This year I’m pulling up all the stops to get things organized. How?

 This year is going to be different! Ha! Who hasn’t said that?  But, I’ve implemented some changes.  I put together a series of lessons which are elaborate ‘notes to self’.  Don’t forget you already have probably 15 density activities.  Here they are.  

1.  Update Google Classroom.  I assign a summer assignment to high school classes.  During the summer, I add the addresses and post the assignment.  Over the summer, I send out gentle reminders to do the summer assignment.  Lessons, videos, POGILS, labs, tests, etc are all in Classroom. Assignments should be posted to Classroom to grade.  That’s spotty.  However, I post all graded assignments.

2.  Pull hand-outs, kits, and lab.  Our library system has free copies.  We keep a library bag downstairs full of books to return and copies to make.  Initially, we need the safety contracts, lab equipment hand-out, math pretest, and first labs.

3.  I pulled out the examples of lab equipment for Day One.  Additionally, I set up the measures and density labs.  I found the yen which float and poly density bottle, too for Module #1, which has details and links.

4.  I made my first pass ordering chemicals. I always need indicator solution, HCl, and NaOH.  Whenever I finish a lab, I make it a habit to refill and order chemicals.  Because I’m neurotic, I still check dates and materials weeks before doing a lab.  

5.  I loan textbooks and checked inventory.  I still need to buy composition notebooks.  This year the teens are going to glue everything into a composition notebook, rather than jam stuff in book bags. Yes, I have a box of glue sticks.  This is a key step.  If you are enrolled in an online school, they send the syllabus, textbook, and notebook in a box.  Do you have the answer keys or solutions guide?  Buy a big binder for the syllabus.  Separate courses into separate bins.  Apologia has the list of materials in the index at the back of the textbook.  Now is the time to see if you need any special materials, such as a weigh scale, graduated cylinder, etc.  Put science equipment into a separate bin.

6.  Make a list of administrivia.  Do you have a consultant?  Do you have her contact information?  Have you set up a digital portfolio?  I think a portfolio slide deck is perfect.  Kolbe Academy has a Grade Reporting Guide.  When we home-schooled Paul and Lacie, we tools loads of pix and posted them into Google Slides.  I added notes and made submissions with the slide deck as an attachment.  Be sure you have the submission email, too.  Add due dates to your calendar!  Copy the contact information to your calendar, too.  

6a.  Do you make up your own curriculum from different sources?  Have you ordered the student and teacher textbooks?  Are any of these resources new to you?  Do you have a back-up plan if the math or science program isn’t a good fit?  How are you set up for supplies?  Are they handy?  Can your child find and return supplies?  Do you have a consequence if he or she doesn’t?  Make the consequence immediate!  For example, if the poppet leaves the textbook, notebook, markers, tape, and scissors lying on the desk, announce that he or she is cleaning up lunch again!

7.   Now, maintain a system!  Assign your kiddo a day, each week, and tell him or her to take pix of the work samples, including activities.  Show him or her how to upload these samples into the slide deck.  Be sure to annotate the pix, especially graded tests.  Make it a chore and have a consequence, such as cleaning the half bath if the kiddo forgets to post pix.  While you are at it, get the kiddo in the habit of maintaining school materials.  We used bins.  All of the textbooks, solutions guides, notebooks, whatever, went into separate bins.  It kept me sane.  Paul and Lacie graded class work and quizzes.  Rob and I graded tests.  It pays to have everything related in the same place.  Paper is cheap!  Buy a dozen composition notebooks and use a different colored notebook for each subject.  Determine a system you can maintain!

7a. Rob and I teach Co-op.  Often I grade class activities as they are completed. If I have five minutes during class I send missing work to a student home during the class.  (Yes, I copy everything to mom.) Ideally, teens post assignments.  In reality, I collect notebooks, grade work as I can, and post assignments to Classroom ASAP.  Missing work from absent students is an issue.  No, I don’t have a good solution. I threaten and nag. I hate to assign zeros.

