Course naming question when you have tons of labs

[cintinative]

I think the answer is no difference from normal, but I wanted to check.

We are completing Miller-Levine Biology. A little more than halfway through the year we switched to chapter tests or 2-3 chapter tests because the unit tests were too much material.  That, combined with the 36 labs that we did/are finishing, means that we will have spent about 41 weeks on Bio.

I will note that we did 36 labs with the class on the course description.  Is there any other way to indicate this on the transcript?

I was thinking this wouldn't be honors because switching to chapter tests made the course easier. 

[kokotg]

I always put "with lab" on the transcript for lab science classes so people can tell at a glance. We never have a ton of labs, though! You could give a half credit separately for the lab, like a college course might do.

[cintinative]

1 minute ago, kokotg said:

I always put "with lab" on the transcript for lab science classes so people can tell at a glance. We never have a ton of labs, though! You could give a half credit separately for the lab, like a college course might do.

Reading through prior threads, it seems that giving separate credit for the labs is frowned upon. So I was trying to find a way to reflect this in a way better than just saying "with lab"

[kokotg]

3 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Reading through prior threads, it seems that giving separate credit for the labs is frowned upon. So I was trying to find a way to reflect this in a way better than just saying "with lab"

"with lots and lots of labs" 😂

[Lori D.]

I would NOT count labs as a separate credit. Because of the extra amount of labs, you could call it "Honors Biology, with labs".

Or, if not comfortable with Honors, maybe: "Biology" (lab intensive)"

Example of what that might look like on a subject-based transcript:

Science
course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . grade . . . credit 
Biology  (lab-intensive) . . . . . A . . . . . 1.00
Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[etc.]


ETA -- PS
I am guessing that with 36 labs, a number of them may have been more demonstrations or hands-on activities rather than actual laboratory experiments (hypothesis, set up controlled experimentation, collect and analyze data, come to a conclusion and write up a report from the results of the experimentation). If that is the case, you could just go with "Biology, with labs" on the transcript, and include in the course description that the "course included a weekly lab component for a total of 36 labs." 

However, because most high schools do not differentiate between actual experiments and demonstrations as their labs, there's no need for you to have to, either. 😉

Totally your call. 😄 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Lori D.

[cintinative]

29 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

I am guessing that with 36 labs, a number of them may have been more demonstrations or hands-on activities rather than actual laboratory experiments (hypothesis, set up controlled experimentation, collect and analyze data, come to a conclusion and write up a report from the results of the experimentation). If that is the case, you could just go with "Biology, with labs" on the transcript, and include in the course description that the "course included a weekly lab component for a total of 36 labs." 

Yes, you are correct. I think a few of the virtual labs and a few other ones had that kind of hypothesis, experiment, conclusion model, but certainly not all of them. The dissections obviously wouldn't follow that, and we did quite a lot of those.

So you think I could count it as honors even though they weren't all this type of experiment? 

 

[MamaSprout]

5 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Yes, you are correct. I think a few of the virtual labs and a few other ones had that kind of hypothesis, experiment, conclusion model, but certainly not all of them. The dissections obviously wouldn't follow that, and we did quite a lot of those.

So you think I could count it as honors even though they weren't all this type of experiment? 

 

One of my adult kids is a high school bio teacher in a well-funded district. You easily did twice the lab work that her standard bio class does.

[Lori D.]

3 hours ago, cintinative said:

Yes, you are correct. I think a few of the virtual labs and a few other ones had that kind of hypothesis, experiment, conclusion model, but certainly not all of them. The dissections obviously wouldn't follow that, and we did quite a lot of those.

So you think I could count it as honors even though they weren't all this type of experiment? 

Any high school credit has to do with rigor (level of material/output) + volume (amount of material/time spent). So for the typical student, rigor = high school level or above, and the volume (the bulk of the materials and amount of time spent) is equal to or above that of the average / standard high school course.

