RS4K Level 2, but then what?

[AlmiraGulch]

I'll be homeschooling my rising 8th grader for the first time next year. I'm about 90% settled on Real Science 4 Kids level 2 for science curriculum, but I just read that it's only meant for on semester.

 

What would you suggest she do for the 2nd semester? We were thinking about a forensics program, because she's really interested in it, but does that even "count" from a school district perspective? I ask that because she may or may not go back to PS for high school, depending on how 8th grade goes. I'm torn between wanting to change her educational program entirely, because she has not thrived in the PS environment, and not wanting her to be behind if she does go back to ps for high school.

 

Thoughts? Anything else you would recommend?

[Matryoshka]

I'm interested in this too, even though it's a few years off I'm trying to lay down a master plan for middle school.

 

I've been wondering if RS4K level 2 followed by Ellen McHenry's Carbon Chemistry would make a good year of chem - anyone know??

[AlmiraGulch]

I havne't heard of this program. I'm definitely going to look it up while I anxioiusly await replies from others!

[AlmiraGulch]

Bump.

[Myra]

We did the Chemistry II this year for the first semester. I wasn't too thrilled with the CHem II book. Maybe it was that I loved the Level I books and found the Chem II books just okay. Then I purchased the Microchemistry Kit from homeschooling science to do the second half of the year. It's pricey - but it says it's for 5 seperate kids and I'm having mine do it as one so I hope to resell it to recoup my costs. I'm supplementing this with Teaching COmpany Chemistry DVDS that I got from the library.

 

Myra

[Carol in Cal.]

Pick the subject that you have covered the least in the last 2 years, and try to get through two of their books on it.

 

I think a full year of chemistry might be overkill for 8th grade.

 

In our case, this year for 7th DD has done Weather and Climate, Environmental Science, and two of the biology books. Simultaneously I reviewed RS4K Level 1 Physics with her and she has been in a one day per week nature awareness program, on several science field trips, and also served significantly on a Lego robotics team. She will do more on biology over the summer, intensively, and then jump back to physics and chemistry for 8th grade, using a combination of RS4K Level II chemistry, and Science Explorer.

[Brindee]

FWIW, Here's what SWB says for Chemistry (she has it for 7th, but that doesn't matter...):

 

Atoms and Molecules: Usborne Understanding Science. By Phil Roxbee Cox.

 

Periodic Table of Elements Chartlet (around $1.99) Can order from Rainbow Resource Center

 

Smithsonian Microchem XM 5000 Chem Set. (around $69.99 from Tobin's Lab)

 

Mastering the Periodic Table: Exercises on the Elements. By Linda Trombley and Thomas G. Cohn.

[ELaurie]

a couple of weeks ago. She is working on Chemistry level 1 B and Chemistry level 2 B books, to extend the lessons over an entire year. She has also developed a series called KOGS for Kids to integrate science with technology, philosophy, art, history, critical thinking and one other area. The KOGs will allow you to extend each lesson over a period of several days, and allow for more in depth study. The link is in my signature line. HTH

[AlmiraGulch]

Pick the subject that you have covered the least in the last 2 years, and try to get through two of their books on it.

 

I think a full year of chemistry might be overkill for 8th grade.

 

In our case, this year for 7th DD has done Weather and Climate, Environmental Science, and two of the biology books. Simultaneously I reviewed RS4K Level 1 Physics with her and she has been in a one day per week nature awareness program, on several science field trips, and also served significantly on a Lego robotics team. She will do more on biology over the summer, intensively, and then jump back to physics and chemistry for 8th grade, using a combination of RS4K Level II chemistry, and Science Explorer.

 

This is great advice, except I honestly don't know what all she has covered in the last two years (BAD, I know). She's in public school and I pretty much just help her if she needs it. I know she hasn't really done chem, and she's asking to do it so that's a no-brainer for me.

 

So when you say "try to get through two of their books," do you mean 2 RS4K books? I'm concerned that the level one might be too elementary for her, but then I haven't seen the actual texts. Do you think that they would be ok for 8th grade?

[AlmiraGulch]

a couple of weeks ago. She is working on Chemistry level 1 B and Chemistry level 2 B books, to extend the lessons over an entire year. She has also developed a series called KOGS for Kids to integrate science with technology, philosophy, art, history, critical thinking and one other area. The KOGs will allow you to extend each lesson over a period of several days, and allow for more in depth study. The link is in my signature line. HTH

 

I saw the KOGs, but aren't those for more elementary level? Or am I misinterpreting?

