Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

How to teach labs — when you don’t have a lab

Have you ever wondered how to teach science  without a lab?  Perhaps you have just chosen not to assign the labs, or have given up on teaching science altogether.

I want you to know that labs are very important.  They allow students hands-on practice with ideas they have only read about, deepen understanding of course material, and — for some students – are the preferred way to learn.  For many kids, they can also be fun!

Obviously, some science classes do not require a formal lab.  But many benefit greatly by having a lab component.

High schoolers in particular need to take labs if they are applying to college.  For them, these labs are not optional — college acceptance actually depends on it.  (Read more about college requirements HERE.)

I am about to share with you some options for families without a fully equipped science lab.  These are particularly helpful when trying to fulfill a lab requirement for biology or chemistry.  But know that lab options exist for lots of other sciences, too.

 

Virtual science labs {Quick Start Homeschool}

 

Some families choose to co-op science labs.  When homeschool parents gather together, they have more impact and power than teaching labs alone.  Supplies can be purchased at a discount, or shared if there aren’t enough to go around (i.e., tweezers and microscopes).  Parents skilled in lab procedures can do the teaching, and others can help with supervision and clean-up.  Co-ops are a cost effective way to teach labs, and are successful in many areas around the country. (What’s a co-op?)

Another option is the lab intensive.  When a regularly scheduled lab isn’t available, sometimes cramming an entire year’s worth of labs into one weekend can fill that need.  Companies catering specifically to this need are offering lab camps (sometimes called “intensives”) from coast to coast. (See Landry Academy as an example.)

One of my favorite options for labs at home is the virtual lab.  Click the links throughout this blog as you read, to see examples of some of the free virtual labs that are available.

The virtual lab

Safe and hygienic, available 24/7 and repeatable any number of times, virtual labs can be completed from any room in the house, by any number of students alone, or together.  As a bonus, many virtual labs can be found free online.

Virtual labs exist for dissecting animals like frogs, sharks, pigs, cats, plus animal parts (such as owl pellet or cow’s eye).  Detailed illustrations and close up photographs allow students to get inside animal parts without needing to do it themselves. Explanations make it possible for biology students to study dissections thoughtfully, and to experience an almost hands-on sensation of being there — without the odor, expense, and [for some students] squeamishness that often accompanies labs of this kind.

Virtual labs are widely available for plant and animal cell studies, too, offering topics like cell division, reproduction, respiration, heredity and genetics studies and more.  The kinds of labs are valuable in situations when supplies are unavailable, and are particularly beneficial in cases where intense magnification is needed, but no microscope is present in the home.  (Did you know that can find lab on using microscopes, too?)

For students taking Earth Science, virtual labs can illustrate processes like erosion, glacial land changes, weather patterns and the effects of thermal energy.  Chemistry studies may be supplement with labs mixing common solutions, or not-so-uncommon solutions without the risk of injury. Criminology and Forensic Science labs are available for blood typing, fingerprinting, and other procedures associated with crime scene analysis.

Finding virtual labs can take a bit of investigation on the part of families.  Paid subscription services are available (see Online Chem Labs and Late Night Labs as examples) and free lab simulations can be obtained from textbook companies, science web sites, colleges, universities, museums and research centers.

Keep in mind that virtual labs are no less serious than actual hands-on labs, and should be treated the same way as any other course component.  Students should be assigned a lab notebook, and taught to take good notes, ask relevant questions and seek out additional information if they do not understand.  If course credit is to be awarded, lab reports should be turned in — and graded – for every lab in the course.

For further reading, click:

Teaching  Tougher Classes

Teaching science the “cool” way

Sourcing lab supplies

Interview with Janice Vancleave

BIG list of science resources

Marie-Claire Moreau

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

{Day 5} College Prep High Schooling — Marketing Yourself

Day 5: Marketing Yourself 

[View the entire series HERE]

By now, you understand the importance of taking the right courses, prioritizing extra-curriculars and preparing for tests so you can earn great scores.  Following that advice, you’ll graduate successfully and be ready to rock the college world.

But there is still one step left, and it’s a big one — “marketing” yourself (a/k/a reminding colleges why they should pick you).  This is not the time to be timid about your accomplishments, because college acceptance depends on it.  For best results, you’ll really need to toot your own horn.

So, how exactly do homeschooled Seniors communicate with the colleges of their choice?  And what does it actually take to get their attention?

