How do you manage advanced chemistry with homeschooling?

Question

Ok can understand that under 12 years of age there are home packs for experiments that you can buy, there are field experiments and science musuems but what about over 12 years of age. How do you manage with lab work, dangerous chemicals that need special storage, fume cupboards. How do you cope without gas taps, sockets and sinks on a bench in a close but safe distance? What about the more dangerous experiments that a teacher would demonstrate but still close to the pupils for them to see clearly? What about large expensive equipment?

How has this affected a university course that has a strong element of science? I am just interested and would like to hear about parents who homeschool or people who have been homeschooled to see how they dealt with these issues please.

Answer 1

There is a lot more you can do at home, and quite frankly, in the US not many high school students do chem labs that have chemicals like you've stated. I do remember taking basic chemistry at university and it started at the very beginning, there was no prerequisite lab.

Our plan is, if our kids want to take chemistry lab, then we'll do a coregistration with the local university. For a small fee, you can take college level classes starting at age 15.  They count not only as high school classes but also as a college course.

Answer 2

Well, my husband and I are both physician scientists, and hubby has his own lab, complete with postdoctoral employees that are happy to help out...but not everyone is so lucky.

We also have a local community college that has inexpensive laboratory classes.  If you don't have the community college, yes, there are safe chemistry experiments that you can do with a chemistry set you can purchase online.  The "fancy" equipment is not important, because in actual real life no nurse or physician ever touches that stuff.  Even my husband had to purchase the archaic lab stuff for the "basic" chemistry lab, because in a real lab, they are doing procedures light years ahead of the old "beaker and burner" thing.

Mainly, it is important to grasp the concepts.

Answer 3

My son attended an online charter school and he took 2 classes of chemistry. He was given an online virtual lab that was excellent.

Answer 4

In the US, universities require a certain number of science "credits" from high schoolers, including labs, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Chemistry. Some may do Biology, Physics, Earth Science, and so on.

For a homeschooler, Chemistry can be difficult, but not impossible. There are websites for homeschoolers doing higher level science. They sell beakers, flasks, test tubes, rubber tubing, stoppers, thermometers, alcohol lamps, metal frames/stands, safety equipment, storage containers, and a variety of chemicals/elements in small quantities at a much lower price than the public schools pay to stock up a whole lab. There are also guide books for homeschoolers studying chemistry that tell them how to use household products in labs, how to cunduct labs safely, guides to a number of higher level experiments that can be conducted (besides what you already have in your science book), and so on. As for demonstrations and the more dangerous experiments, many homeschoolers will take advantage of special demonstrations at science centers or even real labs. Others might see about sitting in on demonstrations at a local college. Some may even take their chemistry course at the community college. There are a number of options out there ifyou know where to look.

Answer 5

Working with dangerous chemicals isn't a prerequisite to university chemistry lab work. Doing some sort of lab work is. Being aware of precautions necessary for highly dangerous chemcials--and procedures like reading about the chemical beforehand, knowing of proper safety wear and disposal--can all be learned without actually using dangerous chemicals.

Furthermore, the demonstrations done in class are usually done for one of two reasons: to show more clearly what is being taught and to maintain interest in the subject matter. While demonstrations with highly dangerous chemicals can be very interesting and show you what the text is talking about, you don't actually need to go through the lab itself for the learning.

We have a chemistry kit designed for home use by students 12 and up that DOES have some mildly dangerous chemicals. Nothing that requires a hood or anything like that, but it's been a very good learning experience for the kids to take all precautions, set things up properly, read about proper disposal and everything else that is required for any kind of lab work. Not to mention that there are software programs you can buy and even online demonstrations of various chemistry labs that can be done at home. We did an online titration not long ago. Is it the same as having the equipment? Of course not. But it in no way hampers their understanding of the science nor the procedures.

I'll add that a number of high schools where I live only give the students one or two chemistry labs during the entire school year. If they're lucky--one high school science teacher told me that she knows of a few high schools where the students themselves don't get labs at all. They might also get a couple of demonstrations. If labs were that crucial to be prepared for university-level classes, these students would all struggle in university, but they don't.

Answer 6

There are several ways for a homeschooled student to learn Chemistry and other higher level courses.

One-at home.  Most experiments CAN be done at home-either actually performed or done virtually.  Equipment can be purchased or rented.

Two-at school.  Some states/districts allow homeschooled students to take courses at the local high school (mainly, because the state gets money for it).  

Three-at a co-op.  Many homeschoolers are a part of a co-op which has facilities for such.  The money from dues are used to purchase equipment for the benefit of the members, and if there is not a member parent with the knowledge to teach the subject, they hire someone qualified to do it.

Four-at college.  Many homeschooled students do dual enrollment and take college level classes for both high school and college credit.  Not only does this option supply the equipment and a knowledgable instructor, but it also saves time.

Answer 7

We have a cooperative education teacher who is also a university science professor teaching chemistry and biology.

We also have a new program starting up in conjunction with industry and a local university that offers a year long inter-disciplinary program covering chemistry, microscopy, biology and bio-medicine.  The program is taught by university professors and uses state-of-the-art equipment.

Another option available to pretty much any homeschooler is to obtain science lab experience at community college.

Keep in mind that many public school students barely get access and experience with laboratory equipment.