Would this be OK? We had planned ds14's schedule around a co-op (Biology & Spanish) that isn't going to happen. We are investigating another co-op option but it is only offering Chemistry this year. I'm specifically looking for science for the labs.
He'll be doing Alg. I this year as well. I hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure what curriculum is being used, as this co-op is still in the planning stages.
If he's strong in math, he might be able to do Chem and Alg 1 at the same time, but I don't know any publishers who'd recommend that. I was in Alg 2 when I took it the first time, and it was tough. It was much easier when I got to college, oddly enough! (I'd had Alg 2 and College Alg 101 by then.)
I agree with being careful about the math. Many people suggest doing the Algebra first, then Chem. The math is really what makes Chemistry so difficult. But if that is a strength for him, it might be okay. Hope you find something that works!
PICK ME!!! PICK ME!!! I'm going to say it's OK. I was wanting to take Apologia out of order for Rachael, because a friend of hers (younger sister) was going to so that the mom could teach BOTH of her daughters Chem Lab at the same time. The mom invited Rachael to join them for the Lab. So I asked a friend who was a former ps sciece teacher about it, and she said it was cool as long as she had the math skills. (Then the mom decided to put the girls into something else and didn't do the lab at her home, so Rachael ended up doing them in order after all!)
My degree is in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. The big difference, as others have mentioned, between Biology and Chemistry is math. In order to do the stoichiometry problems in the very first few chapters in chemistry, the student has got to be very comfortable multiplying pretty long algebraic equations with canceling like expressions (and units) on the top and bottom. The math isn't that complex, but it's usually not taught until well into Algebra 1. Most of my children would not have been ready to do this while they took Algebra 1. After Algebra 1, a student could take it while taking either Geometry or Algebra 2. Later on in Chemistry, the student needs to be comfortable solving for a variable in an equation like PV=nRT. So, if he knows everything but the temperature (T), could he figure out what it was? I hope that helps! Melanie Young
I was going to do Chem this year myself but co op is offering Physics, so I am going with that.. plus sos for my back up cause co op for us meets once a month, but generally it will have home work to work on during that month that ds will not need a whole month to complete the way he is with science--- so I am doing SOS 8 along with so we will have fillers in there cause its kinda life sciencey Ithink?
Since math isn't his strongest subjest, I think we'll stick with Biology. Funny though, I remember nothing math related in my HS chemistry class. Of course, I think we only made it to like chapter 3 all year. I had a terrible teacher and was afraid to take Chem. in college because of it.
No problem at all. Some basic algebra is useful in physical chemistry, but not in organic or inorganic. I studied chemistry at university level without taking biology, and I really don't see it as a prerequisite. The subjects are quite distinct. Personally, I loved high school chemistry. It's an intriguing subject when taught well. At university level, however, organic chemistry was too much of a cookbook procedure for me, which is why I switched to physics.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!! I am so glad you posted this question. I was thinking of having my ds14 (9th grade) skip a year of science and start biology so that he would have chemistry next year. Now that I've been reminded of the math component in chemistry, I don't want him to take chemistry until after he has completed algebra I. So glad for the reminder. It's difficult to be your students' teacher and guidance councelor at the same time, isn't it?!
