Science...is this enough

[kfeusse]

is a conceptual Biology, Chemistry or Physics with video labs enough for most kids who are not going into a science field of study for college?

[EKS]

I would not do virtual labs for any course that you list as being "with lab."  

 

That said, I do think that the conceptual versions of chemistry and physics are fine to list on a high school transcript.  I've never heard of conceptual biology, but I did use a text called Essential Biology with my younger son, which might be considered conceptual.  I thought it made an excellent high school biology course.

 

I did just want to say that you never know what a kid will do once in college.  I was a "humanities type" (in the words of my geophysics professor father) all the way through, well, my entire life.  I avoided physics and chemistry (as in, I didn't take them) in high school, and I failed and retook or barely passed every single math course from Algebra I on.  And I ended up, after much thrashing around, as a biochemistry major in college.

 

[Janeway]

I think it is fine to list a virtual lab as a real one. So many colleges are doing it this way now. I have seen schools that do it this way too. It is not optimal, but it is what it is. transcripts are so ambiguous these days. Seeing what goes at brick and mortar schools has made me realize no standard seems to be too low, there just are not standards.

[Reefgazer]

I think conceptual this or that is fine, but IMO, a course listing labs with no actual hands experimentation or equipment is not really a course "with lab".

Edited June 25, 2017 by reefgazer

[klmama]

is a conceptual Biology, Chemistry or Physics with video labs enough for most kids who are not going into a science field of study for college?

I think it depends on the college. Some want live labs, and some do not even ask if labs were done at all. I'd start by asking admissions at the colleges your dc are most likely to attend.

[Pistachio mom]

Could you do a mix? Do some of the more expensive (possibly explosive??)  labs with virtual technology and the other hands on ones in your kitchen?

 

I am checking this option for our Chemistry for next year.

Edited June 24, 2017 by Pistachio mom

[Reefgazer]

I agree that many public schools have low standards for labs, but this is not a reason to emulate them.  I have a problem with our local public school doing a few "labs" that are not really labs at all and calling the course "Biology with lab".  It's deceptive and untrue, no matter who does it.  I do not think a few virtual labs are bad, but at some point, there needs to be actual hands-on lab experience to be a real course that is designated "with lab".

 

I think it is fine to list a virtual lab as a real one. So many colleges are doing it this way now. I have seen schools that do it this way too. It is not optimal, but it is what it is. transcripts are so ambiguous these days. Seeing what goes at brick and mortar schools has made me realize no standard seems to be too low, there just are not standards.

 

[J-rap]

Three of my kids took Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry in high school and that was it.  For labs, they did a mix of hands-on and virtual.  We went through a medical emergency during one year and they were only able to do virtual labs that year (we were living in hotel rooms).  I didn't list virtual labs on their transcripts (just listed science + lab), but they had done enough real-life labs throughout their high school years that I felt okay doing it that way given our situation.

 

They all got into good colleges and did fine in any other science courses they needed to take in college.

 

 

[Bambam]

Check your local colleges and see what their minimum high school coursework requirements are. Here is TX, it is typically four years of science for most public 4 year universities.