My 15 yo is doing great in Chemistry. He skipped biology because he really doesn't want to do it. He loves animals very much and can't handle the dissections. Generally he complains but does the classes I request him to do, so his next science is Bio, and he is really putting on the breaks. Any other science that colleges accept in place of biology? We have no idea what he wants to do for his future, so we are aiming for college. He can take bio for non major at the community college, or Apologia Bio from the best science teacher at co-op. I would rather he have another choice. Thanks

So... :D I did the same thing for high school bio that I did for chem. Remember, though, that I'm not a high school specialist in Bio so my judgments on whether something is reg or honours could be off - please feel free to correct me if you disagree with something I've posted! :) I didn't include a category for "Math background needed" for most of the bio curricula (except for AP). I don't find that a certain level of math is required for most high school biology courses beyond just basic alg skills (working with simple equations, fractions, decimals, possibly scientific notation, etc.). A student may run across the concept of pH but is usually not required to calculate it. If a course is VERY rigorous, a student may have to do calculations regarding buffer systems but even that only requires knowledge of quadratic equations and the quadratic formula (and probably only shows up in AP Bio, if I remember correctly). They could also just memorize the Henderson-Hasselbach equation and just use that. :) Before taking honours bio, a first course in chem would probably be useful to the student Again, also, I know I've missed a ton of resources. Please chime in with anything that I've missed or post your reviews or thoughts on any of the curricula. I'll take up the first five posts of this thread - post #2 should be for Reg Bio, post #3 should be for Honours Bio, post #4 should be for AP Bio, and post #5 for other resources. (You may notice these lists look veeeeerrrrrrrrry similar to my chem lists. :) Most of the companies selling homeschool high school chem courses also sell bio courses. I used my chem lists to create the bio lists and then just tweaked, added, or removed info as necessary. Because chemists are lazy. Uh huh. :D)

I recently came across this online lab option and thought I'd post it out here in case anyone was interested. Here is the link - http://www.sciencecourseware.com/BLOL/ It's offered free by the California State University system. It states it is AP or college level.

Hi, I'm looking for a secular biology course for my 12 yo dd. She would prefer to work on it on her own. We've used RSO Chemistry with her younger brother this past year and while I thought it was pretty good, she wasn't too crazy about it...so I'm not sure about RSO Biology 2, although she might like it better doing it on her own...but it's soo expensive!! Any other good secular courses that don't break the bank? Thanks!

If your student has used Holt Biology, approximately how many hours a week did they work on it?

Hi. I'm Kris Langman, author of the Logic to the Rescue series. I'm currently writing the fourth book in the series and I'm taking suggestions for topics to cover, both in this book and in the rest of the books in the series. (I'm planning six to seven books in total). For example, a reader asked me to include some info about the Linnean system of classification, so I added info about this to the the third book, The Bard of Biology. Suggestions can be about logic, math, physics, chemistry, and biology. I'll try to include as many suggestions as possible as long as they work with the story and plot. Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Kris Langman

Hi, In planning science for our son's junior year, I am considering an alternative to the standard Biology course most students take. Our son has already taken Physics and Chemistry (at our local college). While he is STEM minded, there is no strong interest in general biology itself. I am curious if anyone else has selected a different Life Science besides standard high school Biology for their student? Possibly Anatomy, Physiology, Marine Biology, etc... Just as an aside, my undergraduate degree is in Life Science and I never took biology in high school either. Anatomy and Physiology were required courses for the university program I was accepted into. So I took those courses at a community college. I never felt the need for standard biology in and of itself. Thanks,

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!

When we learned about the role of microorganisms role in decomposition my youngest son expressed some fears about microorganisms eating him...so I told him about how when we're living that our cells have ways of fighting bad bacteria and germs, and that some bacteria also lives in our body and doesn't hurt us, but when someone or something dies that our cells start to die anyways, and so the microorganisms only eat dead things. It helped him with his fears but it was off the top of my head (that part wasn't covered in the material...and I took biology a LONG time ago) so I'm not so sure how accurate that is. Was I pretty close to right, or pretty far off? Anyone know?

