I want to home school my 15 year old son this Fall. I have found many ideas for reading, writing, spelling and math. Does anyone have ideas, book suggestions, and information about teaching science and history?
I want to home school my 15 year old son this Fall. I have found many ideas for reading, writing, spelling and math. Does anyone have ideas, book suggestions, and information about teaching science and history?
Five or six years back I attempted to teach in a local Catholic school — and that’s a whole nother story — but they happened, probably by accident, to have the best junior high science texts I have ever seen. The texts weren’t new, so you’re looking for a publishing date in the 1980’s (Always beware of rewrites because they are often water-downs).
The texts were published by Scott Foresman and were titled “Life Science” and “Earth Science.”
They were readable by/with a normal teenager, neither ridiculously difficult and long nor superficial and talking down. The topics were interesting and the illustrations excellent and the science correct (A real problem — whn I have time I’m going to quote a US News article here about the disaster in science texts, many of which are simply wrong).
A really nice feature of these is doable experiments. In the Life Science, you are asked to take cells from inside your cheek (I recommend adding some food colouring) and look at them under a microscope to se you really are made of cells. (If you’re courageous, you can also poke your finger with a pin and look at blood cells). In the Earth Science, to understand reflector telescopes and radio telescopes, you are asked to line an umbrella with tinfoil to make your own reflector and use it to enhance reception on a portable radio. The experiments require no more than what a homeschooler would have around anyway — umbrella, tinfoil, radio, and buy an inexpensive microscope.
Look for them on Amazon.com and other book resource places. BTW, if you do find any, I’d like to buy a copy or two myself. Thanks