07.18.08
Biology Lab Schedule for next year
My livingroom is full of kids playing D&D, so I’ve been spending most of the afternoon planning out the bio labs for this coming year. Like I said yesterday, this is both easier and harder than the last time I did this. We are certainly going to do some labs that I judged too much last time and dropping some of the busy work labs that we did last time.
I still need to price out supplies and availabilities, but this should get us through the year. (D) means it’s a dissection.
Sampling a Plant Community
Observing the Uncertainty of Measurements
Identifying Organic Compounds
Investigating Chemical Cycles in the Biosphere
Investigating Air and Water Pollution
Observing Osmosis
Measuring the Effect of Light Intensity on Photosynthesis
Observing Respiration
Observing Specialized Cells
Investigating Inherited Traits
Making Karyotypes
DNA Extraction
Comparing Adaptations of Birds
Modeling a Gene Pool
Making Coacervates
Using and Constructing a Dichotomous Key
Comparing the Characteristics of Molds
Observing Root and Stem Structures
Investigating Germination and Seedling Development
Investigating Germination Inhibitors
Comparing Sponges and Hydras
Observing the Structure of a Squid and a Clam (D)
Observing the Structure of a Starfish and Grasshopper (D)
Observing the Structure of an Earthworm (D)
Comparing Invertebrate Body Plans
Investigating Frog Anatomy (D)
Observing the Structure of a Perch (D)
Observing the Structure of a Lizard and a Snake (D)
Comparing Primates
Observing the Structure of a Fetal Pig (D)
Observing Vertebrate Skeletons
Observing Nervous Responses
Observing Bone Composition and Structure
Measuring Lung Capacity
Simulating Urinalysis
July 18, 2008 at 8:55 pm
So how much time do you schedule for these? And how many times a week. I’m just trying to get a feel for how this kind of thing works. The list looks pretty good. Is this grade 9 level?
July 18, 2008 at 9:08 pm
It looks terrific. Will you be posting the details on your labs?
July 18, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Most of the labs are suppose to take about an hour, but I’ve scheduled two hours because I would rather have more time and not be rushed. Also, I’ve got about 10 kids doing the labs, so there will be some drag.
This is for a high-school level lab course and bio is often done in 9th grade. Mostly because both Chemistry and Physics needs more math skills than basic bio. That said, I think Girl has the math to do a different science, but I’m still doing this first.
The other kids in the class range from a year younger than her to nearly 2 years older. OTH, their skill level ranges all over the field. She’s probably one of the smarter and (more importantly) more focused kids, but there are a couple that will be also be on top of it. There are a couple of the kids that I’m going to have to make sure not to pair together or they will horse around (and I’ll have to kick them out).
Maybe they’ll surprise me, but I’ll expect the kids to have read the right section of their texts and to already be familiar with what they need to do for the lab; and a couple of the kids will probably fall short of that. I’m not requiring any particular text, but did recommend that they use the one that I’m following because that will be easier to stay on track.
We’ll see.
I will probably not be posting much details on the labs (though I’d be happy to answer any questions). The labs are nearly all taken from the Prentice Hall Biography Lab Manual A that goes with the Miller and Levine Biology Text.
Teresa said,
July 19, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Could you pretty please do the same labs for my son?
I keep thinking maybe we’ll start being complete unschoolers where highschool is concerned because I don’t think I’m organized enough to plan a course.
Rachel said,
July 25, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Ewwww!
OK, when you say dissection, do you mean cutting the little critters open and looking at them? Guess who opted to take an “F” when required to do this in high school? Yep, that’d be me.
I can’t even come close to driving over a dead raccoon on the road without holding my breath.
Better you than me.
Rachel