1. For starters, there’s the application — a time-consuming but fairly straight-forward process.   Applicants should submit the best application they can, by answering all questions honestly, by writing well, and by remembering not to leave out anything important.  Writing a great application already starts making you look good.

But since so many students apply, and because many applications look somewhat the same, you’ll need to do a little more  than submit a good application to get noticed.  You’ll want to attach extra documentation to convince someone to choose you instead of somebody else.

How to market yourself to colleges and get noticed.

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So, to stand out — and I mean really grab somebody’s attention in the admissions office – teens should include some of these documents, too:

2. A killer Freshman Resume — which is like a flyer or a marketing brochure, except it’s all about you.  Create one that summarizes who you are, lists a whole bunch of cool things you’ve done and highlights several of your proudest accomplishments in more detail.

3. A knock-out  transcript — and not just an ordinary one, either.  One with your test scores and grade point average; one listing your honors courses, AP courses and early college credits; one that looks great and has been edited for grammar, spelling and mathematical accuracy; and one that clearly demonstrates you’re not the same as everybody else, but have taken lots of substantial, relevant and fascinating electives, too.  You’ll find an example of a basic transcript HERE.

4.  A list of course descriptions — that you attached to the back of your transcript.  List all the classes on your transcript and explain each in a little bit of detail.  Include what you studied, the books you read, and maybe some of the assignments you completed.  You can copy course descriptions from other places if they match exactly what you did.  But it’s better if you write up every course as it was uniquely completed by you — and not by anybody else.  That makes you stand out, too.

5. Examples of your work — if they’ll accept it (and not all colleges do).  Re-read a previous post in this series to get ideas.

Finally, if possible, shoot for:

6. A personal interview — during which you start by being yourself, proceed by responding intelligently to questions, and end by explaining why you’ll be a good fit for the college and what you’d like to do once you get there.

Combining these elements is the best way to get noticed by the colleges you apply to.  Chances are, they’ll notice, and your efforts will pay off for the next four years.

Want to re-read any of the articles? Here’s the list again.

Need more high school information? Click the “high school” tag (below) and just follow the trail.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her  book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever.  A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide.  Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

{Day 4} College Prep High Schooling: Tackling Those Tests

Day 4: Tackling Those Tests

[View the entire series HERE]

This topic is one of those good news/bad news kind of things.  I don’t want to burst your bubble, reader, but it’s best you know the truth right off the bat.

The good news is that more and more colleges are finding other ways to evaluate their applicants, and no longer placing so much emphasis on SAT or ACT scores any more.  Some colleges have even become test-optional, meaning they no longer require those tests at all.  They — the test optional schools – are allowing students to demonstrate their mastery and skills in other ways. If you read the previous article in this series, you’ll understand why this is such great news.

The bad news is it’ll probably take some time (maybe even a long time) before all colleges see the logic and follow suit. Meaning, if you’re applying to colleges today, or in the next few years, you’ll be  among the millions of students (yes, millions) taking the SAT or ACT for college admissions each year. You might even be taking the new Classic Learning Test that just came out, the “CLT”.

Armed with this data, you’ll need to be ready — ready to ace the test (as in ready for the English, the Math and maybe the Writing portions), and ready to sit and actually take the test (a different matter altogether).

When homeschooling high school, remember, time is on your side.  There is plenty of time to get ready — if you start early and plan things out.

When homeschooling, there’s plenty of time to get ready for testing. Here’s how.

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In 9th and 10th grades, begin looking at old tests.  Pick up some study guides or find some online.  With a parent’s permission, open an account on the College Board web site and/or the ACT Student Site; and start poking around.

In 10th or 11th grade, take the practice SAT exam.  This test (called PSAT) is given in the fall, once a year.  Contact your local high school to find out when and where to go.  Keep up your grades in your regular coursework, and make sure to address any areas that may be troubling you.  Remember, you’ll be tested on English (including reading), math, and (your choice) writing for the SAT.  The ACT includes a science test, too.

If you want, you can enroll in a study course, too. I recommend multiple modes of studying, as they each offer a little something different, and the more the better.

In both 11th and 12th grades, take the SAT or the ACT — or both.  Some teens test better on one or the other. Take the test at least once in 11th grade and again early in 12th grade.  Because taking the tests offer practice (and usually higher scores each time), some teens actually take the tests 3 times or more.

