Apologia Biology: Kingdom Animalia

Our Co-op starts the last big push next week.  My job is to complete Modules 11, 12, and 13 by the middle of May.  (The kids are completing the two Botany module tests at home.). The kids started to make comparison charts.  We meet twice a week.  I’m combining dissections with lectures and activities.  The Co-op meets in the Maker Space of the local library.  We’ll have to dissect outside the library.  I’m bringing extra tables, plastic table covers, gloves, goggles, specimens, trays, etc.  Once each week, we’ll dissect.  When the weather looks iffy, we’ll meet inside to work on notes, the comparison charts, microscope sketches, etc.  Our class will compare nine major animal phyla beginning with an overview like this one.  I’ll need to explain Characteristics of animals and key concepts such as types of body symmetry, body planes, and body cavities.

Meanwhile, we’ll be dissecting, starting with Phylum Annelida, the earthworm.  Home Science Tools has this earthworm dissection guide.  My kids amine the exterior of the worm first before opening up the worm to take a closer look at the interior anatomy.  The more guides, charts, diagrams and images, the better.  Locating the earthworm’s aortic arches or hearts is difficult. 


Prepare yourself for the kids to be underwhelmed by the earthworm dissection.  The most common comment is, ‘There’s nothing but dirt.’  Well, it’s an earthworm.  If the kids open up the worm carefully, and rinse away the dirt, some of the interior organs are more evident.  Good luck!

Apologia Biology: Kingdom Animalia

Yeah!!!! We launched the animal kingdom, Modules 11-13 and 16.  We made charts to compare nine animal phyla.  Then the kids spent the period with the microscope slides.  Yeah!!! Happy Easter!

Human Biology: Skeleton and Human Organs

Update:  Here is a human torso and organs in paper.


Here are full size copies of the human skeleton and major organs.  These are free.  My first assignment is to memorize the skeletal system—major bones.  I send home plastic Halloween skeletons to use.  I like for the kids to create and label their own skeletons and human bodies.  The kids can lie down on butcher paper and trace thei outlines.  Add the skeleton and overlap organs.  The kids may want to make muscles, too.  The more the kids manipulate and label, the better.

Human Biology: Mader. More Information

This summer, a few of my biology students are taking Human Biology together.  I’ve given them the assignment to memorize the skeleton and learn planes and directions.  They’ll be coloring in the Human Anatomy Coloring Book extensively.  Here’s the format.  All of us are reading and watching lecture videos independently.  We’ll meet for a lecture overview, review, discussion, and quiz.  For example, Anna, has already memorized the skeleton.  I quizzed her orally after Biology class.  She’s working on learning planes and directions.  I’m going to teach Human Biology in the order that appears in the book.  We’re already planning special topics, such as Ebola and infectious diseases, Measles and immunity amnesia, and ectopic pregnancies in which the baby goes to term.  If I can find an interesting tidbit, we’ll add it.  So, if you’re interested, order the 14th edition of Human Biology by Mader (cheaper, but still fairly current), an anatomy coloring book, and follow along.  Can you name the major bones in the human skeleton?

Apologia Physics—another plug!

My husband has an Apologia Physics Blog.  This is his first foray into blogging but his second year teaching physics.  He takes a traditional approach and uses the Apologia Physics book and tests.  Take a look!

Apologia Biology: Dissections

I’m prepping for the last big push in Biology.  This week we’re doing a crash course in Botany.  On Thursday, I want to prep for Zoology and the dissection series.  Dr. Wile’s dissection instructions are excellent.  I like to combine dissections with a broad comparison of major animal phyla.  So, the kids are going to review Taxonomy with this activity and use the Animal Diveristy Web listed on the classification guide for the activity.  Along with the striped mongoose, Indian mongoose, meerkat, and pigmy spotted skunk, my kids will research the taxonomy for the earthworm, grasshopper, clam, crayfish, perch, starfish, and frog, the specimens the kids will dissect.

