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Patty
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| Posted: Aug 16 2006 at 8:46am | IP Logged
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When our 20yo ds studied chemistry, we did it with another family and used the Apologia course. It was okay...the kids seemed to like it, and later when he took a chemistry pre-test in college, he scored the highest in the class. He's a science-loving kid, so maybe just about anything would have worked with him.
However, my 17yo artistic daughter will be studying chemistry this year...I already have the Apologia books but not the lab kit (we used my friend's lab stuff before) so I'm wondering if Apologia will be a good fit for her. I'd order the lab kit today if I think it would suit her...I'm just not sure.
And if we don't use Apologia, WHAT will we do? I've been to MacBeth's site, but I don't really know much about the books recommended, nor how we would use them. How much info to assign, which labs, etc. It scares me. Any help appreciated!
God bless,
Patty
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Aug 20 2006 at 2:30pm | IP Logged
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I have an artistic daughter as well. How about if you introduce breaking down paints into their components. What do you have to mix together to make oil-based / water-based / tempera paints? Why are watercolors in tablet form? How does that happen? What effects do different kinds of paints have on paper / paper-baord / canvas? How about mixing different substances to make clay and the firing of clay to make it rock-like? And cooking and especially baking are totally chemistry-oriented. From what I understand (and please correct me if I'm wrong), chemistry is all about mixing several components to make something completely new. It may be a simplistic approach to chemistry, but I did think you were looking for a place to begin, am I right?
Hope I've helped to get your wheels turning. 
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Aug 20 2006 at 3:53pm | IP Logged
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Patty, I think it would help us make recommendations if you explained exactly what your goals for chemistry for your daughter are. Is it just to get a general idea of the principals, or do you want her to have a high-school equivalent course, etc?
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Theresa
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LaPaz Home Learning
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Patty
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| Posted: Aug 21 2006 at 12:45am | IP Logged
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My goal for our dd is just to have a basic understanding of chemistry. I doubt she will go into any field requiring an indepth knowledge of the subject. However, I'm not a science person either and am ill equipped to design my own course! I need something laid out, even if I do end up customizing it somewhat. I don't want to start from scratch...the only thing I'd end up scratching is my head. 
I would consider another chemistry course but since I'm not familiar with others, I'll go with Apologia for now. If anyone could recommend another course that you really like, please let me know.
Thanks,
Patty
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Aug 21 2006 at 9:37am | IP Logged
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Patty wrote:
And if we don't use Apologia, WHAT will we do? I've been to MacBeth's site, but I don't really know much about the books recommended, nor how we would use them. How much info to assign, which labs, etc. It scares me. Any help appreciated!
God bless,
Patty |
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OK, Patty. Most of the books I recommend are living books--books written by authors who love the subjects. They are not, with one exception: The Camelot Chemistry Primer, text books. But this work-text, if you can find it  , is very appealing to the artsy types (Libby loved it).
I would consider beginning with Bright Earth, an over view of the chemistry of color. The author, Philip Ball, appears to be an atheist, so beware of an occasional remark (don't recall any in this book, but in one of his books he refers to the "the Hebrew god").
Other chem books, like Mendeleyev's Dream and The 13th Element are history of science, and make fun reads.
I since I do not do lesson plans, I usually just give the books to the student, and ask for note book narrations of each chapter, or else we discuss them. Lab note books look pretty much like any lab note books, though they are decorated with lovely flower patterns  .
I'm not sure if this is helpful. I hated chem in high school, but I want my kids to love it, so they are encouraged to take college classes in chem. I found my college chem classes much more interesting than the high school class.
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
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Leonie
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We are doing Chemistry in Group Learning this term and I can share some websites.
First - About.com shares info and activities on an element each week. Very interesting and very do-able.
