Biology....options?

[ProudGrandma]

Let me first say, I did look at the sticky on biology options....but I am looking for a video or online option...but not a live class (can't afford that)...and there was only one or 2 that listed that option.

 

I do not need an AP/Honors Bio....just a regular, get it done, but done well option.

 

I want a program that does more than just the labs on DVD. 

 

So, I was curious what my options might be. 

 

Please share with me what I should consider.

 

thanks.

[maize]

Fascinating Biology is a full video course on sale right now for $39 through the Build Your Bundle sale. There is a sample lesson on the Fascinating science web site.

 

I haven't used this class but did purchase Fascinating Chemistry through the sale for next year. Also, if you purchase something through the sale you get a bonus savings pdf that includes a code to get the medicine course (which includes an introduction to anatomy and physiology) from the same provider free.

[maize]

Link to the sale page:

 

https://www.buildyourbundle.net/shop/fascinating-biology-course/

[ProudGrandma]

I was looking at the testimonials and many people were using them for their middle school children....if a program is easy enough for middle school, I wonder if it's too easy to be considered a High School level program.

 

Also, do you know if taking this bio and NOT this chem (he did a chem class from a different program) will throw him?

 

thanks.

[ProudGrandma]

and  about Bio labs....do they have those?

[Janeway]

I was looking at the testimonials and many people were using them for their middle school children....if a program is easy enough for middle school, I wonder if it's too easy to be considered a High School level program.

 

Also, do you know if taking this bio and NOT this chem (he did a chem class from a different program) will throw him?

 

thanks.

I do not know about this specific program, but do remember that public school tends to water down courses to make them so that every child can pass. Home schoolers often do classes at younger ages that really would be equal to what public schoolers would do. SO, just because home schoolers might use this program in middle school does not mean it is not equal to a high school biology class.

[maize]

Chemistry and biology do not need to be from the same provider.

 

I do think this course may be a bit light, but I think many high school biology courses as taught in school are a bit light. My 10th grade biology course certainly was.

[Murrayshire]

My 9th grader is enrolled in Fundafunda Academy's Biology 1. It is not a live class.

[Omma]

BJU has either DVDs or distance learning online as options for Biology.  We are using the DVDs this year and the instructor is fantastic.  I particularly appreciate how she thinks of everyday examples and memory devices to help students with new concepts and terms.  There is also a lab instructor; she does quite well, too.  We do not score the lab points like she does, but that is your prerogative to make the class work for you.  BJU Biology can be pretty intense if you do everything in the package...there are quizzes practically every day and rigorous tests at the end of each chapter.  We modify the grading a bit by occasionally offering second chance picks on quizzes for half credit, for example.

 

Find something and then make it work for you!

 

 

[birchbark]

We did ACE Biology with the DVDs and were very happy with it. It is definitely high-school level without it being as rigorous or time-consuming as BJU. It makes a good git'er done biology for a student who is not going into the field or an introductory year for someone who wants to take more advanced biology later in high school. Another perk of this program is that it includes human anatomy. The labs are video but if you want your student to perform them there are inexpensive kits at Home Science Tools that work with this program.

 

I never would have considered ACE, except that Carrie Austin selected this program for Heart of Dakota. I will link her descriptions here, as they are better than what is on the ACE site. She also explains which dissection kits to purchase if desired. (She uses this program for 10th grade, but it is actually a 9th-grade course.)

 

http://www.heartofdakota.com/board3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14746

 

I ordered the course from HoD here, but you can also purchase it directly from ACE.

 

We did the 10th grade Physical Science with DVDs this year, which is an intro to physics and chemistry. For the last two years of high school we are planning online science courses with hands-on labs. So far I've been pretty happy with this plan. 

[ProudGrandma]

FundaFunda and ACE are $300+...we really can't afford that.  I missed the sale on the fascinating biology, because we were camping...and because i didn't want to  make a quick decision...I am still not 100% convinced that it's hard enough to consider a HS level course either...but I will be looking at it again.

 

Any other options for me??

[Zoo Keeper]

Have you looked at Sonlight?  They schedule Apologia Biology, and sell dissection kit to use at home...https://www.sonlight.com/250-100.html

 

You could make the kit less expensive by buying the books used; I've seen Apologia books going very inexpensively on Amazon and other sites.

[ProudGrandma]

my daughter did Apologia and hated it.  It was so dry and boring....and the DVD's that you can buy with it weren't very helpful.  Sorry, I don't mean to shoot down every suggestion here.  Maybe what I am looking for doesn't exist.  sigh!