After completing the taxonomy activity and the taxonomy and classification review, the kids are going to create large charts similar to this poster.  As the kids dissect representative animals, they’ll add details about the different specimens in nine major animal phyla, essentially, comparitive morphology.  My kids are going to color and or label these representative species: earth worm anatomy (key), clam to label with key, (the clam diagram is on the lower left), grasshopper coloring,     (grasshopper external anatomy key),  starfish anatomy to label (key), perch anatomy coloring page, (key), frog anatomy coloring, (key).  We’re doing a ton of reading, coloring, labeling, and charts in a big push after Easter to wind up Biology.

I have a ton of resources for dissections.  I use these dissection guides, The Biology Corner’s dissection guides, the instructions in the Apologia textbooks, and preserved specimens from Home Science Tools.  You do not need expensive kits to dissect.  Kids can use scissors and probes for most of the dissections.  I have a box of 100 t-pins they use to expose the insides.  I have several trays with reusable plastic pads and a bunch of used kits I bought from www.shopgoodwill.com.  Sturdy styrofoam trays are,fine—especially if you have one child working alone.

What if your child does not want to dissect or you live in Alaska, where shipping can be expensive.  If you live in Alaska, dissect a fish.  Once, in Alaska, we made fish prints before we dissected the fish together.

If your child objects to dissections for ethical reasons or has a learning difference, such as autism, which prohibits dissecting, I have alternatives.  (You may simply decide the specimens are too expensive.  I get it.).  First, a virtual frog dissection.  This site has all kinds of virtual dissections.  I recommend using a good dissection guide and locating photos to answer questions.


If you do a virtual dissection, say of a perch, use a good guide and a website loaded with detailed photos of a perch to closely replicate the dissection experience.


Lastly, kids too squeamish for either realistic photos or real specimens might like coloring and cutting
 out paper dissections, such as this paper frog dissection, this paper clam activity, a pop-up barnacle, or or Scienstructable Dissection Paper Models—-which are very pricey!!  I’ll dig some more to see if I can find more free paper models.

Apologia Biology: Human Biology Mader

I’m starting a new class, Human Biology, with two of my Biology students.  Both are interested in a biology course with greater depth.  We’re using Human Biology by Mader and Windlespecht (978-1259245749) 14th edition.  Mader’s Human Biology textbooks are used in many college courses.  We’re using this anatomy coloring book, and these outlines, questions, and quizzes.  All of us are trying Kelli Roberts’ Human Biology videos.  Our goal is to work on the class through the summer.  The first assignment is to Learn the major bones in the human skeleton and Anatomical Orientation and Directions.  This copy of the skeleton is a good guide, as well as this Atlas of the Human Body.  The anatomy coloring books are under $10 with shipping.  I order copies for the kids as consumables instead of printing copies.  Our plan for the class is to meet every two weeks, watch videos at home, and FaceTime or Skype as needed.  I’ll keep you posted.

Quick update: I offered Human Biology to the kids in the Co-op.  The class is expanding.  Right now, all of the kids have microscopes or digital microscopes to connect to laptops or chrome books.  I sent home a slew of anatomy slides to sketch and label.  I bought several of these inexpensive digital microscopes on Amazon.  The laptop or chromebook must have a camera.  Test it first.  It works well with most Dell laptops and Lenovo chrome books.  Plug the digital microscope into a usb and try the laptop’s camera.  It should work immediately.  The microscope’s zoom allows themstudent to resolve the image, take a screen shot, and finally draw the image.  I was unable to connect the digital microscope to either my iPad or new Kindle Fire.  This microscope set of 100 slides has ample different examples for Human Biology, and General Biology.  N.B. Amscope has two sets of 100, Set A and Set B.  I have both in addition to several less expensive sets because my class is so large.

Apologia Biology: Botany Microscope Slides

Quick update:  I had a revelation during class.  The kids using the digital microscopes with laptops can focus on the microscope slide, take a screen shot, and then use the screen shot to sketch the image.

