A traditional textbook program usually requires the student to read a chapter and answer the questions at the end of the chapter. Often there is a quiz or a test that asks questions usually based on the bold print words in the chapter. I remember doing this! All I had to do was remember those bold words, memorize them and I would do well on the test (quiz). Did I comprehend the facts? Did I understand the concepts? Sometimes I did. As a parent using a textbook, I had a lot of difficulty finding the answers to the questions when my student had a hard time answering a question at the end of the chapter. The answer key was often a separate purchase, which I often couldn't afford. Finding the answers to the test questions was almost too much of a challenge, and I felt that it took too much of my time to find the answers. Also, sometimes the text covers material that is a bit more social or political.
The manuals that I put together require the student to find the answers to a series of questions. When I have to find an answer to a question, I need to understand the material in order to articulate the answer. The goal of the manuals is to understand the concepts, to comprehend the facts. When there is understanding, memorization isn't necessary. While there is some memorization necessary (names of muscles, bones...), it is not in every chapter. I made sure I placed the answer key to every quiz in the Parent Manual and the way every lab should 'look'. A parent doesn't have TIME to go digging for the facts in a textbook, so each week the information that the student needs to have researched contains the facts for the Parent (in case the student has difficulty in his research).
The parent can use the parent manual for many students. Each student needs his own student manual for the lab work section is consumable.
High School Biology In Your Home (formerly called What?? Me Teach High School Biology??)Involves the student in a discovery learning process by requiring him to do research (visual learning), discuss what he has discovered in his research (audio learning), and hands-on activities with some sort of lab almost every week (kinesthetic learning).
What other books do I need?
You do not need a textbook with this program! Library books are wonderful in that they are written by people who are excited by their subject, and it is conveyed in their writing (textbooks and encyclopedias usually contain just the facts and tend to be a little dry). A biology textbook is useful, but may not contain all the information necessary to answer a few of the lessons, so if one is desired a used book would be a good resource.
Does this meet high school requirements?
I have researched what is required by the public school system and what areas of study are necessary for a student to be considered to have taken high school biology. What I have included in the program is demanding, well-rounded, and with all the dissections would be considered a "honors" class in any institutional school situation.
What else is required for this biology program to work?
A good microscope, prepared slides and prepared specimens is necessary to get the full effects of this program. John Lind at Great Scopes has a great web site for microscopes and slides. In the parent manual I give approximate prices for specimens so you can buy according to budget. Specimen kits and slide sets are available from my website as well. See the packages page for more information about what is included in my kits.
Should there be testing in biology?
I recommend a weekly or biweekly testing of the facts. This is so the student will learn how to study for a quiz of an exam which prepares him for college.
Does this program really work?
This program has been successfully taught for several years and works tremendously. One student took the Iowa Basics Test in the spring one year which happened to have many questions on the human body for the science section. She came out of there fully confident she ‘aced’ it, even though the human body is studied in the fall with this program. The more work the student puts into it, the more he learns!
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