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Hi! I have a question about CTC's Science. I am praying about next year and making decisions about what we need to do. My son will be a 7th grader. He loves science and is quite advanced in that area. I am trying to decide, if he does CTC next year, if we should use the Science as is, supplement it with the Biology 101 DVDs, or use Apologia's General Science instead. I would love to have some feedback on what may work best. He really doesn't need to cover Biology before HS but I may decide to do so. FWIW, he places into the next guide but I want to start him at the beginning of the four year history study.

Thanks for any info.!

Still hoping for some help with this. I thought Carrie sometimes recommends Biology 101 alongside the science in CTC for older students. Is the Science "as is" in CTC advanced enough for 7th grade?? Thanks for any info.

Hi Donna! I would like to help you here, but I am unsure how best to do so. I remembered this thread where Carrie had mentioned how CTC could be beefed up for high school, and it does include a paragraph about science where she talks about Biology 101 DVD's. But, this is in regard to high school, so I'm not sure if it would be too much? Here is the link in case it could be helpful...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5400

I think the science in CTC is enough for its target age ranges for sure (ages 9-11). I'm thinking your ds must be around 12 yo? I am not sure though, but if so, he is kind of right on the bubble. Science seems to be one of those subject areas that dc of that age have either already begun to show a natural affinity for - or not. Those that have an affinity for it early on may very well go into science-related careers someday, in which case more of an emphasis may want to be placed on science. I'm not sure if your ds has shown quite an aptitude or strong interest in science or not, but that could make a difference in what would be best for him. I am thinking you can either start with the CTC science, and see if you think it's enough. If not, you could add the Biology 101 DVD's. Or, you could just do RTR's science instead. I know Carrie will try to answer when she can, but she is in her prime writing season right now. I am sorry I am not more decisive here, but I hope something here may be a small help!

In Christ,
Julie

Donna,

From what you've shared, I would lean toward doing the CTC science as is and adding in the Biology 101 DVD's. I think this would give your son the rich coverage he's craving and still keep the living/CM method. If desired, you could of course do Apologia General Science instead. My concern with that is always the amount of time it takes to complete, and the way that science can then take up too much time throwing the day out of balance. I also tend toward a more living approach when at all possible.

Blessings,
Carrie

Julie & Carrie, thank you both for your time and your feedback. I really appreciate it!! My son just turned 12. He craves Science. He is very interested in natural history; especially botany, astronomy, fossils, minerals, and marine biology. He also loves chemistry though he hasn't had any real lab experience with it. He is largely self-taught and we have always given him plenty of room in his daily routine to follow his own interests. My hesitation with the Science in CTC is that he is so well-read in Biology. This year he is completing an indepth study of human anatomy and medicine.

Frankly, I'm just not sure where to go with his future Science studies. He has always studied what he wanted to whenever he wanted to and he has far surpassed anything that I could have ever offered him in the way of curriculum. I guess we need to get more formal as he prepares for HS ?? Left on his own, he would study Science through living books for several hours a day. But, I know he needs to be doing more than just reading so he will be ready for the written work required for HS Science.

Carrie, I am not familiar with the Biology 101 DVDs. I just recalled reading something about them here on the board awhile back. I will look for those. Maybe the Science in CTC "as is" would help him to develop his writing skills in that area and still allow him time to pursue his own interests in Science. I may just do that if you think the written component would be enough for 7th grade.

Donna,

Thanks so much for popping back and sharing a bit more about your son. It helps so much! I agree that if he has not really done a formal written component to his science before, then the notebooking, lab sheets, and written narrations that are scheduled along with the science in CTC would be great! The Biology 101 DVD's are fascinating, and you really wouldn't need to do the additional activities that are in the small pamphlet, as those are meant for those desiring to count lab credit. Just watching and talking about the material would be fascinating.

Another thought I had was that based on your son's interests, you could consider having him do Evolution: The Grand Experiment or its sequal that is more fossil based. Both would be very interesting and could be done on the 5th day each week to "beef up" the science content in an area that is his passion. My oldest son did those as an 8th grader and really enjoyed them. They do come with an optional companion guide with questions to answer and quizzes. I did have my older son do those, as this was part of his main science, but you could weigh whether you wanted your son to do them. I did think the discussions we had were very good based on the discussion questions. So, just another thought.

My last thought if you were wanting to move away from Biology would be to do the science in RTR (which is also in his area of interest instead). The science in RTR is earth science. You could still do CTC, but substitute the science from RTR. To do this, you'd need the RTR guide and the science set.

Honestly, any of these options would work.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie, thank you so much for the information. I really like your suggestion to consider Evolution: The Grand Experiment. That sounds like something that he would love and that would complement the Biology in CTC. He has told me that he thinks he would enjoy the science in RtR so that is also something to consider. I have ruled out Apologia. I really want to stick to living books for him for now.

Thanks again! I will let you know what we decide to do.

Blessings,
Donna

Carrie wrote:I agree that if he has not really done a formal written component to his science before, then the notebooking, lab sheets, and written narrations that are scheduled along with the science in CTC would be great!

Carrie, he did the science in the Preparing guide for 5th grade. For 6th grade he is completing activity sheets that go along with his current curriculum but they are very different from CM style narrations. So, he has had some writing involved with his Science studies but little in comparison to how much he reads.

Donna,

Thanks so much for clarifying. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with any of the options you're considering. All would have a living books/CM focus and would speak to your son's scientific interests. We'll look forward to an update after you've decided.

Blessings,
Carrie