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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 9:53pm | IP Logged
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I am considering using this with my middle schoolers. I really like their High School Biology, but have never seen a copy of the Physical Science. I am unable to find samples to preview online either.
If anyone owns/uses it - I would be interested in knowing what the "tone" is like - is it like Apologia or is worldview not a dominant theme? Is there anything anti- Catholic?
It seems to me that there is some focus on nature - which I am looking for as Nature Study is a big part of our science.
If anyone has used the lab supply kit from HST - is it complete and worth it?
Thanks for your help.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 7:57am | IP Logged
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I have both the book and the lab kit from Home Science Tools, Marilyn.
I have mixed feelings about the book in general. It is well suited for middle school. Since we're using it for a high school course, we're giving it a significant bump with additional books. It is functioning more like a reference for us, with some good labs/activities and the meat of the course coming from living books. This was my dd's choice for science this year. I did want to cement basic chemistry before we start high school Biology, so I think this course will benefit my dd.
The tone of the book is alright. I have never seen an Apologia text, so I can't make a comparison. There are a couple of statements in there that, while not contrary to our faith, seem a bit forced...like they're just thrown in there so that some kind of token reference can be made. There is one Creationist statement in the chapter on Physics, but because I'm dealing with a high schooler, I've chosen to use it as an opportunity for discussion and introduction of this idea - the statement refers to "Creation Week". The general tone is one which seeks to glorify God in His Creation. Different folks have different sensitivity levels and priorities on those kind of thoughts presented in a science text. I'm mentioning it just so you know and can decide in prudence what is best for your family. Nothing anti-Catholic that I've seen.
Our course is basically the living books we have for a physical science course, and the use of this text for activities, vocabulary, and labs. The first couple of chapters are pretty good - those are on Chemistry and Physics. Also covered in the text are: Geology, Aeronautical Engineering, the Solar System, and Rocketry. My dd requested a year's course on Meteorology to run concurrently with her Physical Science reading, so that is a part of our year as well.
I did purchase the lab kit from HST. It's adequate. We're adding a good bit to the number of labs as well (these mostly come from the living books we're reading), but the labs provided are a good start. The kit is a help. You can get a good idea of the materials needed for labs/activities in this course by the lab materials sheet I uploaded below. I'm pretty sure that Home Science tools offers a detailed materials list of items offered in their kit so you could do a comparison.
Here are the living books I'm using for our Physical Science/Earth Science course. Some of them are high school level, but some of them would fit your age group as well. I'm reading a few aloud to my 9th grader and 5th grader.
Physical Sciences:
Chemistry
** The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre - makes a great read aloud and PERFECT for middle school students!
** The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker - excellent!!!
** The Chemical History of a Candle by Michael Faraday - great book! My dd has been reading one lecture a day, and then duplicating many of the experiments discussed in the book. Very interesting!!!
Physics - we just studied Physics in depth, so we're using this chapter for review of terminology...but we'll also be discussing the theory of a "Creation Week" from the standpoint of the Catholic Church since this is the chapter that thought comes up. I'm not looking to invite debate of this theory here (Young Earth/Creationist/Evolution) - though there is much to debate and question. This is just how I have chosen to address it with my 9th grader:
** Creator and Creation
** Humani Generis
** Pope John Paul II's message on evolution to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (included in Mary Daly's book).
and...
** The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick
** The Flying Circus of Physics with accompanying website.
Earth Sciences (I'm covering the chapters in the book out of order):
Geology
** Basin and Range by John McFee
** Rising From the Plains by John McFee
** We may take on other John McFee books if there is time.
Meteorology (***not covered in the book...this is a course designed for my dd who made the request to cover Meteorology this year)
** The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies by Richard Hamblyn
** The Weather Wizard's Cloud Book: A Unique Way to Predict the Weather Accurately and Easily by Reading the Clouds by Lois Rubin and Jim Duncan
** Clouds in a Glass of Beer by Craig Bohren - this is really a great book with background and experiments/labs in Atmospheric Physics.
** What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks: More Experiments in Atmospheric Physics by Craig Bohren - continuation of the first book, but could stand alone if needed.
Aeronautical Engineering
** Copernicus, Galileo, and the Catholic Sponsorship of Science by Jane Meyerhofer and Mary Daly - this fits with the period of history we're studying as well so there is some overlap.
Solar System & Space
** Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist by Guy Consolmagno
** Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them by Guy Consolmagno and Dan Davis
Finally - here's my breakdown of all the activities/labs in the book with a complete supplies list. Almost everything can be found around the home, those that are more difficult are supplied in the kit available from Home Science Tools. This should give you a better idea of the labs/activities in the book, Marilyn.
2010-06-30_071737_PhysSci_-_Pathways_-_lab_material_list.pdf
Hope this helps, M!!!
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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 8:19am | IP Logged
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Thank you so much Jen - this is such a big help. 
My boys will be grade 6 and I was planning on spreading out the book over a couple of years possibly. Nature study will be our primary focus. The last 3 years have been very tough for us nature study wise - with 2 babies, hyperemesis and severe outdoor allergies (me) - it has been neglected. We just got back from a week in the mountains - where we just spent all our time outside in nature - and it was so soul refreshing and renewed my intention to go back to weekly nature study. Praise God my allergies are really in check - it makes things so much more enjoyable.
I really just want my boys to discover again the wonders of nature and discovery and exploration - I have made lists of living books from Macbeth's site and Penny Gardner's books and websites. But - I am not a science natural - and I feel that for the older guys I need them to have some kind of reference point so that over the next 3 years before high school they get a good science grounding (though not boring texts!)
