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Our school year is off to a great start and I'm feeling more peaceful and organized than I ever have before. A contributing factor to that besides making some organizational choices in our curriculum and home is the the fact that my son's science course for this year is much more independent.
Last year I had to be heavily involved with his course (from a different curriculum company) and it was A LOT for both him and me. We persevered and finished it but I knew we needed something different for his learning style and my schedule.
While I am happy to be involved, as a mom of six, I definitely do need some help carrying the weight of these upper level science courses. The options we found with Apologia were an answer to prayer, especially with the self-paced options that are now available for the middle school and high school science courses. I'll have more coming soon on that option in another post.
As part of our curriculum choices for the year, I wanted to share an in- depth look at our science curriculum for my 10th Grader who is using Chemistry from Apologia. (Currently on SALE!) I know that homeschooling high schoolers can seem daunting, but Apologia has completely taken the fear out of covering these high school courses. With the incredible array of options you truly can get a course that fits well with your child's learning style.
Course Overview
We have used Apologia for years. Not only for science, but also for Bible, Government (best course, ever!) writing, and reading. I also recently wrote a review about our middle school science course, General Science. So, by this point, we are quite familiar with this curriculum company!
Everything with Apologia is done well and is very thorough which is why we chose to use this them for our son's High School Chemistry course. We felt it would the best option to give him a well-rounded, well-prepared high school experience that would also prepare him for college.
Challenging science concepts in this course are presented in a conversational tone yet include thought-provoking experiments designed to help students learn, develop self-checking skills and eventually master difficult concepts before progressing.
"Topics include significant figures, units, classification, the mole concept, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, acids and bases, redox reactions, solutions, atomic structure, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, gas laws, and equilibrium. Experiments include measuring specific heat, discovering the electrical conductivity of compounds dissolved in water, measuring the width of a molecule, exploring freezing, point depression, using the ideal gas equation, recognizing the effects of catalysts, and much more."
Who Is This Course For?
Apologia's Chemistry is designed to help high school students who have completed pre-algebra and are proficient in algebra.
There are several different ways to complete the course. You can choose to use a textbook with a student notebook, the streaming option, video instruction or the self-paced option. As I mentioned, I'll be posting more about the self-paced option in a separate post.
As a mom of many, I appreciate the various options that are available for my
different children's learning styles as well as the ability to pretty much hand
off their science instruction to Apologia's well-equipped teaching team and
curriculum. Especially at this level! I basically see myself as a overseer at this point for my children
in their science because it's not necessary for me to be directly involved in
their lessons which is a huge weight off of my shoulders and answer to my prayers!
This "award-winning 3rd edition high school chemistry course offers more in-depth discussions and explanations of concepts, a more user-friendly flow of topics, as well as biographical sketches of Christian scientists who have made a difference in the field while giving the glory to God. This course provides a rigorous foundation in chemistry in order to prepare your student for college-level studies."
How We Use This Course
At this age, my son is able to handle the course on his own for the most part. He has the textbook, student notebook, MP3 and thumb drive. He also has the self-paced course which I will write in more detail about later. While you will not need all of these, it is certainly helpful to have several of them. You can choose what would best work for your child.
If you have a visual learner, you would probably want the textbook, notebook and Thumb Drive.
If you have an audible learner you would probably still want the textbook so the student can follow along but also the Thumb Drive so the text can be read out loud to your child.
If you have a child that would benefit from an audible and visual perspective then you would consider the textbook, notebook and the Thumb Drive. The student notebook is an excellent way to record answers as well as to help prepare for tests. In my opinion, it really is a necessary component. It's also a great compilation of the course especially if you need to present course work in your state. We like having the MP3 Audio Book in addition to the textbook because if we are on the go, my son can take a small DVD player and the MP3 with him rather than carrying around a heavy textbook.
The Video
Instruction Thumb Drive is an excellent resource because it provides
instructional videos for each module. It gives animated diagrams of difficult
concepts and includes over 20 hours of instruction covering every experiment in
the textbook.
The video features a science instructor and will most definitely enhance your child's learning experience by providing a deeper and clearer understanding of the concepts taught in this course. I love that it provides on-location footage which virtually takes my child all over the globe allowing the course material to become more relevant.
With the Thumb Drive, the instructor teaches the lesson but it is not verbatim of the textbook like the MP3 Audio Book is. It's more of a classroom style. It also includes demonstrations of each science experiment included in the course.
To break it all down, your course options are as follows:
- Video Instruction
Thumb Drive with Student Notebook
- MP3 Audio Book
with Student Notebook (You will be lacking experiment demonstrations.
However, you would have step by step instructions in the notebook.)
- Textbook with Student Notebook (you will need to follow step by step instructions for experiments in the book)
I know that many parents are suddenly faced with the decision to homeschool and I understand that it can feel overwhelming, especially if you have a child needing to complete higher level science courses. Truly, Apologia has made it possible to do but to also make sure that your child gets an excellent education, not a mediocre one.
From Now until August 6, Apologia has a Back to Homeschool SALE.
Shop now to save up to 25% off on Apologia Science products including audio
CDs, audio downloads, and Video Instruction materials featuring Sherri
Seligson. Apologia Math is also on sale - up to 15% off and our FAVORITE
biblical worldview set, the What We Believe series, is also on sale. Click HERE to save now.
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This post may involve product that was received in exchange for a review or contain affiliate links for which I will earn compensation should you choose to make a purchase. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Thank you for your support of Purposeful Homemaking.
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