8th grade Science.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I should have said "officially the county MIGHT still use the Holt Physical Science book" but when I left the county in 2015 we were already to the point of only using it as a classroom supplement at many schools.

There are a couple different editions. Does it matter which one? Thanks.

Yes it does matter. There are multiple editions and levels of this book. If you really want to know what book they are using contact your middle school and ask to speak with the chair of the science department. Given that it's summer you might not get an immediate response but at least you will know who to email.
As I said though, having this book is really not all that helpful. The bulk of this course is really based on the lab books and curriculum that the county produces. There is no way to get these books before your kid is in the course (or after they would have been enrolled if you missed 8th grade). You cannot learn this curriculum from a Physical Science textbook.
I'm still curious what your rationale is for wanting this book.

I’m a DP from the OP who is also interested in obtaining a text book. We prefer hard copies of textbooks at home to use as reference. Really helps me (parent) with background knowledge so I can re explain stuff to my kid before a quiz or test. He doesn’t absorb everything from the verbal discussions and slide shows.

the issue here is that the Holt Physical Science book (if they even still use it) doesn't really follow the curriculum that FCPS uses. You are better off looking at their program of studies. The FCPS 8th grade curriculum is quite advanced - I would argue that it matches a 10th grade chem class in a lot of schools. 10 years ago we were covering topics that were beyond what is necessary for 8th graders and based on what my kid did in his class just a few years ago I would say that hasn't changed. The lab books that the county issues have a lot of information in them and your child's teacher will likely give them full access to any slide shows. More and more, textbooks are simply a thing of the past.

You don’t get it. Kids don’t learn well from online slide shows. We need real text.

Clearly you don’t get it, the PP is saying this is NOT an accurate reflection/resource for the curriculum. There may only be 1-2 units where this textbook would apply.

Can you or someone else tell me which of these units are so special that OP can't use a book to give themselves the content knowledge necessary to help their kid with homework? Or the ones that can't be learned from a book by a student?

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle/science/grade-8-physical-science

+1 LOL. Love this. Which units are so special that only a lab book created by FCPS can be used?! Hilarious.

Most of them. There are no textbooks produced by any of the big book publishers that are as in-depth as the FCPS curriculum. As stated before, the 8th-grade FCPS program is higher level than most middle school text books. To get a textbook that was appropriate you would have to combine some of the units from a 10th grade chem book with a middle school physical science book. But clearly, this post is being dominated by parent experts who know way more than any experienced teacher. It's no wonder teachers are leaving the profession in droves. So many of you don't trust us, think our experience is meaningless, and figure that since you did school as a student you know everything.

Can you give an example of a topic or level of detail or something else covered by the 8th grade FCPS curriculum that isn't covered by any of the big book publishers? I can't see it looking at the website What, but that might not be detailed enough to cover what makes FCPS special. I'm not a "parent expert" either, whatever that means, hence why I asked. What about non-big book publishers? Do any of their books cover what's in the FCPS curriculum?

P.S. I can see how my questions phrasing might have been inflammatory, and I apologize for any perceived malice my previous questions may have caused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I should have said "officially the county MIGHT still use the Holt Physical Science book" but when I left the county in 2015 we were already to the point of only using it as a classroom supplement at many schools.

There are a couple different editions. Does it matter which one? Thanks.

Yes it does matter. There are multiple editions and levels of this book. If you really want to know what book they are using contact your middle school and ask to speak with the chair of the science department. Given that it's summer you might not get an immediate response but at least you will know who to email.
As I said though, having this book is really not all that helpful. The bulk of this course is really based on the lab books and curriculum that the county produces. There is no way to get these books before your kid is in the course (or after they would have been enrolled if you missed 8th grade). You cannot learn this curriculum from a Physical Science textbook.
I'm still curious what your rationale is for wanting this book.

I’m a DP from the OP who is also interested in obtaining a text book. We prefer hard copies of textbooks at home to use as reference. Really helps me (parent) with background knowledge so I can re explain stuff to my kid before a quiz or test. He doesn’t absorb everything from the verbal discussions and slide shows.

the issue here is that the Holt Physical Science book (if they even still use it) doesn't really follow the curriculum that FCPS uses. You are better off looking at their program of studies. The FCPS 8th grade curriculum is quite advanced - I would argue that it matches a 10th grade chem class in a lot of schools. 10 years ago we were covering topics that were beyond what is necessary for 8th graders and based on what my kid did in his class just a few years ago I would say that hasn't changed. The lab books that the county issues have a lot of information in them and your child's teacher will likely give them full access to any slide shows. More and more, textbooks are simply a thing of the past.

You don’t get it. Kids don’t learn well from online slide shows. We need real text.

Clearly you don’t get it, the PP is saying this is NOT an accurate reflection/resource for the curriculum. There may only be 1-2 units where this textbook would apply.

Can you or someone else tell me which of these units are so special that OP can't use a book to give themselves the content knowledge necessary to help their kid with homework? Or the ones that can't be learned from a book by a student?

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle/science/grade-8-physical-science

+1 LOL. Love this. Which units are so special that only a lab book created by FCPS can be used?! Hilarious.

Most of them. There are no textbooks produced by any of the big book publishers that are as in-depth as the FCPS curriculum. As stated before, the 8th-grade FCPS program is higher level than most middle school text books. To get a textbook that was appropriate you would have to combine some of the units from a 10th grade chem book with a middle school physical science book. But clearly, this post is being dominated by parent experts who know way more than any experienced teacher. It's no wonder teachers are leaving the profession in droves. So many of you don't trust us, think our experience is meaningless, and figure that since you did school as a student you know everything.

Can you give an example of a topic or level of detail or something else covered by the 8th grade FCPS curriculum that isn't covered by any of the big book publishers? I can't see it looking at the website What, but that might not be detailed enough to cover what makes FCPS special. I'm not a "parent expert" either, whatever that means, hence why I asked. What about non-big book publishers? Do any of their books cover what's in the FCPS curriculum?

P.S. I can see how my questions phrasing might have been inflammatory, and I apologize for any perceived malice my previous questions may have caused.

Since you asked for specifics here is an example I can think of off the top of my head:
FCPS does a great deal of chemistry in 8th grade. Topics include atomic structure, trends on the periodic table, in-depth discussions of the families on the periodic table, ionic and covalent bonding, chemical formulas, and balancing chemical equations. Several of these areas of chemistry are covered in general textbooks at the surface level and others are not. Even the Next Generation Science Standards doesn't think it's necessary for 8th graders to balance chemical equations and yet FCPS persists in wanting students to master this skill. Quite frankly, it's something that SOME 8th graders can get pretty good at but MANY struggle with. I cannot tell you how many kids came back to me while taking 10th-grade chem and said "OMG! Now I understand it. I was just not ready for this in 8th grade". (ps. some 10th graders struggle with this skill too!). Another chem concept that is taught in 8th grade is solubility. FCPS expects 8th graders to read and manipulate the information in solubility curve charts. Again, this is a concept that is tough for many 10th graders and is shown with, at best, a brief illustration in most middle school texts.