We're looking for a good, self-paced biology course and algebra course. What we really want is self-paced, with textbook (NOT all online if possible!) but also supporting materials. Something that could be started now, and completed over the academic year and summer. Our son is very bright, but does need more time and everything written -- so an online lecture class is not the best choice for us at this time. Any recommendations? We'd like something that would be well respected on college transcripts.

I'm researching essential oils and from what I've been told, the longer you use them the less you need because the EOs work on a cellular level and actually help the body to heal. However, with homeopathic medicine I know you're only supposed to use whatever it is you're using for 7 to 10 days max and then give it a break for at least an equal amount of time. Anyone with a biochem backround that can help me out.

I am looking for a biology lab kit to use with my not-very-scientifically-minded 10th grader. I prefer secular, and I prefer labs that actually work (had some trouble with mistakes in Bridget Ardoin's chem labs last year). My basic curriculum is a self-created amalgam of secular resources. I have a B.S. in biology but lack natural talent for laboratory work and time for planning it. So, I am looking for a set of experiments that comes with a kit of supplies and reagents and such. And something not too challenging. Any suggestions or experiences you can share? I will appreciate any input.

Hello All, Years ago I found a book that I thought BJU had suggested using as a supplement to their biology program and now I cannot find it anywhere. Ugh! Anyhow, it's a drawing book and the intention is to reinforce what the student has learned in the readings. I guess maybe it came out before so many of the science coloring books were available. If anyone has a clue as to what I'm talking about I would really appreciate the title. Thanks! Debbie

I am looking for unit studies on any of the following appropriate for a 6th grader . Ideally I would love unit studies that also could be adapted for a 8 year old as well because I'd like to combine subjects as much as possible, but my 11 year old NEEDS to learn this stuff by year after next (will be attending a public 7th grade) while my 8 year old doesn't need to study this yet. FORCE, MOTION AND ENERGY LAYERS OF THE EARTH ROCK CYCLE (metamorphic, igneous, sedimentary rock) ECOSYSTEMS BIOLOGY (Cells, Taxonomic classifications, Organisms and their Environments) SPACE Would also love suggestions of good videos about these topics. Any suggestions appreciated!

My dd is taking AP biology her sophomore year and wants to do some preparation this summer. She hasn't had high school biology, but she did take AP chemistry her freshman year (this year) and is doing well. Is there anything particularly difficult in AP biology that she could get a handle on now? Memorize the Kreb's cycle? Learn how a kidney works? Study the difference between transcription and translation?