What are my main tips?  Work ahead. Get an organizational system to maintain assignments.  We use Google Calendar and Classroom to organize and communicate; Classroom allows you to email all of the students as a group or individuals.  All assignments are posted to Classroom.  Stay on top of grading!  Grade as you go!  Let your kiddo correct daily work.  Sure, spot check.  Assign more math facts.  Make sure he or she posts the number correct over the total.  Write the date on each assignment.  Get the kiddo to pull his work, do it, and return the materials to the bin, shelf, or slot.  Post a set of consequences: unload the dishwasher, strips all the sheets, sort dry markers, clean up dog poop, whatever.  Consider the process training.  This year is going to be different!  This is the year you have a system which works!

Let’s talk about calculators!

We keep a caddy full of calculators for our math and science classes at Co-op.  All except one is used.  We keep a box of TI 30x calculators on a shelf, too.  They are work horses!  I buy them used at Good Will.  During the back to school sales, the TI 30x is $10–$15.

We lend out calculators to the students in class—generally used TI 83 graphing calculators, which I buy in lots.  I have had good luck buying used graphing calculators at Good Will.  However, I bid on calculators which power on and do not have any bruising on the screen.  The weird blotches or scrapes on the screen are often signs the calculator is going to die soon.  My target price is $15 per TI 83 calculator.

My favorite calculators are the TI 84 graphing calculators because they link to Vernier sensors  via EasyLink.  EasyTemp connects directly to a TI 84 graphing calculator.  The software, Easy data is preloaded on to the calculators.  We use the steel temperature sensors the most—especially for chemistry.  Yes, all of my sensors were used.  I do NOT pay more than $35 for a used TI 84 calculator.  

Watch for listings on eBay.  The EasyLink does NOT connect to every Vernier sensor; it does connect to the pH and temperature sensors.

Use Desmos, a free, on-line, graphing calculator.  Many schools now just use Desmos.  I’ve played with it; however I don’t think it’s any more intuitive than the TI 83/83 series.  I paid for a GraphNCalc83 app once and have downloaded it to every iPad I own.  The interface is a bit different from the TI 83 graphing calculator.  It does have color!  I can connect my iPad to the TV and show kiddos a graph.

There is nothing intuitive about using a graphing calculator.  Watch videos!  Check out the Math Tutor Videos.  My husband, Rob, absolutely loathes graphing calculators.  Nearly every teen loves them!  He uses them frequently in his math classes; I have to relearn the math operation, show his students the steps or make a video.  Kudos to you for persevering!  Your teen may need to use one in college!

Why do I teach science at Co-op?

The bottom line is that home-school friends asked me to teach Co-op initially.  First, these friends asked me to lead science camp.  Sure.  I had had loads and loads of experience leading camps.  You sing or chant.  Kiddos form teams and tie-dye shirts.  You plan a week of fun activities.  Camps were in my wheel house.  

Then one family asked me to evaluate their portfolio.  In many states, the districts require certified teachers to review the portfolio and submit a letter.  It can be expensive!  Families are wary.  Can you trust the teacher?  So, I began to review portfolios.  The first time I met a family, the review took hours—often the entire morning.  I explained that I wanted to understand how they home-schooled.  There are many ways to successfully home-school.  What was their method?  I still review portfolios.

I was teaching in a public high school close to our church.  Many of the home-school families lived nearby.  They asked if I could teach Co-op science classes.  Biology,Chemistry, and Physical Science can be daunting.  The school gave me permission to teach in my lab-classroom after school.  Rick, the teacher next door at school, lent equipment, such as microscopes and dissection trays.  The other teachers in the science department gave me tips.  For example, when I needed dialysis tubing for osmosis, Wendy said to use cheap baggies instead!  For several years, I taught after-school.  

