Can you give an overview of Dr. Jay Wile’s new Chemistry in USI?
I have taught all of the Apologia sciences at my co-op. My number one complaint with the Apologia books has been the experiments. I did think that the Apologia text itself was excellent when I taught it. We found it very interesting and easy to read. There were a lot of great examples too, and it was very strong mathematically. But, when we did the Apologia Chemistry course, most of the experiments were similar to things my kids were doing at home in Heart of Dakota’s (HOD’s) younger guides already. (As you can see, my kids are not high schoolers; I teach high school students at our co-op though.)
I am glad HOD’s USI guide uses Dr. Jay Wile’s new Chemistry. I am excited that this new edition provides a strong Chemistry course both in content and mathematics and that it has strong experiments to complement it. It is my turn to teach Chemistry at the co-op again. I will be using US History I’s Chemistry. Can you give me an overview of it that I can share with the parents and students?
Sincerely,
“Ms. Please Share an Overview of Dr. Jay Wile’s New Chemistry”
Dear “Ms. Please Share an Overview of Dr. Jay Wile’s New Chemistry,”
I agree with you wholeheartedly, “Ms. Please Share an Overview of Dr. Jay Wile’s New Chemistry.” When I reviewed the Apologia text by Dr. Wile for chemistry earlier, the experiments were one of the main barriers over our choosing that text. I shared with my sister that any child who had come up through HOD would have already completed all but one of the experiments outlined in the Apologia Chemistry text. The text was definitely challenging enough, but the experiments did not mirror that level of challenge.
Then, when the updated edition of the Apologia Chemistry text came out, I felt that the updates had made the text too wordy. Also, while the new text was beautiful, I also felt like the added content was almost a distraction rather than an aid. The pages felt cluttered, and the text seemed to stretch on and on. As the reviews came out for the new edition, with the multiple errors contained within its pages, our decision was finalized to steer clear of that particular edition as well.
So, at that point, we were so glad for the opportunity to view Dr. Wile’s newest Chemistry text. He was gracious enough to allow me to preview the text, and I was so excited with the way he had written it! We felt – and still feel – that it is an excellent choice for Chemistry! What a blessing that the text came out just as we needed it for our USI guide! We often stand amazed at the Lord’s providential timing. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the text once you get it in hand. I know I most definitely was!
An Overview of Dr. Jay Wile’s New Chemistry
Dr. Wile has written a completely new Chemistry text for high school. The text begins with an atoms-first approach to chemistry, which is different from his original chemistry text, and continues to include a strong mathematical component (with even clearer explanations than his previous text in my opinion). The text is very readable, and in comparison to his previous Chemistry text, I feel it is much more reader-friendly. It is also more visually appealing simply because the text is broken up so well with comprehension checks, experiments, and calculations. The design of the text includes multiple breaking points within each chapter, making it easy to find a logical stopping point each day.
The text also contains answers to the Comprehension Check questions, and students are encouraged to check these answers right away. Completely worked out step-by-step calculations are included as well as expected experiment outcomes. This makes it very user-friendly.
Dr. Jay Wile’s New Chemistry: Designed for Homeschool Students and Written to Be College-Preparatory
The course is designed for the homeschool student and written directly to the student. Students need to have completed Algebra I prior to using this text. The experiments are designed to be performed at home, and they are college-preparatory in nature. The course also weaves a Christian worldview into it, making it ideal for US History I. This is the first course by Dr. Wile that we have included in our science selections at HOD. I couldn’t be more pleased to offer this as our selection for Chemistry. I truly believe that it prepares students well whatever their pursuit post-high school may be. While I would not go as far as saying this is a Charlotte Mason approach to science, I will say that the text’s narrative nature appeals to the Charlotte Mason-style teacher in me.
Since Dr. Wile’s text is full enough on its own, we will not be adding the Chemistry 101 DVDs that I originally desired in our chemistry course along with it. I had also previously planned on including a series of living books about chemists, however I feel that this addition would also weigh the course down unnecessarily. It is full enough as planned, and with the course load our students have in the rest of our USI guide, the balance is far better if we use Dr. Wile’s Chemistry text as written without additions or subtractions. I have thoroughly enjoyed this Chemistry with our older sons, and I look forward to enjoying it one more time with my last son.
You can click on the following links to find out more about Dr. Wile’s Chemistry…
First Thirty-Six Pages of the Book
Last, I will let Dr. Wile explain his new Chemistry text himself on his blog, which you can read here.Â
Hope you enjoy Dr. Wile’s Chemistry course as much as we have!
Blessings,
Carrie
