We used CK12 biology this year for 9th grade biology. Dd, who is not a big science fan, wasn't going to embrace a big, thick textbook so we went with free. Her assessment goal is to get a decent score on the SAT biology subject test. I set up an account at CK12, making a "group" for our classroom. There was a learning curve to using the site but after 31 weeks of posting, I'm almost there! Each week I post an assignment pulled from the online material. When choosing sub-topic areas under Biology, you can choose "All Concepts" or "With Practice." The first is more comprehensive while the latter are only those concepts where CK12 offers practice questions at the end of the section. (CK12 also has an app where the student can practice knowledge and even read text and watch videos that correspond to that section.) One can also create a quiz; I did a few and then decided to make my life easier and just let her use the practice questions that come at the end of each section. I also put the CK12 biology book on my Kindle for quick reference. The CK12 site is a bit annoying in that the Kindle text uses traditional chapters headings (1.1, 1.2, etc.) but the site does not. Overall, I'd say the content is simply presented and thorough for a basic 9th grade class. (I picked up a cheap copy of Biology by Campbell & Reese on the internet not knowing what I was in for--it is definitely an AP-level text and way more than we wanted.) CK12 did have an Honors Biology text at one point. Dd used it for a few sections and said it went into more detail.
I also created a Google Group for us where I post the comprehensive assignment for that week that includes the CK12 portion plus lab (if any) plus supplemental reading (if any) AND the chapter of the Kaplan SAT biology study guide she should be working through. Dd says the study guide is at a higher reading level than CK12 but that rarely does she come across something that is brand new. I pulled together about 16-18 labs using several resources: (1) Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments (highly recommended; their website also offers a guide for linking labs with CK12 text); (2) Experiences in Biology by Homeschool Science Press (purchased primarily for dissection but mini-guides that come with specimens from Home Science Tools would have largely sufficed); (3) HHMI website with virtual labs. Supplemental reading on evolution came from Exploring the Way Life Works and The Nature of Life: Readings in Biology. I had planned to use these last two texts more heavily but there is a lot of material to cover for the subject test so we sacrificed depth for breadth. Finally, I also purchased Biology Inquiries by Martin Shields. We used it for one or two exercises; I like the variety of exercises and the emphasis on inquiry (rather than just concepts) but do think it is better suited for the classroom or a co-op rather than one student.
Karin