[TN Mama]

I have no idea what we are going to use this year, but I have been doing much research. Here are our top contenders:

http://www.hmhco.com/shop/education-curriculum/science/homeschool/biology-homeschool (You can purchase through HSBC for $80-something.

https://elementalscience.com/collections/biology-for-the-rhetoric-stage

​We are also looking at Oak Meadow Environmental Science (not their new one, but previous edition that uses Holt text). Or maybe the Envio science from hmhco above (also for $80-something on HSBC).

​These aren't tried & true options, but you're not alone in your hunt!

 

[birchbark]

It's probably going to be hard to find a high-school-level video curriculum much cheaper, unless you can find it used.  Another option that came to mind is the Biology 101 videos, which have a "course accreditation booklet" to make it into a year-long course. It seems though, that I've heard people say they didn't think this was a full high-school-level credit?

 

Have you looked at Mr. Q?

 

[Guest2]

We are doingHomeschool Connections recorded classes.https://view.publitas.com/homeschool-connections/recordedcatalog2016/page/78-79

This course uses the Miller Levine Prentice Hall Biology book. It costs $30 a month for unlimited courses, but they are reordings , with no live interaction. It will be our lecture. There are free Prentice hall online activities by the publisher, and I have a used book from Amazon. The plan is to purchase the Kolbe homeschool lesson plans and lab manual. We are planning to do the experiments either at home or at the natural science musuem, depending on what is offered. If my DD likes this course, we may do their AP recorded advanced Biology .

[Mom22ns]

I used DIVE with Miller Levine Biology, although I had to create my own syllabus for that. Dd liked DIVE for the video instruction and structure and I liked his tests. I always warn people to watch the sample videos from DIVE because one of my kids hated him and one thought he was fine. The samples are very representative and if they seem boring... well, it probably isn't a good choice for you.  :lol:

[ProudGrandma]

It's probably going to be hard to find a high-school-level video curriculum much cheaper, unless you can find it used.  Another option that came to mind is the Biology 101 videos, which have a "course accreditation booklet" to make it into a year-long course. It seems though, that I've heard people say they didn't think this was a full high-school-level credit?

 

Have you looked at Mr. Q?

 

I am not against going used...but if it's online, you can't do that....

 

Mr Q isn't video based.  But it does look very user friendly.  Have you used it?

[ProudGrandma]

I have no idea what we are going to use this year, but I have been doing much research. Here are our top contenders:

 

http://www.hmhco.com/shop/education-curriculum/science/homeschool/biology-homeschool (You can purchase through HSBC for $80-something.

 

https://elementalscience.com/collections/biology-for-the-rhetoric-stage

​We are also looking at Oak Meadow Environmental Science (not their new one, but previous edition that uses Holt text). Or maybe the Envio science from hmhco above (also for $80-something on HSBC).

 

​These aren't tried & true options, but you're not alone in your hunt!

 

The Holt McDougal program looks interesting to me....but I would like to see a samples (video and book) to see what it all really looks like.  Do you know where I might find those?

 

[TN Mama]

The Holt McDougal program looks interesting to me....but I would like to see a samples (video and book) to see what it all really looks like.  Do you know where I might find those?

 

 

I don't know about sample of the video, but you can get samples of the biology book by clicking on "Additional Resources." From there you can access the TOC and a sample chapter from the book.

[TN Mama]

Also, I was able to find samples in iBooks.

[LLucy]

The Holt McDougal also interests me --  Nowicki is the professor for The Great Courses Biology lectures.  My middle DS liked these lectures, but I was not happy with the texts we had available at the time.  I am looking to improve text and lab choices next time through, which is actually coming on all too swiftly.

 

Thank you for posting this.

 

[birchbark]

I am not against going used...but if it's online, you can't do that....

 

Mr Q isn't video based.  But it does look very user friendly.  Have you used it?

 

No, sorry, I haven't. But I think there are users on these boards, as this is where I heard of it.

 

Also wanted to mention that there are a couple sets of the ACE biology DVDs on eBay right now, and one set on VHS.

[Tess in the Burbs]

The Holt McDougal program looks interesting to me....but I would like to see a samples (video and book) to see what it all really looks like.  Do you know where I might find those?

 

 

 

My ds did the Holt Environmental Science this past year.  We bought the book from Rainbow Resource and it shows book samples online.  It comes with 1 year of online access which gives you tons of teacher resources and worksheets/tests/onlinereview/maps.  There is more available than we could use.  I ended up printing out the reading section review and maps to do after he read.  He did the test(they have basic and advanced) and near the end of the year he was doing the online review stuff as well.  I thought it was a good course, but the hard part is the labs.  We tried.  There are MANY to choose from each week.  Many are geared to a group learning situation.  Many seemed like a waste of time.  My ds was bogged down with German, so we decided to drop labs and just do the course without them.  I had saved tons of online links to do GOOD labs, but he didn't have the time.  However, if you just want science without lab, this was an excellent course.  My son still rattles off random science info he learned from this course.  

