Biology labs done...wwyd?

[Alenee]

Dd was in a competitive science program for three years and she also took Apologia Biology as a 7th grader with all labs. I didn't push the bookwork for Biology. I just wanted her to have an introduction. With all that being said, as she enters 9th grade next year, should I make her go through the Biology book again with the labs, or can I just have her do it without them and call it good? She will not be ready for Chemistry next year. Thanks!

[Mom22ns]

You might consider doing a different Biology course and doing the labs included with it that were not included with Apologia. If you really like Apologia, what about adding DIVE so you do their labs and some of the second Apologia book too?

[Candid]

You might consider doing a different Biology course and doing the labs included with it that were not included with Apologia. If you really like Apologia, what about adding DIVE so you do their labs and some of the second Apologia book too?

 

This is what I would do; I'f find a more rigorous program and kick it up a notch for her.

[Alenee]

Good thoughts. Thank you!

 

Soooo, any ideas which programs would in fact, "kick it up a notch?"

[FaithManor]

Good thoughts. Thank you!

 

Soooo, any ideas which programs would in fact, "kick it up a notch?"

 

 

We love Campbells' Exploring Life! However, my understanding is that the publisher no longer supports the text. Thankfully, from previous years, I had already downloaded all of the online videos and what not that I wanted, plus we have the CD with the extras, so it hasn't affected us now that the boys are working through the text. I do believe that the Miller/Levine text is the replacement. I don't have any personal knowledge of that text, but if it is anything like Cambell's, then it would definitely be "up a few notches". These are AP texts by the way.

 

Faith

[Nscribe]

You might look at Campbell's Concepts and Connections. Same Campbell as Exploring Life, but the support materials may be more available. We found them a year ago and have enjoyed the book and extras.

[Alenee]

You might look at Campbell's Concepts and Connections. Same Campbell as Exploring Life, but the support materials may be more available. We found them a year ago and have enjoyed the book and extras.

 

Can you link me to a complete overview and what I would need to buy? I'm not finding anything that gives me a clear scope and sequence.

[StephanieZ]

We're doing Miller & Levine Macaw book this year and are really enjoying it. :) We've used Home Illustrated Guide to Bio Expt . . . and it is a great resource but it gets a little crazy scheduling-wise. There's no way to do it all, so you have to pick and choose, and be a bit loose when your 2 hour lab block needs to go to 4 hour some week, lol. If you aren't that loosey goosey, you might want to use something else for lab, but we do love Miller Levine for a text, and we're learning loads from the HIG. . . . (We bought from the publisher to get access to the online resources, teacher's edition/etc, tests, and I can't imagine doing it w/o that!) FWIW, the ENTIRE M-L Macaw text is avaiable on itunes for $15!! It even has videos, etc embedded (that are the same ones on the student website). There are some typos and glitches on the iTunes book, but, it is a STEAL for $15. I love having it for my own text, although I did have my students buy the (much pricier) paper text this year before I knew about the IBook! :)

[Leav97]

We're doing Miller & Levine Macaw book this year and are really enjoying it. :) We've used Home Illustrated Guide to Bio Expt . . . and it is a great resource but it gets a little crazy scheduling-wise. There's no way to do it all, so you have to pick and choose, and be a bit loose when your 2 hour lab block needs to go to 4 hour some week, lol. If you aren't that loosey goosey, you might want to use something else for lab, but we do love Miller Levine for a text, and we're learning loads from the HIG. . . . (We bought from the publisher to get access to the online resources, teacher's edition/etc, tests, and I can't imagine doing it w/o that!) FWIW, the ENTIRE M-L Macaw text is avaiable on itunes for $15!! It even has videos, etc embedded (that are the same ones on the student website). There are some typos and glitches on the iTunes book, but, it is a STEAL for $15. I love having it for my own text, although I did have my students buy the (much pricier) paper text this year before I knew about the IBook! :)

 

 

What materials do you need for the labs?

