RE: Apologia (Full Version)

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2jsmom -> RE: Apologia (12/27/2007 6:51:48 PM)

Steve might be able to look at those ideas and give hints as to where they would tie in with Apologia.



cindybode -> RE: Apologia (12/27/2007 7:06:37 PM)

One of our best lessons happened accidentally, as most good lessons do. [;)] It went kinda like this:

Three boys go to a partially frozen creek during a warm snap last March. Boys are attempting to cross the creek by using the floating chunks of ice as a bridge. Boy #1, who weighs 55 lbs, crosses without incident. Boy #2, who weighs 70 lbs, also crosses successfully. Boy #3, who weighs approx. 125 lbs., walks 0.5 miles home in dripping wet clothing after sinking to his waist in icy water.

Once boy #3 was no longer hypothermic, they spent quite some time with ice chunks in the bathtub figuring out how much weight you could successfully float.



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (12/27/2007 10:49:13 PM)

Wonderful lesson, Cindy. There are lots of different applications here. For General Science, you could certainly use it to investigate density and the properties of water. For Physical Science, basic water molecular structure and hydrogen bonding are evident in this discussion. There are some applications for Biology also: the three phases of matter, environmental dehydration of plants, and the importance of water to life forms come to mind. Chemistry applications include: water as the "universal solvent" and molecular structure of solids could be introduced through this wonderful little lab ... and don't get me started on the possible math applications [sm=icon_smile_idea.gif]
You could even use it for AP Biology and discussion of the effects of hypothermia on body enzyme systems. You could measure the water level in the tub as the ice melts and relate it to the water levels globally. (If the polar ice caps are melting, should we not see an increase in sea water levels? How much and how fast are they really rising?)

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/fit/chapter10.asp

Hope that gives you some ideas about how to use Cindy's awesome lesson.

Your kids are blessed, Cindy :)

Steve



cindybode -> RE: Apologia (12/28/2007 7:30:15 PM)

We are all blessed to live in an area with such great natural resources. The kids usually come up with their own science projects whenever I throw them out the door. [;)]

Another all time favorite science lesson can be summed up in 2 words . . . potato cannon. [:D]

If you have never built one, you should. It's an awesome study of chemistry, physics, and the intrinsic need of the human male to blow things up. [sm=purplelaugh.gif]



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (12/28/2007 8:45:05 PM)

Here is a web site for those of you who have never seen a potato cannon work or wonder how to build one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVDHIGaUxCk&feature=related

Thanks for the suggestion, Cindy. This is an experiment which should ALWAYS be done under parent supervision, however.

God Bless,

Steve



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (12/31/2007 1:43:28 AM)

Hi Everyone,

Mitosis and meiosis tend to be a stubbling block for biology students. This simple side-by-side diagram of the two processes really helps students visualize what is going on in the cell during asexual reproduction and gamete formation:

http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/comparison.html

The big thing to remember is the final products in each process. In mitosis, two diploid cells are produced. In meiosis, four haploid cells are produced.

Hope that helps you when it comes time to discuss these very important cell processes.

Happy New Year!

Steve



Homegrownkids -> RE: Apologia (12/31/2007 3:04:45 PM)

If my DD takes the general Science in grade 8, is this okay to stay on track with the other sciences in grades 9-12?



2jsmom -> RE: Apologia (12/31/2007 3:22:34 PM)

This came up on a different thread, and Steve can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Jay has said it's perfectly acceptable to count Physical Science as a 9th grade course.



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (12/31/2007 5:17:39 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: 2jsmom

This came up on a different thread, and Steve can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Jay has said it's perfectly acceptable to count Physical Science as a 9th grade course.


Physical Science is ordinarily taught at 9th-grade level in the public school system. Students who are doing biology in 9th-grade are actually ahead of the game. You can count Apologia PS as high school lab science credit ... but ... if you student has started Algebra I, you can actually skip PS and go to biology. The ability to do the abstract reason required in Algebra I indicates the student has the analytical skills required to complete the biology course. It also indicated they are in the proper math sequence for chemistry and beyond.

Hope that helps.

Steve



Ellie-Mae -> RE: Apologia (1/1/2008 2:33:56 PM)

I have a question:

My eight year old wants to know how many anvils it would take to put enough pressure on a dead animal to turn it to coal? and how long would it take?

