Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: Apologia, biology, high school, labs, Riot & The Dance, science

This topic has 31 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 9 months ago by Kim.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 32 total)

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May 5, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Benita
Participant
Our family has always liked Apologia Exploring Creation series in the earlier grades. My 9th grader is finishing Physical Science and did General last year. He is not a science enthusiast. He did not like either of these. But I’m not sure it was the text or just that it is not his thing, if you know what I mean. Anyway, looking at Biology next year. It is expensive. I’d feel better about it if he enjoyed it. Any other options out there that others have found good for non-science type kids?
May 6, 2013 at 1:51 am
Eglantine
Member
I honestly can’t give you a review as I’m looking at making a purchase right now myself…BUT…I’m thinking about Summer by the Sea for my sons. Queen Homeschool Supply high school biology.
May 6, 2013 at 4:09 am
blue j
Participant
Be sure to add in plenty of lab-type experiments so that it can count toward that on your child’s transcript. Also, check out Art Harmony Mom’s Squidoo page for a living books approach to science. (Just type her name and squidoo into your search engine. It will come up.)
May 6, 2013 at 9:56 pm
Benita
Participant
Oh, yes, I will check out Harmony Fine Arts. Barb always has great ideas. Looking for other high school science curriculum choices. Want him to do labs, but need some reading that is not boring and dry.
May 8, 2013 at 3:53 am
marmiemama
Participant
Our oldest daughter, now finishing 11th, actually did Abeka’s Biology last year and really liked it. Granted, I was not overly strict with memorizing the tons of terms, etc. Then this year, she did the DVD course, Chemistry 101. Very enjoyable video that everyone enjoys watching and she does the print out assignments. She’s pretty self-motivated so she penciled it all out what to do each day. She’s not science minded, so this was a nice, easy going kind of pace, giving her a very nice broad chemistry knowledge. I might consider using their Biology 101 DVD for my next daughter.
May 8, 2013 at 4:16 pm
blue j
Participant
We used Biology 101, and it was a nice relaxed style learning. I added in labs, etc. so it counted as a lab science. Even my then 10 yo learned from it.
Enjoyable biology reads:
Wicked Plants (Same series as The Violinist’s Thumb & The Disappearing Spoon)
Swiss Family Robinson
Robinson Crusoe
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Owls in the Family
The Life of a Spider
Rascal
The Story Book of Science
Diary of an Early American Boy
Miracles on Maple Hill
The Insect World of J. Henri Fabre
The Life of the Fly
The Life of a Caterpillar
Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary
Botany in a Day
The Edge of the Sea
A World in a Drop of Water
Wild Animals I have Known
A Kid’s Herb Book: For Children of All Ages
George Washington Carver: His Life & His Faith In His Own Words
America’s Favorite Backyard Wildlife
*One Small Square: Backyard &/or Woods – this is good for an older student if you have them do the actual square foot and observe it. The others, and there are several, are also very good used in conjunction with a video or other book.
I can’t find my books on mushrooms and there are more concerning microscopy/single-celled organisms. I think one is Life in a Drop of Water, and maybe another is about Leeuwenhoek. My girls found them a little on the dry side, but they are full of information. I think there are several in the same series which are possibly for younger children, perhaps upper elementary to junior high, but they are, again, chock full of information. And, for a student who is not enthusiastic over science, they may interest him/her. The series is Great Minds of Science, I believe.
DVD/Netflix:
Blue Planet Series
March of the Penguins
The Serengetti (sp?)
Sharks!
Any of the Animal Planet wildlife shows
Jacque Custoe (sp?) Videos
Animal and Plant videos by National Geographic
Moody Video Series
Answers in Genesis Videos
May 8, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Benita
Participant
marmiemama-
I have looked at biology 101 dvd and might do it. It seems to fit my son well.
What did you do for labs? Do you think that dvd with the print outs and labs would be enough?
Wow, bluej thanks for the book lists. There were several I have not heard of. Love to suppliment.
May 8, 2013 at 8:59 pm
Benita
Participant
Oh, I meant to ask bluej about the labs you chose.

May 8, 2013 at 9:22 pm
marmiemama
Participant
To be honest we didn’t do labs. Our children participated in a chemistry club over last summer so I counted that as a “lite lab”. She covered the Abeka biology with tests pretty well and has done a few experiments this year with the Chemistry 101 DVD. She’s not science/math minded so I felt this was more than sufficient. She’s signed up for College Prep in her senior year to see if she’ll like College Plus to get a bachelors degree. Not too sure if she/we’re “regular college” bound beyond those plans. Besides…a friend’s daughter took honors Biology in high school and didn’t do a lab at all! Go figure!
May 9, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Benita
Participant
What can anyone suggest for labs for supplementing if only doing Biology 101 and not Apologia?
May 9, 2013 at 4:25 pm
Benita
Participant
What about 1st edition Apologia Biology? I have been told it is not very differerent at all from 2nd edition and it is much less expensive – making it easier to afford microscope and slides. Can a child do well if doing everything but the disecitons? I have nothing against the disections except cost.
May 9, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Janell
Participant
Homeschool Science Tools sells nice dissection kits and guides that can be done independent of a biology text. Leaf and insect collections (or notebooks) along with a nature journal could also be included as lab activities. We also are enjoying the Teaching Company’s Understanding Anatomy DVDs and labeled anatomy illustrations.
May 9, 2013 at 8:20 pm
blue j
Participant
To be honest, I “cheated” and used some of the labs from the Apologia book. I also did some searching online and found a few good ones that we used. I think I have a few of them pinned on my CM – Biology pin on facebook, though I would have to check to make sure that’s where I put them. You’re welcome to check out my pinterest page to look through the myriad of things I’ve pinned. I tend to be very (maybe overly) organized so that it makes it easier for me to find what I need – and hopefully will be easy for anyone else who checks it out.
May 9, 2013 at 8:39 pm
blue j
Participant
Ok, I am updating the biology board. Some of the pins ended up on the wrong board, and some things I bookmarked rather than pinning. I will get as many as possible posted there.
May 9, 2013 at 8:41 pm
Benita
Participant
Awesome, thanks bluej. I will take a look this evening!