4Real Forums: Biology planning

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High School Years and Beyond
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Topic: Biology planning

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hsmom
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Posted: Aug 17 2012 at 4:11pm \| IP Logged

I knew Apologia Biology would be too intense of a course for my 14 yo dd, so I got the All Creatures Great and Small to use as a spine for Biology. It's kind of blah, and not going over so well. So I have gathered quite a bit of inspiration from MacBeth's list and Lapazfarm's Marine biology. I have come up with a very sketchy plan and would love some input. I have lots of stuff for Microbiology but not so much other areas. I plan on doing 4 eight week units. I have left out anatomy because that will be a course in itself her senior year.

The plan:

Microbiology

Kingfisher Microscopic Life, by Richard Walker
Bacteria, by Howard Facklam GR 6-9
Viruses, by Howard Facklam GR 6-9
Diversity of Life: Illustrated Guide to Five Kingdoms, Lynn Marguilis
The Way Life Works, by Mahlon Hoagland. (This will most likely be used for reference only)

Botany

Botany in a Day, Thomas Elpel
Botany Coloring Book, Paul Young
Exploring Creation with Botany (maybe?)
Botanica North America, Marjorie Harris
Botany Projects for Young Scientists

(Somewhere I saw where someone had mapped out a botany course using a 4 day plan, but I can't find it now. It must have been in someone's blog.

)

ETA: Just found this thread. Makes me want to spend a year doing Botany!

Lake Biology

Any ideas! We can't do marine biology like Lapazfarm, but I hope to use same concept with a nearby lake.

Zoology

In a Patch of Fireweed
The Life of Birds
Of Wolves and Men

(Straight from MacBeth's list

)

ETA: The Amateur Zoologist

I may add Entomology and/or Ecology if we fall short or lose interest in any of the other topics. I'm not really sure we will spend 8 weeks on Microbiology

.

If you made it this far.....thanks!

guitarnan
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Posted: Aug 17 2012 at 5:09pm \| IP Logged

Lake biology could go a lot of different ways. One idea would be to visit your lake regularly throughout the year, documenting seasonal changes and learning to identify plants and animals.

You can do lake microbiology if your lake water is clean enough. (Warning: I tried this at Brandywine Lake in WV and we could not find any microbiology specimens in the water to identify. The lake sustained water moccasins and some plants, but we could not find one- or multi-cell animals/plants to observe.

) Even if the water isn't all that clean, this type of field work is valuable experience.

You can combine bird observation with lake biology; most lakes sustain fish populations that attract birds.

Microbio might just surprise you...it's pretty interesting!

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MaryM
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Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 1:26am \| IP Logged

I think these threads from this time last year are a great start with ideas and resources. The Jen Mack one links to her wonderful living Biology plans for her daughter on a separate blog.

biology! Jen Mack?
20 Great Biology Labs for some lab ideas to go with it.

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hsmom
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Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 6:16pm \| IP Logged

Thanks MaryM. The links are perfect.

guitarnan wrote:

Lake biology could go a lot of different ways. One idea would be to visit your lake regularly throughout the year, documenting seasonal changes and learning to identify plants and animals.

Interesting idea. I like that it could be done between other units as sort of a break from the longer units.

guitarnan wrote:

You can do lake microbiology if your lake water is clean enough.

We don't even eat the fish that is caught from our lake.

So I will guess there will be no one or few celled organisms.

guitarnan wrote:

You can combine bird observation with lake biology; most lakes sustain fish populations that attract birds.

This would definitely tie in with the lake observations very nicely. Thanks!

guitarnan wrote:

Microbio might just surprise you...it's pretty interesting!

I like surprises!

Thanks for all your ideas.

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