Biology/Zoology-6th Grade Resources

[TheAttachedMama]

Hi Everyone,

 

My son is REALLY into science.  He has been particularly interested in animals since he was a toddler.   

 

Next year, he has asked specifically to study zoology.  (He is not really interested in Botany.)   I am just trying to get a feel for what resources are available for logic stage biology (especially zoology).  

 

We are Chrisitians...not young earth, so we typically use secular science material.   

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

Look at elemental science biology for the logic stage. They spend about twenty weeks on animals, ten weeks on the human body, and 6 weeks on plants. They also have resources for dissection projects.

[Farrar]

I wouldn't lean toward Elemental for a kid really into science. Real Science Odyssey's Biology 2 is probably a better program if you want a general program.

 

If you haven't already read all those Scientist in the Field books, they're perfect for this age and the majority of them are about zoology (more than half anyway). Start watching all the Attenborough Life of... series. They're excellent for zoology. We found The Amateur Zoologist to be a really good experiments guide. It's not the right book for you if you feel a lot of qualms about experimenting on bugs you find in your backyard though. We did a lot of dissections, but I just bought individual little guides for them and bought the specimens from Home Science Tools. 

[ScoutTN]

Quark Chronicles Zoology might be a fun add-on to whatever you choose.

[mlktwins]

I wouldn't lean toward Elemental for a kid really into science. Real Science Odyssey's Biology 2 is probably a better program if you want a general program.

 

If you haven't already read all those Scientist in the Field books, they're perfect for this age and the majority of them are about zoology (more than half anyway). Start watching all the Attenborough Life of... series. They're excellent for zoology. We found The Amateur Zoologist to be a really good experiments guide. It's not the right book for you if you feel a lot of qualms about experimenting on bugs you find in your backyard though. We did a lot of dissections, but I just bought individual little guides for them and bought the specimens from Home Science Tools. 

 

Farrar, where did you get your individual little dissection guides?  From Home Science Tools?

[Farrar]

Farrar, where did you get your individual little dissection guides?  From Home Science Tools?

 

Yes, some came from there. Also, someone handed several down to me that came from another source. And I wish I could tell you, because those were a little better. The HST ones are just a couple of pages photocopied. But they're fine, especially now that there are websites and so forth. I mean, now you can just pull up a youtube of the dissection with everything pointed out and then go do it yourself and be like, ooh, there's that, ooh, I found it. Confusing text not needed.

[Bocky]

Seconding the recommendation for Real Science Odyssey Biology level 2. We're using it now. It's a well written, secular curriculum with 2 labs a week. 

 

Another recommendation: We're currently following a rabbit trail on animal cognition. Nancy Castaldo's Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk and Feel is a great read for this middle school.

[TheAttachedMama]

Thanks everyone, 

 

I used RSO in the younger grades, so perhaps that will work for me.   I really like quark chronicles too and I also LOVE the scientist in the field guides too.