Yes. This is a serious question. He is not being goofy.



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (1/1/2008 5:03:30 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ellie-Mae

I have a question:

My eight year old wants to know how many anvils it would take to put enough pressure on a dead animal to turn it to coal? and how long would it take?

Yes. This is a serious question. He is not being goofy.



It depends on what type of coal you want to make and how pure you want to make it. The amount of anvils it would take depends on the coal produced. For the simplest and softest coal, it would thousands of anvils -- enough to squish your student as thin as a dime. How long it would take depends on the heat the peat is exposed to during the process. Here is a great article for you:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v23/i2/coal.asp

Hope that helps.

Steve



Ellie-Mae -> RE: Apologia (1/1/2008 6:22:16 PM)

Thank you so much! I can't wait to read it to him. It is going to be nice to have science guy here to answer some of the questions that my kids have.



cynthia -> RE: Apologia (1/3/2008 4:32:35 PM)

Okay, Steve, I took your advice and just ordered the new CD for the Physcial Science. I'll give the old one away.



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (1/3/2008 7:50:54 PM)

Hi Cynthia,

I would hang on to the old one until you get the new one. Compare the two. Apologia offers a money back guarantee on their merchandise. If you don't think the new one is better, send it back and I will pay your shipping costs.

I am pretty sure you will like the new one better, however [sm=wave.gif] Wish I could make the co-op meeting tonight, but I will have to pass this month.

God Bless,

Steve



cynthia -> RE: Apologia (1/3/2008 8:00:30 PM)

I am going to the meeting tonight and was planning to take the old CD with me. I am sure I'll be perfectly happy with it. I want the one that goes with the book, so it'll be fine, but thank you.



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (1/4/2008 10:00:12 AM)

Good Morning,

For those of you doing Apologia Physical Science, Module 7 deals with weather. There are some wonderful sites for you to explore on these topics. The one I like the best is

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/home.rxml

This site gives your student a wonderful series of pages which explains clouds and precipitation factors.

For those of you who have been asked by your children why the sky is blue, here is a great answer for you. If you were to travel 20 miles above the Earth's surface, the sky you would see would appear jet black. Sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere at high rates of speed. Nitrogen and other gas molecules in the air are just the right size to scatter the fast moving light particles from the blue end of the visible spectrum. The other colors of the spectrum travel to the ground level with little interference. The blue light is then scattered from gas molecule to gas molecule in the sky, until the light seems to be coming from every direction on the horizon. That is what makes the sky blue, scattered sunlight :-) What is super cool about the blue color is that neuroscience tells us that it is the perfect color to stimulate our brains into a state of peace and calm. God designed the blue sky to help us relax ... pretty neat, huh?

Hope this helps with your weather studies.

God Bless,

Steve



judii1 -> RE: Apologia (1/5/2008 10:00:58 AM)

If I use the Apologia Physical science curriculum will I need to buy a microscope. If so, what would be a good one to buy?



Ellie-Mae -> RE: Apologia (1/5/2008 11:13:48 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: judii1

If I use the Apologia Physical science curriculum will I need to buy a microscope. If so, what would be a good one to buy?


LOL! I think that we have just come full circle!

Check this thread for your answer.



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (1/5/2008 12:50:12 PM)

Hi judii1,

As an Apologia employee working the Apologia helpline, I would tell you to see the one pictured in our catalog www.apologia.com or visit Nature's Workshop Plus http://www.workshopplus.com/ who supplies all Apologia's microscopes.

As a subscriber to this forum, I would tell you to not purchase a microscope. What I have done in the past is rent one from a medical supply store and borrowed one from a doctor friend in my church. Four years ago, I set up two microscopes in my garage, had a cohort of 16 kids come over to my house for a week in August before school started. We did all the microscope labs in one week, including writing a formal lab report of one of the investigations. I split the kids into four groups of four: had eight working on the two scopes and eight finalizing their lab notebooks (and writing their formal report) at our kitchen table for 90 minutes each day that week, then we rotated. My wife is an English teacher, so she helped them with their reports while I worked the lab bench questions. The 16 students finished all the labs, had the labs documented in their notebooks, and had formal reports graded by us by the finish of "summer biology lab camp." The microscope cost us $50 to rent for the week and one was donated. We made $1600 from the tuition, which paid for our summer beach condo rental :-)

Hope that helps clarify things, Cindy.