Personally, I could argue it either way for your situation -- call it regular Biology or Honors Biology.

Since you covered the entirety of a high school level textbook (Miller-Levine) -- and because most high school Biology courses drop a number of the chapters/units from Miller-Levine), AND you did far more more labs of various types than the typical high school course, you have increased VOLUME of material and time beyond the typical credit. By increasing at least one part of that "credit equation" (rigor + volume), you can justify labeling it an Honors Biology credit.

However, if for YOU, "Honors" means advanced (above high school level) material -- so an increase in the RIGOR portion of that "credit equation" (or, if for you "Honors" requires an increase in BOTH rigor + volume) -- then just call the course "Biology, with labs" -- or -- "Biology (lab-intensive)" -- or -- "Biology (dissection-intensive)" -- or... other.

JMO, FWIW.  It's your homeschool, your rules. 😉

Edited June 5, 2021 by Lori D.

[cintinative]

2 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Since you covered the entirety of a high school level textbook (Miller-Levine) -- and because most high school Biology courses drop a number of the chapters/units from Miller-Levine), AND you did far more more labs of various types than the typical high school course, you have increased VOLUME of material and time beyond the typical credit. By increasing at least one part of that "credit equation" (rigor + volume), you can justify labeling it an Honors Biology credit.

Oh, I am so sorry. This is my fault for my wording. We actually did skip Unit 10 which is the Human Body unit (5 chapters). So we didn't cover the whole text.  I looked at the Biology Corner layouts for 1/1A and 2/2A and we did at least 80% of what was there. I think the 1A/2A is honors. I did add some things she did not have.

[cintinative]

@Lori D. quick question. If we used videos from Crash Course and Bozeman Science, do I list them under course materials? I didn't think I needed to, but now I am second guessing.

[Farrar]

So, given that WTMA gives a separate credit for the labs and I've been seeing it in some public schools occasionally... I think you can. But I agree that it's not optimal. Better to just give a robust credit.

You can list whatever resources you want of the things you used on the course description. You're not required to list all the resources. If you think some of them make the course sound better (the textbook!) or worse (dorky review videos!) you can pick and choose based on that. Not that Crash Course is dorky review videos exactly, but you get the idea.

Edited June 5, 2021 by Farrar

[cintinative]

4 minutes ago, Farrar said:

So, given that WTMA gives a separate credit for the labs and I've been seeing it in some public schools occasionally... I think you can. But I agree that it's not optimal. Better to just give a robust credit.

You can list whatever resources you want of the things you used on the course description. You're not required to list all the resources. If you think some of them make the course sound better (the textbook!) or worse (dorky review videos!) you can pick and choose based on that. Not that Crash Course is dorky review videos exactly, but you get the idea.

Thank you!

[Lori D.]

14 minutes ago, cintinative said:

@Lori D. quick question. If we used videos from Crash Course and Bozeman Science, do I list them under course materials? I didn't think I needed to, but now I am second guessing.

 

9 minutes ago, Farrar said:

So, given that WTMA gives a separate credit for the labs and I've been seeing it in some public schools occasionally... I think you can. But I agree that it's not optimal. Better to just give a robust credit.

You can list whatever resources you want of the things you used on the course description. You're not required to list all the resources. If you think some of them make the course sound better (the textbook!) or worse (dorky review videos!) you can pick and choose based on that. Not that Crash Course is dorky review videos exactly, but you get the idea.

^^^ What @Farrar said. 😉 

[lewelma]

Not exactly the same, but my son ended up doing too much chemistry to count as one credit. So I pulled out the Organic chemistry work and called it a half class.  

So in your situation, if you have a focus area within this biology survey class, you could pull it out with the related labs, and give an extra 1/2 credit. 

Edited June 6, 2021 by lewelma

[MamaSprout]

We did the entire Holt Modern Biology book, but used the anatomy section for probably 2/3 of our 1 semester Health class.

Edited June 6, 2021 by MamaSprout