Help me save science: Miller-Levine and other Biology Options

[TheAttachedMama]

Hi Everyone,

I could use some suggestions on what to use for my science loving 6th grade son.     I have already spent so much money on science this year, and I am still not happy with how things are going.  (I've purchased RSO Biology II and elemental biology and didn't really like either!)   I feel like we are spinning our wheels and not really making any progress in the subject.  So can you help me salvage my school year?  :)    (FYI math skills:  He is currently taking AOPS Pre-Algebra.)

I am thinking perhaps I should start him on an easier high school level biology class.   I purchased the Miller-Levine ebook on my ipad to preview.   It was only $15, so I thought that might let me look at it in depth.   (The ibook is dated 2012 and has the macaw on the cover. )  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/biology/id490038442?mt=13

Here are some of my questions:

1)  Tests/Quizes, etc.:  What is the easiest way to get tests/quizzes that correspond to this text?   If I buy the teacher edition, does it include blank tests/quizes?  Would I then have to scan them all in?  Or is there an option to download the tests?    I see there is an online subscription service. I have previewed that, and I believe it has online chapter assessments.   I am not sure how a homeschooler goes about purchasing a subscription to that program.  Any tips?  

2)   Should I buy the study / workbook?   What is the difference between workbook A and workbook B?   

3)  Does anyone have any lab tips for me?   For example, What is included in the lab manual?   My ibook has labs in it...not answer key.  Do I need the lab manual?   

[8filltheheart]

Does your student really want this? Unless I had a kid living and breathing biology who had spent umpteen hrs researching and reading biology topics on his own for the past yr or so, I would not subject a 6th grader to a high school biology textbook.  Honestly, with a 6th grader you don't need to be concerned about spinning wheels, lack of progress, or labs. 

[regentrude]

10 minutes ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Does your student really want this? Unless I had a kid living and breathing biology who had spent umpteen hrs researching and reading biology topics on his own for the past yr or so, I would not subject a 6th grader to a high school biology textbook.  Honestly, with a 6th grader you don't need to be concerned about spinning wheels, lack of progress, or labs. 

I was going to write something similar. I have not found textbooks a suitable way for science studies until high school age. Too dry, too much memorization, too much busywork. Why not simply have him read actual books?

Edited October 7, 2018 by regentrude

[8filltheheart]

Just now, regentrude said:

I was going to write something similar. I have not found textbooks a suitable way for science studies until high school age. Too dry, too much memorization, too much busywork. 

Absolutely. Of all high school texts, to me biology texts are the absolute worst. 

[TheAttachedMama]

13 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Does your student really want this? Unless I had a kid living and breathing biology who had spent umpteen hrs researching and reading biology topics on his own for the past yr or so, I would not subject a 6th grader to a high school biology textbook.  Honestly, with a 6th grader you don't need to be concerned about spinning wheels, lack of progress, or labs. 

Yes, I have a child who has spent umpteen hrs researching and reading biology.   He lives, eats, and breathes biology.   

My only concern is that he does not have enough Chemistry knowledge to get through some of the chapters in the Miller Levine book.   

[8filltheheart]

1 hour ago, TheAttachedMama said:

Yes, I have a child who has spent umpteen hrs researching and reading biology.   He lives, eats, and breathes biology.   

My only concern is that he does not have enough Chemistry knowledge to get through some of the chapters in the Miller Levine book.   

Which is a valid concern since most biology textbooks focus on biochem.

Personally, I would never give even the most advanced kid a high school textbook in 6th grade as a way of furthering their knowledge or love of a science subject.  There are so many better sources and ways to learn than a high school slog of 1000+  textbook pages. An in depth study of ecology/bionomes and research into what impacts them would be one way to delve into deeper level biology than materials targeted toward middle students in general.  

[TheAttachedMama]

3 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Which is a valid concern since most biology textbooks focus on biochem.

Personally, I would never give even the most advanced kid a high school textbook in 6th grade as a way of furthering their knowledge or love of a science subject.  There are so many better sources and ways to learn than a high school slog of 1000+  textbook pages. An in depth study of ecology/bionomes and research into what impacts them would be one way to delve into deeper level biology than materials targeted toward middle students in general.  

