Getting Creative with Curriculum

I didn’t know what I was going to do for science with my tenth grader this year. Based on his interests and career goals, the standard path of biology and then chemistry didn’t seem necessary. However, an engineer I talked with said that all science is interrelated and that chemistry may very well be necessary depending on his eventual career path. With that in mind, we have decided to take two of the science courses available on SchoolhouseTeachers.com that are not full-year courses and combine them with another resource to create an entire year’s worth of science that does not follow any traditional route. The two courses we’ll be using are Physics with “Science Jim” Mueller, which is geared toward middle school and high school, and Friendly Chemistry with Joey Hajda, which is for high school students. Physics includes eighteen lessons that discuss concepts first (and math later), with hands-on activities and experiments. Lessons begin with the scientific method and then move on to gravity, friction, velocity, Newton’s Laws, acceleration, force, magnetism, electricity, and more. Friendly Chemistry will build a solid foundation for more advanced chemistry classes. Throughout the twelve lessons provided, my son will study the elements, atoms, electrons, and ions and be introduced to determining charges on ions and to quantum mechanics (which is the thing he talks about most right now). I know my kinetic learner will enjoy these two courses because of the numerous activities and laboratory experiences provided, and I know he will appreciate the humor each of these teachers brings to their lessons.

Tammie Bairen
Editorial Assistant
The Old Schoolhouse’s^® SchoolhouseTeachers.com
The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, LLC