FarmingMomma Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) I'm working on some 9th grade planning for next year, but I haven't purchased Holt Biology yet. From the samples available on Rainbow Resource, it looks like there are 34 chapters, is that correct? Then there are multiple sections for each chapter. Those of you whose students have used this course, did they manage an entire chapter a week, or will I need to plan on skipping some topics? Edited January 25, 2017 by FarmingMomma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Yes, my dd is covering all 34 chapters in Blue Tent Honor's Biology class. There was also a few chapters added in from other sources as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmingMomma Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 Yes, my dd is covering all 34 chapters in Blue Tent Honor's Biology class. There was also a few chapters added in from other sources as well. So do you think an average student could do all 34 chapters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Yes, I believe so. My dd's class also answer selected questions in every chapter which usually equates to two typed pages every week. The honor's distinction is given due to the additional work assigned (essays, projects, discussions) along with the normal reading assignments, labs and tests. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 DD is doing Holt with a local group, and it's definitely doable in a year. It's a lot of chapters only because they've broken some topics into multiple chapters, presumably to make it easier to plan one chapter a week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirabillis Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 We use Holt with WTMA Biology. It's a good book - my son likes it. I tried looking to see how many chapters they are covering. But I have no idea. Sorry to not to be a ton of help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmingMomma Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 Thanks everyone. This high school planning is freaking me out a little :mellow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I'll just add that the blue/white Holt Biology book (the one with the polar bear?), is spot-on prep for the SAT subject test if that's on your radar. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I was in your shoes last summer, as I was preparing a schedule for biology. Biology is an incredible amount of information to cover in a year. The size of the books! Sheesh! I was disbelieving, "Surely not the *whole* book...we don't need to do the *whole* book? ...Do we?" Well, I came to the conclusion that we did need to do the whole book because I wanted my son to take the SAT II Biology test. And now that we're halfway through the school year I'm waffling on whether or not I should have him take it or not. There's just so much info to cover and the test asks for so many little detailed things. We'll have about 2 or 3 weeks at the end of the class to focus on test prep, but I'm just not sure if it's worth all the cramming at the end to take the test. I dunno. We spend 1.5 to 2.5 hours a day on biology--5 days a week, for 34 weeks to cover our book. It's not Holt, but I've seen the Holt book and my book is the same size. Biology is a big time-suck on our day. I wish I'd outsourced it. I don't feel I'm doing a good job of wrapping his and my head around exactly what parts we need to spend our time getting down cold, and which parts aren't as important. I'm am soooo outsourcing science next year (Chemistry.). Well, that probably wasn't helpful other than to say that if you're thinking, 'There's just no way!' I've btdt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmingMomma Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 I'll just add that the blue/white Holt Biology book (the one with the polar bear?), is spot-on prep for the SAT subject test if that's on your radar. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I was planning on getting the one with the black cover that Rainbow Resources sells with the online access. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I was planning on getting the one with the black cover that Rainbow Resources sells with the online access. And I don't want to be misleading and imply that other editions do not prepare for the test. That edition just happens to be the one I used. I'm sure the other editions are fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirabillis Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 I'll just add that the blue/white Holt Biology book (the one with the polar bear?), is spot-on prep for the SAT subject test if that's on your radar. Super awesome! I am following in your footsteps with hopes of grand SAT II testing post-polar bear Holt. :D And I know you said there's a whole section we'll need to cover ourselves... but after all the May APs, we have a few weeks until the June testing date. YAY! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 . Biology is a big time-suck on our day. I wish I'd outsourced it. I don't feel I'm doing a good job of wrapping his and my head around exactly what parts we need to spend our time getting down cold, and which parts aren't as important. I'm am soooo outsourcing science next year (Chemistry.). :iagree: Same situation for us! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I'll be the dissenter and say that I'm not sure an average student can cover all the chapters in a year. Or that they possibly could, but might be better served by cutting a couple and having more time for the rest. I base this on having seen several school syllabi that omit some chapters, and from thinking that many average students will have trouble with the sheer quantity and breadth of information. Another factor would be how many of the labs, simulations, and other extras one is planning to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Super awesome! I am following in your footsteps with hopes of grand SAT II testing post-polar bear Holt. :D :laugh: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmingMomma Posted January 30, 2017 Author Share Posted January 30, 2017 I'll be the dissenter and say that I'm not sure an average student can cover all the chapters in a year. Or that they possibly could, but might be better served by cutting a couple and having more time for the rest. I base this on having seen several school syllabi that omit some chapters, and from thinking that many average students will have trouble with the sheer quantity and breadth of information. Another factor would be how many of the labs, simulations, and other extras one is planning to do. We are planning on adding in some labs of our own (dissections, botany labs, etc). I don't mind cutting some sections or skipping some activities, but I'm not sure which to cut. I am planning on starting Biology earlier in the year than some of the other subjects so she has plenty of time to work through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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