9th grade Biology, Physics, Chemistry

[deb]

I have a microscope and a case full of things to be disected. I'm hoping ths will be a good Biology semester.

I need curriculum for bilolgy physics and chemistry, preferably non-religion based text & lots of hands-on stuff. I mean, less reading & studying and more activity.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[StellarStory]

This looked interesting to me for that grade it's a chemistry sort of thing.

http://www.synapses.co.uk/alchemy/

Did you plan to teach all that in one year to a ninth grader?

Stellar

[Theodore]

Easily doable if you work year-round. A basic science course generally lasts about four months, so figure you have time for at least the equivalent of three basic science courses.

[StellarStory]

For us it would be too much to do in one year. We don't go year around. I think "downtime" is very important for kids. Of course they are learning always but our formal schooling year is around nine months.

That's a LOT of science. So if you and your child are very into science it might work. I'm certainly not.

We tried chemistry in ninth grade and found it to be a bit too much for that grade level.

Stellar

[deb]

No! Not all at once, just trying to decide which one I should do first.

Deb

[deb]

Thanks StellarStory. That web site was very interesting and I'm definitelyconsidering it.

Deb

[StellarStory]

The way we decided to do it was Earth Science 9th grade.
Biology 10th Grade
Chemistry 11th Grade
Physics 12th Grade

We might also work in some electives such as, Environmental Science, and Psychology.

Stellar

[StellarStory]

Thanks StellarStory. That web site was very interesting and I'm definitelyconsidering it.

Deb

I'm glad it looks interesting to you too!

I'm letting my daughter decide what she wants to do. It will either be that series and a local science center lab, or dual enrollment or a local teacher that teaches Home school chem with a lab. I'm not sure which one is more expensive.

Then again, she could always come up with another option. You never know.

This week we are going to a college book store to poke around at materials too.

Stellar

[RJ]

NASA has a lot of student (& also educator) resources: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudent ... index.html

The Exploratorium museum website is also great:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/

For science, we did: biology, chemistry, physics sequence & psychology at the community college.

[StellarStory]

I agree the NASA site has lots of good stuff on it!

Stellar

[novo4]

I am just getting started and would lve to know where you get things to disect. Do you order them? Or are you going out in the back and catching some frogs(EWWW!). My son would love to do this!
Thanks!!

[StellarStory]

I know you didn't ask me that question but here are some interesting resources I've found.

First a virtual dissection of a frog.

http://www.froguts.com/flash_content/demo/frog.html

and other online dissections

http://www.neavs.org/esec/toolsforteach ... bsites.htm

A site that offers dissection models that are plastic and do not require the death of an animal at all.

http://www.navs.org/site/PageServer?pag ... an_program

I believe Home Science Tools web site has actual dead animal samples you can order and dissect as well. The web site is down right now though so I can't be absolutely sure.

Personally I'm against killing animals to dissect them. My kids have done some of this at school before we started home school and at science labs they've taken but I'm still against it.

HTH,

Stellar

[novo4]

Thank you ! I love the site that has the plastic models for loan! I have requested info and think this is the route I will take.
Thanks again!
Heidi

[StellarStory]

I'm glad you liked the sites!

*smiles*

Stellar

[Sheepdog]

"Too much"? I don't understand.

For many years I taught (in schools) Biology, Physics and Chemistry to 9-14 year olds, all three subjects, each year. We did a term of each, and then started the cycle again. I.e. just Chemistry in the autumn, just Physics in the post-Christmas term, and Biology in the summer, of course.

By doing it this way, you can cross reference many, many important topics as you meet them again and again in different contexts. So we talked about chemical reactions in the autumn in "Chemistry", and then in the summer, discussing photosynthesis we harked back to "what is a chemical change? Is CO2 and water the same chemical as sugar? But the sugar is made from the CO2 and water." Etc. The cross referencing reinforces what you've studied. The "change" of "subject" is refreshing.

Tom