast majority of terms, and it was clear both understood all the vocabulary terms in context of the processes being described. And since it is clear that neither of our boys will be going into botany or biology fields, I'd rather have them memorizing something that will be of help throughout their lives -- such as Scripture.

 

End of rant. (LOL) BEST of luck, however you decide to handle it! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Amy in CO]

Thank you for all the advice. We did find the Donna Young info, and I found a lapbook cd that went along with it that I thought might help her grasp the concepts since she is more of a hands on learner and crafty.

 

My dd's troubles with vocabulary are not limited to science. It will show up in other subjects too, like history, math, well, pretty much everything. If she comes across a word she doesn't know, she just skips it. I have told her that she can look it up, use context clues, or ask me. But she gets in a hurry and assumes that it isn't important.

 

We do not currently have the Apologia biology book, I am just planning for the coming year. We were using the general science book, and I was trying to decide if I should skip physical science and go to biology, or do physical first. While I was trying to figure all of this out is when I realized that Apologia is just not the book for her. The conversational style used in the General Sci book at least, is too confusing for her when added to a vocabulary she already is struggling with.

[Blue Hen]

Anyways, I found a program at Rainbow Resources called Science Power Basics.

 

So, my question is, have any of you used either of these two programs? Any opinions?

 

 

I used Science Power Basics Earth-Space Science book with my 6th grader last year. I would use it again, if I had another 6th grader needing to do Earth-Space Science. My friend used the Biology one with her 6th grader and they loved it. It fit really well with these two 'average' middle school, non-science loving kids. While the information was great it did not have the depth of knowledge I would expect in a high school textbook. The vocabulary was lower, the readings easy, and experiments, hmmm, there were experiments?????

 

You could always get the book and if it is too simple for your dd you could use it with your younger two. Just a thought.

 

Carole

[Amy in CO]

and experiments, hmmm, there were experiments?????

 

 

 

That is why I wanted to get the Castle Heights experiment books with it because the experiments they showed were not my idea of experiments, especially not for high school.

 

Thanks for the thoughts.