Biology -- honors vs. regular? choices in online?

[provenance61]

Our son is gifted but 2E, interested in possibly going into engineering or science. He's currently in 8th. 

 

We're trying to decide now between honors or regular biology.  How do you decide?  What are the options for courses which give teaching materials and grading info, but where you will do the grading (i.e., no transcript).  At this point we're "testing the waters".  And if you buy a regular biology course, and decide to then progress further/faster, can you make it honors -- how?

 

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

[AliR]

I have just replied to your Algebra post.  DD is doing Biology Honors with Calvert now, and will finish up in the next couple of months, so if you have any questions about that I would be happy to help.

[...................]

BJU is not called Honors but is Honors- level but labs can be a challenge

 

Potters School has an Honors bio

 

I would go Honors. We really regret not doing that this year. It's so much work already you may as well

Got the extra mile especially for engineering major

[provenance61]

Thank you both!   Can I ask about the honors...would you recommend honors even if still 8th grade?  If we count as 8th grade the biology (and/or the algebra) wouldn't be on transcript just noted as having been taken prior to HS. 

 

Also, a question just for Calming Tea...did you do biology in 8th or 9th?  We have 2E considerations as well.

 

 

 

[Dmmetler]

The Holt-McDougal textbook with Homeschool supplements includes materials to make it either an honors or regular course. It's pretty easy to follow for a parent, and has enough depth that DD11's college bio professor mentor said that it was a solid text and up to date. It's not the level of using, say, the full College Campbell, but it is a good first bio course for a kid interested in STEM who will need to take a college level bio sequence down the road. There are a lot of online materials that are self-grading, as well as multiple levels of reviews, labs, and tests that include grading instructions/keys.

 

The nice thing is that since both sets of questions, labs etc are there, you can kind of pick and choose after seeing them which would be a better fit for your DC. We're doing it as part of a local lab group, and DD and one other student are doing them at honors level (and adding a lab or two each semester, plus more involved reports)-the rest are doing it at a regular level.

 

 

[...................]

At first I regretted not doing Biology in 8th grade, because that would have opened him up to take regular or Honors Biology, and then AP Biology later.  But now I've changed my mind.  My son is going to Computer Science, so he does have to take four years of (preferably honors) Science but he really doesn't have to take AP Science.  And his day is long.  German is hard.  Algebra 2 is hard.  Advanced Composition is hard.  His English Class is easy but it requires time out of the house.  Biology is, I wouldn't say hard, but time consuming.  And he does have to keep up with life too...

 

So, now I am glad we didn't do Biology in 8th, because he would be doing Chemistry now, and then Physics in 11th.  And then an AP in 12th.  Which really isn't necessary.  My only regret is not doing *honors* Biology.

 

BUT if he was a SCIENCE major, I would definitely, definitely do Biology in 8th to make it easier for him to take AP Biology.  Biology is easier than Chemistry for most kids, and the AP test is reportedly slightly easier.  

[provenance61]

dmmetler -- Thanks for recommending the Holt-McDougal text!  Did you buy direct from the publisher?  And then get the online materials there? I saw everything on Amazon seems to be a state version.  If you can give some suggestions about how to get it and where to find additional materials (multiple levels of labs, etc) I'd really appreciate it.

 

[provenance61]

Calming Tea -- thank you too for both your replies.  I really understand what you mean about not making life harder.  We have hit the 3rd year of Latin here, which is...really hard.  And then we still need another language during HS.

 

In terms of college, it's likely that our DS will go into some area of science.  Most likely engineering or something in that area, rather than biology.  He is way involved in robotics.  I'm just concerned that taking biology in 9th would not allow him the time to get a more advanced science class later down the road.  So you would recommend biology in 8th, then AP biology, then chemistry and physics?  That would be the "track?"  I really don't understand the AP courses and how many you need, as I far predate any of that.  

 

And then back to the original question -- you'd still recommend honors even if taking it in 8th?  Would that make it any easier if he went on with AP biology?  But I'm wondering if it would really matter so much if it won't be on his transcript as honors.

 

Why did you really regret not doing honors?  For the HS transcript?

 

[Kassia]

The Holt-McDougal textbook with Homeschool supplements includes materials to make it either an honors or regular course. 

 

Can you give me an idea on how to make it an honors course?  We are using Oak Meadow for biology, which uses the same text.  It feels like an honors course to me, but I don't think it is.  We are going to add a Landry Academy biology lab intensive in the spring.  Otherwise, each week has comprehension questions, critical thinking questions, activities, a lab (they are usually pretty lame, but they do teach concepts), and a book report for the year.  

