biology lab options

[SparklyUnicorn]

So I think I've settled on the textbook.  I want to add in labs.  I'd like something ready to go with most supplies and a lab manual with activities.  It would ideally work with most biology books.  So I'm fine with general/typical biology labs (9thish grade level).  However, I don't want one that is heavy on dissection.  We've done dissections already, and I don't see the point of doing a ton more.  Secular only please.

 

 

 

 

[Penguin]

The Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments is secular and can be used with any bio textbook.  You can download the book on the author's website, or at least you could at one time.  There is also a kit.

 

The labs are heavy on microscope use - you would need a microscope.

 

 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

The Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments is secular and can be used with any bio textbook.  You can download the book on the author's website, or at least you could at one time.  There is also a kit.

 

The labs are heavy on microscope use - you would need a microscope.

 

Have you gotten any of the kits they list?  I saw that one and I think it's the one I like the looks of most.

[Luckymama]

I thought about using The Illustrated Guide for bio next year (we're using the chem one this year), but decided not to for several reasons:

 

--biology is dd's least favorite science

--we'll be doing bio in a semester block

--I own a lot of supplies already and really don't want to purchase much, if anything, new

 

So this weekend I spent a lot of quality time with Google ;) and found great, straight-forward biology labs (at NY Regents, honors, AP levels) that would use supplies we already own.

 

She'll be doing

--two biochemistry labs

--analysis of the biodiversity in the creek water

--some population estimate work

--cell studies w the microscope using plants, cheek cells, etc

--traditional osmosis and diffusion labs

--photosynthesis and respiration with Elodea

--mitosis and meiosis studies w the microscope

--DNA extraction just for the coolness factor

--mushroom dissection

--leaf dissection

--leaf stomata lab

 

plus many modeling and simulation activities (all hands-on, nothing virtual) such as protein synthesis and natural selection in butterflies.

 

We will not be doing any animal dissections by dd's request.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I actually have a lot of supplies too.  And DS doesn't even really want to do biology.  He only wants to do chemistry.  I think we should cover it at least once.  We really haven't done much biology. 

 

Thanks for that list! 

 

 

I thought about using The Illustrated Guide for bio next year (we're using the chem one this year), but decided not to for several reasons:

--biology is dd's least favorite science
--we'll be doing bio in a semester block
--I own a lot of supplies already and really don't want to purchase much, if anything, new

So this weekend I spent a lot of quality time with Google ;) and found great, straight-forward biology labs (at NY Regents, honors, AP levels) that would use supplies we already own.

She'll be doing
--two biochemistry labs
--analysis of the biodiversity in the creek water
--some population estimate work
--cell studies w the microscope using plants, cheek cells, etc
--traditional osmosis and diffusion labs
--photosynthesis and respiration with Elodea
--mitosis and meiosis studies w the microscope
--DNA extraction just for the coolness factor
--mushroom dissection
--leaf dissection
--leaf stomata lab

plus many modeling and simulation activities (all hands-on, nothing virtual) such as protein synthesis and natural selection in butterflies.

We will not be doing any animal dissections by dd's request.

 

[Luckymama]

I actually have a lot of supplies too. And DS doesn't even really want to do biology. He only wants to do chemistry. I think we should cover it at least once. We really haven't done much biology.

 

Thanks for that list!

Let me link some of the websites I found...

 

http://cibt.bio.cornell.edu/labs_and_activities/

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/

http://www.explorebiology.com/apbiology/labs/

 

That should help you get started :)

[Penguin]

I didn't get the kit, but I am overseas. I have just picked out a some of the labs that I could source materials for over here. I picked out some other labs from other places online.

 

Luckymama, how did it go with the chem guide?

[MamaSprout]

We're doing this next year: http://www.biologycorner.com/

 

It lines up with Miller and Levine. I'm plugging the labs into my spreadsheet first, then the relevant assignments the rest of the week, so lab-led. We've done some dissecting already, too, so we're using some of the virtual labs she has linked instead, and skipping a few others. The teacher even has answer keys for some of her labs/ worksheets at the bottom of the linked .pdf's.

 

I figure if we finish before the end of the year (unlikely knowing dd and biology bunny trails), we can do anatomy, which isn't scheduled. Otherwise, we'll pick up Human Anatomy when we do Health.

 

When I looked at most of the lab kits, they were either overkill for what we wanted, or I already had a lot of the equipment and just needed a few things and it would be silly to buy a whole kit.

[SparklyUnicorn]

We're doing this next year: http://www.biologycorner.com/

 

It lines up with Miller and Levine. I'm plugging the labs into my spreadsheet first, then the relevant assignments the rest of the week, so lab-led. We've done some dissecting already, too, so we're using some of the virtual labs she has linked instead, and skipping a few others. The teacher even has answer keys for some of her labs/ worksheets at the bottom of the linked .pdf's.

