Biology that I can just hand to my 11th grader...."Here, do this."

[Sweet Home Alabama]

We have very limited internet, so we cannot stream. I would consider both Christian and secular. I've considered these:

 

 

*BJU with their DVDs but hate the expense.

*BJU with DIVE, but I think DIVE is kind of boring.

*Miller Levine with somthing like The Great Courses Biology

 

 

I do not want to teach this course, but we need an instructor! Please comment on the above or make other suggestions.

 

This student is a walking biology guy, but he is not ready for anything AP. Our cover school will teach a biology class using Apologia biology, but I sort of cringe when I think of an 11th grader using that. Seems like I need something more like honors level. I would like him to be exposed to the evolution arguments so that he is knowledgeable and can defend his Christian creation perspective in college. For this reason, either a Christian or secular text could work. We'd probably need to supplement to bring balance to this topic. We'd also need this to be a lab course.

 

We cover Conceptual Physics in 9th grade and Apologia Chemistry in 10th grade. This student has completed Algebra I and geometry. He'll have Algebra II in 11th grade.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Sweet Home Alabama

[SparklyUnicorn]

Maybe Thinkwell?  But on CD:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Thinkwell-Biology-George-Wolfe-Next-Generation/dp/096783578X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460581950&sr=8-1&keywords=thinkwell+biology

 

We watched the chemistry so no I can't say anything about it, but we did like the chemistry.

 

 

[Mom22ns]

I'd go with DIVE for independence and it is much less dense and less expensive than BJU. Dd used it with Miller Levine which I like better than BJU. I agree that DIVE is boring though.

[katilac]

Maybe Thinkwell?  But on CD:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Thinkwell-Biology-George-Wolfe-Next-Generation/dp/096783578X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460581950&sr=8-1&keywords=thinkwell+biology

 

We watched the chemistry so no I can't say anything about it, but we did like the chemistry.

 

Thinkwell is AP, though. 

[Peaceful Isle]

Time 4 learning has Biology, for a monthly fee. I really don't think it is a complete curriculum for high school, but it could be used along with some independent ready, and maybe some online labs.

 

** never mind....just saw you can stream ...

Edited April 14, 2016 by Peacefulisle

[Janeway]

My Science Shepherd book is coming tomorrow according to the tracking number. I actually had ordered Oak Meadow, which also looked great and could have been done alone, so that is a secular choice. The syllabus has everything written out and the labs are not too complicated. I would pick between them. I switched to Science Shepherd after I saw the book that someone else had and it looked so good. I have not used either yet. I had the Oak Meadow book in my home for a few days and looked it over and was happy with it. I simply liked the Science Shepherd book a little better and it cost less. I do not like the experiments though, from Science Shepherd as we do not want to dissect. I figure we will do the experiments in the beginning and in the end, when we get to dissections, I will look online for alternatives.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks, everyone!

From all the suggestions here, I'm still looking at BJU/ML and DIVE.

I used SS with my oldest last year, and it was not a good fit for us. Wish it had worked out. I really wanted it too.

 

ETA: Forgot to say... I have not looked at OM, but I really don't want to teach the class. My experience with SS made it clear that a real teacher could have made so many questions clear. As it was, my dd and I did our best to figure some things out, but many times we didn't feel like we had resolution for some difficult topics.

 

 

If I went with ML, what instructor/video would go well with that?

 

Also, how bad would it really be if we ended up using Apologia. There would be a "real" teacher and lab. I keep telling myself that it wouldn't be that bad.

 

Please keep the comments coming! Thanks!!!

Edited April 14, 2016 by Sweet Home Alabama

[Junie]

I vote for the class using Apologia.  I think a real teacher and real lab would be better than a video, especially if your ds enjoys science.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Junie, have you used Apologia Biology? I would really appreciate hearing about your experience especially with respect to an older high school student using it. I know that this text is more commonly used for 9th grade.