The class is sketching botany microscope slides like these.  The Apologia Biology slides have some plant parts.  Amazon has reasonably priced prepared microscope slides.  Read the reviews.  I ordered a set of general slides with a disproportionate number of plant slides.  In any case, I have 30 or more botany slides.  Given there are 19 kids, we need them all.  I instructed the kids to look at a huge variety of plant slides and sketch them.  Try to get twig, ovary, pollen, leaf, etc slides.  We had traditional microscopes and digital microscopes available.  I'm trying to find more laptops which are compatible with the digital microscopes.  Some of the Chromebooks and laptops work and some don't.  I tried to link the digital microscopes to iPads, iPhones, and Kindle fire unsuccessfully.  The HP Chromebook and my older Dell laptop worked.  Yeah!
I'll post sample work soon.

Apologia Biology: Kingdom Plantae or Plants

Next week, we're spending two days with plants.  First up is the flower dissection.  Truthfully, this is best with fresh lilies.  I'm using artificial flowers that were 60% off at Michaels, which could be reused.  There are 19 kids.  Artificial flowers it is.  The other activity with the flower dissection is to use the microscopes and sketch flower and plant parts.   Since the class is large and the space feels small, I ordered several digital microscopes and adapters for my iPad and Kindle Fire.  I'll bring in a few standard microscopes, too.  Frankly, a digital microscope and a screen is far easier.  I'll post pix next week.

Apologia Biology: DNA Nucleotides Complete

Where are we now?  We are in the throes of tax season and Co-op.  Now that it is April, we've been trying to complete DNA before Botany and the dissection.  After Genetics, we went back to finish DNA.  

First, we built amino acids and nucleotides with the Lab Aid Biomolecules Kits.  The kids also build DNA and Transcription with Lab Aid Models of DNA and Transcription.  (The carbons in the kit tend to break during Replication.  I sent copies of my purchase order and photos of broken carbons to Lab Aids.  They sent back several dozen replacements.  The Biomolecule kits are much sturdier.  I've used my older kit for years without breakage.)  The kits come with excellent worksheets.  The instructions have the kids build the molecules and answer questions.  

Homework included a transcription translation coloring sheet.  Next, the kids do this DNA puzzle piece activity using these templates.  Make loads of copies of each of the three templates.  The first step is to use the DNA pieces (four or five) to demonstrate DNA replication.  Next, one uses both DNA and RNA pieces to model transcription.  Finally, the same RNA sequence (mRNA) is copied to tRNA.  The idea is to understand A-T or A-U and G-C (Nucleotide base pairs)  This takes awhile.  Once the kids have these models, they use a DNA strand to make a double helix, mRNA, and tRNA with pipe cleaners (chenille sticks) and pony beads.

This transcription translation worksheet is my final quiz.  I used the DNA strand for the bead activity.  Lastly, the kids write paragraphs explaining the differences between DNA and RNA, describe Replication, Transcription, and Translation, including the location.  (I emphasize that DNA Replication occurs in the nucleus during mitosis as part of the cell cycle.  Transcription also occurs in the nucleus.  Translation is in the cytoplasm at the ribosome.)  The kids also explain codons and anticodons.  Whew!  Next week we start plants.  See below our photos.

Apologia Biology: DNA

The kids took their test.  The good news is that no one cheated.  We're retesting on Tuesday.  After the test, we worked on DNA replication.  We used two set of the Lab Aids DNA and Replication kits.  (The ribose molecules broke off easily.  I sent photos to Lab Aids to see if I can get replacement parts.  I'll let you know.)  (You may recall I used Lab Aids Modeling Molecules of Life earlier for Biochemistry.)  We worked through building the DNA molecules and DNA replication.  Next, we're building nucleotides and amino acids before tackling transcription and translation.  These molecule kits are pricey--I hope to teach Biology again and will use these models again.  Teach Genetics has a hands-on activity for transcription and translation.  I've used this paper clip activity for DNA replication, transcription, and translation.  The kids are going to work through this activity using these DNA and RNA templates.

Below are photos of the DNA models and DNA replication.  Next week, I'll post pix of the amino acids and proteins--and possibly the four nucleotides.