 

I bought the OM books intending to use them, but I preferred the online access material better.  The OM offered a variety of things for each chapter, some labs, some projects.  If you had a kid preferring out of the box way to show learned material, these might be worth getting.  I would love to sell my OM student/teacher book, and the Holt Environmental book if you have interest.  

[Liza Q]

Have you considered DIVE Biology? Very inexpensive if you use their online text. And not much more if you buy a used text if you prefer one. The lab kit was pricey but you can spend less if you pick and choose which ones to actually do vs which ones to watch.

 

https://www.diveintomath.com/biology/

[ProudGrandma]

I have considered DIVE...but I think it might be too rigorous for this particular child.   If someone else has an opinion on that, I am all ears for sure.  I am just going off an assumption.   I do have a son who is desirous of going into a science field, and I am considering DIVE for him. 

 

But again, i am open to opinions on this.

[Liza Q]

Well. It is not challenging in that there isn't much math but there is a lot of memorization.

 

And it is possible to make the DIVE course easier by taking the tests open book. And, if you choose the CD or download option instead of the e-learning option, you would have to do the grading yourself but you could spread out the test questions so she is taking shorter tests more frequently. Or you can use the e-learning version that has the automatic grading and just lower your expectations and expect Cs, not As.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, this child learns better with videos, right? Has anyone suggested that you use the Crash Course videos along with an easier program like Power Basics or Apologia?

 

Or have you considered Switched on Schoolhouse? My son used the Earth Science in the 9th grade and it was engaging and well organized.

 

[ProudGrandma]

Well. It is not challenging in that there isn't much math but there is a lot of memorization.

 

And it is possible to make the DIVE course easier by taking the tests open book. And, if you choose the CD or download option instead of the e-learning option, you would have to do the grading yourself but you could spread out the test questions so she is taking shorter tests more frequently. Or you can use the e-learning version that has the automatic grading and just lower your expectations and expect Cs, not As.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, this child learns better with videos, right? Has anyone suggested that you use the Crash Course videos along with an easier program like Power Basics or Apologia?

 

Or have you considered Switched on Schoolhouse? My son used the Earth Science in the 9th grade and it was engaging and well organized.

 

when you say 'a lot of memorization"....is it mostly vocab words...or technical names of things?

 

I would probably do the CD version so I could use it with my other child too...but I guess I don't know for sure.

 

Videos are the key...I forgot about crash course...and I did look at power basics....it looks pretty basic...so I questioned if that really could be considered a High School level course, but maybe paired with CC videos, it might be?

 

My daughter did Apologia...and hated it. My son (the child I am talking about now) also did Apologia for middle school and hated it too. So Apologia is not an option.

 

SOS...I looked at that...it looked good...but I can't seem to find a sample of the videos and the list of labs and lab equipment was more than I could consider.  And I didn't know if not using their labs would take away from the program or not.

 

thanks for your thoughts.

[Liza Q]

I used Power Basics Chemistry and Apologia Physical Science for my son in the 8th grade but we did the PB tests open book, skimmed over any math he didn't understand and just read through the Apologia text. That amount of work seemed about right for 8th grade.

 

Power Basics is basic but I think if you did the whole thing and added the CC videos and a lab, it would add up to regular Biology. Just my opinion, of course.

 

I think the labs are the big question mark because a microscope is so expensive. Add in the supplies and it is hard to have enough $$ left for the actual program! I was able to send one of my kids to a Christian school just for labs and they charged me less than the price of a microscope!! (is that an option for you?) and then borrowed a microscope for my son, which kept costs down. And I didn't worry about the labs lining up exactly - my kids were fine with it and my oldest two have done very well in college science.

 

I think SOS is regular Bio. I found this sample of the Chemistry program and the set-up is the same as the Earth Science - so the Bio is probably very similar as well. It may not have enough video for you, though. Monarch is probably identical.

 

 

Hope you find something that will work!!!

[Liza Q]

Oh - DIVE had a lot of vocab to memorize, much of it technical. But if your child keeps a list and refers to it for tests (I am pretty sure that the DIVE website says that a child can take the tests open book if you want it to be regular, not honors) they would probably be fine.

 

ETA: If you scroll down, it says that a child can take the tests "open note" and consider the class standard Biology.

 

https://www.diveintomath.com/biology/

Edited June 15, 2017 by Liza Q

[Peaceful Isle]

I plan on using Acellus Biology. They have AP and Honors Biology as well.