A mom of a 9 yr old messaged the person who started the #HERpers hashtag, asking how she could encourage her 9 yr old daughter, who was interested in herpetology, and she tossed it to me. This is what I came up with. I thought that maybe someone, now or in the future, would have a child interested in herpetology as well, and maybe they can use some of this. Homeschooling a #Herper-or The Perils of a Python Mom! I've written bits and pieces of this on various message boards for years, and since the #HERpers hashtag has brought up a few people who are interested in resources for their young, herp-interested girls, I felt it was time to put it in one place. Disclaimer-the only things I know about herpetology and resources are what I've learned from experience. Obviously, your mileage may vary, but here's what I've found so far 1) Local resources For us, the herp journey started at the pet store. Specifically, going to the "mini-zoo" with a toddler who wanted to see 'akes! Lots and lots of snakes. The local zoo was helpful as well. Kids books on reptiles and amphibians can be hit and miss. A lot seems to assume that kids are going to be scared and start from that viewpoint of making them less scary-but also, at the same time sensationalize them. By about age 5, my daughter preferred books written for adult hobbyists about specific species and their behavior, and there are a lot of them. Many have beautiful pictures, too. Petco has reptile events several times a year, like "Reptile Rally", where they run sales and also, in many stores, encourage local herp groups and rescue groups to bring in their animals as well. These are wonderful for a herp interested young kid. One local store in my area does a monthly reptile night during summer months for herp owners to bring out their pets, and my daughter went from being an interested kid who wanted to pet and hold animals to being one of the pet owners who comes to teach others over the years. An added bonus of such events is that they're free. Local reptile shows, like Repticon. These can be hit and miss, as well. The focus of such shows is selling animals, and as a result, many of the vendors don't want to take time to talk to an interested child, don't want them to hold/touch the animals, and so on. There are some exceptions. The Reptile Collective folks are very friendly and responsive to kids at the shows they attend. If you attend the talks, often those folks are more willing to chat 1-1 (and at our local Repticon, many of the talks will almost be 1-1, because they're so badly attended). And if local advocacy or rescue groups are there (many shows give non-profits space for free if they have room), they're often quite friendly and have animals there to be ambassadors. Zoos-if you have a good one, attend keeper talks, and join the zoo so you get the member's information. Many have excellent summer camps, spring break camps, and so on. The same is true with other nature centers, botanic gardens, and other stuff. Even if they're not snake focused, often these are good fits for kids who love snakes. Local herp forums and groups. In Tennessee, we have CHET-Coalition of Herp Enthusiasts of TN, plus several local facebook pages. These groups are great to connect to and provide a lot of support for herp-interested kids. Local events and festivals-Audubon centers, zoos, and similar organizations have these, and many have a reptile component, if not the entire event. One very notable one is the Texas Rattlesnake Festival Held yearly to show that there are viable alternatives to the rattlesnake roundups, this event has a special track just for kids and a lot of great information on snakes. Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival. Like the Texas Rattlesnake festival, this is a no-kill event celebrating wildlife. Do check websites carefully when looking at festivals, because there are a few of the very cruel roundups that celebrate killing snakes out there. 2) Travel Almost all our travel has a reptile/amphibian component, and did even before we started going to conferences. State and national parks are wonderful, and again, attend the ranger talks, and plan your schedule around them. Ask which trails are less traveled, because those are the ones where you're likely to see animals. Visit museums, zoos, and nature centers. Junior ranger programs are awesome! A few awesome places that I want to highlight: Great Smokies National Park. One of their ongoing projects is tracking salamanders in streams, and they have ranger classes where they teach kids collection skills and how to use a dichotomous key to identify some of the more common salamanders. Highly recommended. We saw a lot of salamanders just on trail walks in the Great Smokies, plus a few frogs, many skinks, and water snakes. Everglades National Park and the other parks in the Everglades system-Can you say alligators? Lots and lots of alligators? And lizards, and skinks, and frogs. We didn't see any snakes on the established trails, but they're there too. Bring bug spray, unless you enjoy feeding mosquitoes (which do feed frogs). The Junior ranger program and ranger stations are wonderful, too. Gatorland-Yes, it's a tourist trap, but it also has a lot of alligators and other reptiles, and a very, very nice natural swamp for many of their gators to live in. Go to the shows. Kentucky Reptile Zoo-This is a program in Slade KY that focuses on producing snake venom for biomedical research and antivenin. They have multiple small buildings, each focused on a specific area of the world and the snakes that live there, and are more than willing to answer questions for kids-and are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. KRZ has an adopt a snake program, where a child can pick a snake to adopt, get a photo of their snake, and have their name placed on the snake's vivarium for the next year. This is one of the few adopt-an-animal programs where you can actually visit your animal, and it's not just symbolic. Sea World-Yes, Sea World. For two reasons. The first is that, especially in the behind the scenes tours, you can learn a lot about animal rehabilitation and conservation efforts. Its not necessarily reptile-specific, but it is extremely interesting, and is a great experience. The second is because Sea World has very animal friendly groundskeeping, and you'll see a lot of local herps. If possible, stay at one of their partner hotels and walk to the parks. It's not far, and we saw dozens of anoles, frogs, toads, and even a few snakes just in a fairly short walk to the parks. (Sea World Orlando, but my guess is that the others are awesome,too!) 3) Internet This is something that is going to be up to the individual family as to how to manage. The way we have worked it is that generally I create and own an account, and read quite a bit and for awhile. I then e-mail the moderators and ask if it is acceptable to have DD share, with the understanding that I know that it is an adult venue and that it may not be always child appropriate, and allow her to start reading. We have learned a lot together via herp forums, both ones for specific animals and their keeping/breeding programs. Be aware that these are adult groups, and they're not going to limit what they say for your child-and shouldn't. So, keep in mind that you may have to explain to a 7 yr old why a female participant wants a boyfriend who is "het for boa, not garter". There are also a lot of great sites to learn about various animals, but like everything on the internet, quality varies, so be careful. 4) Non-Profits. These go along with internet sites, and many do some really, really awesome stuff, have online webinars, and have great information. Again, be aware that bias exists and that the sites aren't going to usually be designed for kids, and some organizations are better at letting kids participate and be involved, and at taking them seriously than others. A few favorites we've found that do a great job of taking kids seriously are Save the Frogs!- Save the frogs! takes the prize for being the most kid friendly and responsive out there, and my daughter isn't the only kid who has been launched into advocacy largely due to their encouragement. DD's first advocacy event was doing a Save the Frogs Day event for our homeschool group, and they work closely with schools and kid groups and are just awesome. Their webinars are great, and they are welcoming of kids who want to sit in. FrogWatch USA. Citizen Science program that trains you to identify Frog calls and report in where you hear them and their frequency. Online and live workshops. Some zoos have even done ones specifically for 'tween girls. PBS Kids SCIgirls has partnered with Frogwatch to make materials and activities available for kids. Advocates for Snake Preservation There are a lot of great snake conservation groups out there, but ASP, which is a small group focused primarily on rattlesnakes and on researching social behavior of rattlesnakes, is very kid friendly. They are enthusiastic about supporting young kids, treat small donations by kids with the same enthusiasm large donations are treated, and, because they focus on social behavior research, have a lot of wonderful video content on their page and available to members which is just plain fun and very accessible. PARC Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. PARC does regional and national events and meetings to allow discussion, research presentations, and education on conservation of these species. Be aware that sometimes conservation can be a little depressing for a kid who loves amphibians and reptiles so much. There is nothing quite like hearing that your favorite animal is at risk of extinction. At the same time, though, PARC is very active in citizen science and loves encouraging young researchers, so it's worth it to bookmark their pages. Ducks Unlimited -Not reptile specific, but Ducks Unlimited focuses heavily on wetlands conservation, and their Greenwings program has both publications and local events for kids. The Puddlers magazine is nice for younger kids, too. 4) Journals and publications For younger kids Cricket Media has amazing magazines for a range of ages, and the science ones often contain really good animal content, along with other topics Ranger Rick is the National Wildlife Foundation's magazine for younger kids. It has a lot of nice content. Kids Discover-No longer published as a separate magazine, but back issues are available and are well done. Natural Inquirer-A gold star and triple diamonds for this! Natural Inquirer is a kids' science journal, written for middle schoolers, from the US Forestry department, which takes and synthesizes research. They also have the InvestiGATOR journal for younger kids, picture books and scientist cards focusing on researchers who work for the Forestry service, including a set focusing on women scientists, including HERpers, and just a bunch of really, really amazing stuff. And best of all, it's free! For high school level and up-Journals and professional associations There are many really good journals in herpetology and in science research. These are written and designed for professionals, so they're not easy reading, and I wouldn't suggest handing them to a student who is not at least on a solid high school reading level, but when they get there, check them out! Herpetological