4Real Forums: 9th grade science experiements

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login

High School Years and Beyond ( Forum Locked)
4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond

Topic: 9th grade science experiements

Author

Message

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>

Martha
Forum All-Star

Joined: Aug 25 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2291

Posted: July 24 2009 at 6:28pm \| IP Logged

how important is this?

For financial reasons and other considerations we are going with Seton's abeka physical science ..

the advisor said I don't need the get a lab manual or any experiment materials.

I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around that notion.

I have the homescience tools kit package in my cart.

I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around that much money on one package.

I know that a course can be taught without any hands on element.

I just don't know how effective it is or what the purpose would be. Seems to me the purpose of all that memorization and study is to actually get the hands dirty in science at some point?

Would you spend that money on the kit?

__________________
Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!

lapazfarm
Forum All-Star

Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082

Posted: July 24 2009 at 7:17pm \| IP Logged

Wow. That's a lot of money. However, many of the materials on the list are non-consumables, so if you could use them over the years with many children that makes them more cost-effective. Just replacing the consumables for each child should not cost much at all.
I'm with you, Martha, that science should be about getting your hands dirty. I know that many schools only require 2 lab sciences and the others can be solely bookwork, but to me that defeats the entire purpose. Plus it's a guaranteed enthusiasm killer, at least in my home.
If it's any help at all, everything I have ever ordered from home science tools has been excellent.

__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning

MarilynW
Forum All-Star

Joined: June 28 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4275

Posted: July 25 2009 at 7:21am \| IP Logged

Martha - my dd is doing the same course. Even though she is not huge on science we are doing the experiments (and all the younger ones will join in these) so that it is not just a boring textbook - also because many colleges require some labs. I too am balking at the cost of the full kit. I have spoken to a local homeschooling mom who teaches the Seton science classes in her home - my dd will do 6 hours of labs with her - the ones with the most expensive equipment. She has sent me an email detailing which ones may be good to do as our budget is so tight. I would be happy to email you the info if you pm me your email. I think though that I am not going to do much more than the required amount of lab work. My dd is going through the lab manual too trying to decide what interests her.

(btw I won't be able to get back to you until later today as we are going hiking/boating this morning)

__________________
Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God

Martha
Forum All-Star

Joined: Aug 25 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2291

Posted: July 25 2009 at 8:29am \| IP Logged

wow Marilyn what a blessing to live in an area with so many catholic home school high schoolers! I could go months if not years without finding any others here. And when I do they live a good distance or don't use catholic curriculum much. I can't rember the last time I met anyone IRL that uses Seton, much less for high school. The ones I've met have always been positive, but I sure wish there were more of them to meet!

well for better or worse, I bit the bullet and bought the kit at about 1 am.

dh said I've purchased smaller orders of books and found it worth it in the past and books aren't the only worthy purchases and blahblahblah.

I sat ds down last night after dinner and showed him the seton smaples and such and explained that the kit is very expensive, but if he truely felt he'd learn better by actually doing them - I'd get it and think it worth it. Ds said he really likes the idea of dong real experiments with real science equipment, so that answered that.

Worst case, some younger sibling will enjoy those things more.

I sure hope it goes well. I so want him to have a great high school education AND enjoy it! And the idea of that money being wasted will eat at me! Dh says ds is doomed to do thos eexperiments now because there's no way I'm going to let that stuff go to waste.

__________________
Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!

lapazfarm
Forum All-Star

Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082

Posted: July 25 2009 at 12:38pm \| IP Logged

Good for you! I doubt you'll regret it.
I didn't want to say anything to influence your decision earlier, but since you already bit the bullet I'll tell you that I usually spend much more on science equipment (and art supplies) than any other subject and it has always, always paid off in the end. Having a well-stocked science cabinet (and art closet) has been such a blessing in our homeschool. The kids are always happy to use the equipment and supplies and learn so much that way. This year I am looking at buying oceanography supplies and they are $$$ but I'll bite the bullet and get what I can because I know the experience my kids will get from using the real thing will be so worth it.

__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning

MarilynW
Forum All-Star

Joined: June 28 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4275

Posted: July 25 2009 at 2:28pm \| IP Logged

Martha - I think you will enjoy it - and as Theresa says you can use it with the others too. Don't second guess yourself - it will be fun for your ds. I was balking especially as we paid for a full enrollment at Seton for dd - killed our budget and I worried so much about it - but now I am so relieved as it is so organized, she is happy - and I only have 4 other children to come up with a plan for!!

Yes - we are lucky to live where there are other Seton homeschoolers. Not as many as in Front Royal and other Catholic clusters though.

__________________
Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God

Sorry, you cannot post a reply to this topic.
This forum has been locked by a forum administrator.

[Add this topic to My Favorites]

Printable version

Forum Jump

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com