? about what's on the SAT Biology test

[Garga]

The last few chapters in the biology books I looked at seem to be about the human body.  I know of one homeschooling person who skips those chapters in the biology books and she teaches them as part of an anatomy class in another year. 

 

Another person skipped them as well...and I don't remember why. 

 

I am wondering about these people skipping the human body parts of the biology book.  Why would they do that?  Is it normal to do that? 

 

But most important: Is the information in the human body chapters at the end of biology book on the SAT biology subject test?  Because if it's on there, we'll study it.  But if not...well, I don't want to take time on it that could be better used on something else.

 

Help me out here.  He wants to take the SAT biology test, so I need to be sure I do the right thing.   I don't want to waste his time on information that isn't part of the test, but I also don't want to skip something that is most certainly on the test.

 

ETA: The chapters I'm talking about have these headings:

Intro to the Human Body: Bones, Muscles and Skin

The Nervous and Endocrine System

The Circulatory, Respiratory, Digestive, and Excretory Systems

The Immune System and Disease

Reproduction and Human Development

 

 

 

ETA2:  Also, I don't remember ever finishing a textbook in high school.  College classes, yes.  High School, no.  So...why don't they finish the texts?  Am I  supposed to be finishing them?  Or is it putting undue pressure on my student to finish them?  Egads I wish I knew the answers to these things.  I absolutely don't want to short change my kids, but I don't know what's standard and expected.  I suppose they put everything in the book because you are supposed to do it all.  But why do so many teachers NOT do the whole book??!  It's late and I can't think straight.  I'm heading to bed.  Please help!

Edited August 13, 2016 by Garga_

[AFwife Claire]

Yes, both SAT 2 review books I have here in front of me review animal organ systems, so I would say the test covers them.  I just asked my son, who took it in June, and he doesn't remember too much anatomy & physiology though, so maybe it's not heavily emphasized.  Maybe what you should do is invest in a few review books and just let him do the organ systems sections of those, instead of the chapters in the textbook.  

Edited August 13, 2016 by AFwife Claire

[mumto2]

CollegeBoard website distribution of topics is here https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/subjects/science/biology-em

[EKS]

I skipped the human body chapters *and* all of the other organismic stuff (plants, animals, etc).  I preferred to spend our time on modern biology (cell and molecular biology, genetics, evolution, ecology).

 

Also, be aware that the biology subject test is basically a vocabulary test.

[Garga]

I skipped the human body chapters *and* all of the other organismic stuff (plants, animals, etc). I preferred to spend our time on modern biology (cell and molecular biology, genetics, evolution, ecology).

 

Also, be aware that the biology subject test is basically a vocabulary test.

Yes, I did hear somewhere that the test is heavy on vocab.

 

So, did your student take the SAT test without studying the human body chapters?

 

I'm settling down to look at the link that the PP gave to the content of the test. I'm going to use the glossary to see if those topics are anywhere near the human body chapters. From glancing over the topics, it looks like the human body chapters aren't on the test, which makes me think they're somewhat optional. Maybe?

 

And the reason I want to skip those chapters is that this biology book just seems overwhelming. I mean, if everyone else is doing the whole thing, fine, we will too. But honestly, if those last few chapters are optional, then I'd rather go a little deeper into the topics than wide: I'd like to sit on the topics for a few days of class and let them sink in, rather than push forward, forward, forward.

 

I hope I don't come across as a homeschooler who slacks, because I certainly don't. Yet, education isn't about stuffing in a bunch of facts that will fall out of the person's head a week later. Yet, if we take that test...we might have to stuff. Unless the test doesn't cover some things and we don't have to stuff.

 

Are you following all that?! I wish I had a few high school biology teachers to consult with. I am afraid of doing wrong by my guy by either giving him too big of a load or shortchanging his education.

[EKS]

Yes, I did hear somewhere that the test is heavy on vocab.

 

So, did your student take the SAT test without studying the human body chapters?

 

You asked why people who skipped those chapters did so.  My student did not take the biology subject test because I didn't want to teach biology in a way that ensured a good score (I was a biochemistry major and worked in the field for 10 years, so I have some strong opinions on this).  

[Garga]

You asked why people who skipped those chapters did so.  My student did not take the biology subject test because I didn't want to teach biology in a way that ensured a good score (I was a biochemistry major and worked in the field for 10 years, so I have some strong opinions on this).  