Conservation and Biology This is an open access, peer reviewed journal focusing on conservation research in herpetology. Published quarterly PLOS- Another collection of open access, peer reviewed journals. Searchable and a great place to do research 5) Societies and conferences State herpetological societies. Our local one is the Tennessee Herpetological Society State societies often have conferences where undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers, present their results for the year. These are a very intense way to hear what is happening. It is sitting and listening, so I would not recommend these until your child is happily reading journal articles and thinks hearing a 15 minute talk summarizing several years of research is fun, and wants to do it all day, because these are not kid-focused events. Such conferences are an excellent way to find out what research is being done at the college level, which colleges have programs of interest, meet faculty and connect with potential mentors, and decide what topics are of high interest. Some herp society meetings will also include field trips, which are a great experience. There are three main herpetological groups in the United states, and all have excellent journals and participate in a large, joint conference most years. These are Society for the study of Amphibians and Reptiles American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists and the Herpetologists league Together with the American Elasmobranch Society, they put on the Joint Meeting of Icthyologists and Herpetologists This is a very large conference where students and professionals share their research. It is definitely an adult event, and is a big social event for those attending, and many events will have alcohol. SSAR has a mentoring program and welcomes participation by pre-bacclaureate students who are ready to engage with the content at a college level. It is an intense conference, and a wonderful experience for a student interested in herpetology. And a learning experience for the parent involved. Here is my blog post on attending the JMIH in Chattanooga with my young #HERper. Attending a national conference is a big step. It is expensive, because you're paying not only registration fees but hotel and transportation. It's a lot of content in a very short period of time, and it is, as I said, an adult event. It's tiring even for me, as the parent, to keep up with the changing topics every 15 minutes. But my daughter is in her element and loves being there, and we have met wonderful people there and made excellent connections. As mentioned under non-profits, PARC also does regional conferences and meetings. 6) Projects Probably the best part about homeschooling is being able to follow your child and letting them do projects. Here are my daughter's Alli's Snakes -This is my daughter's science blog. She reads journals, reports on her own research and science (and the occasional school project) and basically does her non-fiction/technical writing here. My Little Python- If you are reading this, you probably already found My Little Python. This is my daughter's project to support reptile and amphibian advocacy, especially snakes, and especially, to teach girls that snakes and other animals that are considered "Scary", really aren't. She draws a webcomic that shows snakes living normal, kid lives that also integrates facts about snakes, and chooses content to share on Facebook and Twitter. I own, monitor, and moderate these pages for her projects (and if you directly message or talk to someone on such pages, it is usually me), but they are the outlets for her to share her message and reach those around her. Through My Little Python, she participates in and fundraises for herp groups and non-profits, illustrated and assisted in creating a book for kids about snakes with Irwin Q. Wart and has started a local group of kids focused on animal education and advocacy called Team My Little Python. If you build it, they will come. This is a research project focused on a simple idea-that it is possible to create temporary, low cost frog ponds and attract local frogs, so homeschoolers can observe metamorphosis and life cycle without having to move frogs from their native habitats. This past fall, DD presented her preliminary research at the Tennessee Herpetological conference. This Spring, homeschoolers around the United states, and a few outside the US, are joining us in creating replicate ponds and seeing what results they get. If you wish to be involved in this project, and are on facebook, please join us here. (And no, you don't have to be homeschooled to participate). Supporting and following research projects. Social media and crowdsourcing is becoming more common in science, and one really wonderful way of learning is to pick a specific project and follow it. Again, as mentioned with organizations, graduate students are often very friendly and enthusiastic towards their young supporters, making this a way that kids can be involved in something bigger than themselves. Instrumentl- Instrumentl is a crowd funding platform that encourages challenges of a specific type. Searchable and accessible. They had an amphibians challenge this past fall. Rockethub-Rocket hub is another funding platform that has some awesome herp projects. (hint #PulloverforSirens is a project currently up by an awesome #HERper!) 7) Mentors. Believe me, I haven't done this myself. DD has had an army of awesome people-college professors, graduate students, hobbyists, and professionals who have helped and supported her so far, and I don't think that will change. Many thanks to all of you-and all those in years to come!

