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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

There are a couple different editions. Does it matter which one? Thanks.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

[b]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. [/quote][/b]

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 [b]will likely give them full access to any slide shows.  [/b]More and more, textbooks are simply a thing of the past.[/quote]

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

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.[/quote]
[b]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? [/b]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[/quote]

As stated before - the FCPS curriculum is heavily lab-based.  When I taught this course we did multiple labs per week (that was before block scheduling so I'm not sure how they are dealing with this now but I suspect they are doing at least 2 per week).  The curriculum is based almost exclusively on the lab books (written by FCPS) that coordinate with the 4 units.  They have flipped to doing some of the physics early in the year as there is a lot of physics on the SOL.  There is a huge amount of Chemistry in this course.  The physical science book that the county used to use (and might still but I doubt it) covers some of the basics of this course but does not go nearly as deep as the lab books and standard program of studies that the county uses.
In addition, a portion of the fourth quarter is always devoted to SOL review.  The 8th-grade SOL covers 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade science, and all students who are in 8th grade (regardless of where they went to 6th or 7th) are required to take the test.  Since most FCPS 6th graders are in elementary school, not middle school there is little control/coordination with what is taught in 6th grade.  This leaves many 8th-grade teachers to spend a chunk of the 4th quarter playing catch-up/reviewing and teaching many of the 6th-grade concepts and reviewing many 7th grade ones so that students have a chance of passing the test.  [/quote]

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