Rosie Q Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 I'm in search of a good packaged lab for Biology that will work with Campbell's Exploring Biology. We're not following the AP route. DS definitely enjoys science more with plenty of hands-on work, and I'm hoping to find a package that will do a good job of illustrating basic Biology concepts while not costing a fortune. I've looked at Labpaq's BK-1 package and am still considering buying it, but $199 seems pretty steep. I'd like to hear from those who have used it or another basic Biology packaged lab. How rigorous were the labs? How well did you feel they illustrated the concepts? I know it's a little late in the year to be buying lab material, but we just recently switched (about a month ago) to Campbell's from Holt Biology in an attempt to find better explanations of the subject. I had the lab video for Holt, which was helpful in preparing the labs that went with that book. DS really seems to like Exploring Biology, and we've have been working through the labs so far with equipment I have on hand. However, upcoming labs go beyond what I feel like I can easily do at home without a lot of purchases of equipment and supplies, not to mention a good bit of research on my part in advance (make a chromosome spread using HeLa cells? really?) I know Campbell's has an easier lab for each chapter, as well, but these are much less rigorous (look at your earlobe; draw a pedigree chart is the easier one for the genetics chapter, for instance). I'm hoping to find a lab package that is somewhere between the two and would appreciate hearing what has worked for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel marie Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 we use campbell eLife and absolutely love it. i did research this past summer on it and found this program to be the best for us. did you get the lab books--both the teacher's edition and student? in the teacher's edition, it tells where to get all the stuff needed. i don't think it was very hard to do. once i got the inital things i needed, i've only had to get a few additional things. i'm sure you probably have the basic things---microscope, beakers, graduated cylinders, stop watch. do u have a balance? I got all plastic and they were not very much. what do u need? i can go back and looks where i got my stuff from. we are on chapter 6 right now and will do the agar cells in next few days. sometimes we do both labs, but mostly i've just done one per chapter and a bunch of the little ones that are printed in the margins of the text. i also found a teacher online that uses this book and puts a ton of stuff for his class on the internet. i use some of his stuff too. my son is understanding this stuff so well. i am quite proud of myself!! let me know how i can help you. more than happy too!!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Q Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 We really like the understandable writing in Exploring Life, as well. Thank you for offering to help! :) I do have the student lab manual (and have considered getting the teachers' one, as well), and we have been doing most of the labs in it so far. However, looking ahead at the labs, at about the chapter 12 point the labs start requiring things I think will be difficult for homeschooling families to purchase. For instance, HeLa cancer cells, pGLO plasmid DNA, agar plates with ampicillin and E coli, a gel electrophoresis chamber, etc. I'm not saying it would be impossible to acquire these items. I do think the costs would be getting a bit high to buy these for single experiments, however, and I haven't found a supplier yet that will supply a few of these items (such as the HeLa cells) to homes (not to say there isn't one). I'm hoping that buying a packaged lab set would either make these types of experiments possible for us or else provide a substitute experiment that is more rigorous than some of the Exploring Life alternative experiments - such as looking at your earlobe and drawing a pedigree chart. If other families have been able to do the more-difficult labs in Exploring Life at home, I am definitely all ears! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Q Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 Has anyone used the Apologia Biology lab kits sold by Home Science Tools? I'm wondering if these would work well with the Exploring Life book, or if they are too different from the curriculum to be a good fit. They are less expensive than the labpaq kits, but I want something that will still give a good lab experience. Ideas appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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