 

 

Oh yeah, that's fine.  I understand.  I was just clarifying with you because I'd like for him to take the SAT test this year and I don't want to steer him wrong.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Garga

[Penelope]

I don't yet know if I'm skipping them altogether, but they will get short shrift compared to the biochem and evolutionary aspects because 1) dc is a science kid and has been exposed to most of it before, at least this high school level of it, 2) I think it is lower in importance than other aspects of the course (textbooks typically mile wide and inch deep) and the basics of anatomy for a personal knowledge level can easily be covered in the health requirement, and 3) my child will probably do one or two semesters of an anatomy and physiology elective later in high school anyway.

 

We are planning on the SAT subject test. I have several prep books on hand and will incorporate questions throughout the course, ensuring we address the topics. This will increase through the year and I plan to have a little time at the end to just do prep, though it won't be a lot of time. Im hoping for the best. It will be the first SAT of high school.

[EKS]

Oh yeah, that's fine.  I understand.  I was just clarifying with you because I'd like for him to take the SAT test this year and I don't want to steer him wrong.

 

Sorry--I realize now that your question was being asked in the context of taking the test...

[Garga]

Ok--I'm postsing this reply for anyone who searches for this in the future, in case they are curious about this issue as well. I've been researching this for about 3 hours today.

 

First, I found what the standards were that are taught in PA for high school biology. Here are a bunch of the links I skimmed through:

 

https://www.pdesas.org/Standard/PACore

http://www.cdschools.org/Page/2139

http://www.bellevernonarea.net/Page/167

http://www.ridleysd.k12.pa.us/Page/307

https://www.pdesas.org/Page?pageId=11

http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/Academic_Standards_for_Science_and_Technology_and_Engineering_Education_(Secondary).pdf

http://www.stateboard.education.pa.gov/Regulations/AcademicStandards/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.stateboard.education.pa.gov/Documents/Regulations%20and%20Statements/State%20Academic%20Standards/ScienceandTechnologyStandards.pdf

 

And I got happy, because none of those seemed to cover the human body and I thought, "Ok, I don't know why those chapters are in the book, but perhaps we can skip them and spend more time on the other topics. Especially since the vocab for biology is huge. It'll give us more time to go deep into the subject."

 

BUT THEN.

 

I checked the table of contents for Kaplan's SAT Biology test booklets on Amazon. And an entire chapter in the test prep book is devoted to the human body and some of the example questions were also on the human body (one was about smooth muscle and per my text book, the only place it talk about smooth muscle is in the sections on the human body.)

 

My takeaway: Looks like the entire book, including the human body parts, are on the test. So, if we want to do the Biology SAT test, we should look over those chapters. However, it looks like they're not a huge part of the test, so we can probably go through them pretty quickly.

 

If we weren't taking the test, then I'd probably base our class more on the PA standards that do not mention the human body. They seem to save that for anatomy classes in 12th.

 

My personal plan:

 

Best: We're starting off hoping to do the whole book for two reasons: 1. To take the test. 2. I personally think it will be good to learn those things about the body.

 

Next best: But, if I find that it's too much for my student to handle, and I feel that he's not really learning because we're whizzing through the book, then we'll slow down for most of the book. At the end, we'll try going through the body information fast and then take the test.

 

Last best: If it's too much, we'll slow down and forget about this particular test for us. We'll learn about the body information in a health class or anatomy class in the future (another poster pointed out that the body stuff can be part of health. Good point. It doens't help for the SAT 2 test, but it will be ok for my son's actual education.). We might try taking the test and hoping that he gets a good enough score based on the non-body knowledge he has. We'll play that by ear.

 

 

NOTE: this is just stuff I've been researching today. The information in it might not be entirely accurate. Research for yourself, if you're reading this thread looking for answers.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Garga

[goldberry]

Someone who took the test recently said there were actually rather detailed questions on the endocrine system.  He was surprised.  

[Janeway]

Ok--I'm postsing this reply for anyone who searches for this in the future, in case they are curious about this issue as well. I've been researching this for about 3 hours today.

 

First, I found what the standards were that are taught in PA for high school biology. Here are a bunch of the links I skimmed through:

 

https://www.pdesas.org/Standard/PACore

http://www.cdschools.org/Page/2139

http://www.bellevernonarea.net/Page/167

http://www.ridleysd.k12.pa.us/Page/307

https://www.pdesas.org/Page?pageId=11

http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/Academic_Standards_for_Science_and_Technology_and_Engineering_Education_(Secondary).pdf

http://www.stateboard.education.pa.gov/Regulations/AcademicStandards/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.stateboard.education.pa.gov/Documents/Regulations%20and%20Statements/State%20Academic%20Standards/ScienceandTechnologyStandards.pdf

 

And I got happy, because none of those seemed to cover the human body and I thought, "Ok, I don't know why those chapters are in the book, but perhaps we can skip them and spend more time on the other topics. Especially since the vocab for biology is huge. It'll give us more time to go deep into the subject."

 

BUT THEN.

 

I checked the table of contents for Kaplan's SAT Biology test booklets on Amazon. And an entire chapter in the test prep book is devoted to the human body and some of the example questions were also on the human body (one was about smooth muscle and per my text book, the only place it talk about smooth muscle is in the sections on the human body.)

 

My takeaway: Looks like the entire book, including the human body parts, are on the test. So, if we want to do the Biology SAT test, we should look over those chapters. However, it looks like they're not a huge part of the test, so we can probably go through them pretty quickly.

 

If we weren't taking the test, then I'd probably base our class more on the PA standards that do not mention the human body. They seem to save that for anatomy classes in 12th.

 

My personal plan:

 

Best: We're starting off hoping to do the whole book for two reasons: 1. To take the test. 2. I personally think it will be good to learn those things about the body.

 

Next best: But, if I find that it's too much for my student to handle, and I feel that he's not really learning because we're whizzing through the book, then we'll slow down for most of the book. At the end, we'll try going through the body information fast and then take the test.

 

Last best: If it's too much, we'll slow down and forget about this particular test for us. We'll learn about the body information in a health class or anatomy class in the future (another poster pointed out that the body stuff can be part of health. Good point. It doens't help for the SAT 2 test, but it will be ok for my son's actual education.). We might try taking the test and hoping that he gets a good enough score based on the non-body knowledge he has. We'll play that by ear.

 

 

NOTE: this is just stuff I've been researching today. The information in it might not be entirely accurate. Research for yourself, if you're reading this thread looking for answers.

.

 

My understanding is, if you are taking the SAT 2 test in an area, you are advanced in that area instead of a run of the mill kind of person. So, for a class that is prepping for the test, what is taught should be above and beyond what is covered in a normal high school class.

[Garga]

.

 

My understanding is, if you are taking the SAT 2 test in an area, you are advanced in that area instead of a run of the mill kind of person. So, for a class that is prepping for the test, what is taught should be above and beyond what is covered in a normal high school class.

Yes, I think you're exactly right. I'm really not sure how things will shake out for my student, so we're going to do a lot to begin with and back off if he's just not up for it. (Don't tell him that, of course.)

 

I have plans to do a large number of labs as well as the reading. And I was hoping to read some other books, too, other than the text. But...this is our first year of high school and I have honestly no idea how this will play out for us.

 

But I think you're right that that's why I see the discrepancy between the standards of a biology class vs what's on the bio sat test.

[daijobu]

I have unique info to bear on this conversation as we were also caught between studying the organ systems and a hard place, as described by OP.  Our online bio class did not cover organ systems, but claimed it prepped students SAT subject test.  So we signed up for that test in May.  Then come to find out that organ systems are covered on the SAT subject test, so we signed up for another SAT subject test in June, after spending an extra month studying organ systems.  May exam: 740.  June exam 800.  So yes, you can get by with a decent score without organ systems, but it helps boost your score.  

 

I happen to think learning human organ systems is handy to know just for... life.  What do kidneys do?  How do neurons work?  But if you are planning to cover that stuff in another year, even better.  

[rlestina]

I have two kids who took the SAT biology test this past spring.  One said his test included a LOT of very detailed questions on the human body, including reproductive and endocrine systems.  The other said her test had only a few human anatomy questions - she was disappointed because that's one of her best areas.  But both definitely included the topic.  And yes, it was a very vocabulary intensive test.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

There are also two versions of the SAT Bio test. A lot of questions are common to both versions. Then a section of the test splits between the two topic areas. So the distribution of topics may vary depending on which version is taken.

 

I think one is environmental and the other might be more biochemical but I can't verify right now.

[Garga]

I have unique info to bear on this conversation as we were also caught between studying the organ systems and a hard place, as described by OP.  Our online bio class did not cover organ systems, but claimed it prepped students SAT subject test.  So we signed up for that test in May.  Then come to find out that organ systems are covered on the SAT subject test, so we signed up for another SAT subject test in June, after spending an extra month studying organ systems.  May exam: 740.  June exam 800.  So yes, you can get by with a decent score without organ systems, but it helps boost your score.  