[Penelope]

I'm going to reply assuming you are like me, and will be providing the high school transcript yourself, not under an accredited school or an umbrella school or something like that.

 

I have come to the conclusion that *I* decide whether a course is honors level or not. Not the curriculum provider, unless they are they ones evaluating the student, especially since we modify things enough at home that it is not always exactly the same course we started with.

 

I have looked at local schools and looked at lots of syllabi for public and private schools and outside classes. What counts as honors varies-a LOT. So, in the end, I have to decide what counts. Do I look at hours spent? Additional papers required and books/articles researched? Difficulty and number of labs, for science? Independent projects. Honestly, I think what I consider honors is sometimes more than what the local public school does, or homeschool co-op. And sometimes I might be off a bit from another provider, but the point is that there is some subjectivity to the process. *I would clarify that I think resources do matter. The texts need to be solid in order to consider something honors. But from there, it varies.*

 

And then, I have to consider whether colleges will even care about honors designation from a homeschooler, or not. Since that is out of my hands, I hope to not spend a lot of time worrying about that.

 

As far as specific courses, I have been fairly happy with Miller Levine with the Kolbe honors plans, plus the digital supplement. I have added additional readings and real labs rather than virtual. We are using it in ninth grade for a STEM-interested student. Eighth grade was Conceptual Physics. I am not worried about science progression, because doubling up on sciences is common in later high school for interested kids. It isn't that unusual to take an AP science along with an honors section of a different science, or even two APs in the same year.

[Kassia]

 

 

I have looked at local schools and looked at lots of syllabi for public and private schools and outside classes. What counts as honors varies-a LOT. 

 

Thank you for your reply!

 

My three older sons attended public school and took honors biology.  The class was such a joke.  The teacher was an expert at doing as little as possible.  And he clearly didn't know biology - he asked my fraternal twin sons twice during the year if they were identical.  They were six inches apart in height and look nothing alike.  My sons didn't learn or retain anything from that class and hated it.  My daughter is learning so much more at home!  

[SunshineMom]

My dd8th is taking high school Honors Biology and her class is using Holt along with labs/lab reports. I am also trying to figure out her next science sequences. I think she'll do physics for 9th, chemistry for 10th and DE for Bio/Chem 11&12th. I go back in forth about AP courses earlier in the high school years. Right now she is interested in neuroscience. She's also competing in Science Olympiad this year. She enjoys science:)

Edited November 20, 2016 by Jewels

[Dmmetler]

dmmetler -- Thanks for recommending the Holt-McDougal text! Did you buy direct from the publisher? And then get the online materials there? I saw everything on Amazon seems to be a state version. If you can give some suggestions about how to get it and where to find additional materials (multiple levels of labs, etc) I'd really appreciate it.

Homeschool buyers co-op has a link to buy the homeschool bundle from the publisher. The homeschool bundle is huge. If you printed all the PDF's, they would be bigger than the textbook. Most materials have at least two, if not three versions, so the work is done for you. We did add a couple of labs, mostly AP labs (for example, DD has access to Madagascar Hissing cockroaches because her mentor's college has a colony, so we borrowed some roaches so she and her lab classmates could do an ethology lab-which also gave the kids doing it at an honors level practice writing up an AP style lab report, because insect ethology is one of the standard AP labs). AP lab outlines are easily found online.

[Dmmetler]

Can you give me an idea on how to make it an honors course? We are using Oak Meadow for biology, which uses the same text. It feels like an honors course to me, but I don't think it is. We are going to add a Landry Academy biology lab intensive in the spring. Otherwise, each week has comprehension questions, critical thinking questions, activities, a lab (they are usually pretty lame, but they do teach concepts), and a book report for the year.

Do you have the teaching supplement from Holt? That's where the multiple levels of material are available. I think you can buy it for $25 or so. The big difference is that the honors magerials have a lot more writing and depth.

[Kassia]

Do you have the teaching supplement from Holt? That's where the multiple levels of material are available. I think you can buy it for $25 or so. The big difference is that the honors magerials have a lot more writing and depth.

 

Thank you for explaining this! 

 

I don't have the teaching supplement.  I would like to make it an honors class, but my dd would not be happy about adding more work to the course.  We are using Oak Meadow and I didn't realize the class is worth 1.5 credits and not just one.