<p>Which is better:</p>
<p>To take Geometry before Alg II (or vice versa) State reasons, please</p>
<p>To take AP US History befor AP Euro (or vice versa) State reasons, please</p>
<p>To take Bio then AP Bio then Chem then AP Chem (or some other order)</p>
<p>Take Geometry before Algebra 2 if you have not taken FCAT yet. Even so, still take Geomery before algebra 2 because some thigns in geometry are used in algebra 2 such as parabolas and stuff.</p>
<p>Take AP US History before AP European History because AP European History is generally offered after that due to material and the structure of the course. </p>
<p>Take AP Chemistry before AP Biology because Chemistry is used in Biology. Plus, if you came straight out of Chemistry, AP Chem would be better before AP bio. The order I would choose is Chem then AP Chem, then AP bio and then AP physics</p>
<p>Do your schools let you take AP Bio and AP Physics without having to take reg Bio and Physics first??? Our school requires the reg classes first.</p>
<p>Oboe: </p>
<p>What is FCAT???</p>
<p>Geometry and then Alg II is the only way we can do it at my school. I think AP US is easier that AP Euro, plus at my school the only options are taking US then Euro or both at the same time. Chemistry is necessary for AP Bio, so I’d do Bio, then Chem, then AP Bio and/or AP chem with a Physics class somewhere in there.</p>
<p>according to our district math coordinator, the Alg 1, Geom, Alg II sequence was adopted solely for the SAT back in the ancient days when only future einstein’s took Alg in middle school. He claims that the sequencing really doesn’t matter, based on what little research there is on the subject.</p>
<p>At my school, almost everyone takes Geometry sophmore year so if you take Alg II freshman yr (like I did) then you take Geometry. Some people take Alg I freshman year, Geometry sophmore year, then Alg II junior year. I don’t really know which way is better, but if I had a choice I would do AlgI (in 8th grade)- Geom(fr) -AlgII(so) -PreCal(jr) - APCalc(sr)</p>
<p>At my school you have to take APUSH before AP Euro. APUSH is a 2 year course at my school so people take that soph&jr year then if they want to they take AP Euro sr year. At my school AP Euro is harder and it’s only 1 yr so it’s faster, so it’s easier to start with APUSH to learn how to do DBQs etc</p>
<p>As for sciences I would take:
Freshman: Biology
Soph: Chemistry
Jr: Physics, AP Chem
Sr: AP Bio
This is the recommended way at my school and it seems to work well. I would definitely advise taking AP Chem the yr right after regular/honors Chem.</p>
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<p>This is the way it is done at my school as well, and I think it makes sense. First, half of algebra II is done in algebra I, so doing the classes consecutively doesn’t really make sense. By taking the year off and doing geometry, algebra II is much more productive.</p>
<p>Geometry starts introducing some ideas that are very helpful for more advanced math - the concept of logic, proofs over intuition, theorems and definitions. The earlier you get these the better.</p>
<p>j - I believe the FCATs are Florida’s high-stakes standardized tests for hs students.</p>
<p>Fwiw, our NY school requires Geometry before Algebra II. 10th graders may take AP Euro; only juniors may take AP US History.</p>
<p>The usual science sequence in our school for honors/accelerated track: Earth Science (8th), Bio (9th), and Chem (10th). Most science-oriented kids then do Physics, with the AP taught as a supplement to the hs curriculum (11th), and either AP Chem or AP Bio as seniors. You can take 2 AP sciences in a year if you like, though few do.</p>
<p>My kids take it this way</p>
<p>9th… Geo…Bio… World History
10th …Alg II…chem…AP US
11th … PreCal…AP Bio & .Physics…AP Euro
12th…AP Cal…AP Chem …AP Gov…AP English</p>
<p>I’m just wondering if this is the best sequencing…</p>
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<p>My son wanted to take AP Chem after Chem but his Chem teacher was SO BAD (fired at the end of the year) that we just didn’t think that he was “well prepared” for AP Chem. The school hired an awesome new Chem/AP Chem teacher and s is going to find out what he needs to do so that he can take her AP class next year and not be overwelmed. S got an A in chem but teacher was soooooo bad that he didn’t really learn anything. They only did 2 labs the whole year and one of them was making “rock candy”.</p>
<p>At our school, the following is possible:</p>
<p>9th grade: Bio (concepts) or Bio (mathematical) or Bio (Hons)
10th grade:Chem (concepts) or Chem (math) or Chem (Hons)
11th grade: Phys.(concepts) or Phys (math) or Phys.(Hons) or AP Physics I or/and AP Bio
12th grade: AP Bio or AP Phys I or AP Phys.II or AP Chem or AP Env.</p>
<p>You actually cannot take AP Chem at our school right after regular Chem. unless you are concurrently enrolled in a physics class. We have had a similar experience to yours with the Bio teacher, who was fired at the end of a year of not teaching my son’s class.</p>
