Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 18 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 2 months ago by Jimmie.

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April 6, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Sharity
Member
I was wondering if anyone uses only living books for science in the middle school years. I was originally planning on using AiG’s God’s Design, but recently found some wonderful living science books and was toying with the idea of just having 12 yo just use them next fall for 7th grade. Or should I step it up so to speak since he’s getting older and do the God’s Design and then have him read the living books on the side, or would that be overkill?

Thanks for any ideas!
Sharity
April 7, 2010 at 12:02 am
my3boys
Participant
On another thread I asked basically the same question, except mine was about a 6th grader in the fall. Sonya answered it and I responded and now I’m waiting for another response.  You might want to check it out:)
April 7, 2010 at 12:05 am
Sharity
Member
oops! I’ll check it out. Thanks – Sharity
April 7, 2010 at 4:38 am
Jimmie
Member
Sharity,
I will use a living books approach for my 6th grader (this fall). I see no reason to switch from living books to textbook based instruction just because my child is in middle school.
We are studying the human body, anatomy, and the history of medicine. It’s a selection of books I’ve gathered. I’ve got no plans yet. I think I’ll write them as we go through it.

April 7, 2010 at 1:02 pm
teachermom
Participant
Jimmie, I’m hoping you’ll post about your science books/plans as you go on your blog. I’m so thankful for all you share everywhere online—and that we’re a few years behind you, so I can learn from what you choose.
-Kim
April 7, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Sharity
Member
Thanks so much, Jimmie. I’ll have to check out your blog to see if you’ve posted about your science plans.
I guess maybe that was really my question – why the switch to textbooks? I know it is perfectly acceptable to use textbooks, I found that out when reading the CM myths blog series.
I saw the recommendations on the SCM curriculum guide for the Apologia and thought maybe there was more to it and needed to use textbooks. I’m sure it just comes down to personal preference and what works best for each family. There are just so many living books we’ve missed, since we are new CMers, I feel like we could do fine just reading those for science in middle school. And then when it comes planning time for High School we can reevaluate and see what our needs are then.
Thanks so much – and if anyone else has any thoughts please share!
Blessings,
Sharity
April 7, 2010 at 3:14 pm
missingtheshire
Member
If I had my time over and had the girls doing CM prior to high school, I would only use living books for science – the reason being that I want them to learn to love science and not see it as a workbook type chore. I know that there are some wonderful textbooks out there, I had the AIG ones, and we read them, but only read them – did not do anything else – and the Apologia ones are great as well – I would still though find living books and use those instead. I found with the girls that living books piqued their interest in a way a textbook never could. High school we have used textbooks – but we also keep our nature study going with living books, and they enjoy that far more.
April 7, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Sharity
Member
missingtheshire – Thanks for sharing that. I tend to be “by the book” or in this case “by the guide” kind of girl and needed a little encouragement to follow my heart…..thanks!
Blessings!
Sharity
April 7, 2010 at 10:25 pm
crazy4boys
Participant
Sharity – Just wondering what wonderful living science books you found. Please share!
Heather
April 8, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Betty Dickerson
Participant
I would love to hear any suggestions for living science books for middle school and high school. I got the Apologia textbooks because I didn’t think there were any living science books out there for that age. Please share! Thanks so much! Betty
April 8, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Jimmie
Member
Just to be clear, I’ve not designed any plans. I’ve only selected a set of books on an anatomy and history of medicine theme. As we use the materials, I will share.
I’ve thought many times that if someone with a science background could create middle (and high) school literature based curriculum, he would corner the market. It just doesn’t exist. There is such a need there.
April 8, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Sharity
Member
Well, I hate to disappoint anyone, maybe I worded it a little wrong in the post above, like I found something new. I haven‘t found anything most of you probably don‘t already know about. Like I said coming into CM late I feel we’ve missed some really great books, so some of these you might have done with younger children but I still feel my oldest (just turned 12) can still enjoy and benefit from some of these. Several fit in with nature study, we are still developing that area of our studies, so they are needed.
I need to look into some of them a little more to see if they are appropriate though. I saw them at yesterdaysclassics.com.

The Story Book of Science
by Jean Henri Fabre
Wild Animals I Have Known
by Ernest Thompson Seton
Wild Animal Ways
by Ernest Thompson Seton
First Book of Plants
by Alice Dickinson
The Wonder Book of Chemistry
by Jean Henri Fabre
Great Inventors and Their Inventions
by Frank P. Bachman
Madam How and Lady Why
by Charles Kingsley
　
Jimmie, do you mind sharing what anatomy book you plan on using. I know I will definitely need to find some more books and haven‘t seen any in that field yet.
Blessings!
Sharity

April 8, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Sharity
Member
oh, and also I plan to use a variety of books published by Masterbooks and Answers In Genesis – just books, not curriculum.
April 8, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Bookworm
Participant
We personally have ended up doing texts for upper grade science as well as adding in some living books–I wanted the boys to be prepared for what they would encounter in college. But I have some collected links that might help:
http://www.amazon.com/Science-nbsp-Books-nbsp-for-nbsp-Gifted-nbsp-High-nbsp-School-nbsp-Sudents/lm/1ZA3L3LR5R6Q/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt/103-3483188-2803805    –this one is NOT Christian based–there will be evolution and old-earth in many of these
http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/CMhighschool.html#SCI
http://charlottemason.tripod.com/hisci.html
https://www.qualitysciencelabs.com/home.php?cat=4 (excellent lab kits for adding in a lab component)
http://www.pennygardner.com/sciencebks.html
HTH!

April 8, 2010 at 3:58 pm
suzukimom
Participant
Well, I haven’t used it – but for anyone wanting a science program that is supposed to be CM friendly, and uses living books (along with a guide/spine…) There is one…
http://www.noeoscience.com/index.html
They have stuff for biology, chemistry, and physics for 2 levels (gr 1-3, and gr 4-6) and have just released chemistry for level 3 (gr 7-9)