Our Review of Apologia's High School Chemistry Course

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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. 

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I am so relieved to know that I have resources available for my child that will help him to succeed and gain a solid science education "even though we're homeschooling." Honestly, in 2020 there are so many options available to homeschoolers. It's just a matter of finding what's the best fit for your child. I love that I can choose the same course but in a variety of learning styles based on the best way my particular child learns. 

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.

Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology: Land Animals of the Sixth Day {Review and GIVEAWAY!}

Our family has used the Apologia Exploring Creation Science series for years now and I haven't found one yet that my kids and I didn't like! This, however, is my first published review of this particular series but feel free to check out my review of Apologia's Writers in Residence program and Readers in Residence Program as well.

First Form Latin Curriculum {A Review}

We are currently working our way through First Form Latin from Memoria Press and I'm happy to give you a review of it.  This is our third Latin level  from Memoria Press so that in and of itself tells you I'm pretty happy with it.

While we don't follow a classical education model, I do firmly believe that there are attributes from one that are relevant and essential to our family's homeschool curriculum. Latin is one of them.

First Form Latin is geared towards grades 4-9. The lessons are written for a class, but can be used with one student. I have an allotted amount of time that I want our children to work on Latin each day but they are allowed to work at their own pace. I like this better than keeping them together because if one child wants to excel, they can. Memoria Press recommends the following schedule. However, feel free to adapt the schedule to what best suits your family's learning style.

• Monday: 35-40 minutes (includes DVD instruction and workbook time)
• Tuesday-Thursday: 20-30 minutes with Thursday leaving time for review before the following day's quiz
• Friday: Quiz

We have the complete First Form Latin set and I'm thankful for every aspect of it. The Instructional DVDs are the backbone of the program and will be for you, too, if you don't already know Latin or aren't working with a local Latin learning group. Since I know nothing about Latin and we don't belong to a group, the DVDs are essential to us.

With this set you will be receive the following. I've made notations about items I believe to be essential and ones that are nice to have.

• A 9×7.5 inch Student Text (essential)
• Teacher's Manual (essential)
• A full-size Student Workbook with 4-6 pages of exercises per lesson. (essential)
• A Quizzes & Tests booklet with reproducible weekly quizzes and unit tests (nice to have)
• A Teacher Key (for Workbook, Quizzes, & Tests) with answers to the workbook and quizzes/tests. (essential)
• A Pronunciation CD that includes all vocabulary and grammar forms for each lesson (essential)
• Flashcards (helpful to have)
• DVDs (3 discs, 9 hours, 15-20 minutes/lesson) (essential to have unless you have a thorough understanding of Latin or are in a group that is led by a teacher)

First Form Latin will help your student to master the following:

• The six indicative active tenses of the first two verb conjugations
• Five noun declensions
• First and second declension adjectives
• 185 vocabulary words

One of our children was wondering why they had to continue learning Latin since they don't think they need it. 😉 After educating them on why they need it, it helped them to have a greater appreciation for the discipline of Latin in their lives. For example, Latin is the mother of the five Romance languages, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian. That means, if someday they want to learn one of those languages they will have a great starting foundation.

Also, more than half of our English words come from Latin. I love, love, love it when we are out and about and I hear one of our children read a word and say, "Mom, did you know that comes from the Latin word..."

Additionally, Latin is the language used in the classification system for plants and animals and of the modern sciences including psychology and physics. It is also the language of law and theology. Giving our children a solid Latin foundation will help prepare them for almost any field of study.

I also love the discipline that it helps instill in them. I'm so thankful for the progress they have made over the last several years.

I'm currently planning out our next school year's curriculum and I'll be checking out the Christian studies curriculum from Memoria Press because I want our children to have a thorough understanding of biblical history. This is an area we have not yet begun to study but one that I feel would be a welcome addition to our children's education.

Be sure to check out Memoria Press' other valuable curriculum options and don't forget to get some Latin while you're there. 😉

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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.

Math-U-See Zeta Level Review

This past school year was our first time to use Math-U-See and I'm relieved to say that, in spite of my nervousness about switching to a different math program, this style was exactly what I was looking for. Last year we used the Epsilon level and I liked that it was hands-on, included a lot of review throughout the year and best of all, came with a DVD that taught the lessons by an experienced math teacher.

