Hi Carrie,
I've been really praying and pondering using RTR guide fully for high-school. With that in mind I am strongly leaning toward having my son study Earth Science for his Freshman Year (which is very common in our area) and go the Earth Science, Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology path or Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology. I've read through the older posts regarding beefing up Earth Science for High School and I have a few questions. The 3 resources I've seen suggested for beefing-up are listed below along with the area of Earth Science I am assuming they will cover:
Signs and Seasons (astronomy)
Evolution, The Grand Experiment, Book 2 on Fossils (geology)
IPAC - Chapter 11 on The Earth (geology)
So, here are my questions:
Are you suggesting using all of each of these resources? or one or the other? Based on what I've read it seems as if I could use:
weeks 1-12: Signs and Seasons in place of the Apologia Astronomy
weeks 13-24: Evolution, The Grand Experminet, Book 2 in place of the Voskamp book
weeks: 25-36: ??? perhaps, the AIG weather and water - should we do anything to raise the level of this material?
I would also like my student to read a few biographies that are relevant. He's in the process of reading the Tiner book. I'm wondering if I should find a higher-level book for Galileo and Newton? Or do you feel the books listed are adequate?
Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
Last edited by deltagal on Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Re: Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
Have you considered AIG earth science series? I know it's for up to grade 8 but if you add some of the mentioned resources it might be ok. Or if you read it in addition to the already written science in the guide. Or the wonders of creation series from master books. At least the earth science books.
"Big Mack"--Finishing up high school 
"Cherry Berry Chiller"--geography
"Small fry"--Rev2Rev
"Happy Meal"--fun-school
http://sewhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/
Http://roseacademyacademics.blogspot.com
"Cherry Berry Chiller"--geography
"Small fry"--Rev2Rev
"Happy Meal"--fun-school
http://sewhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/
Http://roseacademyacademics.blogspot.com
Re: Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
deltagal,
Great dialogue here already!
I'll just pop-in to mention that if you were going the Earth Science route for high school, I would probably try to still stick to the plans in HOD as your main spine in the day-to-day. This would give you the biographies you would want with Tiner's Exploring Planet Earth and Galileo and Newton. These would all be fine as part of an earth science program at the high school level.
I would also lean toward keeping the Voskamp book, even though the writing style is younger, as it has much good earth science information (from a physical geography perspective). Otherwise, you could consider using Our Weather and Water in place of it. Or, if you kept the Voskamp book, you could use Our Weather and Water in addition to the Exploring Planet Earth book (rather than in place of it).
You could swap out the Apologia Astronomy book with Signs and Seasons instead if desired (but you would want to keep either the Astronomy book or Signs and Seasons to have coverage in that area). If you did use Signs and Seasons, you would have to pick and choose the labs to do, as Signs and Seasons has many, many labs that are pretty time intensive. After using Signs and Seasons to replace the Astronomy book (approx. the first 12 weeks or so), you could head back to following the regular plans in the RTR guide. I would probably add the Fossils book from Evolution: the Grand Experiment on each 5th day all year until it was done for coverage in that area.
You have several different options you could consider here, and all have their positives. If Earth Science is common in your state, I think you will be fine with one of these plans. Just be sure that Earth Science is accepted as a valid science by any colleges your son may have in mind too, if your son is thinking of going that route. Also be sure of what sciences the colleges will want to see on your son's transcript for any scholarship possibilities (if that is something that may matter later).
Blessings,
Carrie
Great dialogue here already!
I'll just pop-in to mention that if you were going the Earth Science route for high school, I would probably try to still stick to the plans in HOD as your main spine in the day-to-day. This would give you the biographies you would want with Tiner's Exploring Planet Earth and Galileo and Newton. These would all be fine as part of an earth science program at the high school level. I would also lean toward keeping the Voskamp book, even though the writing style is younger, as it has much good earth science information (from a physical geography perspective). Otherwise, you could consider using Our Weather and Water in place of it. Or, if you kept the Voskamp book, you could use Our Weather and Water in addition to the Exploring Planet Earth book (rather than in place of it).
You could swap out the Apologia Astronomy book with Signs and Seasons instead if desired (but you would want to keep either the Astronomy book or Signs and Seasons to have coverage in that area). If you did use Signs and Seasons, you would have to pick and choose the labs to do, as Signs and Seasons has many, many labs that are pretty time intensive. After using Signs and Seasons to replace the Astronomy book (approx. the first 12 weeks or so), you could head back to following the regular plans in the RTR guide. I would probably add the Fossils book from Evolution: the Grand Experiment on each 5th day all year until it was done for coverage in that area.
