9th Grade Biology - Not YEC

[ktgrok]

DD will be in 9th and I'm looking for a Biology program for her. She's not a huge biology type person (sigh....that's my favorite!) but she's a smart kid and capable of a decent biology program. She does have some anxiety we are working on, and has dyslexia, so I don't want the world's most difficult/meaty program. Would rather have a middle of the road program that is well laid out, and then supplement with field trips and documentaries and podcasts and audiobooks. She would prefer to not have a live interactive class due to the anxiety issue. 

It seems that most programs made for homeschoolers are young earth creationist - still? That was the case a decade ago and I'm surprised it still seems to be the case. 

Would CK12 be okay? What about Khan Academy Biology? RSO Biology 2?

[Porridge]

Novare is not YEC - you could look at their General Bio 

 

[SilverMoon]

I've heard good things about CK12 from people who used the whole course. 🤷‍♀️ We're just not online textbook people so I haven't tried it. 

RSO is generally considered to need a lot of beefing up for high school and it looks pretty juvenile. My middle and highschool boys never got past the sample. 

My older kids used the Miller Levine textbook but it definitely wasn't written for homeschoolers. It's middle of the road but a bit of a chore to finish. 

The Biozone worktext (NGSS, not AP) is more condensed and would need extra reading but it covers the major bases. Also not written for homeschoolers. I ordered a copy to consider and it looks like a solid spine. The downside is the answer keys can be hard to come by. 

Any route you go, I'd consider the Amoeba Sisters videos. ✌️ There are worksheets for them on TPT if that's your thing. 

[cintinative]

We used Miller Levine but did not cover the entire book. There is a FundaFunda course taught by a boardie that uses this text. I am not sure of the difficulty. 

@Clemsondana what do you think about a dyslexic kid with this course?

Edited May 17 by cintinative

[ktgrok]

13 hours ago, SilverMoon said:

I've heard good things about CK12 from people who used the whole course. 🤷‍♀️ We're just not online textbook people so I haven't tried it. 

RSO is generally considered to need a lot of beefing up for high school and it looks pretty juvenile. My middle and highschool boys never got past the sample. 

My older kids used the Miller Levine textbook but it definitely wasn't written for homeschoolers. It's middle of the road but a bit of a chore to finish. 

The Biozone worktext (NGSS, not AP) is more condensed and would need extra reading but it covers the major bases. Also not written for homeschoolers. I ordered a copy to consider and it looks like a solid spine. The downside is the answer keys can be hard to come by. 

Any route you go, I'd consider the Amoeba Sisters videos. ✌️ There are worksheets for them on TPT if that's your thing. 

Oh, just looked and Amoeba Sisters has a book coming out in August - I'm wondering if the book plus videos plus worksheets would be enough, as long as we supplemented with labs from Home Science Tools or other lab source.

[KSera]

Ellen McHenry has a series of classes that can work as a biology, albeit non traditional (hers are the learning by drawing ones, if you’re not familiar). 
 

My other suggestion was going to be the FundaFunda one, (which I was glad to discover had nothing to do with fundamentalism 😂). You’d need to ask @Clemsondana how they handle evolution. My recollection is the class is fully secular, but I don’t know if they sidestep evolution, which is a pretty big omission in a biology class. But possible to cover on your own. 

[SilverMoon]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Oh, just looked and Amoeba Sisters has a book coming out in August - I'm wondering if the book plus videos plus worksheets would be enough, as long as we supplemented with labs from Home Science Tools or other lab source.

Same. I've been watching for more info on it. August is pretty late to start lesson planning, but if that's a full course book in their style it could be worth it. 

I sent them an email asking about the scope but it says they may take a week to answer. Otherwise I'm going with the Biozone worktext and adding the Amoeba Sisters videos, extra reading, and labs.

Edited May 17 by SilverMoon

[ktgrok]

8 minutes ago, SilverMoon said:

Same. I've been watching for more info on it. August is pretty late to start lesson planning, but if that's a full course book in their style it could be worth it. 

I sent them an email asking about the scope but it says they may take a week to answer. Otherwise I'm going with the Biozone worktext and adding the Amoeba Sisters videos, extra reading, and labs.

Will you post what they tell you, when you hear back?

I'm thinking of maybe doing the Amoeba sisters book and videos with worksheets from TpT, and then adding in labs from Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture book (which has a kit) or another lab book/kit. I am even considering trying to get a group together to do labs in a co-op setting - not sure if that would be beneficial. Or asking the local STEM drop off enrichment program if they would consider adding leading biology labs or even just letting the kids work on them there together while a staff member supervises. Might be more fun, although sometimes I think group work is less educational than doing it at home. 

