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What lab equipment do I need for "Exploring Life" biology course?


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Hi Kristi,

I am using the Exploring Life Bio course this year with my 9th grade son and a couple of his friends (for labs). I have the Lab Manual - student edition only. I wish I had the Teacher's edition of the Lab Manual, but it is a bit late in the year to get it now. I have modified several of the labs to be done at home with the selection of materials I have. I have a good microscope from Sonlight and a variety of pre-made slides along with blank slides and cover slips and stains, etc. You would need test tubes, graduated cylinders, beakers, etc. I have really enjoyed the labs we have done, for the most part, but, as I have said, I often have to modify to make them doable at home with only three students. Some of the materials called for in the lab manual are cost prohibitive if you are only going to use them once or twice. If I were starting over, I would probably get the Castle Heights Biology Lab manual and supply kit from Home Training Tools. I have not seen that particular book, but the labs are designed to be done by homeschoolers. Definitely get a good microscope if you can!

The lab manual has a few labs about culturing bacteria and checking for antibiotic resistance. These sounded very cool to me, but I found an article on-line stating that NSTA (I think that is National Science Teachers Assoc) recommend not doing those labs due to public health concerns. It made sense, so we aren't doing those.

I also added a fun lab about Dragon Genetics that I found on-line. The guys really enjoyed it and learned from it. You could find it by googleing it, I'm sure.

I also found the enviro-bond 403 (for one of the ecology labs) at Steve Spangler Science - very cool stuff!

I had to get pectinase from a winemaker's supply house, but again very cool stuff (enzyme) and pretty cheap.

I am going to order some plant supplies from Home Training Tools very soon - Wisconsin Fast Plants, along with disection supplies (frogs and piglets!)

Sorry about the rambling nature of this response - it's busy here in the kitchen!

blessings,

April

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