My husband, Rob, and I still teach Co-op.  Why?  We love the community.  We both like to teach.  So many of our closest friends home-school.  We get attached to the teens.  The underlying reason has to do with vocations.  Our son is a priest.  Many of the vocations to the priesthood come from home-school families.  We want to enable families to continue to home-school through high school.  Rob teaches math, economics, and Physics classes. I teach science and some English classes. Yes, there are two young people from Co-op discerning to the priesthood.  

Home-schooling is really a vocation, in addition to raising your family.  It takes enormous sacrifice to teach well.  Rob and I are all in and want to help!

New here? Let me reintroduce myself!

 Are you new here?  Are you wondering about the number of ideas generated here?  Let me give you a bit of background.  For years, I first taught professionally at private schools.  I had as many as five different science classes and was in charge of science fair. (I had a small business which failed.  There was an outstanding loan.  I determined that, yes, I did have a calling to teach and form young minds.  Truthfully, it was five years of teaching before I realized I liked it!)  During those years, I taught Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Biology, AP Biology, Physical Science, Life Science, Human Anatomy, Earth Science and AP Environmental Science. (Add in a little French and English to this mix.)  Eventually, I taught three preps, with loads of Chemistry classes.  My undergrad is Biology with a concentration in Chemistry.  The private schools also encouraged me to lead summer, science camps.  I learned how to write grants to get money for my classes.  I attended conferences, did programs, got my Master’s, all while raising my family and teaching.  (My kiddos were at the school where I taught.  Yes, I taught them in class.  They complained I was too hard on them.  When my daughter took Chem in high school, she adopted a whip-smart eighth grader as her lab partner.  She kept telling me that her ‘bitty buddy’ would explain things.)

Friends asked me to host science camp at our church.  These children returned every year!  I needed new ideas!  Let me tell you!  Five days of science camp makes a person stretch!  By this time, I taught part-time at a small college and spent several years in a public high school.  The Chem classes worked with the Special Ed class to deliver hands-on, science experiments to the local kindergarten classes.  I continued to take part in programs, wrote grants, and delivered training sessions.  For the past several years, my husband and I have taught with the local Co-op, a passion project.  We’ve added Young Explorer classes and Apologia’s Advanced Biology; I still teach Bio, Chem, and Physical Science regularly.  Rob teaches Physics.  We still offer science camp in the summer and teach a variety of science classes for the Co-op.  As a result, I have gained quite a bit of experience and exposure to different crafts, experiments, hands-on activities, and labs!  BTW, I try to do 50 labs or activities in every science classes.  We do at least 20 activities during Science Camp.  The result is that I’ve tried my share of experiments and have a few ideas to share.  New here?  Here’s hoping my experience will help you have the courage to do more labs or try new experiments!  

Science Courses: Elementary Kiddos

 Which science courses should your elementary child take?  I like the Young Explorers Science series.  Often families begin with Zoology 1, 2, and 3 and go from there based on interests.  Astronomy, Human Anatomy, and Chemistry and Physics are more challenging. We use them for Middle School. However, all are designed for children 5-11.  I have taught Human Anatomy to a group ages 6–11.  It was a challenge!  The Young Explorers program has Notebooking Journals for both younger and older kiddos.  (We’re using both types of journals with Chem and Physics this fall.  Some of the students need an accommodation.) I do think the Notebooking Journals supply plenty of work.  I do loads and loads of activities.  We only review orally, rather than formally test.  When the kiddos do the crossword puzzles, I ask them to do as much as possible without the textbook before consulting the textbook.

When I home-schooled Paul, we enrolled him at Kolbe Academy, which uses Harcourt Science textbooks. Here is the description of the Grade 5 textbook.  This elementary series has sections with Life, Earth, and Physical Science.  Kolbe recommends using Grade 1 level for grades 1-2 and Grade 3 level for grades 3-4.  Grade 5 is used for grades 5-6.  Each textbook does have a great deal of material and are more academic than the Young Explorers series.  You can buy these books used at Thriftbooks, Amazon, or eBay, which has textbooks for all six grades.  