Thank you again. The only other thing I have seriously considered is Real Science.
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 6:59pm | IP Logged
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Jen, my interest was really piqued by the Faraday book! It is available to download from Google books (if you live in the US.) Is this for high school? How hard are the experiments to do at home?
BTW, The Wonder Book of Chemistry is also available through Google books.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 7:44pm | IP Logged
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AtHomeScience wrote:
| Jen, my interest was really piqued by the Faraday book! It is available to download from Google books (if you live in the US.) Is this for high school? How hard are the experiments to do at home? |
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The book is collection of lectures given by Michael Faraday to a group of young people at the Royal Institution in London. Each chapter is one lecture, and in each lecture, Faraday discusses several experiments/investigations he pursues. They're generally so well described that they beg for duplication! Some of the investigations are complicated, so not everything can be duplicated. There are wonderful, simple diagrams in the book that assist us in duplicating some of these investigations!
We made several observations with a small candle and a glass jar, covering it entirely, partially, etc., and observing the flame (Lecture 2). Yesterday we burnt cotton balls (Lecture 1) and compared the flame when the cotton ball was lit to the flame of the candle. I'm in the process of hunting down a glass straw with a 90 degree bend in it to duplicate a few other investigations we have an interest in.
I would certainly consider the book high school level, but I could see a middle school student with an aptitude toward science would also get much from this little gem! The writing is engaging and draws the reader in...you want to know what happens next! Faraday's lectures convey his great enthusiasm and excitement for his subject! I am struck with his penchant for seeking the simplest of tools to accomplish his investigations. One story relates how he was out in London one evening with some others to study lights - others brought their best photometers, but Faraday used a ladies black shawl pin. As he conveys the instruments he uses in his investigations, it's clear that again he seeks the simplest and most straightforward to work with. It's just inspiring!
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 8:01pm | IP Logged
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Oh, very cool--I can't wait to read it! It might be an interesting thread to see what great science books people have found in the public domain...
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| Posted: July 01 2010 at 6:07pm | IP Logged
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Wanted to add this...
I had been looking for a good Physics book to be a primary resource. I decided to add The Flying Circus of Physics by Jearl Walker with its accompanying website. I haven't seen it yet, so I can't review it, but it looks very promising.
This review from Keith Enevoldsen hooked me!
Keith Enevoldsen wrote:
| This is my favorite book. This is a fantastic collection of hundreds of physics puzzlers, many taken from everyday life. It is full of thought-provoking questions about: superballs, silly putty, tops, and yo-yos; boiling water, dripping faucets, and blowing bubbles; rain, rainbows, snow, lightning, and tornados; bicycles, cars, boats, airplanes, and spaceships; magnets, electricity, radio, and television. It has answers, but it is more fun if you try to figure it out for yourself, and resist looking at the answer right away. Some of these simple questions are so deep that scientists don't know the answers yet. Wonder-full. |
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Jen Mackintosh
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: July 01 2010 at 8:52pm | IP Logged
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That sounds fabulous--I'll have to see if our library system has it to preview. My latest physics find for older kids has been Hands-On Physics Activities though this is for high school. There's one for Chemistry, too.
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AtHomeScience
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Hey, I just visited the Flying Circus of Physics website and I realized I have been there before, a long time ago when my kids were much too young for it!  I didn't know there was a book (maybe there wasn't then?) I'm so glad to have "rediscovered" it with your help!
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Angel
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| Posted: July 03 2010 at 3:04pm | IP Logged
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AtHomeScience wrote:
| That sounds fabulous--I'll have to see if our library system has it to preview. My latest physics find for older kids has been Hands-On Physics Activities though this is for high school. There's one for Chemistry, too. |
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I have that book. It is HUGE. I found it a bit hard to use, though, since I'm rusty on my math. But -- definitely *comprehensive*.
I also have The Sourcebook for Teaching Science, Grades 6-12. It's another HUGE book, and not everything is appropriate to the homeschooling situation, but -- *lots* and *lots* of helpful stuff here. (Just ignore the list of bad science jokes. ) It covers record-keeping, science projects, basic scientific literacy, how to encourage scientific reasoning and deduction, how to use maps in the different scientific disciplines (with accompanying activities)... etc. etc.
Marilyn, have you looked at Rainbow Science? I have heard good things about it (and it looked fairly decent when I was checking it out), but it just didn't suit our particular needs. It's spread out over 2 years and covers life and physical science. They also sell corresponding lab kits.
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: July 06 2010 at 11:12am | IP Logged
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Angela, thanks for the info on the books--they should come in to the library for me any day now, and I can't wait to take a look at them!
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| Posted: July 07 2010 at 2:58pm | IP Logged
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Angela - thanks for the Rainbow science recommendation - I have looked at it several times and may do it for 7th and 8th. I am a bit put off by the reviews on Amazon which seem to say it is factually incorrect - and I do not know enough to verify this.
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Angel
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| Posted: July 07 2010 at 3:17pm | IP Logged
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Hmmm... I didn't check it on amazon, Marilyn, sorry!  I thought it might have been recommended in the Well-Trained Mind, but looking at the 3rd edition... I think maybe I saw it on the WTM boards instead??? The third edition of the WTM recommends some resources for 6th grade earth science, then basically the Thames and Kosmos chemistry and physics kits for 7th and 8th grade. (Chemistry in 7th; physics in 8th.)
The Real science series is their alternative.
Ambleside Online lists Rainbow Science as a possibility in Year 7 and 8.
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