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Another Apologia High School question
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I am wandering what you require from your high schoolers with the Apologia courses. Do you only require narrations? Do you use the test? I was thinking of using narration daily but still requiring her to memorize the vocabulary and give a quizz on that? We are using the Biology this year and not real experienced with narration, as I never seem to stick with it, but we are getting used to it. Do you grade daily narrations? What works best for you CM style? How do I know she is narrating correct information if I do not read her textbook for myself? She does want to go to college so that is why I’m sticking with Apologia for her. My DS on the other hand is not independent, not interested in college, so I’m switching from Apologia Physical Science after just 1 module to Master Books Applied Engineering course for him, it seems to be something he would connect with better.
I have my daughter read a few pages every day and we do the On Your Own Exercises orally. At the end of every module, I have her take the test but it is open book. I also have her narrate every day. I do require her to do a few modules in the more traditional manner each year so that she is familiar with the process.
My personal reasoning for using this method is because I’m not a fan of the usual cram for the test, remember long enough to pass, and then forget the majority of it. At least that’s the way it always worked for me and so many others I have spoken to. I’m sure there are those out there who do actually remember the information but I don’t think they are the majority.
My daughter is doing very well in Biology and remembers and discusses the information she is learning with me and others all the time.
I also have her keep a science notebook in which she draws various diagrams and illustrations to complement each module.
DD15 is taking the Apologia Biology course this year. She plans to major in some area of Agriscience in college, so she is very interested in science. That said, she is dyslexic, so comprehension has been tough for her in the past. Since we have the 1st edition of the Apologia Biology book and I have been unable to locate a copy of the book on cd for her to use (all I’m finding is the 2nd edition cd), I have been reading it to her quite a bit. She reads along with me, then she listens to a lecture on that module as part of a virtual homeschool class we found that uses Apologia.
We stop and have her answer the On Your Own questions orally while we are reading. There are quizzes she takes online after listening to the lecture, and she also takes a module exam online. I have her do all of this mostly because I want her to be prepared for all of the reading, quizzes, and exams she will have to take in college. It will probably still be a bit of culture shock (The College of Wooster does not seem to have a Charlotte Mason Method for Teaching Agriscience listed in their catalog….what a surprise), but I am sure she will rise to the challenge.
Furthermore, she is taking a biology lab based upon the Apologia textbook over 24 class periods through our homeschool co-op this fall and winter, so she gets a chance to talk about all she is learning with others. Past science courses she has taken (Apologia General Science and an introductory Agriscience course) went well for her and she still talks about much of what she learned (or comments, “Oh, I remember that from when I took……”), so I think there has been a significant amount of retention of the information.
Perhaps you could find a lab for her to take that would allow for hands-on learning and further discussion/narration of the material being covered. Or you could see if you could gather a group of homeschooled students to perform the lab experiments together. It would give her more chances to talk about what she has read, and frankly, dissection seems a little less gross when done in a group. Plus, you can share a microscope or two if not everyone in the group has one.
We are doing a biology lab together with a friend. Agreeing with Sue that doing it in a group makes it less gross and even, maybe a little fun. 🙂
My plan is to have DD read & narrate the lessons, go through the On Your Own Questions, and have the end of the module review as her “test”. We’ll do labs together and I’ll have her do some lab reports. We will be living with my parents for the current year, so I’ll likely be skipping anything with tons of needed materials.
If this gets to be too much, I also like the idea of a science notebook & lab notebook…or we may just do this instead. http://sabbathmoodhomeschool.com/2011/09/keeping-a-science-notebook/
HollyS, if you are looking to make Apologia Biology rather independent for your DD, you might want to look into Virtual Homeschool Group. It’s a free online resource where a volunteer teaching staff offers a series of lectures (voicethreads) online, showing slides that illustrate the material, and there are quizzes and a test taken online for each module. They use Apologia Biology. It tracks the quiz and exam grades for you.
Students can also submit lab reports they have done for extra credit, reviewed and commented on by the teacher. There are two options: joining a live class at set times during the week, or an at-your-own-pace option that allows a student to watch pre-recorded lectures and still take the quizzes and exams. It is all free of charge.
Here is the link to their website: http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.org/
Good to see you here on the forum, Holly. Continuing to pray for you.
Sue
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