 

I happen to think learning human organ systems is handy to know just for... life.  What do kidneys do?  How do neurons work?  But if you are planning to cover that stuff in another year, even better.  

 

 

Thank you for the info!

 

I've gone back and forth on this over the past week.

 

First, I was resigned to doing the entire book and studying the dizzying vocab lists.  Wow!  That's a TON of vocab!  But I keep hearing over and over that the test hinges on the vocab.

 

Then I saw that people cut out the anatomy chapters and I felt a little relief.  More time to deal with less information---this is good!

 

And then I remembered, dimly, someone saying something about anatomy on the SAT test.  And so then I started this thread.

 

Once the thread was up, I researched different standards and syllabi for high school biology and none of them talk about anatomy, even the college prep courses, so I was feeling safe in cutting those chapters.  It's so common for textbooks to have extra info in them, and each teacher decides which portion to use (at least in college...maybe not in hs anymore with common core.) 

 

And then I saw that Kaplan has an entire chapter devoted to anatomy.  Screech the record to a halt!

 

And that's when I kinda thought that it was like you say above: classes may say college prep, but they don't really bother with the anatomy portion and kids just get slightly lower scores if they take the SAT 2 test.

 

And then I was back to resigning myself that I'd have to put those chapters back into my schedule.  At first I felt a little disgruntled about it, but after flipping through them, I realized that those chapters are really useful.  I don't know if my son will go into a biology career in his life, but if he doesn't, then those chapters are perhaps the the most useful chapters in the book!  And I certainly want us to cover them!

 

Bottom line: this will be my son's hardest class he's ever taken so far and this is new territory for us (high school, SAT tests), so who knows how this will all play out in the end?  Maybe we'll ditch the test and ditch the anatomy chapters and study them another year.  Or maybe this year will go awesomely and he'll love biology and learn a ton.

 

This high school planning is tough.  And unbelievably time consuming. 

Edited August 15, 2016 by Garga

[happypamama]

There are also two versions of the SAT Bio test. A lot of questions are common to both versions. Then a section of the test splits between the two topic areas. So the distribution of topics may vary depending on which version is taken.

 

I think one is environmental and the other might be more biochemical but I can't verify right now.

Well, that's lousy.  Do you have to pick a version, or is it random?

[Luckymama]

Well, that's lousy. Do you have to pick a version, or is it random?

Both subtests use the same test booklet. The first 50? (75?) questions are identical. You continue with the sequentially-numbered questions for one sub-type or skip ahead to a specific question number for the other subtype.

 

The choice is glaringly obvious :)

 

The choices are Bio-E (ecology) and Bio-M (molecular). The SAT site explains the differences, as do all the prep books.

Edited August 15, 2016 by Luckymama

[happypamama]

Both subtests use the same test booklet. The first 50? (75?) questions are identical. You continue with the sequentially-numbered questions for one sub-type or skip ahead to a specific question number for the other subtype.

 

The choice is glaringly obvious :)

 

The choices are Bio-E (ecology) and Bio-M (molecular). The SAT site explains the differences, as do all the prep books.

Okay, that makes more sense.  I did see that on the SAT site.  I actually like this idea a lot because it sounds like we could focus more on E or M, depending on the student's interest, and the student could decide which section to do that day.

[Aludlam]

Following. I'm super curious about Human A&P being on the test. Planning this class now using Miller and Levine Mccaw iPad version.

[happypamama]

I read some of the reviews on Amazon for the different prep materials, and they seemed mixed. Does anyone here have personal experience to recommend, or warn against, any of them?

 

Also, do I need a specific edition for the 2017 test?

[mumto2]

Okay, that makes more sense. I did see that on the SAT site. I actually like this idea a lot because it sounds like we could focus more on E or M, depending on the student's interest, and the student could decide which section to do that day.

When it comes time to actually prep for the exam I would have your student pick E or M and stick with it. There is a recent thread that I can't find where the student studied for one of the biology exams and changed on the day. The score wasn't what was expected , probably due to the last minute change. Anyway my kids have always gone in with a set plan regarding testing order etc. Seems to help confidence wise.

 

Just want to add, they can change on exam day.....technically I think they can even change to completely different exams (not listening foreign language) within the booklet. I know they can take extra exams and pay later. Limit of three per test day.