[Nscribe]

Table of Contents Concepts and Connections 6th Edition ISBN 0-321-48984-5

 

 

1. Biology: Exploring Life

 

I. THE LIFE OF THE CELL

2. The Chemical Basis of Life

3. The Molecules of Cells

4. A Tour of the Cell

5. The Working Cell

6. How Cells Harvest Chemical Energy

7. Photosynthesis: Using Light to Make Food

 

II. CELLULAR REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS

8. The Cellular Basis of Reproduction and Inheritance

9. Patterns of Inheritance

10. Molecular Biology of the Gene

11. How Genes Are Controlled

12. DNA Technology and Genomics

 

III. CONCEPTS OF EVOLUTION

13. How Populations Evolve

14. The Origin of Species

15. Tracing Evolutionary History

 

IV. THE EVOLUTION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

16. The Origin and Evolution of Microbial Life: Prokaryotes and Protists

17. Plants, Fungi, and the Colonization of Land

18. The Evolution of Invertebrate Diversity

19. The Evolution of Vertebrate Diversity

 

V. ANIMALS: FORM AND FUNCTION

20. Unifying Concepts of Animal Structure and Function

21. Nutrition and Digestion

22. Gas Exchange

23. Circulation

24. The Immune System

25. Control of Body Temperature and Water Balance

26. Hormones and the Endocrine System

27. Reproduction and Embryonic Development

28. Nervous Systems

29. The Senses

30. How Animals Move

 

VI. PLANTS: FORM AND FUNCTION

31. Plant Structure, Reproduction, and Development

32. Plant Nutrition and Transport

33. Control Systems in Plants

 

VII. ECOLOGY

34. The Biosphere: An Introduction to Earth's Diverse Environments

35. Behavioral Adaptations to the Environment

36. Population Ecology

37. Communities and Ecosystems

38. Conservation Biology

[Mom22ns]

I'd skip Exploring Life, she's already done the equivalent.

 

We looked at Concepts & Connections v. Miller Levine Biology. They are both solid texts and cover about the same amount of material. We preferred and used Miller Levine. See if you can get both from the library and see which you like.

 

DIVE would also step up from Apologia, you could use it with both Apologia books or BJU or a few other choices, but it still gives you the step by step hand holding of a homeschooling curriculum.

[Nscribe]

 

Can you link me to a complete overview and what I would need to buy? I'm not finding anything that gives me a clear scope and sequence.

 

I pasted the TOC to the 6th Edition above. There is a newer edition as well, we just chose the 6th because at the time I was able to find it, the Student Study Guide, and instructors CD for an amazingly good price (just one of those lucky finds). The Mastering Biology access can be purchased own its own. We did not opt to go with the lab manuals because we had access to labs otherwise that aligned well.

[Alenee]

I'd skip Exploring Life, she's already done the equivalent.

 

We looked at Concepts & Connections v. Miller Levine Biology. They are both solid texts and cover about the same amount of material. We preferred and used Miller Levine. See if you can get both from the library and see which you like.

 

DIVE would also step up from Apologia, you could use it with both Apologia books or BJU or a few other choices, but it still gives you the step by step hand holding of a homeschooling curriculum.

 

 

Yes...thinking on Miller Levine with DIVE. I do not want a "Christian" based text, though I am an Orthodox Christian, so Apologia and BJU are out. I appreciate when one can make the decisions themselves, rather than having the agenda of another pushed on them through the text.

[Mom22ns]

I'm planning to use M/L with DIVE for dd next year. I used M/L alone the first time and loved it. Dd really liked DIVE ICP, so I think we are going to combine to make her happy. I've done a rough reading syllabus since Dr. Shoreman doesn't have one. I still need to spend a little serious planning time to get everything aligned this summer though.

[Julie in MN]

Apologia has an advanced Biology, too. If you liked the Apologia Biology, that might be an option. [ETA: Woops, I guess you didn't.]

 

If I had already done Biology with Apologia, my preference would be to focus on human anatomy in some way, since that isn't really covered very much. Either Apologia's Advanced Bio, or The Teaching Company videos on anatomy, or dig into it somehow.

 

Julie

[Alenee]

Dd spent two years studying Anatomy in depth. If we didn't want to do Biology again but aren't ready for the math in Chemistry, what fits the bill for high school credit?

[Mom22ns]

Ds is going to do Forensic Science next year. Environmental Science is a popular choice these days, there is even an AP Test for it if you want it. Earth Science is commonly offered in public schools in high school. Astronomy, Geology...

 

How about doing a Physics first approach and doing a Conceptual Physics class?

[Julie in MN]

Dd spent two years studying Anatomy in depth. If we didn't want to do Biology again but aren't ready for the math in Chemistry, what fits the bill for high school credit?