 

 

 

I vote for the class using Apologia. I think a real teacher and real lab would be better than a video, especially if your ds enjoys science.

[Junie]

Junie, have you used Apologia Biology? I would really appreciate hearing about your experience especially with respect to an older high school student using it. I know that this text is more commonly used for 9th grade.

 

 

 

 

I know that Apologia recommends their Biology class for ninth grade.  I believe it is because it does not have math prerequisites like Chemistry and Physics do.  IMO, he does not need an honors class just because he is taking it "late".  It's a 1 credit high school class, just like any other 1 credit high school class.

 

My ds15 is using Apologia Bio along with the (expensive) dvds.  If he were an only child or my last child, I probably wouldn't have spent that much money on them; as they will be used (probably) 5 more times, I thought it was a good investment.

 

Ds15 has exactly zero interest in science and has negative interest in dissections.  ;)  So, we are using the textbook and the virtual labs.  Since you have a lab class available to you, and your ds is interested in Biology, I would not hesitate to put him in the class.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks very much, Junie! This is encouraging to me.

[Liza Q]

We've been using DIVE with Holt Biology and it has been quite independent. He will have done about 2/3 of the labs hands-on by the end of the year and completed the rest with the DIVE videos. He is not crazy about DIVE but the lectures, lab videos/instructions, and tests are worth it. I do the scheduling (I have spread it out over about 38 weeks, not 32) but he does the work on his own. Sometimes the reading doesn't line up exactly, or the online textbook goes in to more depth on something, so he just reads some of the online text that week as an extra assignment. I believe that you could do the same thing with ML.

 

When he was covering origins/evolution, I had him read the online text as well as Holt so he would be well-informed. I am closer to being an Old Earth creationist and I prefer the BJU over the online text, so I had him read some of that too.

 

Maybe you could have him take the Apologia class and just have him read the ML text, or parts of it, in addition to the co-op assignments. That way he would benefit from a real class with labs, and you would be sure that he had more information. At minimum, I would assign everything on the human body and the chapters on origins/evolution.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Liza Q

[SparklyUnicorn]

Thinkwell is AP, though. 

 

I thought they had 2 options.  AP and "regular".  I didn't buy the AP version of the chemistry.  Although I think possibly it is more in line with a college course than high school because it did seem pretty rigorous.  But I could only guess about that.

[katilac]

I thought they had 2 options.  AP and "regular".  I didn't buy the AP version of the chemistry.  Although I think possibly it is more in line with a college course than high school because it did seem pretty rigorous.  But I could only guess about that.

 

iirc, all of the science is meant to be equivalent to a first year college course. The AP version has some content specific to the exam that isn't on the "regular" course, but other than that they are identical, with the same lectures, etc.  

[NCMom]

I vote for the class using Apologia.  I think a real teacher and real lab would be better than a video, especially if your ds enjoys science.

 

I agree.  If you aren't going to teach it then by all means outsource it. Doing the labs etc. with others is often more motivating to a student than videos.

 

There is no such thing as a "grade level" for high school biology (just books that are more or less rigorous or thorough) but if you are concerned about the content then you could require more from the student. You could add living books and/or require independent research on a topic that the student found interesting within each module.

 

hth,

Georgia

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Georgia and Lisa Q, those are great ideas.  Thank you!

 

SparklyUnicorn and Katilac I'll check Thinkwell.  Also, thank you too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Janeway]

Are you saying Science Shepherd is not independent? I was hoping it would be. By the way, I only paid $41 for the OM/Holt book used on Amazon and it looked great. Let me know if you want the link.

[Momto6inIN]

I vote for the class using Apologia.  I think a real teacher and real lab would be better than a video, especially if your ds enjoys science.

 

I agree. High school level is high school level, regardless of when you take the course during high school. My oldest DS took it in 9th and while he's more of a physics guy, he enjoyed the course a lot. We got together with a few other kids and did the dissections together and they had an absolute blast and learned a ton from doing it together. And best of all, Dr. Wile was his teacher, not me. ;) I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to do it in 11th grade.

