jhschool Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 Hello Some of the science courses DS will be taking will have labs, and some of them won't. Should I label the ones that have labs? Should I label the ones that won't? For instance, how would this look: Physics (Algebra-Based) (with lab) - 1 credit - Grade: A - 4.0 Biology (no lab) - 1 credit - Grade: A - 4.0 Chemistry (with lab) - 1 credit - Grade : A - 4.0 Physics (Calculus-Based) (with lab) - 1 credit - Grade: A - 4.0 What do you all think? Should I leave the lab/no lab descriptions? Should I leave just the "no lab?" Should I leave just the "with lab?" Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I'd probably do Physics .75 (A) Physics lab .25 (A) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I've never seen a transcript entry that specified what a course lacked ("no lab"). I just noted which ones did have labs. So, my son's list of science courses looks like: Chemistry (with lab) . . . . . 1.0 Credit Science in Popular Culture (with lab) . . . . . 1.0 Credit Honors Earth Space Science . . . . . 1.0 Credit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I label the courses that have a lab as "with lab". I do not label the courses that don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I label the courses that have a lab as "with lab". I do not label the courses that don't. This is what I did. Biology w/lab Chemistry I w/lab Other Science It worked fine at the (state) unis ds applied to and no one said anything about it. Just be sure you have enough lab sciences to cover the schools' requirements and you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 By definition, biology is a lab science. I would be reluctant to call it "biology" if there was no lab. Then it would be life science, I guess. Isn't physics considered a lab science? And chemistry? If so, then you wouldn't need to specify that there was a lab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicmom Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 This is what I did. Biology w/lab Chemistry I w/lab Other Science It worked fine at the (state) unis ds applied to and no one said anything about it. Just be sure you have enough lab sciences to cover the schools' requirements and you should be fine. That's what I did also, and it was accepted by all the schools my dc applied to, from state schools to highly selective private schools. Here are a few real examples from my dc's transcripts: Biology (w/Lab) Physics (w/Lab) Adv Chemistry (w/Lab) Adv Biology AP Physics C: Mechanics Adv Biology had no lab (dd used Thinkwell, ds used MIT OCW--neither of which included a lab component and there was not enough time--and in the case of MIT's course, which went beyond AP and totally over my head, not enough ability--for me to provide one.) AP Physics was an outside online course through Stanford EPGY and did not have a lab component either. We were more than okay, though, for meeting college requirements, because each of my dc did have 4 courses that included actual labs (the highest requirement we found anywhere.) By definition, biology is a lab science. I would be reluctant to call it "biology" if there was no lab. Then it would be life science, I guess. Isn't physics considered a lab science? And chemistry? If so, then you wouldn't need to specify that there was a lab. Hmm. That's an interesting perspective. I think that would be true of B&M high schools, where labs would be a integral part of biology, chemistry and physics (they certainly were integral at my high school, and I don't think my transcript specified labs for those classes, nor did it point out that my Zoology class didn't have a lab.) So it could well be that B&M school transcripts don't say "with lab" for anything, and colleges know how to interpret it. But I think coming from the home school world and/or the world of online high school programs and courses, where having the lab component is not a given (and some still wonder if homeschoolers can even do labs at home), it's important to note when labs were included--because I think it's lab experience that colleges are looking for/expecting when they say they want a certain number of lab sciences. Even if there's no lab, I think it's best to have course titles accurately reflect the content. For me, if the textbook or lecture series is titled Biology, I would call it Biology (Adv Biology if it were college or AP-level.) I think calling it "life science" might give the wrong impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 By definition, biology is a lab science. Never heard this definition. Isn't physics considered a lab science? And chemistry? If so, then you wouldn't need to specify that there was a lab. No, physics is not considered a "lab science". In fact, there are plenty of physics courses that do not have a lab component. At college, except for the first two semesters of introductory class, no other physics course has an integrated lab component. There are a few advanced lab courses, but all other classes do not have a lab associated with them. So, it should definitely be specified whether a class has a lab or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Thank you, ladies! This is very useful. We will do labs for at least one of the Physics and two of the Chemistry courses. We will indicate so on the transcript, and list Biology with nothing next to it, since we won't do a lab for it. Thanks for the help for the transcript! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Never heard this definition. No, physics is not considered a "lab science". In fact, there are plenty of physics courses that do not have a lab component. At college, except for the first two semesters of introductory class, no other physics course has an integrated lab component. There are a few advanced lab courses, but all other classes do not have a lab associated with them. So, it should definitely be specified whether a class has a lab or not. According to the University of California, biology, chemistry and physics are lab sciences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 According to the University of California, biology, chemistry and physics are lab sciences. They want two science courses with lab from the areas of bio, chem and physics, and that's what they call a "lab science". From your link: The term “laboratory†is intended to signify an empirical basis of the subject matter, as well as inclusion of a substantial experimental and/or observational activity in the course design. Their statement is a statement about their required kind of course. It does not mean that every course in bio, chem or physics is a lab course (or has to be one -as they only require two), nor does it mean that the discipline of physics is a "lab science". Other universities phrase the requirement in different words: Science: 3 units, one of which must be a laboratory course. Acceptable courses may be Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Some of our science classes had labs. Some didn't. (My kids have yet to do a bio lab, even thoughthey all have had great scores on the Bio SAT-2 and I do consider them to have taken Biology, not just life science!) We made no mention of the labs or lack thereof on the transcript. We let the outside class grades and the SAT-2 and AP test scores speak for themselves. In the course description we did mention if there was a lab component to the class. If there was no lab component, we did not mention it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Whatever. I'm only pointing out that at least some institutions consider physics, under some circumstances, to be a lab, which you said it is not. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 If you're only doing video-based labs and written summaries, is it still okay to label it (w/ lab) on the transcript, or does that imply that all labs were hands on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 If you're only doing video-based labs and written summaries, is it still okay to label it (w/ lab) on the transcript, or does that imply that all labs were hands on? I personally do not consider a video based "lab" an actual lab, since the student is never actually doing something: there is no sample preparation, no use of lab equipment, no use of measuring tools. If anything, these may be demonstrations, but do not meet the learning objectives of a lab science, since the student never learns to use any equipment. Some schools DD is interested in specifically state in their admissions requirements that the lab has to be wet lab, hands on, and that a computerized "lab" is no acceptable substitute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Some schools DD is interested in specifically state in their admissions requirements that the lab has to be wet lab, hands on, and that a computerized "lab" is no acceptable substitute. Which schools stated this? I have seen this: Academic Portfolio with a detailed syllabus that lists the subjects studied each year, the dates each subject was studied, a description of each course of study, required texts and reading, and evidence of laboratory experience in the sciences which I took to mean an actual lab book (or maybe photos?) but only from one of the schools we've ever looked at (Denison) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Which schools stated this? had to look through my history... so actually it was not one of the schools DD is looking at, but came up in some other context. University of CA : http://www.ucop.edu/.../faq/index.html Online courses may be approved for credit toward the “d†requirement if they meet all the guidelines outlined in the laboratory science subject criteria, and include a supervised, hands-on, wet laboratory component comprising of at least 20 percent of the course. Since UC has not seen computer software that adequately replicates the laboratory experience, computer simulated labs and lab kits are not acceptable. UC faculty considers the experimentation process a critical component of any laboratory science course because it brings the scientific process to life. Currently, Scout (formerly known as UC College Prep [uCCP] Online / UC Online Academy) is the only online publisher that offers approved online laboratory science courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Currently, Scout (formerly known as UC College Prep [uCCP] Online / UC Online Academy) is the only online publisher that offers approved online laboratory science courses. That's really interesting. I couldn't find any reference to labs on their biology or physics course description at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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