Tera Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Has anyone put together a non-textbook style science curriculum for high school? or middle school? If so, please share what you used. I am very interested in doing this with my 7th grader and my 10th grader. We are dragging right now through textbooks. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I just posted this yesterday in response to someone else's similar query. Here's an older thread that has lots of helpful information and many links within to other good threads -- If anyone has created their own science curriculum - would you be willing to share? Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 For the middle school years (probably grades 6-8) I plan on doing a history of science sequence. I will likely use the Story of Science series by Joy Hakim unless something else is published between now and then (my oldest is only 4, but I love science). We'll try to reproduce some of the famous experiments and study some of the topics more in depth using other resources. I haven't given a real lot of thought to high school science yet, but some of my goals are for them to be able to read some of the Great Books in the science field being studied, for them to think like a scientist, and for them to use a lab notebook. You might find some books to use here: http://charlottemason.tripod.com/ Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Has anyone put together a non-textbook style science curriculum for high school? or middle school? If so, please share what you used. I am very interested in doing this with my 7th grader and my 10th grader. We are dragging right now through textbooks. Thank you. This semester 10th grade ds is doing astronomy. He is using The Story of Astronomy, Exploring the Solar System: A History, George’s Secret Key to the Universe, Don’t Know Much About Space, Constellations for Every Kid, and Universe: the definitive visual guide by Robert Dinwiddie (this would be his spine). He also using various materials from the library and watching the new NatGeo series Known Universe. Last semester he did oceanography, but we included chapters from Apologia Marine Biology, so it's probably not what you are wanting to do. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kissy Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 What textbooks are you using that you do not like? Maybe a textbook with a more interactive approach would help or you could add living books to it to break up the information into smaller bits if it is too dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelley Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I too am looking for something other than the boring non-stimulating science texts... I would love Interactive science for high school!!!! Kelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maura in NY Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 My 10th grader is doing Environmental Science this year. We used the rough outline of the AP course on NROC: http://montereyinstitute.org/courses/AP%20Environmental%20Science /nroc%20prototype%20files/coursestartc.html He read through one of the associated texts (the one by Miller), and did the online activities and labs. He integrated this with the videos and labs from this site: Habitable Planet: http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/index.html In addition, he has been reading a wide variety of "real" books on topics such as renewable energy, biofuels, conservation, etc. He writes a brief (one page) summary for each book, being sure to discuss the author's back ground and viewpoint in addition. (He will probably complete between 8 to 10 of these). Some examples: Greasy Rider, Hydrogen: Hot Stuff, Cool Science, books about careers in environmental science, etc. He is also about to kick off a "green team" project with a half dozen teens to help figure out what families can do to live in more environmentally friendly ways (using a book called Green Living Lifestyle.) Finally, because he is creative and because he's done a literature unit on utopia/dystopia, he is planning a paper/story describing a world that has achieved sustainable living, vs. one that has not. We are not usually so "outside the box" with our courses, but this has gone quite well for my non-science son. Maura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April in CA Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 This is an off-shoot from the original question, but Prentice Hall's Biology: Exploring Life (with the close up pic of the iguana eye on the cover) has a wonderful interactive component that my 9th grade son is enjoying very much. The activities are not just fun; they actually extend and expand the learning. Obviously, PH is a secular publisher and the text is evolutionary in outlook. As Christians, we have added in several well-done videos as well as lots of discussions to present our point of view. do videos count as interactive? (grin) Hope this helps! Blessings, April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tera Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 What textbooks are you using that you do not like? Maybe a textbook with a more interactive approach would help or you could add living books to it to break up the information into smaller bits if it is too dry. Hi Kissy We are using Apologia Chemistry. She did Abeka Biology last year with DVDs and a coop lab. The text is okay but I think she is bored and is going very slow. We started this mid-year because we were wrapping up Biology. Thanks again Actually another question for everyone: I noticed other sciences, do we have to do Chemistry and Physics for her high school credits? Or can we do different sciences: Marine Biology; Astronomy? Does it matter as long as it's three years of science? THANKS again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Actually another question for everyone: I noticed other sciences, do we have to do Chemistry and Physics for her high school credits? Or can we do different sciences: Marine Biology; Astronomy? Does it matter as long as it's three years of science? THANKS again Check with the colleges your dc may want to attend. Many colleges want to see biology and chemistry, some just want two lab science, and sometimes a dept within the college have specific requirements. (like the engineering college at the state university will have more specific science/ math requirements then the music college within the same institution) HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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