Planning next year--need help with logic, physics, and Spanish

[Nancy in NH]

I'm planning for next year and hoping to get some suggestions for the following:

Logic - Ds (10) flew through a Mindbenders book last summer, but we haven't spent time on it since then. I guess I haven't thought much about how much time I want to devote to logic in the middle grades, so I'd love to know how you approach it and what you use.

Physics - Will be covering this subject with ds (10), ds (8), and dd (7). WTM suggests How Things Work (RRC reports it is out of print) and How Science Works. Any other suggestions for this age range?

Spanish - Ds (10) is doing LC I for Latin and has no other foreign language study. Ds (8) and dd (7) slowly going through PL for Latin. I'd like to add Spanish for all dc. What do you enjoy using? I'm a bit overwhelmed at the thought of tackling two languages, so I'd also love to hear how you do it.

Thanks!
Nancy

[Beth in Central TX]

I'm planning for next year and hoping to get some suggestions for the following:

Logic - Ds (10) flew through a Mindbenders book last summer, but we haven't spent time on it since then. I guess I haven't thought much about how much time I want to devote to logic in the middle grades, so I'd love to know how you approach it and what you use.

Physics - Will be covering this subject with ds (10), ds (8), and dd (7). WTM suggests How Things Work (RRC reports it is out of print) and How Science Works. Any other suggestions for this age range?

Spanish - Ds (10) is doing LC I for Latin and has no other foreign language study. Ds (8) and dd (7) slowly going through PL for Latin. I'd like to add Spanish for all dc. What do you enjoy using? I'm a bit overwhelmed at the thought of tackling two languages, so I'd also love to hear how you do it.

Thanks!
Nancy

I've decided not to spend much time on pre-logic activities during the middle school/junior high years. This time period is going by so fast that I'm really trying to prioritize what I want to get done. I found the pre-logic activities busywork, so they've been dropped until we get to 8th or 9th grade and start with TL. However, if you would like to continue Logic past Mindbenders, I would suggest reading The Thinking Toolbox and Fallacy Detective in that order. Both books are written by Nathaniel Bluedorn.

Science is in the same boat as Logic for the junior high years. I don't see a real value to the general science approach. However, I will continue science on an informal basis since my oldest son really loves the subject. I don't have a specific suggestion for physics. However, we've used all of the books in the Elementary Apologia series. I highly recommend them, but there's not a physics book...yet.

If we go with a 3rd foreign language one day, then I will pick up Spanish with Switched on Schoolhouse. Right now, we are doing Latin & Greek. Both of my older boys really enjoy the work, but it can be overwhelming at times, for all of us. I've found that I can't do all of the subjects I would like to, so I've had to prioritize our schedule (see the above two paragraphs). Focusing on two languages takes a lot of planning, studying, and teaching, but I've seen great payoff for all of our effort. My boys are very well grounded in English, Latin, & Greek grammar. They can read aloud all 3 languages too. In addition, the logical structure of the inflected languages has improved their critical thinking skills. My ultimate goal is to have them reading ancient Latin and Greek literature in high school.

HTH!

[Kate in Arabia]

For physics with my two boys (10 and 6) this year we are using Real Science 4 Kids - Physics as a spine, and are adding in three Science in a Nutshell kits and Snap Circuits. I dismantled the workbook from RS4K and copied the activity sheets from the kits, then put them together in a binder in the order I wanted to use them, and voila -- a year-long physics book, lol.

Kate

[Colleen in NS]

I'm planning for next year and hoping to get some suggestions for the following:

Logic - Ds (10) flew through a Mindbenders book last summer, but we haven't spent time on it since then. I guess I haven't thought much about how much time I want to devote to logic in the middle grades, so I'd love to know how you approach it and what you use.

Physics - Will be covering this subject with ds (10), ds (8), and dd (7). WTM suggests How Things Work (RRC reports it is out of print) and How Science Works. Any other suggestions for this age range?

Spanish - Ds (10) is doing LC I for Latin and has no other foreign language study. Ds (8) and dd (7) slowly going through PL for Latin. I'd like to add Spanish for all dc. What do you enjoy using? I'm a bit overwhelmed at the thought of tackling two languages, so I'd also love to hear how you do it.

Thanks!
Nancy

Just an FYI - I just found the Reader's Digest "How .....Work," used, on amazon.com. I was able to locate four of them that I could not find on the "new" market. How Nature Works, How Things Work, How the Universe Works, and How the Earth Works. I was so excited to finally find them!

[Lori D.]

Logic
We find the critical thinking activities to have been very valuable preparation for Logic. We spend maybe 5-10 minutes all together first thing in the morning 2-3 days a week, using it as a brain "warm-up", so it really doesn't take much time.

For 5th/6th grade, I recommend doing 1 page per session from each:
1. Orbiting with Logic (Risby) -- for gr. 5-7
2. Critical Thinking Activities in Pattern, Image, Logic (Seymore) -- you could probably do the gr. 7-12 book
__ OR__
several other critical thinking books with a variety of puzzle types such as:
- Dr. Funster's Think-a-Minutes (Critical Thinking Press)
- 10 Minute Critical Thinking Activities for English (Eaton)
(see all of the above at: www.rainbowresource.com)

If you like more of the Mindbenders, the Perplexors series from Mindware are similar logic puzzles. See them at: www.amazon.com.


For 7th/8th grade, I recommend doing one book a year, one chapter once a week:
1. Fallacy Detective (Bluedorn)
2. Thinking Toolbox (Bluedorn)
(see them at: www.rainbowresource.com)
__ OR__
The Art of Arguement (Larsen & Hodge)
see it at: http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/aa.html



Science
We've used the Reader's Digest "How...Works", along with additional books and kits to go deeper into topics of interest, with great success throughout the middle school years.

As said elsewhere, the Reader's Digest series is available used. For example, here's the link to 8 copies available currently through amazon's used books:
http://www.amazon.com/Readers-Science-parents-secrets-science/dp/B000ME2YPS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204647392&sr=8-2


BEST of luck, and hope something here helps! Warmest regards, Lori D.