We did science twice a week; even at that pace it would have been difficult to finish the entire, Harcourt textbook in one year.  We didn’t.  At the elementary stage, it’s more important to focus on English, math, Faith, and History, especially since English means phonics, reading, handwriting, composition, vocabulary, and spelling.  I get it.  Make Fridays science days.

I’ve reviewed other textbooks and programs.  However, these two are my favorites.  In another life, at the private school where I taught, the upper school teachers set the curriculum for the lower school teachers’ science programs.  We assigned hands-on modules  with simple books and labs, similar to Home Science Tools’ Science Unlocked  program. Each grade had four  Life, Physical Science, and Earth Science modules. Yes, these units are expensive!  Which brings us back to a textbook.  See why I like Young Explorers?  If you want to challenge your kiddo try Harcourt!

What looks interesting at Good Will?

 I can’t help myself.  I’m always looking for an interesting physics gift for Rob or a science lot for the kiddos at Science Camp.  We like things we can smash.  Don’t you have a box of children’s hammers?  Should we practice phlebotomy at Camp?  I am very tempted.  The oil distillation kit!  I’m thinking biodiesel.  Your old car can smell like French fries!  You just need to stay abreast of interesting items.  BTW none of the glassware is a beaker.

Which microscope should I buy for Biology class?

 I know many of you are struggling to decide whether or not to invest in an expensive microscope.  Many families worry they are depriving their kiddos of a proper science education unless they invest in pricy equipment.  You aren’t!  The purpose in Biology is to learn the names of the microscope parts, how to focus a microscope, and how to sketch images you observe with a microscope.  

If you have a bare bones budget, buy a clip-on microscope for your cell phone.

We use USB microscopes with laptops or similar devices all the time.  The kiddos focus the microscope, snap a screenshot, and then sketch.

I bought one, nicer microscope from Amazon.  (Others I bought used or were donated.). The microscope’s resolution is fantastic.  We’ve used it for Biology and Advanced Biology, which has extensive Histology, requiring better microscopes.  If you want a splurge, this is a fine piece of equipment.

The first set of microscope slides is for younger kiddos.  Do you have limited funds?  Shop for a deal on this set, intended for elementary students.  Your teen will still have a microscope experience-which is the goal!

This set consists of plain glass slides, intended for DIY slides.  Truthfully, we only used prepared slides at Co-op

When I first taught Biology Co-op classes, I bought a set of 25 slides from Amscope.  There are cheaper sets; some of these sets turn out to have all botany slides or just histology slides.  It’s nice to have a mix of slides for General Biology.  

Compare these slides with the set recommended by Apologia.

Look at listings for larger microscope sets.  We used a set of 100 slides for Advanced Biology, which has a ton of Histology.  I didn’t buy the Apologia set because most of the slides were in the set of 100 I already had.  

Stop fretting!  Ask friends with kiddos in public or private schools.  How often do they use a microscope in their Biology classes?  You may be surprised.  Just remember your goal is to give your teen a microscope experience—not break your budget.

Science Courses: Teens

 Many families don’t start formal classes for their kiddos until Middle School. My suggestion is to follow this sequence beginning in sixth or seventh grade (11-12): General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Advanced Biology (Human Anatomy). Here is Apologia’s website. Marine Science  and Health and Nutrition are both good electives. 

If your child struggles with math, delay Chemistry, which requires Algebra.  Instead of the traditional sequence above do Biology, Nutrition or Marine Science before Chemistry.  Advanced Biology has a lot of details and little math.  Save it for last.   If your teen likes Biology, he or she will probably like Advanced Biology.  Physics is usually taken in the Junior or senior year and requires Algebra 2.  

If your child is bright and likes a challenge, skip General Science and begin with Physical Science.  Some eighth graders take Biology and do well.  I have had a few.  Ninth graders can take Chem and succeed if they have had Algebra I and are strong in math.  (I have had one or two precocious eighth graders take Chem and succeed.)  Our Co-op encourages families to enroll in Biology and Chemistry.  

