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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: June 10 2008 at 6:24am | IP Logged
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cactus mouse wrote:
Hi Books,
I was wondering - I keep looking at SL Science...but the complaint I have heard (and, now thinking about it, it is the only complaint I have heard...) is that the readings/books for the week don't correspond to the experiments.
Have you found this to be so? Maybe they have re-aligned them?
TIA, |
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I know this is true of the K-2 science. I have never used 3 and 4 and 5 doesn't have any experiments, so I can't speak beyond that. Honestly, it doesn't bother me all that much. It seems like my kids enjoy science more when it doesn't feel *so* put together. Read some beautiful books, do some cool experiments, do something to show proof...if there is any area where I tend to unschooling, its science. Ds was almost entirely schooled this way for science up until about 7th grade. I was amazed at how easily he blew through a traditional science text in the 7th grade. He knew the whole thing already, and I can assure you, I didn't try to cover all the subjects with him over those elem. years. I was mostly just struggling to have him do *something* to count as science. A lot of the time, I gave him the SL books, bought cool experiment kits at local stores and just told him to "read two pages a day" and play with the kits. I wouldn't say that Sonlight has the best science around or anything like that. It just works for me this year that there's a schedule and no textbooks. After last year's experience with Apologia Elem., I am determined not to use science texts at all. Blech.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Erin
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| Posted: Jan 06 2010 at 6:01pm | IP Logged
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As a good year has gone on since this post; I was wondering for those who used Apologia Elementary Science, what did you think?
Also would you say it has a particular Northern Hemisphere flavour?
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Jan 06 2010 at 6:28pm | IP Logged
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Its funny to me that you should ask this right now. I am re-considering this program, because someone told me of all the books, the one I did was the most boring one (flying creatures). Plus, Elizabeth has spoken highly of the Botany text on her blog in the last few months. I was thinking maybe I'd consider it for the non animal topics. I feel like a complete science failure when it comes to homeschooling. I'm in my 12th year now, and I still don't have a groove.   I'm wondering if my children would benefit more from this than from my other failed attempts at more living science options. BTW, in this thread, I recommended Sonlight science. I'm doing that this year and the science experiments for level 6 were a complete and total bomb.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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guitarnan
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We are using Swimming Creatures (5th day) for dd 7th grade. Marine biology is her passion. She has read every kid's book in our library (plus dozens more that we own) about bony fish, sharks, rays, dolphins, etc. Checking out library books would not have worked for her this year. She's already read almost everything that anyone could recommend...and the big heavy grownup books are either way too technical or way too coffee table, so they aren't an option.
She knows a lot of the info in this textbook but really likes learning the scientific terms for what she already knows. She likes the notebook activities - and I think they are a good prep for high school level biology.
The experiments we've done are good, although we've skipped all the ones involving raising frogs, goldfish, etc. I might relent on sea monkeys (brine shrimp), but I'm not sure. I don't think I'm ready to launch an aquarium or anything like that...we have cats!
We are definitely supplementing with Theresa's recommendations and with as many field trips as we can manage - given that we're having record-breaking cold temps. She's going to our Aquarium for her birthday gift. We toured the Aquarium of the Pacific with my parents (thanks, Mom and Dad - I now am in love with behind the scenes tours!).
I don't know if we'll use another volume next year, but I'm guessing we will - I think dd would love a year of zoology.
I have to admit that I would never have bought this book had I not flipped through it at the HEAV conference in northern Virginia last summer. I had to miss IHM and went to HEAV specifically to shop for science materials. This was the only book I found that would work for a 7th grader with considerable knowledge. We have discussed the creationist viewpoint and what our family believes; dd is comfortable with this discussion.
She says she likes this book because, "It isn't all drony and boring like so many other books," which I translate to, "It has an appealing, conversational style." My hands-on dd dislikes the traditional textbook writing style, so this works for her.
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Alison
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we used the Apologia Botany a few years back and ds12 still enjoys flipping through it.(used Botany in a day with it)Haven't tried any of the others.Physics is our focus this year with Real Science 4 kids.Now if I could just find some snap circuits over here,science would be complete!!
Alison
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Karen T
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| Posted: Jan 06 2010 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
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I did the Astronomy one with my oldest ds when he was in 6th grade and it was a good choice for us in our first year of homeschooling - just the right balance of CM-ish reading, narration, etc and the labs were easy to do at home.
