imeverywoman Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I'm pulling transcript info as I type and wonder what, if anything, those of you who have used Apologia have added to it to prepare your student for the AP exam. Thanks, y'all. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 You're talking about two different things. Your student can sit for the AP exam without any definite coursework. Calling the course AP on the transcript requires an act of congress, er, the College Board :) Here's more information. FWIW, my dd sat for the chemistry and English language AP exams a few weeks ago. Her transcript won't say Advanced placement chemistry - I may call it Honors Chemistry or something like that - but her transcript *will* have her AP test scores. Clear as mud? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I'm pulling transcript info as I type and wonder what, if anything, those of you who have used Apologia have added to it to prepare your student for the AP exam. Thanks, y'all. :) We did not use Apologia, but my son did take the AP Bio Exam in '08. We used the big Campbell Bio text. May I recommend that you download course information from the College Board, then examine several online syllabi for courses that have passed the AP audit. Your library may have several prep books on their shelf, otherwise you can buy one from your favorite book seller. Additionally you will need the lab manual for the twelve recommended AP Biology labs. Your home classroom may not have all of the equipment to perform these labs (haven't encountered electrophoresis equipment in anyone's kitchen yet!) but websites like Lab Bench will help you work through virtual versions of those labs for which you lack materials. There is great breadth to the material covered on the exam. In some ways, it is all quite overwhelming. With the aforementioned materials in front of you (course description from the CB, sample syllabi, lab outlines), you can determine a plan of attack and perhaps see the gaps which may be in your selected curriculum. It may be to your advantage to choose an alternate text, one of the recommended books on the College Board list. Your gaps may be fewer. Best, Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiec Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Some PDF links to help from the DIVE science folks ~ I don't think most would consider Apologia as AP material (and we use it). And yes, to put AP on the transcript, you must get it approved in advance by the College Board. However, here is a link I'm using to bump up the Apologia Chemistry this year to an AP type course (which I will call honors) and some information to adapt Biology as well that may be helpful ~ one using internet resources and one combines the Apologia Anatamony and Physiology to the couse: (this is from the DIVE folks) http://www.diveintomath.com/clipart/3027AuWn.pdf Or http://www.diveintomath.com/clipart/525AuWn.pdf Edited May 26, 2009 by debbiec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiec Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 This may or may not be helpful ~ MIT AP Biology helps for teachers/students (FREE) http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/biology/biology/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imeverywoman Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 You've offered enough to keep me busy for a while. :) I can see that I have my work cut out for me, but I am looking forward to tackling this project. I think. :) Nevertheless, thank you for taking the time to post your many detailed responses. I will use them all as I take the next step on this, my last leg of the journey. Kindest regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crosseyedparent Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 It is my understanding that Apologia's Biology and Advanced Biology (Anatomy and Physiology) combined are enough to prepare a student for an AP or CLEP test. You may want to confirm that from Apologia though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 My homeschool association allows me to give honors credit for Apologia HS courses if we finish and do all the labs. That is different than AP, but you get a weighted grade, I think .5 above, but check me on that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Also, in my experience, AP bio is a ginormous step up from Apologia biology (and we use and like Apologia ;)). Ds1 took AP bio after completing Apologia bio and chemistry. I expected an indepth bio class; I was surprised by the chemistry required as well as the sheer amount of time it took ds to complete it each week. IMO, you can't really make Apologia into an AP bio class. You need another college-level text altogether (or additionally at least) and resources for the 12 labs. If my other dc end up doing AP bio, I'll definitely have them complete Apologia bio and chemistry first. HTH, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev in B'ville Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 using Campbell's book. If you use Apologia you will have to make sure to supplement with something that covers evolutionary theory in detail as that topic is covered quite thoroughly on the AP test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kloumc Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I teach the Apologia's Advanced Biology (anatomy and physiology) in our homeschooling co-op. I gave the following testimonial to my students. Some wanted to take the AP exam and others wanted to take the CLEP exam. To date, one of my student's took the AP exam after following the instructions below. She felt that Apologia's Biology and Advanced Biology along with covering the evolutionary chapters & population biology in Campbell's book (see below) thoroughly helped her prepare for this exam. She felt very comfortable with the questions on the AP exam. Here is the testimonial: To take the AP Biology exam and do well on it after using both Apologia Biology books, you would need to supplement in the areas of evolution, population biology, and a few other topics. I would recommend getting a copy of Campbell's Biology -- cheap on eBay and reading the chapters that aren't covered by Apologia. I would also highly recommend doing a virtual lab experience such as Biology Labs Online. Be aware that if you want the teacher's edition, you are probably going to have to keep asking "may I speak to your supervisor" at Pearson until you get someone with a brain - not easy. It's very useful. Also, you need to remind your child that the AP readers just want to know do they understand the theory of evolution. This is not the time to share your worldview or try to convince someone, but merely state... "according to evolutionary theory..." An awful lot of the essay questions focus on evolution. This is what we did and my son made a 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 In addition to following the college board suggestions, my son had to write 6 position papers and his teacher really beefed up the evolution material (they used Bob Jones.) He had to read portions of Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle, and a number of articles by Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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