[ktgrok]

Other option is CK12 and then getting a lab kit - I'm still not sure exactly HOW ck 12 works though, lol. 

[Zoo Keeper]

Guest Hollow's Biology uses the CK-12 flex book... there is a Christian version and a secular version https://guesthollow.com/an-alternate-way-to-use-our-biology-curriculum-2/

I haven't personally used it, but you can't beat the price...

[ktgrok]

20 minutes ago, Zoo Keeper said:

Guest Hollow's Biology uses the CK-12 flex book... there is a Christian version and a secular version https://guesthollow.com/an-alternate-way-to-use-our-biology-curriculum-2/

I haven't personally used it, but you can't beat the price...

Thank you! I didn't know they did a secular version.Looks like both this and Build Your Library level 10 schedule CK-12 and labs using The Illustrated Guide book, and both have extra books as well. I will need to compare, but seems like either is a good option - I really do want it scheduled out so we stay on track next year!!! Without a schedule we get behind. 

Edited May 17 by ktgrok

[Clemsondana]

8 hours ago, cintinative said:

We used Miller Levine but did not cover the entire book. There is a FundaFunda course taught by a boardie that uses this text. I am not sure of the difficulty. 

@Clemsondana what do you think about a dyslexic kid with this course?

The book is a resource and the vast majority of the material is presented through lecture (my videos, but I know that some kids also use Amoeba sisters, Crash Course, and Khan to supplement if they like those or like to hear the material more than one way since they aren't reading).  I've had several dyslexic kids do really well (not all, but most seem to get grades that are on par with their other classes and their expectations/effort).  I know that a couple have had parents scribe, whether for notetaking from lecture or on the tests.  I also don't grade for grammar or spelling as long as I can figure out what they mean.  

[ktgrok]

6 minutes ago, Clemsondana said:

The book is a resource and the vast majority of the material is presented through lecture (my videos, but I know that some kids also use Amoeba sisters, Crash Course, and Khan to supplement if they like those or like to hear the material more than one way since they aren't reading).  I've had several dyslexic kids do really well (not all, but most seem to get grades that are on par with their other classes and their expectations/effort).  I know that a couple have had parents scribe, whether for notetaking from lecture or on the tests.  I also don't grade for grammar or spelling as long as I can figure out what they mean.  

Good to know! Are they any long writing assignments for the course, or just short answer/multiple choice type things? 

[Clemsondana]

3 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Good to know! Are they any long writing assignments for the course, or just short answer/multiple choice type things? 

No multiple choice - tests are short answer.  There are a couple of 1-2 paragraph article reviews (I can skip those if asked, but for most students they are easy points that help) and a couple of 2ish page lab reports.  There is 1 1-2 page report on an ecosystem (think middle school report - nothing fancy).  These are all given with anywhere from 2-6 weeks to get them done, so there shouldn't be any time pressure unless students procrastinate.  Tests are untimed.  

Edited May 17 by Clemsondana

[ktgrok]

Someone on facebook suggested I look at ASU Universal Learner Bio 101. It's normally taken as an 8 or 16 week course, but if you choose self paced you have a year to complete it, so she could do it over the course of a school year. The biology class looks interesting, and I like that they start out with talking about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe as DD is very into astronomy. My only qualm is doing what is a college intro course as a freshman in highschool....normally I'd do dual enrollment type courses as more an uppergrades thing. But, since it is an entry level class, and she would be doing it over a longer time, maybe? It's only $25 to try it, and then another $400 if you get a good grade want it on a transcript. So maybe worth trying for $25, depending on what I find out about it. Maybe I'll sign up for $25!

[wendyroo]

55 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Someone on facebook suggested I look at ASU Universal Learner Bio 101. It's normally taken as an 8 or 16 week course, but if you choose self paced you have a year to complete it, so she could do it over the course of a school year. The biology class looks interesting, and I like that they start out with talking about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe as DD is very into astronomy. My only qualm is doing what is a college intro course as a freshman in highschool....normally I'd do dual enrollment type courses as more an uppergrades thing. But, since it is an entry level class, and she would be doing it over a longer time, maybe? It's only $25 to try it, and then another $400 if you get a good grade want it on a transcript. So maybe worth trying for $25, depending on what I find out about it. Maybe I'll sign up for $25!

I’ve heard that it is 1) super duper easy and in a game format and 2) doesn’t cover many of the standard biology topics to the point many questioned if it was even worth a high school credit. 

That said, we are planning to use it for Peter who is not interested in biology at all. He is going to crank through it as quickly as possible and we are going to pay for the credit - because I want ASU to certify that it is worth a credit…even if I end up thinking it is far too weak. 