 

I figure if we finish before the end of the year (unlikely knowing dd and biology bunny trails), we can do anatomy, which isn't scheduled. Otherwise, we'll pick up Human Anatomy when we do Health.

 

When I looked at most of the lab kits, they were either overkill for what we wanted, or I already had a lot of the equipment and just needed a few things and it would be silly to buy a whole kit.

 

That looks good (and doable) too. 

 

We've done a lot of stuff on there though. 

 

I always feel like we have not done enough science, but maybe I'm mistaken.  Hehe...

[foxbridgeacademy]

Nothing new to offer but here's the link to the PDF of the Illustrated Guide.

[MamaSprout]

That looks good (and doable) too. 

 

We've done a lot of stuff on there though. 

 

I always feel like we have not done enough science, but maybe I'm mistaken.  Hehe...

 

I know what you mean!

 

Once I went through and dumped it into a spreadsheet, I was able to come up with one activity or a lab for each week. That's good enough for what we need.

[SkateLeft]

In my experience, many of the lab kit companies will give you the option of not purchasing dissection materials.

 

My oldest daughter used the Biology BK-1 Labpaq kit with her Miller-Levine text, and it was fantastic! She LOVED it. The materials were high quality, and the lab manual was extremely thorough, covering everything from how to write a formal lab report to comprehensive directions for each lab. I'd say this kit was our best science purchase in all our years of homeschooling. The company went through some transitions and it became increasingly difficult to purchase from them, so my younger daughter ended up using a different lab kit when she went through biology. It appears that Labpaq now has a new website, and there is a link on the ordering page for homeschoolers to contact them to order, so hopefully they're more amenable to homeschool orders again. If that's the case, this will definitely be my first choice for my ds next year!

 

Based on what you've posted, it's probably overkill for you, but thought I'd throw it out there.

 

My younger daughter used the same Miller-Levine text, but I bought the lab kit from Quality Science Labs. It was okay. After using the 200+ page manual from Labpaq, I wasn't impressed with the thin, little booklet that came with our QSL lab. The labs were a lot lighter than the Labpaq labs. Most of the materials were decent, but the dissection specimens were small and squished, which was disappointing. With that said, the dissection labs were probably the meatiest (hah! sorry!) part of the whole kit. I won't use QSL again.

 

If you get a list of the labs in any kit, it's fairly easy to line up labs with the topics in your biology text. QSL had a document that lined up the labs in their kit with a variety of texts, but I did it myself for the Labpaq kit and it wasn't hard.

[SparklyUnicorn]

In my experience, many of the lab kit companies will give you the option of not purchasing dissection materials.

 

My oldest daughter used the Biology BK-1 Labpaq kit with her Miller-Levine text, and it was fantastic! She LOVED it. The materials were high quality, and the lab manual was extremely thorough, covering everything from how to write a formal lab report to comprehensive directions for each lab. I'd say this kit was our best science purchase in all our years of homeschooling. The company went through some transitions and it became increasingly difficult to purchase from them, so my younger daughter ended up using a different lab kit when she went through biology. It appears that Labpaq now has a new website, and there is a link on the ordering page for homeschoolers to contact them to order, so hopefully they're more amenable to homeschool orders again. If that's the case, this will definitely be my first choice for my ds next year!

 

Based on what you've posted, it's probably overkill for you, but thought I'd throw it out there.

 

My younger daughter used the same Miller-Levine text, but I bought the lab kit from Quality Science Labs. It was okay. After using the 200+ page manual from Labpaq, I wasn't impressed with the thin, little booklet that came with our QSL lab. The labs were a lot lighter than the Labpaq labs. Most of the materials were decent, but the dissection specimens were small and squished, which was disappointing. With that said, the dissection labs were probably the meatiest (hah! sorry!) part of the whole kit. I won't use QSL again.

 

If you get a list of the labs in any kit, it's fairly easy to line up labs with the topics in your biology text. QSL had a document that lined up the labs in their kit with a variety of texts, but I did it myself for the Labpaq kit and it wasn't hard.

 

Yeah I am a bit confused by the labpaq website, but maybe I'll contact them.  I've heard good things about them from other people too.

 

The quality lab kit I saw seems very heavy on dissection. 

 

I don't even really care if they line up.  We are doing chem labs that don't quite line up, but it's fine.  They are the standard chem experiments probably done in many intro chem classes.  Plus I make DH do labs.  I hate them.  I just want to read the book. 

[StillStanding]

You can also check here:

 

http://www.lessonplansinc.com/science.php?/biology/types/Experiment/

[g1234]

We are doing chem labs that don't quite line up, but it's fine. They are the standard chem experiments probably done in many intro chem classes. Plus I make DH do labs. I hate them. I just want to read the book.

Sparkly, do you mind a quick hijack....can I ask what chem labs you are using? Sounds like they're getting the job done. We need something like that next year.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sparkly, do you mind a quick hijack....can I ask what chem labs you are using? Sounds like they're getting the job done. We need something like that next year.

 

Chem3000