What about your family?  So much depends on your child.  I work with families who have children with profound learning differences.  The traditional sequence doesn’t work.  Usually, I can make accommodations in Bio and Chem.  These students are exposed to both subjects, even if they aren’t absorbing all of the material.  (For example, you can forget protein synthesis, thermodynamics, or Stoichiometry.  Those and other topics, like Quantum or cellular respiration are not going to stick.) Look at the Young Explorers series.  We use the Chemistry and Physics course for sixth grade.  There is nothing wrong with using these courses for Middle School.  If your child has special needs, these may work for high school, too.

Every child and every family is unique.  We have a family where two of their daughters started taking college classes at sixteen—after having completed Algebra 2 and Physics with Co-op.  The girls’ brother has special needs.  He’s taking Chem and Physics this fall.  Most kids are somewhere in the middle.  Teens can usually handle Physical Science by eighth or ninth grade, which leaves plenty of time to take Bio, Chem, Physics or an elective.

Let’s compare commercial kits!

 I get it.  You don’t feel all that confident about Chemistry and have already decided to bite the bullet and buy a lab kit.  Let’s compare a few before you order the kit for your course.  I’m hoping you change your mind and just order what you need!

HST’s kit has a lot to offer.  It’s missing a scale.  I prefer a digital scale to a kitchen scale.  I think Sterno is safer than an alcohol burner. 

HST also sells Apologia Chemistry sets.  The first photo is from HST; the second is Apologia’s home site’s version.  Both are missing a test tube rack.  HST has a kitchen scale; Apologia’s set has a digital scale.  Both include safety goggles.  In my experience, kiddos are much more likely to keep safety glasses on their faces than goggles which fog up and are uncomfortable.

Other kits are specific to a program such as Master Books Chemistry Supply kit.  Instead of an alcohol burner, this set has a micro butane burner, spectroscope, multimeter, ring stand, and soil test kits.  This kit also has several chemicals.

Discovering Design with Chemistry and the companion household kit are specific to Dr. Wile’s Chemistey textbook.  Note that the basic lab kit does not have test tubes or a rack. (BTW Discovering Design with Chemistry is written by Dr. Wile.  We’re still using the second edition to Exploring Creation with Chemistey, also written by Dr. Wile.  I haven’t decided what I’ll do in the future.)

Berean Chemistry is missing a test tube rack; it does supply some miscellaneous items such as Alka-Seltzer tablets, copper sulfate, balloons, yeast, steel wool, thumb tacks, etc.

The Novare General Chemistry Lab kit has a ring stand, clamps, and tongs.  There is a pH meter, too.  Missing is a set of test tubes with a rack.

The DIVE Chemistry Lab kit is unusually complete and expensive.  The list of contents likely has any number of unfamiliar materials. The burette clamp fastens to a ring stand and is used for an acid-base titration. (We do a microscale version instead.)  Another item is the Boyle’s Law Apparatus. (We do this microscale application with a plastic pipette.) Below the Boyle’s Law apparatus is a crucible, lid, clay triangle, on an iron ring, all part of the kit, for a hydrate lab. There is a mortar and pestle and calipers.  The kit also has all the chemicals for the programs lab.  Please note that the chemical quantities are small.  Student might struggle to repeat an experiment.

BJU Chemistry Lab Kit is similar to the DIVE set.  Both have molecular models sets, burettes, mortars and pestles, etc.  BJU’s doesn’t include a ring stand, scale or test tube rack.  The chemicals differ.  This set includes a mineral collection and set of steel balls. 

HST has Science Unlocked Chemistry. The kit has all of the materials for the labs.  You’re buying an entire curriculum—not just materials.  

The Abeka Chemistry Lab kit has premium equipment, such as the micro butane burner.  At this price, it should!