[Wheres Toto]

On 5/17/2024 at 12:07 PM, KSera said:

Ellen McHenry has a series of classes that can work as a biology, albeit non traditional (hers are the learning by drawing ones, if you’re not familiar). 
 

My other suggestion was going to be the FundaFunda one, (which I was glad to discover had nothing to do with fundamentalism 😂). You’d need to ask @Clemsondana how they handle evolution. My recollection is the class is fully secular, but I don’t know if they sidestep evolution, which is a pretty big omission in a biology class. But possible to cover on your own. 

 

22 hours ago, Zoo Keeper said:

Guest Hollow's Biology uses the CK-12 flex book... there is a Christian version and a secular version https://guesthollow.com/an-alternate-way-to-use-our-biology-curriculum-2/

I haven't personally used it, but you can't beat the price...

Ellen McHenry and Guest Hollow are both neutral rather than truly secular, unless something has changed recently.   With Bio, that might mean a lot is left out. 

14 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Someone on facebook suggested I look at ASU Universal Learner Bio 101. It's normally taken as an 8 or 16 week course, but if you choose self paced you have a year to complete it, so she could do it over the course of a school year. The biology class looks interesting, and I like that they start out with talking about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe as DD is very into astronomy. My only qualm is doing what is a college intro course as a freshman in highschool....normally I'd do dual enrollment type courses as more an uppergrades thing. But, since it is an entry level class, and she would be doing it over a longer time, maybe? It's only $25 to try it, and then another $400 if you get a good grade want it on a transcript. So maybe worth trying for $25, depending on what I find out about it. Maybe I'll sign up for $25!

I wouldn't worry about it being too much if it's self-paced.   My degree is in Biology and even college courses for majors start at the very beginning.  

[BusyMom5]

I like Miller Levine. I would use it as a base over CK12 just because I prefer a real textbook.  (message me if you want to buy one, I have 4 copies)  You can look through the book and choose which chapters to cover.  

I also love Biology Corner, HHMI, and Amoeba Sisters- did not know about their book and will be checking it out!  

[SilverMoon]

On 5/17/2024 at 10:08 AM, ktgrok said:

Will you post what they tell you, when you hear back?

 

[wisdomandtreasures]

My oldest is using the Guest Hollow Biology but not their choices for supplemental books. Instead I'm picking others and fitting them in where appropriate. For example there's a CK12 chapter on ocean life so I'll have him read "Under the Sea Wind" by Rachel Carson alongside that. Also, someone on the GH Facebook group (I'm not on FB but got the link from a friend) turned the text into a PDF so I just printed it and put it in a binder. I prefer printed material over screens too.

[ktgrok]

I remembered that Kolbe has lesson plans and such for Miller Levine, but they are still on the Macaw version, not the newer Bee version. Any thoughts on if that matters?

[freesia]

45 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I remembered that Kolbe has lesson plans and such for Miller Levine, but they are still on the Macaw version, not the newer Bee version. Any thoughts on if that matters?

I don’t think it matters. My dd is planning on a biology major and I just had her do the Miller Levine Macaw book. I have the lesson plans from lol be which I used for my oldest. I like that they have answers to the chapter assessments, etc. I feel the tests covered too many chapters at once so I made my own tests. But in terms of topics for a basic high school course, it’s fine. 

[ktgrok]

And I found another one, while waiting to check out at Aldi, lol. Had the thought to see if Bookshark has added highschool science yet, and found they use this program/bundle from Home Science Tools. It looks pretty fun, need to dig in more and find some reviews. Oh, and realized if you go to the page for one of the individual kits rather than the big bundle you can see sample workbook pages and teacher guide pages. 

https://www.homesciencetools.com/product/biology-launch-bundle-grades-8-12-curriculum-science-unlocked/

Edit - just found this doozy in the sample of the workbook I looked at. Our worldview does not match with one where evolution is "greatly disputed". I mean, it is, but not within most scientific circles. t seems in imply evolution is something a few scientists believe but isn't greatly accepted. If it's just a phrase here and there I can roll my eyes and explain to my student why I disagree, and we did already do an entire year of prehistory and evolution last year, so it isn't like I'm worried she will be swayed philosophically. But makes me wonder about the rest. Not sure this one is a winner for our family. Too bad. 

 

Edited May 23 by ktgrok

[ktgrok]

What do we think about Mr. Q's General Biology? https://www.eequalsmcq.com/GenBio_ChapterDownload.htm 

The table of contents as a brief look seems to cover what I'd expect. 

