Considering Chemistry

Well, I had more preliminary things that felt like they needed saying, but Instagram overwhelming voted to Get On to the Books, Already! So here we are. I will just say that following multiple streams of science in the high school years requires a little forethought, not just about which books to use, but how to schedule them, i.e., don't leave all the hard ones for the same year, or overload one year with too many pages worth of reading and not enough time for observation, experimentation, and notebooking. Even if you decide to utilize textbooks, there is no rule that says they must be completed in year or, indeed, that they have to be completed at all. But we'll get those in a bit. Also, definitely do not take it that your student should read *all* the books in this post for a Full Credit of Chemistry or some such silliness. I'm just trying to help people choose by giving options and discussing a few pros and cons. 

If you'd like to follow a more living book approach, there are lots of options, so I'll touch on the few I'm most familiar with here: 

First up is Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry, I have the updated fourth edition, by Bernard Jaffee. This book is subtitled From Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission, and as suggested, it tells the history of chemical discovery through biographical chapters of scientists and discoverers. It is the most systematic coverage of chemistry of the books listed in this post, and yet it is still very readable. This is a fantastic way to learn - through the stories of real people who had real triumphs as well as real failures. It is somewhat similar to The Mystery of the Periodic Table, written for adults. The chronological organization helps the reader slowly build up chemical knowledge and vocabulary. This is a very "CM" title; it is interesting and engaging, and it would be a good fit for a child willing to put in the work of extracting the important concepts, and lends itself well to narration. The main downside is the lack of illustrations or diagrams in the book, so supplementation is needed, as well as lab work, if one wanted to make a lab course using this book as the spine. 

Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules that Changed History by Penny Le Couteur. If you're familiar with Ambleside Online you'll recognize this book as part of their Year 8 science curriculum, but it too is definitely high school level. My eldest three children and myself all enjoyed this book, it is a great living title, covering an interesting mix of science and history, explaining the chemistry of the commonplace. However, when it came to my fourth child, she read a couple chapters over a term before declaring to me that she "didn't understand it, and hadn't learned one thing." A little more probing and we discovered that she did not have the foundation necessary to understand it - she had little concept of atoms and almost no idea of bonds and molecules. It is true that she had read The Mystery of the Periodic Table just two years before in AO year 6, but it seemed she hadn't given that book the attention it was due either. We paused Napoleon and chose a short text to fill those foundational gaps, but all that to say - you might want to make sure your student is prepared for this book if you choose to include it in your school. This title definitely deserves a pre-read, or at least a perusal of the possible problem areas, which Ambleside Online has so helpfully noted here.

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Dr. Joe Schwarcz. This is an even more "popular science" title than the last and may be a good fit for students whose interests lie elsewhere than in the sciences, but who still need either a wide feast spread before them, or a requirement met.  Conversely, perusal of this book might inspire a student's interest in something they hadn't previously considered and spark new love for chemistry. The biggest downside to this book, in my opinion, is that it is only loosely organized; however the chapters are short and the reading easy, devoid of technical jargon. I have only skimmed this title, and that not recently, so I cannot speak to any inappropriate/objectionable material, and therefore I recommend pre-reading it first, as there may be things to note for discussion or skipping.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks. An enjoyable memoir that highlighted the ways Sacks' curiosity and interest in science led him to experiment with and understand the nature of many common elements and chemicals. I felt much respect for his parents while reading this, for the ways in which they both encouraged his interest, and (mostly) tolerated his blowing stuff up. Interspersed with his own life, he highlights the discoveries of scientists like Davy, Dalton, and Curie. This is a great title for picking up important scientific concepts effortlessly. 

There are two things to note in this title: Sacks occasionally gets off track writing. In chapter 19 he describes his first org*sm (at a young age, randomly by himself in a pool). In chapter 22 he casually mentions how his mother (in a midwifery capacity) occasionally drowned disabled/malformed newborns. For sensitive readers, these chapters could both be skipped without detriment to the overall story, but for mature readers, I highly recommend this title. </>

      

Finally, I want to suggest Theodore Gray's fantastic trio of books: The Elements, Molecules, and Reactions. Again, if you're familiar with AO's Year 6, you might recognize The Elements, but don't let its placement, or the plentitude of photographs fool you - this book (and the other two) was written for adults. In The Elements, Gray looks at each of the 118 elements in turn and discusses their properties, their common (and uncommon) forms, and how they are most often used (or not). There's also a short section at the beginning of the book about the format of the periodic table and how it got that way, that acts as a helpful primer. The second book, Molecules, explores (according to the jacket flap): "the most interesting, essential, useful, and beautiful of the missions of chemical structures that make up every material in the world." But you'll learn some scientific concepts here too, if you wish: he begins with a discussion of how atoms bond to form molecules and compounds, and organic vs. inorganic chemistry. Gray then goes on to explore soaps and solvents, goops and oils, rocks and ores, smells and colors. Parents should be aware that Gray purposely addresses drugs (legal and illegal), sweeteners (natural and artificial), and controversial compounds. Again, this is an adult book, and some of his comments may be unsuitable for younger students, and you may not agree with his conclusions on opioids, Splenda, thimerosal, or CFCs. I recommend pre-reading, at least those sections of most concern. Reactions, the final book, is a recent acquisition of mine, and as such I've not had the time to peruse is very thoroughly, but it purports to demonstrate how molecules interact and change in essential ways, while explaining such chemical concepts as energy and entropy, and how time affects all. In all three books, Gray's enthusiasm for his subject shines through, and I feel like a student could learn a lot more from these books than from your average chemistry text.  Though the same could probably be said about all the books mentioned here today. 