 

Did she give any indication when she might be done with the level 2 books?

[siloam]

I saw the KOGs, but aren't those for more elementary level? Or am I misinterpreting?

 

Did she give any indication when she might be done with the level 2 books?

 

I have avoided this thread to date, but I think I will put in my 2 cents now.

 

I bought the Chemistry level I last year with all the KOGS. I have peaked at the Chemistry II level. Here is how I feel about the program now:

 

1. I like how RS4K takes complicated issues and make them understandable.

 

2. I love the color texts that are not overly busy.

 

3. I don't like the KOGS, for two reasons: First they provided a schedule for me because I bought the whole package, and you read one chapter in the main text, did the lab then read a chapter in each of the 6 KOGS. That means you spend 2 days on science and 6 on non-science topics. Yes relating them to science but to me the focus felt off. I waned to learn more about the topic at hand and a little about how it relates to the other fields. Second the level I (made for 4-6th grade students) ask very open ended questions. After looking at other programs, these sort of questions where the answer is not listed in the text but requires the child to take the information learned and apply it to a new situation, didn't start till 7th grade. Then it was usually only at the end of a chapter and not an almost daily event. Those who are using the KOGS with 4-6th grade students are doing them WITH their child. Admittedly I saw workbook and thought it would be independent, which was my mistake, so I sold the KOGS quickly.

 

4. Do you realize that at the II level the child is expected to create their own experiments? In level 1 they give you a list of supplies and tell you what to do, but at level 2 they don't. I don't know to what degree because I haven't used them, I just know it comes up on the yahoo group now and then.

 

5. In your shoes given the author is coming out with a second book to finish Chemistry, I would assume the first book alone is not a complete text.

 

I hope you find something that works for you. I would tend to just let her do the forensics science. Kids transfer schools all the time and have had a different sequence, I would think she could work around not covering Chemistry this year. Though I an NO expert.

 

Heather

 

[siloam]

I wanted to add that if you look at her long term plans for the program she intends most (not all) the level II books to be used in High School. Here is her Blog, and if you scroll down to the chart (you will probably will have to copy it and paste it into Word to read it because it is a bit small on the blog).

 

She shows beginning at K you do:

 

K student: Chemistry Pre1 books A and B with KOGS

1st grade: Biology Pre 1 books A and B with KOGS

2nd grade: Physics pre 1 books A and B with KOGS

3rd grade: Earth Science Pre1 book A and B with KOGS

4th grade: Chemistry 1 A and B books with KOGS

5th grade: Biology 1 A and B books with KOGS

6th grade: Physics 1 A and B books with KOGS

7th grade: Earth Science A and B books with KOGS

8th grade: Chemistry II A and B books with KOGS

9th grade: Biology II A and B books with KOGS

10th grade: Physics A and B books with KOGS

11th grade: Earth Science A and B books with KOGS

12th grade: Special Training.

 

The blog goes on after that to discuss the ways in which Chemistry II meets the SAT requirements, note that in meeting much of those requirements the level B book is needed.

 

I don't know if that helps or not. :D I always find it useful to understand where the author is coming from.

 

Heather

 

 

 

[Matryoshka]

I have avoided this thread to date, but I think I will put in my 2 cents now.

 

I bought the Chemistry level I last year with all the KOGS. I have peaked at the Chemistry II level. Here is how I feel about the program now:

 

1. I like how RS4K takes complicated issues and make them understandable.

 

2. I love the color texts that are not overly busy.

 

3. I don't like the KOGS, for two reasons: First they provided a schedule for me because I bought the whole package, and you read one chapter in the main text, did the lab then read a chapter in each of the 6 KOGS. That means you spend 2 days on science and 6 on non-science topics. Yes relating them to science but to me the focus felt off. I waned to learn more about the topic at hand and a little about how it relates to the other fields. Second the level I (made for 4-6th grade students) ask very open ended questions. After looking at other programs, these sort of questions where the answer is not listed in the text but requires the child to take the information learned and apply it to a new situation, didn't start till 7th grade. Then it was usually only at the end of a chapter and not an almost daily event. Those who are using the KOGS with 4-6th grade students are doing them WITH their child. Admittedly I saw workbook and thought it would be independent, which was my mistake, so I sold the KOGS quickly.