This year I am doing the Zoology Swimming Creatures with my 8 and not-quite-ten yos. It is really going well, but we have added in quite a few living books and DVDs. We do the labs on Fridays with 2 other families, and have nature study on the alternate Fridays so we get that in too.
At first it wasn't going so well b/c i was trying to get them to "notebook" in the manner the book suggests. Ds is dyslexic and absolutely HATES to write anything, and dd can write very wordily (is that a word??) but has trouble paying attention and getting the main facts out of the readins. So in desperation we made our first lapbook. I had resisted a long time just b/c I had no idea where to start but I found some easy free lapbook templates at homeschoolshare. At first we tried doing it all at the end of the chapter, which was way too much at one time. Now, we make the little books as we along through the chapter and then assemble it all together at the end. I read 2-3 pages per day, and then the following day I first ask them to recall what we discussed the day before, and then we make the little book(s) using that info, then go on to read today's lesson. Hopefully this is encouraging more attention and more assimilation of information, while still doing it in small bits. it seems to be working well and we are all enjoying it much more.
Karen T
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Erin
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Alison wrote:
Now if I could just find some snap circuits over here,science would be complete!!
Alison |
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CSIRO Brainbox Electronic Kit -Snap Circuit
Completing your science 
My boys love it 
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Erin
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| Posted: Jan 06 2010 at 8:46pm | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
| Would you say it has a particular Northern Hemisphere flavour? |
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Just wondering your thoughts on this?
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guitarnan
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Swimming creatures - no. Definitely world-wide. Dd knows a lot about Australian swimming creatures (sharks, jellies, etc.) and she is very content with the presentation in her book. (Australian mentions include the Great Barrier Reef - of course - box jellies, man o'war jellies, sea turtles, seals, sea lions, sea snakes, cone shells, and blue-ringed octopuses.)
I'm glad you brought this up, though, because it's important to look at animals and plants around the world when studying botany and zoology; of course it's easier to do nature study close to home, but there are so many amazing species to appreciate!
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Erin
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| Posted: Jan 07 2010 at 1:40pm | IP Logged
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What about the Astronomy one?
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Alison
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| Posted: Jan 07 2010 at 2:43pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Erin re snap circuit 
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Karen T
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| Posted: Jan 07 2010 at 5:00pm | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
| What about the Astronomy one? |
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Sorry, forgot to address that - the book has chapters on the sun, moon, individual planets, stars, and space travel. Most of that is universal; however the part about space travel does mention NASA, but also the International space station so it's not entirely US. I don't think any of the planetary or star info would be specific, other than you'll have to consult charts to see when things would be visible to you, but I don't think the book has that anyway. They have links online for each Apologia course, and some are star charts, etc. You do need to pre-read the info on Galileo (not in the book I think, just in the online links) b/c it's rather anti-Catholic but we just skipped those (i always precheck any links we plan to use anyway) and have a book on Galileo from a Catholic perspective (from CHC, supplement to one of their courses).
I must say, though, that since it was our first year hs-ing when i used astronomy, I didn't add in living books like I have with swimming creatures. I should probably start looking for some, to use with my younger kids when we get to it.
hth
Karen T
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TxTrish
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We've done Astronomy, Botany, Zoo 1 (on this now).
Loved them all. We use with Live and Learn lapbooks, and living books. Great fun.
Also use the high school level Apologia.
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AndieF
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| Posted: Jan 12 2010 at 9:27pm | IP Logged
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We are using both Botany and Astronomy this year. We do Science 4 days a week, and so we do Botany on MW and Astronomy on T/Th. Not the way they really recommend it, but I just didn't think my girls would go for a whole year of Botany (especially since my oldest did Shanlaya's Quest last year).
It has gone pretty well. We do a section or a Notebook Experience a day. I will put up words on the white board that I think that they might have problems spelling, and I read aloud from it, but they are free to write whatever they get from the reading, or draw a picture or whatever while I'm reading. I also usually start a new unit with some living books before I do the the Apologia book and that works out well for us.
Of the two, I'd say that they prefer the Astronomy over the Botany, but I don't hear much complaining about Science.
I have not used any of the other Apologia books.
Andie, homeschooling 5, mom to 3 on earth, and 4 in God's care.
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: opinions of Apologia Elementary science
