We used Shepherd Science for Biology and Chemistry 101 for Chemistry. Both are excellent DVD resources. We did use Apologia for General and Physical Science.

We've used Apologia with our girls, and while the texts have been hard, they have been excellent in teaching our children how to study and learn from a textbook, which is what they will encounter throughout their college years. For chemistry, though, we are using Friendly Chemistry - and are loving it! I've matched up the Friendly Chemistry chapters with the Apologia modules, and the concepts are virtually the same. However, the Friendly Chemistry is not focused on memorizing everything under the sun, like Apologia tends to do. Friendly Chemistry chapters are also much shorter, so when they are tested on a concept, it is on one main concept, not 10-20 concepts all at once. It's been a great fit!

Dear Lois,

I saw your blog comment and I wanted to make sure to respond to you directly as well.

If you have read my posts on science, you probably know I'm a huge fan with Apologia, but I'm actually not a huge fan of the Physical Science or General Science books used in middle school. For some reason, those two books are not as enjoyable for teens - I've heard from many that they are too dry, not as interesting, and too hard. I guess what I'm saying is that it's probably not YOU, it's probably the book. Just do your best, but at the same time, don't be afraid to use Biology or Chemistry next year - it's a completely different ball of wax

You might also consider the possibility that this science is an area they just don't enjoy. If that is the case, remember to put your weak area first. I have another blog post about that here: Putting Weak Areas First http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/first-things-first/3379/

Blessings,
Lee

The trouble we have with Apologia is it's just HARD! It's hard to keep up with the one module every 2 weeks. I've tried eliminating some of the requirements, like the on your own or the study guide questions, but then I find they don't "know it." Since life is not easy, and what you like may not be the best thing for you, I've encouraged my two to press on. They are in physical science and Human Body. I have spent time and time agains searching for a different curriculum each time they complain about something, and if I let them choose something, they wouldn't choose anything! I've started letting them orally answer the study guide questions with me. My high schooler taking anatomy was able to explain to me what one of the questions meant! I told her if she is able to explain something to her non-science mother, then she was understanding it adequately. She doesn't have to emerge with a medical degree.

I had the same problem. I found Biology 101 DVD series for my very visual learner. She loves it. The author applies each concept to every day life which is very important to my daughter. I highly recommend it. They also have Chemistry 101 and are working on Physics. I will be buying all of them.

Because one of your children may struggle with a science curriculum, please don't rule out science as something they don't love. Like Lee said, it could be the curriculum, not the subject. I have used Apologia with almost all four of my children. The first three loved it, but the last one struggled and there were tears with the general science so we stopped using it and have found a different curriculum. She is a great lover of science, and I didn't want her to end up hating it and thinking science wasn't her her thing (she is interested in science as a career choice). Curriculum, with any subject, is not a 'one size fits all', and the great thing about homeschooling is that we are not limited in what we use to educate our children.

I've had a curriculum work one year, and not the next. I've even started to consider methods of schooling I'd previously not thought of, and methods of schooling that I'd previously dismissed out of hand. The point is - read up on methods, approaches, and get thee to a convention. I gave one of my kids a list of required subjects, some suggestions of vendors to look at for those subjects, and turned her loose at the convention. After 2-3 hours, she took me to her favorite vendors. I purchased most of her faves with no qualms, and some we negotiated. This might not work for some, but it worked very well for us.

Yes! Not everything is a good fit for everyone. This is why I sometimes hesitate to recommend curriculum to another homeschooling mom. I know how easy it is to make a (bad) curriculum decision based on someone else's success.