?? about scheduling and planning science and math

[HollyDay]

We are currently doing MUS Algebra 1 and Apologia Physical both for high school credit in 8th grade. Until I spoke with a MUS rep today and now I am a bit confused. I spoke with Apologia today and are even more confused.
MUS said not to do chemistry until we get well into Algebra 2. They recommended the following:
8th - Physical and Algebra 1
9th - Biology and Geometry
10th - another bio (Human Anatomy or Marine) and Algebra 2
11th - Chemistry and pre-Calc.
12th- Physics and Calc.

Apologia recommends not to do Adv. Bio until after Chemistry. They also say to do Physics in the Jr year with pre-calc.

I am at a loss here. I understand the desire to hold off on physics until senior year to allow for all the math we can get in preparation for physics. I would rather do the Adv Bio as that will better prepare for college and give the possibility for AP. So, how do schedule this out? Can we do Chemistry and Algebra 2 together in 10th grade? Then Adv Bio and pre-Calc in 11th. Physics in 12?

Ideas??

[Lolly]

High school chemistry usually only requires Alg. 1 to be completed. Normally, kids are taking Geometry or alg 2 the same year they are taking chemistry. I have no clue why MUS would say to have competed alg2. My kids will be doing biol., chem, phys., and then an additional year of a more advanced science.

[choirfarm]

Well, my son is currently doing Apologia Chemistry and Chalkdust Geometry and is doing well.

Christine

[Mommyfaithe]

we did Alg. 1 w/ Biology in 8th

Geometry w/ Adv. Biology (tried to do SAT2 but did not do phenomenal 610) in 9th

Algebra 2 w/ Chemistry...this year for 10th.

I Plan on having him do Pre-Calc next year w/ Adv. Chem and then finish up at the CC with whatever comes next.

In preparing for AP's or SAT2's etc, please be sure to get another text book to fill in gaps and also use the study books early. My son and I felt pretty well prepared for his SAT2, but were not thrilled with his score.

~~Faithe

[HollyDay]

So, when is the best time to do Adv Bio? After Chemistry or after Biology?

[Kareni]

My daughter did:

8th: Algebra I, no formal science
9th: Geometry, Conceptual Physical Science
10th: Algebra II, Chemistry
11th: Pre-Calculus, Geology
12th: AP Statistics, Environmental Science

Regards,
Kareni

[LoriM]

The sequence in our school is:

8th: Algebra 1/Biology
Algebra 2/Geometry/Chemistry
Advanced Algebra & Trig (PreCalc)/Conceptual Physics
Calculus/Astronomy and Environmental Science
Statistics/choice of Advanced Biology or Advanced Chemistry or Advanced Physics

[Linda1951]

9th gr physical science and algebra I
10th will do biology algbra II
11th chemistry and geometry
12th consumer math (she willnot be doing physics or calculous. and marine biology

[StaceyinLA]

and before Chemistry. It was perfectly fine. My dd was VERY into Biology and NOT so into math. I don't recall there being anything in the Advanced Bio that would "require," math, but it is a rigorous course. Maybe they recommend it for maturity's sake. We didn't find it a problem.

[Cadam]

This is OT but I'm confused. Physical science is Apologia's 8th grade book. How are you doing it for High School credit??? Wouldn't doing a Jr. High text in Jr. High just make it on grade level? Is there something I'm missing?

[Kareni]

This is OT but I'm confused. Physical science is Apologia's 8th grade book. How are you doing it for High School credit??? Wouldn't doing a Jr. High text in Jr. High just make it on grade level? Is there something I'm missing?

I'm not sure if your question was directed to me or to someone else, so I'll answer just in case.

My daughter did Conceptual Physical Science in 9th grade. She did not use Apologia, however. The book that she used was Hewitt's Conceptual Physical Science. We found that book to be worthy of high school credit.

Regards,
Kareni

[Nan in Mass]

Our older one did:

9th: Integrated math 1 (alg+geo - NEM1) and Natural History
10th: Integrated math 2 and Natural History/Human Anatomy
11th: Integrated math 3 and Hewitt's Conceptual Physcis
12th: CC pre-calc 1+2 and CC Introductory Chemistry 1+2 (the second half of which was organic chemistry)

I still trying to decide what to do with the youngest (see my NEM/Dolciani thread).

He is doing:
9th: Integrated math 3 (NEM3) and Natural History

Then he might do:
10th: ???
11th: CC pre-calc1+2 or calc1+2 and CC chem (don't know whether intro or gen)
12th: CC calc1+2 or calc3+? and CC physics (which has to be at least concurrent with the calc)

Or some of that might get backed up to 10th. I can find plenty of science and math to do with him in 10th if he doesn't want to go to CC in 10th. I've talked to the CC and they said they will help me figure out which math to put him in.

-Nan

[CynthiaOK]

Here are my thoughts:

Apologia Chemistry certainly does not need algebra 2. Perhaps the MUS people aren't familiar with Apologia's chemistry. In fact, none of the chemistry courses I'm familiar with would require algebra 2.

Biology doesn't require upper level math either which is why it is usually the first high school course taken. However, the newer biology courses are much heavier on the chemistry aspects of life than those I used many years ago. So there is some thinking out there that it is better to take chemistry before biology (I concur).

Apologia Adv. Biology is recommended after chemistry because of the above. It focuses on human anatomy and physiology. That field requires a basic knowledge of chemistry.

Apologia Physics needs trig (pre-calc) at least concurrently. I have known some folks to say it would have been better to have had trig *before* physics but others have had no problems doing them together.

Here's what my ds#2 did:

8th: Conceptual Physics - algebra 1
9th: Biology - finished algebra 1, moved on to geometry
10th: Chemistry - geometry, began algebra 2
11th: Astronomy - algebra 2, college algebra (concurrent at university)
12th: Physics - will be enrolled in pre-calc concurrently at university



I'm not sure that I would worry too much about coordinating the math/science track. Of course chemistry and physics require certain levels of math, but by high school level, the physics should really be the only one that you need to worry about.