And check out some kitchen chemistry links -
kitchen chemistry lesson plans
Acids
Emulsions and mayonnaise
Workshop in food chemistry
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Aug 22 2006 at 11:02am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
| since I do not do lesson plans, I usually just give the books to the student, and ask for note book narrations of each chapter, or else we discuss them. |
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You don't know how much relief I felt when I read these words, MacBeth!  I've *never* written lesson plans and just recently, I started feeling guilty, like maybe I'm not doing enough in my homeschool efforts. I tried lesson planning once prior to our lessons, but was frustrated that we didn't do what I'd set out to do. Since then we've always just sort of flown by the seat of our pants in school. We read a book or a chapter, gauge the interest, and go from there. I have and will write what we've *done* in the lesson plan blocks (I just made up my own lesson plan forms, never bought into what others do). We didn't do that even in Germany or England.  Seems like I was sick or pregnant for 3/4 of the time we were there. The other quarter of time we spent traveling. We saw the castles that Napoleon demolished. We saw a rampart that the Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great built. We saw King Henry the 8th (an enactment). Now *that's* education. In Europe, science bowed to history for us. Our science consisted of growing a flower garden.
Next year, because we own this house and have an established plot for a vegetable garden, we intend to make the kids responsible for the vegetables they chose to grow. We're going to do a lot of work on the yard as well. My kids want to learn about horses, so we might see if a stable will allow them to volunteer for a few hours a week and learn as they go. Then we have a bunch of animals at home who need care and who can teach the children ever so much. Those are my life science plans.
For chemistry I intend to meld art and science as much as I possibly can. And of course, we'll bake together. And for physical science? Well, that's my great weakness. I guess we'll be following someone else's insructions. Any great, living ideas?
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TracyQ
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| Posted: Aug 22 2006 at 11:42am | IP Logged
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MacBeth,
I found it used at Amazon. Though we're going to be using Apologia for our oldest, this may be a great alternative for our 14yo son for next year, and/or for our daughter in her high school years. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Patty
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| Posted: Aug 22 2006 at 1:24pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth,
Thank you so much for your post! I want my dd to love chemistry, too...not that I think she'll be a chem major in college...but I don't want her to have a dry, boring experience. I hated chem in high school, too, even though it was taught by a respected science teacher who knew his stuff and won a state award. The textbooky way it was presented was awful, at least for me.
I want dd to see this as part of God's creation, and look with wonder at how He has designed the smallest particles of creation.
I found the Camelot book at Amazon, too, but I'm wondering...do I need some kind of answer key or is that included? Are there labs in the book and could a non-scientist figure out what to do? I think I may snatch up one of them now...and look for the other living books you mentioned. Thanks again!
Patty
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Patty
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| Posted: Aug 22 2006 at 1:37pm | IP Logged
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Tina P. wrote:
I've *never* written lesson plans....
The other quarter of time we spent traveling. We saw the castles that Napoleon demolished. We saw a rampart that the Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great built. We saw King Henry the 8th (an enactment). Now *that's* education. In Europe, science bowed to history for us. Our science consisted of growing a flower garden.
Next year, because we own this house and have an established plot for a vegetable garden, we intend to make the kids responsible for the vegetables they chose to grow. We're going to do a lot of work on the yard as well. My kids want to learn about horses, so we might see if a stable will allow them to volunteer for a few hours a week and learn as they go. Then we have a bunch of animals at home who need care and who can teach the children ever so much. Those are my life science plans.
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Yeah, it's really too bad you didn't write lesson plans...
God bless,
Patty
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Patty
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| Posted: Aug 22 2006 at 1:39pm | IP Logged
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Leonie,
Thanks so much for the great ideas! I will definitely check them out. I was also wondering if TOPS might have some chem labs that would work. Or maybe the Castle Heights Press book for labs plus the living books. Too many choices!
Patty
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lapazfarm
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We are going to use the TOPS lab called "Analysis" some time this year (winter is a good time for chemistry, to me). It looks like alot of fun and you can order the kit to go with so that it is all there for you. I like that it is all on task cards so that dc work independantly.I am looking forward to it with ds, but it is definitely not high school level. I think they have a higher level one, though I'm not sure.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: High School Chemistry...help!