With planning and practice, every homeschooled teen can be ready for standardized tests.  It’s never a good idea to wait until the last minute, so knowing what to expect will give you a major leg up over the other students who wait until Senior year.

Next and last up is Day 5: Marketing Yourself.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her  book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever.  A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide.  Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

{Day 3} College Prep High Schooling — Standing Out

Day 3: Standing Out 

[View the entire series HERE]

I have been talking a lot about courses and curriculum — hands-down, the basis of any good high school plan.

But today, I want to talk about things outside of the regular curriculum.  Things that are not always included in the course line-up. Things that don’t always appear on a transcript.  And, often, things that have nothing to do with traditional academics at all.

Homeschooling high school is more than just taking classes and earning credits.  It’s about learning and expansion in other areas, too. Like competitive sports, performing arts, media production, leadership roles in clubs and camps, inventions and product development, travel, community service, running micro-businesses and all of the other things that teens are passionate about, that fill their days, and fuel their curiosities.

Try to include as many of those things on your transcript as you can, if it seems appropriate to list them (as courses, or as clubs or extra activities along the bottom).  Sometimes, there’s no other place to tell colleges about the great things you do.

On the other hand, a brief description on a piece of paper isn’t always enough to describe what the experience was about, what you learned, and what it meant to you.  Even a carefully worded course description lacks the impact of an actual product submission, an original screenplay, an original song, a well-produced video, a Power Point presentation, or a live presentation to really illustrate what it is, and what you did.

If you can, try to look for colleges that allow the submission of extra projects.  Find out whether the school you’re applying to will accept a link to a video or photo collage.  Ask if you can mail in a sample of your work.  Or, if you can meet with a an admissions officer to explain what you’ve been up to.

Try to look for ways to stand out, not just by telling, but by showing.

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It’s important to tell colleges about all the things you did during the high school years.  But college-bound high schoolers should also try look for ways to stand out, not just by telling, but by showing.  Extra-curricular projects, activities and contributions like these are very appealing to colleges (and scholarship committees).  They explain who you are and set you apart from all the other applicants.  They not only illustrate your strengths, but suggest ways you might contribute while on campus, too.

When homeschooling high school, don’t limit yourself to what is found in a book, a series of lectures or an online course. Remember to pursue other things that interest you, too and dig deeper into areas that will make an impact on your college application.  These experiences just might tip the scales in your favor, resulting in the college acceptance letter of your dreams.

Next up is Day 4: Tackling Those Tests

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her  book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever.  A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide.  Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

{Day 2} College Prep High Schooling: Shore Up That Writing

Day 2: Shore Up That Writing

[View the entire series HERE]

You just learned about covering the basics.  Those were important.

Now, you’re going to hear about an area that makes an even bigger difference — writing.  Writing is very important.

You already understand the advantages of homeschooling: flexibility in scheduling, freedom to choose courses, plenty of time to study whatever you like, and more.  Well, guess what? It’s those same advantages that make it easily possible to become a good writer in high school.   In fact, with all those great benefits, there’s really no excuse for a homeschooler not to become a good writer.

Writing is important in more ways than students realize.  Writing (sometimes called Composition) as an academic subject is one thing, but remember that writing helps across the entire curriculum, making it possible to succeed in all other areas, too.  Plus, writing helps create knock-out Freshman Resumes (I’ll tell you about that in the next article), score well on standardized writing tests, write winning scholarship essays, conquer college application essays, and more.

It’s silly not to take advantage of the high school years to learn to write.  Many students already do.  But if you haven’t been one of them, well…now’s the time.

Not learning to write — and write well – is just harming yourself. Really.

All that being said, not every mom and dad is comfortable teaching writing.  Not every student knows exactly where to begin, either. It’s okay.  That’s where courses, curriculum and tutors come in. Use them liberally if you must.

Take the high school years to shore up your homeschooler’s writing skills. Here’s why.

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The takeaway from this lesson is to include some quality form of writing instruction you can trust.  For at least a couple of years — or, better yet, throughout high school.  If you plan on getting into college, that is.

Becoming a good writer takes time, practice and feedback.  It isn’t something you can pick up by reading a book and it isn’t something that can be mastered during the last semester of high school, either.   Start early, and write often.

Colleges notice.

Next up is Day 3: Standing Out.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her  book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever.  A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide.  Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.