Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn't it? How can
chemistry - a word that evokes so much moaning and groaning from high schoolers
- be friendly? Not with all that scientific jargon like electron
affinities, electronegativities, atomic numbers, and all that other stuff you
can only imagine "real" scientists caring about. But it's true - this
is truly a chemistry course designed to be "user-friendly" and it
covers all the basics of a chemistry course with clear explanations and fun
games and hands-on activities to make the knowledge "stick."
The program was most recently revised in 2010 and has two
teacher edition options: one with more hands-on and game activities (great for
co-ops or multiple student classes) and one with fewer group activities and
modified activities for one-student use (one-on-one homeschool use). The student
book includes the lesson text, worksheets, lab instructions and lab
worksheets. Manipulatives are a separate purchase. A teacher's edition (choose
from either version) is necessary to teach the course. Not
only does this resource contain the answers, supply lists, tests and final
exam, but also all of the teaching information. Each lesson's "Teaching
Tips" begins with a "game plan" which lists the activities in
the order that they should be done. Following the game plan are in-depth
instructions for preparation and/or instruction for each part of the lesson.
Traditionally, one of the unique characteristics of this program was that it
has many hands-on and group activities, but if you're just planning on using
the course with one child, you may feel like there are things you have to miss
out on. Due to this, the publishers have created "1-Student"
Teacher Editions with reduced group games and modified activities to
use with one student. These can be used with the same student text and
manipulatives. All answer key content is found in Vol. 2 of the teacher
edition. The manipulative set is also necessary for
the course and includes four card sets and the Doo-Wop board and pieces. Now
produced as a bound, printed booklet, you will need to cut out the cards and
cut apart the cover for the Doo-Wop pieces.
Optional components include the student
workbook, solutions manual, Audiobook USB flash drive and a course video
license for families. If the brief answers in the teacher's manual answer key
are leaving you stumped, you may find the full solutions in the solutions
manual helpful. Accessed via an online portal, the Annotated
Solutions license provides video solutions, particularly
helpful for the detailed explanation. The instructor talks through solutions
while writing on a blue stylus on the problem sheet. Does not include test
solutions. Lifetime use for one family in a home setting. Contact the publisher
for details regarding one-year classroom licenses. The student workbook contains
ONLY the consumable student and lab worksheets from the student book with no
text or teaching material. Please note that no part of the course is
reproducible, so you will need to buy student material for each student
taking the course. Two students may be able to share a text if one student
works in a workbook instead. If you're using the program in a co-op situation,
have students who are auditory learners, or need additional help teaching the
program, then you might want to check out the Audiobook USB flash drive.
Lessons on the audiobook are read directly from the text (with occasional
additional commentary) by author Joey Hajda. The visuals are minimal, with
lecture-style bullet-points or notes appearing on screen, occasionally with
clip art. The resolution seems a bit fuzzy viewing on a desktop computer
monitor. I would consider this most strongly if you feel that hearing the
lesson read aloud will help your children. The Video course (family license)
provides access to one family to course videos where Dr. Hajda teaches through
the lesson with a slide presentation and other visuals.
There are 32 lessons, each containing informational text
and activities. Each lesson begins with several pages of text which introduce
and explain the chemistry topic covered. As you read through it, the first
thing you notice is how personable the text is. Although it explains everything
you need to know, it takes the time to put each concept into the simplest of
terms so it's easier for young students to understand. For example, instead of
a tiny paragraph on energy levels of electrons, pages are devoted to it. These
are the same topics covered in chemistry textbooks, but explained at a level
that everyone can understand. This prepares the way for a heavier chemistry
course, because you already will have covered the concepts and will be prepared
to study more advanced ones. Early lessons introduce the structure of the atom,
neutrons, protons, electrons, elements and symbols, the periodic table, and
atomic numbers. They progress to energy levels, notations, valence electrons
and element families, reactivities, ionization energy, affinities, atomic
radius, ions, chemical reactions, compounds, bonding, stoichiometry, molarity,
and gas laws.
For extra reinforcement, there are lots of worksheet
activities, hands-on activities and better yet, games and manipulatives! After
you read about the major concepts, there is often a game that is designed to
cement it in your mind. For example, after you read about the filling order of
electrons, you play "Doo-Wop." And after you learn the element
families, you get to play "Friendly Neighborhood." There are also
bingo games, a game like war with atomic radii, and more. Manipulatives include
gameboards, flashcards and game cards. Rules for the game play are included in
the teacher's manual in the lesson that correlates with the game play.
This is an excellent introduction to chemistry for any
age, but if you were planning on using a full-fledged lab course in the high
school level (like Bob Jones Chemistry), this would probably be
best used in middle school to familiarize students with the important concepts
they'll have to tackle later on. If your students are not intending to take
higher-level science classes you could use this at the high school level,
although you may wish to combine it with a more lab-oriented book like Experiences
in Chemistry (by Kathleen Julicher) for a complete high school lab
science. - Jess