Apologia Chemistry: Module 1 Are you following the textbook?

Do I follow the Apologia Chemistry textbook?  A little.  I started much of the content from Module 1, but not in the order presented in the book.  Friday, I jumped to Module 1 derived units and plunged right into Flinn’s It’s All About Density Lab.  I want to demonstrate a few lab skills, such as using a weigh boat, how to zero a digital scale, and how to read volume below the meniscus with a graduated cylinder.  Doing this density lab allows me to introduce present error and talk about significant digits, and the limits of our equipment.  The kids will review metric measures and work on metric conversions in the next week or two.  I like the kids to do the Koolaid lab and Accuracy and Precision lab first.  I’m a big believer in lab first, lesson second, and practice last.  Often the lesson comes with the lab.

I also substitute labs for experiments in Apologia Chemistry.  For example, Dr. Wile’s Experiment 1.4  is the preparation of a density column.  There is nothing wrong with this experiment.  I’ve had kids set up Density columns as demos.  I’m a big fan of inquiry labs.  When my kids do the Flinn Density Lab, I have them hypothesize which method, volume by displacement or volume by geometry is more accurate?  How will you determine which method is more accurate?  Did your findings in lab support or refute your hypothesis?

Yes, I’m doing topics in Apologia Chemistry.  Often, Dr. Wile’s explanations help kids make sense of Chemistry.  I’ve taught Chemistry for over 25 years and have accumulated loads of ideas for labs and activities.  So, do we us the textbook?  A little.