The past several weeks, Brock has been diving into the world of chemistry thanks to Fascinating Education‘s online chemistry course, Fascinating Chemistry. This course is designed to be a high school science course although according to their website some middle school age students are able to successfully complete it. For this review, I received access to Fascinating Chemistry for one year.
Fascinating Chemistry teaches the four ways that atoms bond to each other in order create molecules, and the properties of those resulting molecules. The lessons are presented in terms that allow even the non-science learners to understand how these special molecular properties explain everyday events such as water freezing, nuclear energy, metals, and weather.
Dr. Margulies uses the “right hemisphere” of the brain to teach science. In order to accomplish this, he uses simple, colorful illustrations and audio instead of written text as the primary teaching tool. The student is shown a slide while the audio clip teaches the lesson. The student can also print off the text and follow along as he/she listens to the lesson.
Fascinating Chemistry is divided into 19 Lessons; eighteen of the lessons also have an online test that the student takes to make sure they are retaining the lesson. All nineteen lessons feature the audio/visual clip and the option to view the written script that goes along with the audio.
How Did We Use Fascinating Chemistry?
At first, Brock would listen to an entire lesson at a time. However, we found that the amount of information he was given during the 45 minute lesson was such that it was hard for him to retain it all. So we started breaking it down into smaller bite-size chunks so that he could remember it all. This seems to work well for him. He has a better grasp on the concepts and is doing a much better job on the tests at the end of each lesson.
Although the program is laid out in lessons, it does not keep track of how far you have gone. This is good in that it allows the student to go back and redo those parts that he/she may need more work on; however he/she does need to keep track of their progress through the course.
What Did We Think About Fascinating Chemistry?
Brock has really enjoyed the course. He likes the style in which the material is presented and has done well with the lessons. Our plan is for him to complete the course and receive a high school credit for chemistry.
I plan to start adding in the Chemistry Labs to give him that experience as well (he is really looking forward to the labs!)
What Other Courses Are Offered By Fascinating Education?
In addition to the chemistry course, Fascinating Education also provides a biology and a physics class. Other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew reviewed those courses as well.
Blessings,
Jennifer
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Very cool!