You have several different options you could consider here, and all have their positives. If Earth Science is common in your state, I think you will be fine with one of these plans. Just be sure that Earth Science is accepted as a valid science by any colleges your son may have in mind too, if your son is thinking of going that route. Also be sure of what sciences the colleges will want to see on your son's transcript for any scholarship possibilities (if that is something that may matter later).
Blessings,
Carrie
Re: Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
Carrie,
As I read your post it sounds as if you feel that the RTR science (option 1) as written would be acceptable for Earth Science for high-school adding in Our Weather and Water with the Exploring Planet EArth assignments and adding in the the Fossils book on the fifth day. This is all quite doable for my student.
As I look at science requirements for non-science majors at all of the colleges of interest for my student - they indicate anywhere from 2 to 3 units of lab science from biology, chemistry or physics. Earth Science and Physical Science are accepted as courses, but not as lab sciences. The only potential caveat I see is that the colleges my ds is interested in at this time do require of homeschool applicants a list of "texts read" for high-school coursework. I'm wondering if we "need" something that looks a little more traditionally "high-schoolish" for Earth Science? Or in light of this, do you think we should consider for his Freshman year a "lab" science that will count? Just thinking out loud.
I'll also note they all require at least 3 years of foreign language or two years each of two languages. So, we'll need to invest some extra energy in foreign language.
Thank you again for all your brainstorming on this.
As I read your post it sounds as if you feel that the RTR science (option 1) as written would be acceptable for Earth Science for high-school adding in Our Weather and Water with the Exploring Planet EArth assignments and adding in the the Fossils book on the fifth day. This is all quite doable for my student.
As I look at science requirements for non-science majors at all of the colleges of interest for my student - they indicate anywhere from 2 to 3 units of lab science from biology, chemistry or physics. Earth Science and Physical Science are accepted as courses, but not as lab sciences. The only potential caveat I see is that the colleges my ds is interested in at this time do require of homeschool applicants a list of "texts read" for high-school coursework. I'm wondering if we "need" something that looks a little more traditionally "high-schoolish" for Earth Science? Or in light of this, do you think we should consider for his Freshman year a "lab" science that will count? Just thinking out loud.
I'll also note they all require at least 3 years of foreign language or two years each of two languages. So, we'll need to invest some extra energy in foreign language.
Thank you again for all your brainstorming on this.
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Re: Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
HI all,
I thought this might be interesting to pass along...
I emailed a few of the admissions counselors of the schools my ds might be interested in attending for college and this is what they shared with me . They place the most weight on the application on the math through algebra 2 and they want to see 4-solid years of high-school english. Although they do look to see if the student has had a couple of labs (including biology) and years of high school science, one science course over another is not a determining factor. They do want a student to have 3 years of one foreign language, but if a student arrives short in that area, they can take it in college and receive college credit. And then they re-iterated focus on math and english.
Interesting?? Anyhow, it just goes to show you should check with your institutions of choice.
I thought this might be interesting to pass along...
I emailed a few of the admissions counselors of the schools my ds might be interested in attending for college and this is what they shared with me . They place the most weight on the application on the math through algebra 2 and they want to see 4-solid years of high-school english. Although they do look to see if the student has had a couple of labs (including biology) and years of high school science, one science course over another is not a determining factor. They do want a student to have 3 years of one foreign language, but if a student arrives short in that area, they can take it in college and receive college credit. And then they re-iterated focus on math and english.
Interesting?? Anyhow, it just goes to show you should check with your institutions of choice.
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Re: Using RTR - Earth Science for High School
deltagal,
Very interesting! I agree it is so wise to check with the future college your child may be attending in looking at requirements for high school. It is always a good idea to work backwards from what you hope to achieve to figure out the steps of how best to achieve it. This is what we do when we plan our guides!
Blessings,
Carrie
Very interesting! I agree it is so wise to check with the future college your child may be attending in looking at requirements for high school. It is always a good idea to work backwards from what you hope to achieve to figure out the steps of how best to achieve it. This is what we do when we plan our guides!
Blessings,
Carrie