SAT II Biology

[mommyofthree]

I'm in the process of planning our biology class for next year and have a question.

 

How likely is it that a student can score well on SATII Biology after using a HIGHSCHOOL text?

 

Yes, I know the exam is suppose to test highschool knowledge but I've read that a lot of kids who score well have usually had an AP class/text.

 

So, has anyone done well with just the highschool text and if so, which one did you use?

 

Any advice that you can give will be appreciated.

[Maura in NY]

My bright but not science-loving son used Miller & Levine's Prentice-Hall Biology (the "dragonfly" version) for his 9th grade bio. He took the SAT II that spring, and scored 740. He did use review books (Princeton and Barrons) for maybe a month ahead of time, and looked up a (very) few things that weren't covered by the text.

 

Maura

[mommyofthree]

Thanks Maura. This is one of the text that I'm considering. It's good to know that a bright but non science loving kid can score well.

 

Did your son use the supplement workbooks and can you share what you used for labs?

[Musicmom]

My bright but not science-loving son used Miller & Levine's Prentice-Hall Biology (the "dragonfly" version) for his 9th grade bio. He took the SAT II that spring, and scored 740. He did use review books (Princeton and Barrons) for maybe a month ahead of time, and looked up a (very) few things that weren't covered by the text.

 

Maura

Wow. This is very interesting. I was going to post that based on our experience it's highly unlikely a student would be able to score high having only used one high school text. My very bright ds had to supplement with two additional high school texts (Holt and Glencoe) in addition to his main one (Apologia) plus work through 3 prep books (Barron's, Princeton and Dummies) before he scored really high. And my impression is there's a fair amount of AP level material on the test. So perhaps Prentice-Hall has more in-depth material than the usual high school texts?? Hmmm....

[MtnTeaching]

Thanks Maura. This is one of the text that I'm considering. It's good to know that a bright but non science loving kid can score well.

 

Did your son use the supplement workbooks and can you share what you used for labs?

 

I was going to use this book next year, also. I got a great review as a "Pre-Ap" book on the college board website.

 

I would also love to know what you used for labs and if you used the workbooks.

 

We have used the Prentice Hall Science Explorer books all through middle school and both of my kids scored 99th percentile on the Iowa Basic Skills tests in science. I have loved those books, workbooks, and all the wonderful teacher's aids that came with them.

[Storm Bay]

We're hoping to sign dd up for the SAT II Biology M test (had trouble on the website, so waiting for he forms.) The College Board recommends taking subject SATs the same year you do the course. Dd has 3 books, Apologia, which is what she chose to do at home, and then the two they're using at ps since she switched mid-semester last fall. I think that using several books is a very good idea, since none of them cover it all. The school texts are Glencoe, which we bought to save her back, and the one at school which she calls the butterfly book due to the picture on the cover (sorry, don't know the name because it stays there.)

 

There are two Biology SATs, and you can do both or you can choose the area you are most interested in. Dd hates ecology. Of course, she used to hate Biolgoy in general, so the fact that she likes some of it now is encouraging.

[Maura in NY]

When my older son used the Dragonfly book, he did use the Study Guide -- it's basically spoon-fed note-taking, but it helps to reinforce the vocab and concepts.

 

He used these sites for supplemental material and some of his labs:

http://www.biologycorner.com and http://www.biologyjunction.com

 

We actually cobbled together labs from all over in order to get ones that were workable at home. When my younger son does bio this year, we are going to try

http://www.froguts.com

and

http://www.ucopenaccess.org/courses/CPBioLabs/gen_course/index.html

 

Unlike Chem or Physics, there isn't any math to worry about -- The SAT II for Bio is largely about memorization. The "ecology" version of the test isn't about being green, btw, it's about the interdependence of organisms. The molecular version has more of the respiration/krebs cycle stuff. The test version only refers to about 20% of the questions -- The rest is the same either way. And your student doesn't have to choose which test to take until they are actually sitting for it.

 

Hope this has been some help!

 

Maura

[Storm Bay]

. The "ecology" version of the test isn't about being green, btw, it's about the interdependence of organisms. The molecular version has more of the respiration/krebs cycle stuff. The test version only refers to about 20% of the questions -- The rest is the same either way. And your student doesn't have to choose which test to take until they are actually sitting for it.

 

Hope this has been some help!

 

Maura

 

 

So, does the student do the one they want once they get there? When I registered dd it didn't differentiate, and she only wants M.

[mommyofthree]

Thanks to all. I really appreciate the advice.

 

So far, I think I'm going with Miller and Levine supplemented with Campbell's Concepts and Connections and SAT prep books (Barrons and Princeton). The study guide for Miller and Levine looks good also.

 

Thanks for the lab links Maura.

[Maura in NY]

So, does the student do the one they want once they get there? When I registered dd it didn't differentiate, and she only wants M.

 

Yes - you choose that day. My son isn't sure (it was almost 4 years ago), but as he remembers it, both sections were in the test booklet, and he just picked the one he wanted to do.

[Storm Bay]

Yes - you choose that day. My son isn't sure (it was almost 4 years ago), but as he remembers it, both sections were in the test booklet, and he just picked the one he wanted to do.

 

Thanks :). Dd is adamant that she wants the M only as she has no interest in ecology (and I loved animal ecology in university, but that's how it often goes.)

[Laura in CA]

Wow. This is very interesting. I was going to post that based on our experience it's highly unlikely a student would be able to score high having only used one high school text. My very bright ds had to supplement with two additional high school texts (Holt and Glencoe) in addition to his main one (Apologia) plus work through 3 prep books (Barron's, Princeton and Dummies) before he scored really high. And my impression is there's a fair amount of AP level material on the test. So perhaps Prentice-Hall has more in-depth material than the usual high school texts?? Hmmm....

 

I don't consider my son's score "high," but it (700) was enough for him to get UC "a-g" credit for high-school biology (I know, it's alphabet soup for non-Californians!). All he used was regular Apologia (we were in "get 'er done" mode, as he doesn't like biology), and then he looked through the encyclopedia a few days before the test. He has a good memory and can sniff out bogus answers, so that helps. He was also 13 yo and in 8th grade, so we knew his score would be "flushed" by the College Board if we didn't ask for it to be kept, so there was no pressure.

 

He took the M test, IIRC. I think a 700 was only 70th percentile, but we were happy with it, especially considering his age.