[SilverMoon]

If I recall correctly Mr Q is neutral, not secular. 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, SilverMoon said:

If I recall correctly Mr Q is neutral, not secular. 

I've seen that elsewhere, but the course is titled "Biology and Evolution", and Unit 5 is all about evolution according to the Table of Contents. Chapter 20 is called "Evidence for Evolution". I skimmed the  sample first chapter, and this this pops up right away, which doesn't seem neutral, unless my tired brain is missing some kind of red flag? Maybe that he doesn't specifically reference new species here?

"Evolution drives diversity through the transmission of genetic information and energy.  Every living organism on the planet is the product of genetic information inherited from its ancestors throughout the ~4.5 billion-year history of life on our planet.  This “genetic information” is very similar in all organisms as you will soon learn; however, the differences that do exist are the reason for the massive diversity of organisms around the globe.  The unifying theory of evolution is used by biologists to explain how these differences in inherited traits are responsible for the increased survivability of a population over the course of many generations as they interact with their environments."

[ktgrok]

Just saw that Khan is coming out with a new more comprehensive, updated version of highschool biology in July. I may just wait and take a look at that, as the format and price are certainly a plus. 

[jplain]

ASU BIO 100 is not a complete biology curriculum.  IMO it is most appropriate for students who have already taken high school biology.  (This shouldn't be surprising given that it a college course, and the majority of college students will have taken high school biology.)  Some topics will be quite challenging if the student hasn't seen them before.  They're covered well enough if they are intended as a refresher, but not well enough if starting from scratch.  

[SilverMoon]

I've looked around to back up that neutral claim and did find old posts saying Mr Q left out evolution, so maybe he's updated them? A 2022 comment from SEA said some of his levels are neutral and some appear to be secular, but no specifics. 🤷‍♀️ 

[ktgrok]

Sorry I'm still here whining, lol. But in all this looking and checking and making myself insane, I have realized at least exactly what it is I want for a Biology course. I want something that is laid out exactly like Apologia Biology 3rd Edition...but from a secular, pro evolution point of view. SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THIS!!!! My two oldest are TEN YEARS APART and I'm having the same dang issues I had back then with him. 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, SilverMoon said:

I've looked around to back up that neutral claim and did find old posts saying Mr Q left out evolution, so maybe he's updated them? A 2022 comment from SEA said some of his levels are neutral and some appear to be secular, but no specifics. 🤷‍♀️ 

Weird. I do find that SEA tends to be WAY more strict than I am in my choice of curriculum. Heck I used Apologia for my oldest, and he's an atheist. We just rolled our eyes a lot and crossed out questions relating to the Bible. 

[ktgrok]

RSO Biology 2 - I'm thinking I read that is NOT enough for a Highschool Biology course, even though it is listed as up to grade 10 by the publisher?

[KSera]

Did you rule out the Kolbe syllabus already? I don’t think using the Macaw edition would be a problem at this point. I used it with one of mine, leaving out the Catholic supplement. 

[SilverMoon]

10 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

RSO Biology 2 - I'm thinking I read that is NOT enough for a Highschool Biology course, even though it is listed as up to grade 10 by the publisher?

Correct. I've seen many, many comments that it's not enough for highschool. Even Rainbow has it listed for grades 5-8. 

 

https://www.rainbowresource.com/078038.html

Edited May 24 by SilverMoon

[kokotg]

49 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

RSO Biology 2 - I'm thinking I read that is NOT enough for a Highschool Biology course, even though it is listed as up to grade 10 by the publisher?

My current senior did it in 9th grade. He's not a STEM kid, so we wanted a sort of quality box-checker, and it worked for that. It was well-laid out and he could do it mostly on his own. And he made a really cool model of a cell that I won't let him throw away. 

ETA: I just asked him about it, and he said, "biology is literally my least favorite thing in the world." But I don't think it's because of RSO. But also apparently it didn't inspire any new increased interest. 9th grade was 2020 for him, so we were just kind of doing the best we could under less than ideal circumstances with some things! So anyway--wouldn't use it with a kid who needs to build on it with more advanced bio classes, but it was fine for what it was, and definitely didn't hurt him with college admissions. 

Edited May 24 by kokotg

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

Did you rule out the Kolbe syllabus already? I don’t think using the Macaw edition would be a problem at this point. I used it with one of mine, leaving out the Catholic supplement. 

No, have not ruled it out. Need to try to get a better look at how it is laid out. My one concern is that every other class that uses that text uses only certain chapters. I think I read that Kolbe uses the entire book, and goes really fast. That would not be good for her. 