 

 

:iagree: with all of this. We've been using Level 1 in our coop with 5th graders. I like the text fairly well, but I hate the KOGS. One of our members bought them all so I got to preview them. For most of them, the connections to chemistry seemed thin and artificial. They seemed like a big waste of time (and $$$ - they are expensive). We decided the two most useful ones were History and Critical Thinking - but we've ended up really only using the History. The Critical Thinking one asks very open-ended questions - I agree with the poster above that it seems much more suited to a 7th grade or up student. It was really frustrating our kids (and I use tons of books from Critical Thinking Press with them, so I think I have a handle on what kind of information synthesis is expected at that age)

[AlmiraGulch]

Wow.

 

This is all great information and I appreciate the input.

 

I had NO idea that the Chem II curriculum comes with the expectation that the kids creat their own experiments!:lol: That's a definite deal breaker for me.

 

Maybe I will just do the forensics, but then she's actually ASKING to do chemistry, so I kind of wanted to go that route. I'm finding it very difficult to find a good secular science program, and it's frustrating!

[Pip]

in a coop. My oldest has done Apologia General Science but we are doing RS4k so she can get experience writing lab reports. I am on the yahoo group and originally thought we would start her with Level 2 but the members suggested using Level 1 because of the advanced terminology. I was skeptical until a friend of mine who is in our coop and a practicing physician, saw the Level 1 Biology and was amazed at what was covered in such a small book. So you may want to do all of Level 1 and you would still have a year.

 

After RS4K my oldest will probably go back to Apologia and the 2 younger ones, who will be upper junior high, will do Rainbow Science.

[Blessed]

he enjoys it for the most part. We found some areas inadequately explained so that a student really grasps what she's trying to say . Our DK Science Encyclopedia and our Google Science Encylopedia together were very, very helpful in fleshing out some "huh?"'s Also supplementing with Brain Pop and Chem4Kids sites helpedtoo.

 

As far as the KOGS we held off on the critical thinking book as we'll be doing logic as a separate subject later using resources from The Critical Thinking Company and from Trivium Pursuit. the Technology and History KOGS we replaced with The World of Chemistry by Tiner which is very well written with a Biblical worldview. We have not yet used the Art and Philosphy Kogs yet because it does kind of veer off chemistry per se which is fine if you have nothing else taking priority in your school plans. the Language kog is nice but maybe not necessary if you're already doing Latin or using a roots vocabulary resource.

 

I briefly looked at the Level 2. It is more meaty but a reviewer on another site noted a lot of typos. I also know that it is incomplete as a high school course as of yet (and she's working on getting it up to national standards).

 

HTH

 

Sharon

[siloam]

Wow.

 

This is all great information and I appreciate the input.

 

I had NO idea that the Chem II curriculum comes with the expectation that the kids creat their own experiments!:lol: That's a definite deal breaker for me.

 

Maybe I will just do the forensics, but then she's actually ASKING to do chemistry, so I kind of wanted to go that route. I'm finding it very difficult to find a good secular science program, and it's frustrating!

 

I think the gal who was complaining said they expected the child to do the same experiments used in level 1, so her ds having done level 1 didn't have that much trouble. I just remember thinking my oldest would have a serious melt down.

 

Science Explorer would be the next best from what I have seen. The text is a little busy, IMO, but I think you would get used to it because it has a pattern to it.

 

You might try to start a new post labeled Jr. High Chemistry. You would get more traffic that way.

 

Heather

 

[AlmiraGulch]

First of all, thanks to everyone for your feedback. It was all extremely valuable for me, especially being a first time homeschooler with SO MUCH curricula to choose from!

 

I spent the day today at the GHEA convention and ended up buying Rainbow Science. This really wasn't on my radar before because I really want a secular science program, but after going through the material I saw that none of the material was "preachy," and the author teaches about many theories on the origins of earth and man, including evolution, intelligent design, etc. I actually like having all of the information presented, and then my daughter can make her own decision about what she believes to be true. I also love that every single thing you need to complete labs (except a gallon of distilled water) is included with the kit. That's a huge plus for me, as I work full time AND I'm a single parent, so I just don't want to spend the time hunting down the stuff for labs.

 

So...I'm happy for now. We'll see how it goes next year.

 

Thanks again!