College Prep Homeschooling: 8th grade science

notes:

Most colleges require a student to have studied at least biology and chemistry and two other lab-based sciences. I also like to get a jump on these requirements in 8th grade.
This is also a chance to get your child more interested in science and to build a positive attitude around it. Note: don’t jump into chemistry until you have done the math to support it, preferably Algebra 2. Likewise, I prefer calculus happen before physics. For 8th grade, you don’t NEED a lab science, but you can use this opportunity to introduce your student to lab work. Still, your options for high school science are numerous. I like this college course from MIT called Kitchen Chemistry. It allows chemistry to happen at home with a manageable mess and no danger of explosions. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/experimen... My child followed this curriculum. It was not too difficult for her at 14, and we did her lab work on Wednesday, just in time for dinner. Yum. If you are not too keen on doing labs in your home, most communities have science groups, classes, and the like where your child will have more than a full year’s curriculum. Robotics clubs Astrology at the local planetarium Virtual dissections online Science labs are available at science museums in every major city.

Free Biology Resources

Free Video Lectures

http://www.learnerstv.com

This site eliminates the need to search the entire internet for videos.

It sit has compiled video lessons from all over the internet.

You will find: every subject imaginable

LearnersTV offers free learning resources for students on various subject categories. Following is the current list of subjects available as on Monday, August 22, 2011. We will be adding more subjects in future.
Subject Categories

Biology | Physics | Chemistry | Maths-Statistics | Computer-Science | Medical-Science | Dentistry |Engineering | Accounting | Management 

McGraw Hill Biology

Mc Graw Hill Biology has an website that can be used in conjunction with the textbook (7 edition).  You will find an outline of each chapter, tests, labs, and other activities.  This can be used as an outline for teaching biology, or it can be used with the textbook that you can purchase new or used. 

A Guide to Online Homeschool Biology Programs

Thanks to generous public and private school teachers and free online curriculum providers, there are a handful of homeschool biology programs online that can be used with or without a textbook.

Read more:http://www.brighthub.com/education/homeschooling/articles/103525.aspx#ixzz1BdJmMgOn

Human Body Unit Study and Lapbook project

This lesson page will help you teach all about the human body in great detail.  It is probably most appropriate for elementary and middle school age and is a great precursor to high school biology.

From the site:

We all have one! We use it every moment of every day-- your incredible human body! What a personal and relevant topic of study for any child!

For the younger students, your study may focus primarily on anatomy, so you will explore the body's organs and body's systems. For older students you may extend the study into physiology and add in thefunctioning of the human body, including its systems, tissues, and cells.

Browse the ideas and links here to plan your human body lapbook, notebook, or unit study.

Anatomy of the Human Body

Anatomy is a sub set of Biology, but a perfectly acceptable course for ahomeschooler.

More specifically, Anatomy is "branch of biology concerned with the study of body structure of various organisms, including humans"

This is an online book provided by Bartelby.com. You could create tests yourself to go along with this text, or have the student write essays to explain what they have learned or to discuss theories.  This online book has excellent illustrations.

^ Here's an anatomy coloring book you can use alongside the free online book.

BioInteractive Virtual Science Labs

"The Virtual Labs Series produced by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has won top honors in the Pirelli INTERNETional Award competition. More than 1,200 multimedia entries competed for the Top Pirelli Prize, which recognizes the best multimedia products designed to use the Internet to educate about science and technology"

The Transgenic Fly Virtual Lab
The Bacterial Identification Lab
The Cardiology Lab
The Neurophysiology Lab
The Immunology Lab 

List of Virtual Biology Dissections:

I listed a virtual dissection of a cow's eye the other day... Thought you might enjoy this full list:  

 Net Frog :http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu/

Sheep Brain Dissection: The Anatomy of Memory:http://www.exploratorium.edu./memory/braindissection/index.html

 Virtual eye Dissection: The Anatomy of an Eye:http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyedissect.html

 Virtual Pig Dissection: http://www.whitman.edu/biology/vpd/main.html

Salmon Dissection Game: http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00548/DissectionGame.html

Virtual Earthworm Dissection

If you remember dissecting earthworms in science class, then you'll remember that it did nothing to help you learn the anatomy of the earthworm.  It was more of an exercise in YUCK!

You can still do the hand's on dissection to learn how to cut and look inside a once living worm, but this virtual earthworm dissection  will also give you a more clear view of the parts of the worm and what is inside.

Dissect a cow eye virtually

Courtesy of exploratorium.edu learning studios, you student can watch the dissection of a cow's eye... if they can stomach it. If they want to give it a try themselves (you supply the eye and tools) they can follow along with downloaded step by step instructions.

Enjoy these links to dissection tools and simulated frog dissection kit.

Biology Lab Activities

Here are some more biology lab activities for Biology students.

There should probably be a couple of hands-on labs done, but having virtual options will save you alot of time, money, and heartache.

The following labs are available.

Lab 1: Diffusion & Osmosis


Lab 2: Enzyme Catalysis

Lab 3: Mitosis & Meiosis

Lab 4: Plant Pigments & Photosynthesis

Lab 5: Cell Respiration

Lab 6: Molecular Biology

Lab 7: Genetics of Organisms

Lab 8: Population Genetics

Lab 9: Transpiration

Lab 10: Circulatory Physiology

Lab 11: Animal Behavior

Lab 12: Dissolved Oxygen

Human Anatomy

http://www.visiblebody.com/

The Visible Body is produced by Argosy Publishing. Its diverse groups make Argosy Publishing an award-winning provider of content and technology to the medical, pharmaceutical, scientific, consumer products, television, and educational communities. Visit www.argosypublishing.com and www.argosymedical.com for more information.

Digital Frogs for Humane Biology

Each year, thousands of students sit in biology class with a chemical-soaked frog pinned before them, wondering if there is a better way to learn about anatomy. With today’s advanced technology, there are now many humane alternatives that have been proven to teach just as well or better than dissection. PCRM is pleased to offer a free copy of one of these alternatives, Digital Frog 2, to students, parents, and teachers.
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Top-Notch Science Projects. Detailed Instructions For 47 Top-Notch Elementary School Science Projects.

High School Homeschool Curriculum Recap- Science

This is part two of my curriculum recap series.  In it I am attempting to look back at my kids high school years and give lessons learned and what we loved and hated.  Here is a review of my children's science subjects.

Neither of my children were very excited about science as they are more artsy people, so we did not go out of our way to do AP courses or take SATII's which science minded kids will want to look into.

Environmental Science:

My daughter Used Hippocampus for Environmental science.  She used it in conjunction to one of the recommended textbooks on the site, and mostly followed the hippocampus format.  I just mapped

Music from mars could be inspiration for science

Did you know that when the latest unmanned vessel was sent to Mars that a recording also went with it to be broadcast back to earth.  Will I Am of the Black Eyed Peas penned this song and recorded it with an instrumental orchestra and an orchestra of school children.  I found it fascinating.




I love how the guy in the black shirt (most likely a scientist) can't clap on beat.  But I am sure his other brain abilities outweigh his lack of rhythm.

While this fascinated my pants off, the reasoning behind the song and the movement that has started is of important note to educators.  Please listen to the intent behind the project and the movement that this talented musician his spearheading.




It's interesting how music is taken out of schools but yet, we worship performers. It might be because there is something in those performers and their work that inspire us to be more... to do more.  They set the example of an insane work ethic, in most cases, that I hope will rub off to people in other industries... in the sciences, in math, in psychology, etc.  If only people in the other industries would be compensated nearly as well.

I am looking forward to see what happens with the SYSTEM initiative.


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