Thank you so much for the advice.   I really value your opinion.    

[SanDiegoMom]

I have the Miller Levine for a seventh grader but we are only doing like one unit out of it. She likes the book but I think it would be overkill to do the whole thing for this kid. She is more into ecology and animals so I am using those chapters, plus an online 10 week course through Groovy Kids that is very project based, plus ferret ecology through Royal Fireworks Press, plus selected pages from the Biozone Workbook on biology. Also numerous narrative non fiction adult books touching on biology or ecology (biography of Rachel Carson, Darwin's Backyard, etc) and we are going to do the experiments from Darwin's Backyard. So an eclectic and unevenly paced year but I think it will be enough. 

Oh dear, looking back that literally answers NONE of your questions. We aren't using the labs or tests at all! I'm having her take notes a few times to practice note-taking but that's basically all the book based output! 

Good luck! 

[SeaConquest]

We are doing Biology this year. Sacha is in 4th, but also in AoPS PA, and a budding scientist. We were enrolled in AIM Academy High School Gen Bio, which uses Miller Levine, but I quickly realized that the class would not be a good fit for him (too much busywork that my compliant child could have done, but shouldn't have done, IMO). Anyway, we have been using the bio-related Great Courses lectures, which he has been eating up. I cannot emphasize enough how much he loves these lectures (so much so that he asks to listen to them in his free time). Specifically, we are doing Mysteries of the Microscopic World, Biology: The Science of Life, Understanding Genetics, Life in Our Universe (Astrobiology), and Understanding the Brain (if we get to it). I don't plan to do any tests, as I know that would kill his love of science, and I am not worried about retention. We also have a group of kids that get together every two weeks to do science labs with fellow boardie, Jackie (I hate doing labs, so I am eternally grateful for this). Again, this is all fun and light and designed to build interest. I am not sure if any of that helps. 

Edited October 9, 2018 by SeaConquest

[EKS]

I used Essential Biology (non majors college text) with a 7th grader.  It was just the right mix of depth without being too detailed (as high school texts tend to be).  

If you're absolutely set on Miller and Levine, you could just do the first 20 or so chapters (the first five units), which form the core of modern biology.  I wouldn't use the workbook or the lab manual.  Instead, I'd add in some good documentaries and nonfiction (and maybe even fiction--my son read Andromeda Strain, for example, that year we did Essential Biology).  Then have him write about what he's learning.  If you really want labs, you could either put together your own or get a kit from somewhere that caters to the homeschool market.

Edited October 10, 2018 by EKS

[J-rap]

We used the Miller-Levine macaw book in 9th grade with an online subscription, which enabled us to do all of their online quizzes, tests, and other activities.  We did some experiments on our own separately.

It was fine, but I think with a 6th grader, I'd rather get a unit study workbook.  Let him pick out a subject area that he has a particular interest in, and he can dig in deep.  Unit study books allow you to do that, and you can supplement it with your own projects, documentaries, field trips, library books, etc.  I used to be able to get good unit study books at Lakeshore Learning.  I was able to go right to the store and browse everything.  I'm not sure how good their online site is...

https://www.lakeshorelearning.com

 

[Clemsondana]

What aspects of biology is your ds interested in?  If it's the more molecular aspects, there will be a limit to how deep he can go without chemistry (although most of the students that I teach, using the M-L book, don't take chemistry until after they take biology and they do fine).  If he's more interested in ecology-type topics, then I wouldn't necessarily start with a textbook - there are lots of fantastic ways to learn about ecosystems, etc.  

That being said, I"m not as opposed to textbooks as some folks are - it really depends on the kid. I have a 7th grader who has read parts of my old college textbooks or the high school level texts that I use to teach for a couple of years.  This kid prefers that information either be entertaining (like Life of Fred or Crash Course videos) or be presented as efficiently as possible (as in a textbook).  

Even though I use the book, I don't use any of the supplemental material so I can't tell you what is helpful and what isn't.  But, with such a young student, there's no reason to need the full regimen of tests and quizzes - your ds doesn't need to remember every bit of information in the same way that a student heading off to college soon does.  Why not have him read sections of interest, supplementing with other resources if you want, and then present that information in some way - a paper, poster, chart, powerpoint, talk, etc?