Okay, so I was all set to go with the Well Trained Mind recommendations for Biology this year, and now I'm not so sure. I'm still planning on incorporating the general source reading material the book suggests (i.e., Euclid's Elements, Aristotle's Physics, and Hippocrates' Aphorisms), but I'm not feeling all too confident about the Self Teaching Guide recommendation.
I wish it was easier to just throw out into the universe what it is that I want out of a Biology curriculum, and have it just magically appear on my doorstep, with teacher helps and all. Seriously, what to do with Biology is driving me nuts.
Here's what I want.
A text that...
- is user friendly
- uses clear language (this is for a non-science major after all)
- is thorough, but not so broad that it is superficial in depth
- is not dry
- provides thoughtful end-of-chapter discussion topics and questions
- has a helpful teacher's manual (with clear objectives and lesson plans) and an answer guide
- has uncluttered pages and detailed diagrams
I've almost decided to go with Exploring Life, a Campbell text. The reviews I read were favorable, but sigh...it's a standard textbook. Now, don't get me wrong, I do believe that textbooks do have their place. I'm just hoping it isn't too dry (see my list of wants above). And then there's the issue of there being like a gazillion editions of the book, not to mention all of its supplements, including an interactive CD, which I assume correlates with specific editions. The existence of a CD is not in itself off-putting. It's just that I'd like to know when I can schedule it, and if I can use it with any edition of the book.
E is not all too thrilled about the lab portion of our future Biology studies, either. Her issue is with the dissection labs. Now, I'm sure we can bypass doing actual dissections in favor of virtual ones, but I wonder how that would look on her transcript. As for me, I'm not squeamish at all, but the thought of doing home dissection is not all that pleasant. The odor alone is enough to deter me. My husband has already suggested we take the dissection out into the yard. Not a bad idea, but I wonder how that will go over with the neighbors. I guess we'll find out eventually!
As for labs, I've narrowed it down to two kits--one put out by Quality Science Labs, and the other from Labpaq. Both seem thorough, but the former one is *very* heavy on dissections. I'm not quite sure about the other. It seems like it's professionally put together, but the details on the specific labs are scant. I'll have to call for further information. Having to call for details is a major pet peeve of mine, too. I like the convenience of having things clearly listed on a web site.
Another thing I'm contemplating is perhaps altering our schedule for next year. I was thinking we could divide the school year into two semesters, and follow sort of a college schedule. For example, instead of doing US History II all year long, along with Biology, we could focus on History the first semester, and Biology the second. It would be similar to block scheduling, allowing us time to get fully immersed in specific subjects, without having to juggle too much. I don't fare too well with tight 30-45 minute scheduling blocks for each subject, so the thought of being more generous with our time allotments is a much less stressful prospect.
Why does E have to do the dissections at all? Is this required by the HE laws in NJ?
ReplyDeleteTechnically, I don't think it should matter (and I don't think that there is anything formally laid out on this issue...other than the wording on the regulations that state that we have to offer a comparable education to that of the school system). I do often worry that homeschoolers are more closely scrutinized. It's kind of like that old saying re: the sexes...i.e., A woman often has to do twice as much as a man to be considered half as good. :^P In this case, I guess I'm just trying to aim to do "as much." High school and the thought of college just a few years away makes this Momma an extra bit anxious!
ReplyDeleteE is as undecided as ever. When I finally narrowed it down to a few virtual lab options, she told me she wanted to do what they were doing at the local high school--um, that would be actual dissections. She said this just as I was really warming up to the virtual lab idea. She'll probably change her mind again, so I think I'll recruit the husband to be the final decision-maker.