God Bless,

Steve



cynthia -> RE: Apologia (1/5/2008 1:12:30 PM)

That sounds like a good idea, Steve. How many kids attended the biology camp?



bzirk -> RE: Apologia (1/5/2008 2:15:52 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rosenon

Glad I could help. I have some wonderful web sites that go along with PS also. Drop me a line if you feel you need some supplemental materials.

God Bless,

Steve


Thank you. [sm=icon_smile.gif]



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (1/7/2008 5:02:27 PM)

Hi Everyone,

For those of you writing me about the scope and sequencing of the Summer Biology Lab Camp, please note that I will post a syllabus for you all here as soon as I can revise the document. I am currently pacing my students toward their 1st semester exam, so it may be the end of January before I can get to it.

For those of you asking me about holding a Camp in your area, it would be impractical for me to do so, unless you live in the Olympia, WA area. I do appeciate the invite from the gal in Jesup, Georgia to hold the camp there, however. [sm=smile-l.gif]

God Bless,

Steve



rosenon -> RE: Apologia (1/9/2008 4:09:30 PM)

Hi Everyone,

For those of you getting ready to tackle the "Evolution versus Creation" module in your science studies. Here is a great vignette for you to consider:

We often hear people say that the geological column "proves" evolution to be true. When I hear statements like this my ears go up. First of all, science does not "prove" anything. The best that science can do is provide evidence that supports an idea. Even something as well documented as the Law of Gravity is open to revision should new data come forth about the property; hence, science has to be open to change. We might be 99.9999999999% sure something works a certain way, but for the scientist that 0.0000000001% is enough possibility to give us pause to ponder.

True, the geological column seems to be a record of how evolution occurred. To demonstrate it, a uniformitarian starts with very simple life forms in the oldest rocks and simply follows the fossils through to see how those life forms evolved into what is seen today. Of course, one must remember that the geological column itself is simply a theoretical construct. It doesn't actually exist anywhere. It is based on certain assumptions and a particular way of looking at the geological record. It assumes that each layer of rock on planet earth represents a period in earth's past, and it further assumes that the index fossils found in a given layer of rock are, in fact, accurate indicators of which time period the rock was formed. If either of these assumptions upon which geological column is based are not true, then column is in error and The Theory of Evolution, which is based on the correctness of the geological column, is not true, either. I provide the following web sites for you to consider:

Ten Misconceptions About the Geological Column - http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=242

Top Nine Evidences against The Theory of Evolution -- http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/top.htm

One final point. If I were to offer to bet you $100 that you could not answer a question and I told you that there was only 5% chance that you would be able to answer the question correctly, would you take the bet? Most of us would pass up this opportunity. Why? Because the chance of winning is so small. Uniformitarians basing their geologic and evolutionary assumptions on less than 5% of the total fossil record. The other 95% is composed of clams and other similar, hard-shelled creatures. Thus, what the geological column and evolutionary thought looks at is a tiny, tiny subset of the entire fossil record. I don't know if I would want to bet my eternal salvation on 5% of a worldwide fossil record, but people do it every day. I know it sounds nuts, and it is. We need to pray for these people.

Hope that helps you as you study God's wonderful Creation.

God Bless,

Steve



bzirk -> RE: Apologia (1/9/2008 7:14:32 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rosenon

Hi Everyone,

For those of you writing me about the scope and sequencing of the Summer Biology Lab Camp, please note that I will post a syllabus for you all here as soon as I can revise the document. I am currently pacing my students toward their 1st semester exam, so it may be the end of January before I can get to it.

For those of you asking me about holding a Camp in your area, it would be impractical for me to do so, unless you live in the Olympia, WA area. I do appeciate the invite from the gal in Jesup, Georgia to hold the camp there, however. [sm=smile-l.gif]

God Bless,

Steve


Are you sure you wouldn't like to have one in Steamboat Springs, Colorado area? [:D]



cynthia -> RE: Apologia (1/9/2008 7:17:54 PM)

Hey maybe we can turn him and his wife into traveling science and writing workshop teachers! lol [:D]



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