Sidenote: my son will (most likely) be reading Molecules and Reactions, along with Drawing Physics and some labs/experiments/demonstrations for a high school credit of Physical Science. Just thought I'd mention it in case that option appeals to someone else as well. Remember that if your students are looking to apply to college, they will probably need to show some type of lab credit. This doesn't have to be as hard as it sounds! But that's a topic for another post. 

ETA: None of these links are affiliate links - I make absolutely no money off this masterpiece of a blog, lol. They are simply there for your ease - to quickly get a bit more info about a book. I ALWAYS recommend shopping around, buying second hand, and supporting small businesses. <3 

Shakespeare for kids

I have a secret: I don't read Shakespeare to young children.

Now some of you are like, I don't read Shakespeare at all! And I hear that. But in some homeschool circles, my little confession might seem very shocking. But I don't teach Shakespeare to grammar level/form I/II/III /elementary age students, and I will explain why.

So the Bard: Plot line: net very original, nothing special. Star crossed lovers, the Bad Boys of history, bottom line, he was looking for things that would make a good show, not trying to influence the course of the English language for centuries to come. That was just a happy coincidence. Besides, his plays were written for adults, and such, contain adult themes.

 No, the real reason to read Shakespeare is for the language, for his way expressing human emotion and feeling.  Words and phrases invented by Will are still in use today. And even though y'all know (or should know!) that I'm all about reading vocabulary-rich literature to children, there's a time and a place for everything. And the time for deciphering brilliant-but-archaic-poetic language is, in my opinion, not until age 12, at least. High school for some students.

Sure, you could read any of the many wonderfully done children's adaptations, but without the language, what's the point? Would you really be reading that story if it had any other name on it than William Shakespeare? 

Despite this belief, we have, as you can see, a fair amount of the Bard's plays in picture book format. In fact, this one (published by Candlewick) is one of my children's favorites. And I like them because even if you're an adult, it's incredibly helpful to have some prior knowledge of the plot before you dive into the original plays. If you're a visual person, having some illustrations can help you keep characters straight. Plus, they're just kinda fun :D Although my daughter tells me I should warn you that all the people in William's book have "kissy lips." ;D  

Medieval literature

So in continuation of an older post, in which I discussed a few books about the Middle Ages for middle schoolers, I thought I'd talk about some literature selections about the same, for the same. I don't feel it necessary to ALWAYS correspond EVERYTHING we read to our particular time period, but often times there is key literature that I wouldn't want to miss.

The Legends of King Arthur are just such. Whether you believe in a historical Arthur or not, the legends surrounding him and his noble knights have for centuries represented western civilization's ideals of integrity, bravery, and virtue. Furthermore, any well written version of the tales will raise important issues for discussion; topics like the responsibility of the rulers toward the ruled and the consequences of sin. As with Greek mythology, a familiarity with  the stories brings greater depth of understanding to almost anything else you will read in the English language.

And like Greek mythology, translations and retellings of Arthurian legends abound. It is not the intention of this post (or any future one, likely) to try to cover or compare all of them, but I will discuss the three I am most familiar with, in the hopes that I might be helpful to someone.

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green - of the three I've listed, this is probably the most accessible, easy to read version. Twenty-two chapters beginning with the boy Arthur pulling forth the sword from the stone, and ending in the culmination of events which the death of King Arthur brought about. 

The Story of King Arthur and his Knights by Howard Pyle- I absolutely love Pyle's storytelling, and the beautiful ways in which he uses language. Here is an excerpt we recently came across:

For when a man is king among men, as was King Arthur, then he is of such a calm and equal temper that neither victory nor defeat may cause him to become either unduly exalted in his own opinion or so troubled in spirit as to be altogether cast down into despair....Yea, he who is a true king of men, will not say to himself, "Lo! I am worthy to be crowned with laurels;" but rather will he say to himself, "What more is there that I may do to make the world better because if my endeavors?"    

It may be helpful to note that Pyle's book does not cover the fall of Camelot or Arthur's death.

The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch - This would be a good option for the child who is a strong reader or that has a keen interest in Arthurian legends. There is easily enough material in Bulfinch's version to constitute an entire (school) year's worth of readings.

Stay tuned for my next post, where I will cover Chaucer and Ivanhoe, and possibly Shakespeare! And tell me, what is your experience with King Arthur? Are you a Sir Thomas Malory aficionado, or is it Disney's Sword in the the Stone all the way?

Also, check out my new Instagram account (and follow me!), @BiblioBites, where I will be posting pics and thoughts about some of my favorite books on a (near) daily basis!