In this review of Chemistry 101, you’ll learn how we used it, what you can expect from the curriculum, and additional recommendations.
We used Biology 101 last year, so when our dyslexic student was heading into high school chemistry, we knew that it was essential for us to use Chemistry 101.
You can find all their video courses on the 101 Series site:
- Biology 101
- Chemistry 101
- Physics 101
- General Science 101
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
What is Chemistry 101
The 101 Series from Westfield Studios does a fabulous job at giving a big picture overview of the subject. This is especially important for your dyslexic students who can’t just dive into a nitty-gritty science textbook and make sense of it all.
Additionally, your visual learners will appreciate the stunning videos and explanations much more than simply reading a black and white text.
Chemistry 101: An Overview of God’s Chemical World is a DVD curriculum written at a high school level from a Christian worldview. There are four discs that include 19 individual segments. Total running time of the videos is just under 11 hours.
The DVD lessons are the heart of the program. They provide the foundation of chemistry knowledge that your student needs to understand.
The discs also include a guidebook with quizzes and suggestions for turning this into a one-year high school course.
The Guidebook includes print versions of the DVD lesson content. Additionally, there are discussion questions for each chapter and a quiz for each section.
Since high school credits typically require between 120-180 hours of study, you can easily meet this threshold requirement with the resources in Chemistry 101.
In addition to the video lessons, they include about 155 hours of projects and over 30 hours of labs.
Of course, flexibility in how you use curriculum is one of the best parts of homeschooling, and this program is totally flexible! I’ll share below how we chose to use it.
Scope & Sequence
Here are the topics of the video lessons:
The Road to the Periodic Table
- Introduction & The Last Alchemist
- Birth of modern Chemistry
- The Bold Russian
- Lots of Mystery Rays
- The Likeable Rutherford
- The Periodic Table at Last!
- The Periodic Table – Main Group
- The Periodic Table & Quantum Mechanics
Chemistry Essentials
- Neutrons, Isotopes and Ions
- Compounds and Molecules
- Balancing Equations
- Essentials Wrap-up
Meet the Elements
- The Four Main Columns
- Non-Metals and Poor metals
- Transitoin Metals
- Rare Earth & Radioactive Metals
The Future
- The Future of Chemistry
Here’s an example of the type of work required in the course for one of the segments.
In addition to the video lessons, your student can complete these tasks for each section:
- Using the DVDs and Guidebook
- Making a Chemistry 101 Notebook to record all your work
- Research and lab reports
- Interesting discussion questions
- Conducting labs using items mostly found around your home
- Taking field trips
- Using resources on the web and at your local library
Your student can complete one segment every two weeks for a complete credit in high school chemistry.
How We Used It
Finally, as part of this Chemistry 101 Review, I want to let you know how we’ve been using it in our homeschool.
We are using Chemistry 101 as a supplement to Friendly Chemistry for our high schooler. Using both together has been a great fit. We use the Chemistry 101 videos for an overview of the topic, then dive into the other curriculum for additional practice and work. When we hit a new topic, we watch the appropriate Chemistry 101 video.
While this is geared toward high school students, I find myself drawn to the videos. I would have loved to hear these explanations when I was in high school! Plus, younger siblings sometimes wander in the room and stay a while because the content is so engaging and interesting.
My high schooler is very happy with the format and style of the teaching in Chemistry 101. He doesn’t feel talked down to. And it gives him a clearer understanding of the topic before he dives into more detailed work.
Even if your kids are using another chemistry curriculum as the main spine, I would still suggest getting Chemistry 101 as a supplement and reinforcement of big concepts.
However, there is absolutely enough content included to use this as your main high school chemistry course. It’s up to you!
We hope this Chemistry 101 Review has given you enough information to decide if it would be a good fit in your homeschool.
