Here is the big question.... do I stay topical, so I can do them both together, or do I move older in to General Science and so something with younger? Both plan to be engineers some day. I was thinking if I moved in to general science with older, he would do Apologia. If I stayed topical, they both want to do physics. I would either do Physics/Chemistry by Apologia plus RS4Kids Biology, or I would do Physics by RS4Kids with Biology by same. I was also considering putting Botany by Apologia in there some place. I know they will need to go separate when the oldest reaches 9th grade. I feel like we only have 2 years left to do everything together. On "social studies" I am trying to decide between US Geography for the year, or World Geography, or, early American Explorers followed up by early American History. Older has had later American history through coop (which we will not be doing anymore) and younger has been in public school so he just came out of a year of state history. These are the only topics we are considering as the next year, we will likely rejoin the coop, and I know their teacher is planning to do a 4 year history cycle. So anything American will work (because they will not have the chance to go back to it for a long time) or world geography (but don't want to get in to World History because they will do that via coop the next year).
Hmm. That's a poser. My tendency would be to start the older one in General Science, and find something else for the younger. But SS ... I might go with something like US states, capitols, and their regions with US geography.
I moved my oldest to General, too, but it depends on the kids and how well they do together, and how much "ahead" the older is from the younger, and personalities, and maturity, and....
Personally...if these kids want to be engineers (not sure how anyone can know that at their ages! lol)...I'd keep science really fun and recreational, but I'd work like crazy on math. Math, Math and more Math. If your older child has good pre-algebra skills...a lot of kids can handle high school Algebra One in seventh grade. (though most kids have a better time with Algebra One in Eighth grade or Ninth) Definitely push math for anyone who wants to be an engineer. My daughter's Calculus teacher once told her...."There is no science. Science is just fancy math." She thought he was crazy, but to a great degree, she also thought he was correct. Physics, Chemistry and even certain parts of Bio...are going to demand a strong foundation in math. Particularly, if your focus for the future is engineering. The earlier you can get them reading science publications, the better. Being able to read a scientific article and ascertain the needed information from charts, graphs, studies....is very important to their future in science, their science ACT score, and is a unique literacy in itself. Subscribe to a couple of adult science journals and get them reading. Introductions to bio, physics, and chem are great....but keep them fun! Spend just as much time researching science careers, going to interactive science exhibits, inventing things, doing labs. There's enough time for hardcore chapter work in highschool. Light the fire for science now with fun self-led stuff...and reserve your hardcore disciplined work for building that math foundation. That's my two cents, anyway. LOL.
I really like the Apologia Sciences, and recommend starting with the General. They have these great new Notebooks to go with the General and the Exploring Physical (8th Grade). They break each chapter down into bite sized chunks. You could actually do a modified version of the General with your 5th Grader, too…just expect less from him. Or let him just do the experiments with you and your 7th grader. We just finished RS4K Physics this year with my youngest. She loved it. Of course, she adores science and, in 3rd grade, has already decided that she will do some sort of Sciency type career. LOL You could easily do 2 or 3 of the RS4K books. They do now make them based on Elementary & Middle (5-8th), so you really COULD do RS4K books with both of them. I would say also, SS/History can be done together as well. Maybe find out from them what they WANT to study and find a unit study/hands on type thing for that.
...and it just so happens I was going through stuff last night and have Apologia General and Physical for sale!!! (Also some Teaching Textbooks, but I've got to find out which of those!) Apologia labs use things you have around the house, or things that are very easily obtained. One thing I did was assign Phillip as her "lab assistant". She did the experiments and the write-ups and all, but he was right there helping her. He LOVED it, even though he wasn't expected to retain anything.
Not for sale. Phillip will be needing it. And it's not the graded one, anyway, because it's the one I used for both Rachael (and Faythe) when it first came out.