At this point I think the contenders (and this can change on a dime as I read more, or just my mood changes, lol) are the FundaFunda course (not sure if she wants the video lessons but as far as outside courses go it looks like a good one to start with) or Mr. Q General Biology or maybe even Khan depending on what their upcoming new course looks like. Or we suck it up and do Apologia and I know that she already did a full year of prehistory/evolution and has a good grasp already on that topic and try to skip stuff that goes directly against it. (that seems least likely). 

[KSera]

I actually started to reply to this again earlier today saying that based on your OP, fundafunda seemed like it might be a fit, if it’s in budget. The lack of dependence on the textbook could be a real plus.  There’s a syllabus on the website, if you haven’t seen that yet. 

[ktgrok]

2 hours ago, KSera said:

I actually started to reply to this again earlier today saying that based on your OP, fundafunda seemed like it might be a fit, if it’s in budget. The lack of dependence on the textbook could be a real plus.  There’s a syllabus on the website, if you haven’t seen that yet. 

Thank you, I hadn't seen that. I'm reading it now, and it really does sound like a good fit. A way to start having real weekly deadlines and outside grading that is still not the full on live course type thing. My only hesitation is the videos are clear but not exactly the "fun" type of thing with crazy animations and pretty graphics. BUT, that's likely just fine for her. 

Edited May 24 by ktgrok

[ktgrok]

Any thoughts on Conceptual Biology - the online class through SEA? Anyone use it or know of anyone that used it? 

Edited May 24 by ktgrok

[ktgrok]

Found another option - Global Village School. It's a syllabus for the Glencoe Biology book, with added videos and such. 

https://www.globalvillageschool.org/product/biology-course/34

Per an email from them, "We use Glencoe Biology, by the McGraw-Hill Company, in tandem with our Biology digital curriculum guide. While the course is primarily oriented around the text, the guide (approx. 100 pages) also includes quite a few supplemental links to web-based resources."

I don't see any reviews or anything though for this. 

 

Edited May 28 by ktgrok

[OakParkOwlets]

The Mr. Q Biology and Evolution book is new from this year and IMO looks solid and secular.  I am planning to use that in combination with Easy Hard Science Biology (learnwithdrscott.com).  My daughter is sick of learning about types of creatures and the Dr. Scott course is very much cell biology based, too many of the other HS Bio classes I looked at spent a third of the course going through Phyla.

Edited June 3 by OakParkOwlets
clarifying

[ktgrok]

Anyone used or have thoughts on Power Basics Biology as a spine, with added labs of some sort? It says it is on level content for below level readers with larger font, more basic language, etc. DD is dyslexic so I'm wondering if this might not be a good fit, with it being secular,having a  workbook, tests, etc and then add in some videos from amoeba sisters and a living book or two. 

But I do want it on level content wise. She's very smart, it is just that reading is tiring and harder. https://www.wiesereducational.com/products/power-basics-biology-wl3171.htm

[KeriJ]

Friendly Biology has a secular version.

[Malam]

17 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Anyone used or have thoughts on Power Basics Biology as a spine, with added labs of some sort? It says it is on level content for below level readers with larger font, more basic language, etc. DD is dyslexic so I'm wondering if this might not be a good fit, with it being secular,having a  workbook, tests, etc and then add in some videos from amoeba sisters and a living book or two. 

But I do want it on level content wise. She's very smart, it is just that reading is tiring and harder. https://www.wiesereducational.com/products/power-basics-biology-wl3171.htm

Have you had her read the sample? What does she think about the reading level?

[freesia]

On 5/24/2024 at 2:22 PM, ktgrok said:

No, have not ruled it out. Need to try to get a better look at how it is laid out. My one concern is that every other class that uses that text uses only certain chapters. I think I read that Kolbe uses the entire book, and goes really fast. That would not be good for her. 

At this point I think the contenders (and this can change on a dime as I read more, or just my mood changes, lol) are the FundaFunda course (not sure if she wants the video lessons but as far as outside courses go it looks like a good one to start with) or Mr. Q General Biology or maybe even Khan depending on what their upcoming new course looks like. Or we suck it up and do Apologia and I know that she already did a full year of prehistory/evolution and has a good grasp already on that topic and try to skip stuff that goes directly against it. (that seems least likely). 

Kolbe does skip a few chapters for the honors course. It skips more for the regular course. Is there a sample on their websit you can see if the different paths you can take through the book? I need to take dd to soccer, but can try to upload the page that lays it out. This time through, we skipped most of the human body bc I had her do the cell unit from Mapping the body through Art. 

[almondbutterandjelly]

Back in the day, we used Quirks and Quarks biology.  Might be fun.  The Hoagland textbook was fun.  https://quarksandquirks.wordpress.com/biology-hs-level/