how old is too old for a science textbook?

[AngieW in Texas]

How old is too old for a high school science textbook?

The series that I'm using for middle school science is from 2000. It will be 9yo when she starts it and 12yo when she finishes it.

I would prefer that all of our science texts for high school be no more than 10yo for any of my kids. Since I have a 5-year range from youngest to oldest, that means they can be no more than 5yo when my oldest uses them.

I'm okay with literature and math texts being old. I'd want history texts that cover modern times to be from 2000 or later. We'll probably be using a world history text next year that's from 1999, but I figure it will work.

I have an opportunity to get an Oak Meadow chemistry set complete (unused!) for 1/3 of the cost new, but they use a text from 1997 and that means that it's already 11yo and would be 16yo by the time my youngest got to it. That just seems too old for a high school science textbook.

How old do you think is still acceptable for a high school science textbook?

[Jann in TX]

I think you can hold on to elementary and middle school texts a bit longer than high school texts. High school texts may not show that much change in 5 years--but in 10 years trends in content and new innovations/discoveries can change the focus of a course.

If I found a curriculum I really loved I would probably save it for my younger children...BUT by the time they were 'that' age there may be a better program that suits their learning style and/or learning goals.

(I have a degree in Science Ed too.)