<p>You can only take AP US as a Senior at our H.S. However you can take AP Euro as early as Sophomore year.</p>
<p>I don’t know all the specifics to all the questions you asked, but at my D’s high school, one can take AP Bio as a sophomore (without taking reg Bio first). Kids take either reg Bio or AP Bio as sophomores. They reserve 60 places for AP Bio, and you have to have a high GPA as a freshman to qualify. They generally take Chemistry as juniors. The school doesn’t offer AP chem.</p>
<p>Take AP USH as a junior–then you can take the SAT2 in USH in May or June of junior year.</p>
<p>The sequence at our school is much like Jlauer except for our history–which goes world, AP Euro, then AP US.</p>
<p>Have you considered taking Geometry and Alg II concurrently? My daughter’s HS is on a semester schedule with Honors math classes that meet on alternate days. That’s worked out well for her. Thanks to the semester schedule, she’s been able to complete Honors Bio and Honors Chem this year so as a sophomore will take AP Bio. School sequence is AP Euro (sophomore), APUSH (junior) and AP Gov (senior).</p>
<p>I homeschooled my daughter so was able to choose whatever sequences I wanted. I assume you have the flexibility at your school to select the order? Not all schools allow this …</p>
<p>The math question you raise is one that is raised quite often. I never saw any reason for splitting algebra in two and inserting geometry in the middle other than the historical one. It used to be that many schools only required one year of algebra and one year of geometry to graduate. And thus the traditional sequence was born.</p>
<p>For some, it helps to have all of algebra presented chronologically. They can then see how things fit together. They also don’t need the extended review of algebra 1 built into algebra 2 because less will be forgotten. Actually I think prealgebra and algebra can easily be covered in two years this way and this is what we did – but you obviously don’t have the same flexibility in a traditional school. The second year of algebra in the traditional sequence ends up being a recap of first year, some new material, and then something else worked in (a number of books have some trig, my son’s school worked in what they called “analysis” but I’ve never been clear on what that was).</p>
<p>You don’t mention your grade. If you took algebra 1 in 9th grade, I can see the reason for taking geometry in 10th – the PSAT in 11th. If you took algebra 1 earlier, this isn’t a concern.</p>
<p>As far as US History versus Euro, this wasn’t a choice we made because it made more sense to us to handle all world history chronologically over a number of years. Given a choice (unless the US History course is the easier at your school), I would say take Euro first. It then gives you a background and setting for what happened in the US – Europe being far more important and influential in the world until you get into the 20th century.</p>
<p>Finally, given the four science courses you list, if it were me, I would go biology, chemistry, AP Chemistry, and the AP Biology. Certainly it is useful to have had at least some chemistry prior to college-level biology. My son, at a private school, took two years of physics, then AP Biology, and finally AP Chemistry (no preliminary biology or chemistry courses – yes, this can be done). He found the AP Biology a bit difficult because it assumed a certain amount of knowledge of chemistry, which he had to pick up at the same time. (The teacher also only went through a fraction of the book, this being the first time she ever attempted the course. He had to self-study huge chunks of material prior to taking the test …)</p>
<p>Actually, a growing number of places have joined the “physics first” movement, believing that physics concepts underlie chemistry (which underlies biology). So, for instance, this is the sequence used in our local math/science magnet. The only real objection I’ve heard is that students lack the math to handle physics. But a year of algebra (and a few minutes learning some basic trig) is all that seems to be necessary. There are some people who don’t think you get real physics unless it is calculus-based, but this would mean most people couldn’t take it until college.</p>
<p>The sequence I used with my daughter was physics/astronomy, chemistry, physical geology, then biology, using college texts for each without difficulty (and science isn’t her thing either). I have another book that tries to present the basic concepts of all science in an integrated fashion. I notice that this is the sequence the authors found it useful to follow.</p>
<p>Just my opinion … through the years I’ve seen a number of discussions about math, history, and science sequences on homeschooling boards and agreement is NEVER reached :)</p>
<p>DianeR;</p>
<p>Thanks for such a great post. Lots of info!</p>
<p>Take bio, chem, Ap bio, and then ap chem. Ap chem and Ap bio can be flipped. But take chem before Ap bio, it will help.</p>