So what did she do during those 3 years? 1 year of Apologia high school Biology and 2 years of "competitive" Anatomy? I agree I wouldn't do more Biology, although I probably wouldn't count junior hi work as high school work at my house. The college-prep ps near us does Conceptual Physics in 9th.

 

Julie

[Alenee]

So what did she do during those 3 years? 1 year of Apologia high school Biology and 2 years of "competitive" Anatomy? I agree I wouldn't do more Biology, although I probably wouldn't count junior hi work as high school work at my house. The college-prep ps near us does Conceptual Physics in 9th.

 

Julie

 

She was in a nationally recognized competitive science group where she studied anatomy, forensic science, and a few others that were less involved. She could step it up quite a bit in forensic science which she might be excited to do. But Biology was not a favorite which is why I don't want to go for a complete class again. I could easily feel good about giving her hs credit for biology if she did the book assignments in total this time but I wanted opinions. She did tons of labs and all of the work associated with it, as well as all the reading assignments. I just didn't have her do every.single.assignment. Anatomy IS an option as she was focused in on systems, two at a time. I just don't know that I want her to do that over again *next year*. She's never had Earth Science or Physics. I'm leaning toward those two.

[Nscribe]

 

She's never had Earth Science or Physics. I'm leaning toward those two.

 

Have you taken a look at Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt? Lots of posters on the board use it at some point. It is solid, a great way to enter Physics and has been around long enough that there are lots of online extras.

[Grantmom]

We're doing Miller & Levine Macaw book this year and are really enjoying it. :) We've used Home Illustrated Guide to Bio Expt . . . and it is a great resource but it gets a little crazy scheduling-wise. There's no way to do it all, so you have to pick and choose, and be a bit loose when your 2 hour lab block needs to go to 4 hour some week, lol. If you aren't that loosey goosey, you might want to use something else for lab, but we do love Miller Levine for a text, and we're learning loads from the HIG. . . . (We bought from the publisher to get access to the online resources, teacher's edition/etc, tests, and I can't imagine doing it w/o that!) FWIW, the ENTIRE M-L Macaw text is avaiable on itunes for $15!! It even has videos, etc embedded (that are the same ones on the student website). There are some typos and glitches on the iTunes book, but, it is a STEAL for $15. I love having it for my own text, although I did have my students buy the (much pricier) paper text this year before I knew about the IBook! :)

 

 

I saw that great deal on the Miller Levine book on iTunes! Do you mean that buying the print book from the publisher gave you access to more resources? Or is the iBook version enough to use this as a full course?

Thanks!

[StephanieZ]

 

I saw that great deal on the Miller Levine book on iTunes! Do you mean that buying the print book from the publisher gave you access to more resources? Or is the iBook version enough to use this as a full course?

Thanks!

 

Yup, if you get set up as an educator/homeschooler through Pearson, you can buy the print book at list price, and get this massive "teacher resource pack" of something or other, that is supposed to be hundreds of dollars, but discounts to $0 if you are registered as an educator (so why wouldn't it always be free, lol, I have no idea) . . .

 

The teacher pack is essentially just an access code to the online resources, PLUS they, at Pearson, have to set up your Teacher online account and then give you access to various areas of resources. Once it all gets done, it is really awesome.

 

So, you pay for the student book, but get full online access to all the teacher resources including a complete online Teacher's Manual (whole thing!), and every downloadable resource you can imagine -- tests (two versions = easy and hard -- for every chapter and unit) and lab worksheets and exercise sheeets and ppts for chapter lectures, etc, etc. It rocks. I use all the tests, and the kids use the videos/interactive stuff.

 

FWIW, the $15 iTunes book has all those cool videos, etc embedded in it! So, if you don't want/need tests or the online Teacher's Edition (answers to all the stuff in the book, etc), then just getting that e-book gets you much of what is online for the kids.

 

You also get the ability to give student access to an unltd number of students to the student resources (full online text, videos, etc.)

 

There are instructions here somewhere on how to get through to Pearson to get set up as a homeschooler. It was a PITA but worth it. Took several phone calls and some faxing, maybe, several emails . .. Once you get the right person it is easy enough, but it took some leg work.

 

Hopefully someone can link you to the thread that tells you how to do it! Search the archives for Miller Levine Biology Pearson and you might find it . . . Or start a new thread asking for a linky and someone will find it for you.