Physical Science

[ncmomof5]

Since the Geography Sneak Peak discussion was locked, I wanted to open a new topic to answer Carrie's question about the timing of Phys Sci for my dd. She is currently in 9th grade and taking Apologia Phys Sci. Since she is not planning to take a full blown Chemistry course (due to all the math involved), I thought it may be a good idea to have her take the PACworks ICP course.

Maybe it would be better to do something like Chemistry 101 with the PAC works chemistry part of the ICP course. My dd enjoys life science, but due to her struggles with math, she really does not want to get into full fledged Chemistry or Physics.

Thanks,
RuthAnn

[raceNzanesmom]

Have you looked at Friendly Chemistry? We used it before starting Apologia. I think it's a nice intro to chem for those that either won't be doing or aren't yet ready for a full chem course.

I haven't used PAC, so no help with that, sorry.

[ncmomof5]

I haven't looked at Friendly Chemistry. I appreciate your recommendation. I'll have to give it a look/see.

Thanks,
RuthAnn

[Carrie]

RuthAnn,

I'm so glad that you mentioned the Sneak Peek being locked! I had no idea it was locked, so I've remedied the situation.

In answer to your question, depending on whether your daughter is college-bound or not, you could definitely consider using the chemistry part of IPC for a chemistry credit by adding the Chemistry 101 DVD's. My oldest son is using the Chemistry 101 DVD's this year along with his chemistry course, and the DVD's are truly wonderful. The DVD's come with additional printed material and questions that your daughter should complete as part of her credit. There are also lab suggestions included with the DVD, however the labs are more life labs. So, you'll have to weigh what kind of lab experience you are desiring.

To award a full credit in chemistry, you probably should also add a bit more textual material. You could consider adding biographies of chemists (i.e. like Boyle, Pasteur, Faraday, Curie - all of which we carry at HOD), or you could consider adding Ellen McHenry's "The Elements" (which we use in MTMM).

Using the combination of materials mentioned above would also keep the math down in the chemistry coursework. If you are looking for a more traditional lab part to the course, you could consider having your daughter work through the labs in the MicroPhySci that pertain to chemistry, or you could even use something like the the ChemC1000 kit (which is a step up from the ChemC500 kit we use in MTMM).

We will eventually be coming out with suggestions for Chemistry too, but for now, if your daughter has some struggles with math (and has already completed Physical Science for a high school credit), then this may be a viable option.

Blessings,
Carrie