I've nearly decided on Campbell Reece Biology: Concepts and Connections. I am thinking about purchasing the DIVE downloads, primarily because it would be nice to have tests and quizzes done for me. I don't know how much we would use the lecture material. I understand there is no syllabus for this text, but I think I could make one to correlate easily enough. Questions: What are the tests like? Mainly multiple choice, or are there some that require more explanation from the student? How often is "young earth" addressed? And lastly, did you really feel that DIVE constituted an honors course, considering the amount of material covered and the difficulty of the exams? Is there anyone who has had a child do well on the SAT-2 (or even AP, since the website claims it could be AP level) after using DIVE?

I'm considering this for my non-sciency 14yo for 9th grade. He will be about half-way through algebra when he starts it. So, those of you have used it with your kids, what did you think of it?

Hello all, My oldest son is in 5th grade & we're back on biology. He was excited about doing more "real" science, but so far it's been a bust. I've been trying to follow the recommendations in WTM but I'm running into roadblocks. I'd appreciate any help. I couldn't find the right Bio Dome that was mentioned, so I bought a similar one. Smithsonian brand, but slightly different. It came with triops eggs. Only 2 things hatched, and I don't think they were triops. A bit of a dud. We bought Carnivorous Creations. So far, nothing has sprouted even though it's been 2 months. I know it's not a warm time of year (we're in Pennsylvania), but I have it underneath a lamp that I turn on every day. Any ideas? My son's getting discouraged. I tried to buy Basic 5 Animals Dissection Kit. It was hard to find the right one, but I think I found it (from Carolina Supply, right?) I put it in my cart, but then it asked me where I was having it sent. When I entered "home," it said this product could only be shipped to a school. I filled out a "Contact Us" form explaining that I'm a homeschooler, but I didn't get any reply. Does anyone know about this? Have you successfully received this product, or did you go with a different one? I know there are other kits out there. I would appreciate any advice. So far this year my son has had almost no science and I'm feeling like I'm failing him. Thanks. Erin

If you've taught high school biology in homeschool venues and would like to swap ideas for packing, equipment, level differentiation and learning differences, online LMS, dodging the culture wars, the minutiae of grading and scheduling, maintaining joy while slogging toward the SAT Subject Test, fetal pig strategies, "best lab ever" -- etcetera -- feel free to PM me. I've done this for a couple of years now and would love to exchange some ideas with others.

Has anyone had a college require an applicant to provide dates for spine textbooks in course descriptions? Thoughts/ideas/information on "how old is too old" for listing a science textbook?

I was on the phone with Kolbe Academy this morning (wonderful chat and great customer service, btw) about their Biology course. I wanted to use their homeschool course plan, but was concerned that the book they use is getting dated (dragonfly Miller Levine Biology book). They have adopted the new edition for their online course (mccaw book). So I wanted to know if they were updating the course plan soon. The word is that they are in fact updating their course plan to correspond to the new edition. The expectation is that the revised course plan will be available at the end of the summer. So... If you already have the dragonfly book in hand and wanted to use the Kolbe course plan, you might want to get it soon, while they still have copies of that version. If you are wanting a course plan for the new edition of the Miller Levine book, you might want to wait until August, when they hope to have the new plan out. Also, online honors and advanced honors biology courses use Campbell Biology. The Advanced Honors course is being submitted for review as an official AP course. (They weren't sure if it would be approved without live labs.)

Hi, Currently, I am leaning toward using a secular text for Biology. I agree for the most part with Reason's to Believe in their recommendation to go secular. The majority of Christian publishers seem to have a strong YEC bent which I do not like. I would like to give fair treatment to evolution as well as OEC, YEC, and ID. No small task, I know. I want to supplement in order to address these other areas as well. I am wondering, what, if anything, you used to present these other perspectives on creation, age of the earth, ID, etc..? So far, I have purchased The Intelligent Design Collection which the kids have really enjoyed. I also have a couple of books by Hugh Ross: More than a Theory Why the Universe is the way it is Any other ideas appreciated. Thanks,

I am trying to find out how others implement the Miller/Levine Biology. What components do you use? Do you do labs from the book or do a separate lab component? Any other supplements? Thanks for any insight. Louise