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.