Apologia Physical Science transition to Biology, Grace or firm hand? Help!

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  • July 22, 2012 at 8:13 pm
    MamaWebb
    Participant

    Hello.  Can I get an opinion and some feedback?

    My daughter hates math and science; it is not her strength, though she’s a great writer and reader.  This year she’s dragged her feet through Apologia’s Physical Science.  She has 4 more modules to go, but she’s also finishing her last bit of MUS Pre-Algebra (she’s got 27-30 to finish).  We are in the home stretch, but she needs to begin her school soon – our date to start back up is Aug 13.  She can finish the MUS in two weeks, no prob.  But the science, which she HATES, is killing us.  I know she’d like Bio so much more, and I know that there’s not a whole heck of a lot in the last few Modules of Physical Science that she’ll need to for Bio, I don’t think.

    What do you suggest?  I’d like to say, ok, just read those mods and we’ll call it done.  (We’ve had a heck of a difficult year – it’d take me three posts just to explain,and I NEED A BREAK!  Can I say it again? )  But since a lot of the reason we’re still doing this work now is because of her time wasting and foot dragging, I feel like I’d be rewarding her behavior as well as my inability in the chaos to monitor her as well as I should have.  Does this situation warrant grace or a firm hand?  What would you do?  I really want to keep her on track for starting High School next year…  Do you see any other solutions here?

     

    Thanks ladies!

    Amy

    July 23, 2012 at 12:31 am
    missingtheshire
    Member

    THis is just my humble opinion – but I had daughters who did not like Apologia Biology, they are not science minded well they are but in specific areas for future use. One has done a college level equine science course and is doing more this year, but that is what she wants to go into. Having looked at the Apologia with her we decided to do a different course and we chose Biology, A Search for Order in Complexity – Christian Liberty Press put it out and both girls enjoyed it as it is less challenging than Apologia..now if your child wants to do science and math in college (which does not sound likely) then Apologia cannot be beat, but if she is veering more toward the arts and writing, then the CLP book or something else would fit the bill. I checked with the college my daughter wants to do her classes with for Equine Science and Business Management and the human biology we chose was plenty for them. The Equine Science course was much harder than even Apologia (it was from a college in the UK that has excellent Equine degrees, and she was fine with that….because it is a subject she lives, eats and breathes. I don’t believe in pushing something that is not working, life is too short to get turned off something for ever…so I would let her finish by reading and perhaps narrating or answering the On Your Own questions and call it done. Physical Science is not a high school course really, so it won’t matter too much. The time wasting and foot dragging is another matter, that needs to be addressed, high school is serious business and I told my girls to consider it their first full time job, and they needed to do it well. We have had some headaches but in general they took what I said to heart and worked hard. I do not think your child sounds like she will head into the science field, so try to get to the bottom of her bad habits, hold her feet to the fire a little more, and have expectations that you make her aware of, and some form of correction if you think she is falling off course. I took riding opportunities from one daughter when she was not doing as well as she could – she soon pulled her socks up. Anyway, that is my humble thoughts on this:))) Linda

    July 23, 2012 at 1:53 am
    LDIMom
    Participant

    All I can say is I understand from the foot dragging and time wasting child (incidentally with Apologia General Science) and the feeling that “I NEED A BREAK”.

    I think Linda has great advice. Have her finish reading, make sure she has done this with narration and/or oral quizzing or whatever works, and move on. To be honest, I DREAD the Physical Science course and I am seriously considering either:

    a). signing DS up for a nearby tutorial for science beginning in 9th grade (next year) OR

    b). finding something besides Apologia (GREAT product but by DS has no plans for science field and is also a bookworm and writer and very artistic).

    So, mainly just wanted to say I get where you’re at, but have no great advice. As for my DS, I made him start over with Apologia, but I have gotten the mp3 (which he seems to be liking for his reading) and an accompanying lapbook with lab sheets (and the lab kit from Home Science tools) for him to get this done! Hopefully.

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