We liked the program so much that we are continuing on with Math-U-See and starting the Zeta level this fall. This level includes decimals, percentages and other math concepts. If you are new to Math-U-See, you will need the Universal Set which includes everything you need for the year: Instruction Manual with complete solutions, Instruction DVD, Student Workbook, Tests booklet, Integer Block Kit, Algebra/Decimal Inserts, plus you'll also receive 12 months of access to the Zeta Digital Pack. (See picture below)

Why I Like Math-U-See

Math-U-See Teaches for Understanding

Steve Demme, the creator and teacher behind Math-U-See, teaches the concepts thoroughly. He believes in teaching for more than just memorization and wants his students to understand when and why we use certain math principles. After we started using this program, I decided to ask my friend what her thoughts were about Math-U-See because she has a PhD in math, has taught on the college level and has helped write math curriculum. Hearing an accomplished person's opinion about math meant a lot to me and I was thrilled to find out that Math-U-See was the program she chose for her own young children. Hearing that solidified even further for me that not only does the program work well for us, but it also has the stamp of approval from someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to math. 

I NEED A Math Program That Comes with a DVD


The higher we get in math, the less capable I feel to teach it. We're not ready yet to join any homeschool groups in our area so I wanted a math program that had an excellent teaching DVD. And that's exactly what Math-U-See offers.

This past year, my 5th grader watched his math lessons on his own and then started working in his workbook. This not only freed up time for me to work with our other children, but it reassured me that he was being taught the concepts properly and by someone who is better equipped in this area than I am. If he ever needed help understanding a new concept he was able to re-watch that particular lesson.


Math-U-See is a Complete K-12 Math Program 

Since Math-U-See was a great fit for us, I'm relieved to know that, Lord-willing, we should be able to stick with it for as long as necessary. While I'm open to switching things up in other subjects, I definitely prefer consistency in a math program.

If you're new to Math-U-See, here's a quick run-down of how it works.

The Teacher's guide is complete with answers and solutions to each problem for the practice pages, systematic review pages, application and enrichment pages and test booklet. The student's book includes all of those pages with the exception of the test pages as they are sold separately.

Math-U-See comes with 30 lessons. A typical school year is approximately 36 weeks long, but if you use the practice pages, review pages, application and enrichment pages and test pages, it is going to take you a full year to complete. This means that one lesson will take you longer than one week to complete if you follow the company's recommended schedule.

Our Math-U-See lessons go like this:

Our son watches a lesson on the video. When the lesson is completed, he then works on one lesson practice page in his workbook. When that is completed, ideally I check his work with my teacher's manual before he moves on. There are three practice pages per lesson but if he did well on the first practice page it is not necessary for him to complete any others. This was the format that was recommended to me by Math-U-See and it worked well for us. However, if you decide that your student needs more work on the new concept then there are sufficient practice pages to make sure everything is understood.

Next comes the systematic review pages. There are three of these also and it is strongly suggested that the student complete all three. We do. ;)

After that there is the front and back of an application and enrichment page and I have my son complete that as well. I go through and check all of his work and go over problems with him that need more attention. He enjoyed these pages the most.

Once that is all done, he completes a test. If he has tested well, we start the process all over again with the next lesson.

Honestly, this is such a good fit for us and I couldn't be happier. 

If you're interested in choosing Math-U-See, I encourage you to check out the website. On-line testing is available to find the best level for your child. We did this and it was a short test that covered the basic concepts that our son needed to have mastered in order to determine which level best suited him. 

Below is a video demonstration of Math-U-See's Zeta Level:

About Math-U-See

Having received numerous awards, Math-U-See is a competitive, all-inclusive math program created by Steve Demme.  Steve has taught math on numerous levels, tutored and is the father of four adult children. His curriculum is available for Kindergarten through Twelfth Grades. Steve's passion for helping students understand difficult math concepts led him to him create Math-U-See over 20 years ago and his unique integration of manipulatives has allowed him to help others to master math concepts. 

If you have any questions, I have found the Math-U-See team to be very helpful. Thanks for reading!

Juice Plus+-"Juice Plus+ is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 30 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Juice Plus+ helps bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day. Not a multivitamin, medicine, treatment or cure for any disease, Juice Plus+ is made from quality ingredients carefully monitored from farm to capsule to provide natural nutrients your body needs to be at its best."

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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.