 

And Dr. Wile's treatment of evolution is a lot less over the top than the rest of Apologia's stuff. You could easily add some other reading to that module to beef it up if desired.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

SS was practically independent. This is one reason I was drawn to it. The curriculum was written so that a home schooler could accomplish an honors/pre-AP biology at home. I loved how it was scheduled. The lesson plans schedules reading, answering questions, labs, and tests. I helped my dd review the material with the Parent Companion. It was a beautiful set up.

 

We had problems though. Sometimes the answer to a question was stated one way in the text and reworded differently in the Parent Companion. Also, there were some answers that were completely different between the two. Because I have no formal training in biology, I was never sure what the real answers were.

 

These issues frustrated my dd. We really wanted this text to work for us. I read several positive reviews here about it. (I also read some not as favorable.) I was still willing to try it.

 

The Potters School uses SS in their pre-AP biology class, so it can't be too bad. If a biology teacher teaches it, she/he can make all the difference!

 

SS was going to be the ease of Apologia with the appropriate rigor of an honors class. I wish it had worked out for us. I truly hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

Are you saying Science Shepherd is not independent? I was hoping it would be. By the way, I only paid $41 for the OM/Holt book used on Amazon and it looked great. Let me know if you want the link.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Sweet Home Alabama

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Momto5inIN, thank you for your comment. I've made arrangements to speak with the Apologia biology teacher at our cover school this afternoon.

 

I know that a teacher can make all the difference. Hopefully I'll have a better feel for this class after I talk to her.

[Mom22ns]

Momto5inIN, thank you for your comment. I've made arrangements to speak with the Apologia biology teacher at our cover school this afternoon.

 

I know that a teacher can make all the difference. Hopefully I'll have a better feel for this class after I talk to her.

 

i'll throw in there, that it isn't that bad. Apologia with a decent teacher will be just fine. It is just an introduction to the topic. Getting through a high school level text and learning some concepts is fine. I would supplement Apologia with a real introduction to evolution and classification. You could use the $15 iPad version of M/L and just read those chapters. The newer M/L covers newer classification. I think that was the only big change between the versions, but you really want that information.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thank you for that, Debbie.  

 

I had a very helpful conversation with the teacher.  At the very end of the conversation she summarized that Apologia is a text that teaches "parts"... the parts of a plant, earthworm, etc... It's a labeling type book.  It does not stress the chemistry behind the biology although chemistry would be a part of her class next year because it is in several parts of the Apologia book.  It helped to boil it down to that.  

 

I must admit, I felt that I am not finished researching. After all that I've read about biology here, chemistry is a major part of biology.  It made me wonder if Apologia would be enough or not.  However, I can't deny that the classroom aspect is a huge benefit.  A real biology teacher would teach a strong biology class.  I am certain of that.

 

Then again, I've also heard many times that high school courses (specifically science, I think) are introductory courses.  At college, these courses start at the beginning.  I simply want to be sure that we cover what we need to cover to expose ds to the concepts he needs so that college science classes are not too big of a step up.  

 

I have about a month to make a decision.

[MAIMOM]

Thanks,

 

 

If I went with ML, what instructor/video would go well with that?

 

Also, how bad would it really be if we ended up using Apologia. There would be a "real" teacher and lab. I keep telling myself that it wouldn't be that bad.

 

Please keep the comments coming! Thanks!!!

My DD is in 9th grade and is young for her grade at 14 so I bought the DVD to go along with her Apologia biology for this year. She has been doing very well with biology this year. I am not teaching it, she watches the DVD. I did also purchase the workbook to go along with the class. She enjoys having the textbook to read and the workbook to write in. I think your son could do this on his own and I do not think it would be bad. It has been a very good experience for my DDNd thus for me as well.