Required and Optional Texts
The following texts and materials are required for the 2020-2021 course year:
Please note: The above ISBN number is for the full hardcover text; alternate forms of the text (eBook, loose-leaf) listed on the order page at Pearson are acceptable as long as the correct edition is used. Due to cost restrictions for most families, MasteringBiology access will not be required for this course. If you do elect to purchase access, please let me know.
There is no Study Guide for the 9th edition, as the publisher has moved all support materials online. We will be using Moodle mastery exercises to replace study guide work.
I had originally intended to use the 8th edition for the 2020-2021 academic term, as issues with the electronic versions of the 9th edition persist, but copies of the 8th edition in any form are getting harder to find.
This text is also available from VitalSource at Biology: Concepts and Connections, 9/E.
A 180-day rental is about $60.
Note that eBook downloads can be tricky and access to the internet may be required for refreshes should you lose your files for any reason. It is also often frustrating to have to page back and forth to look up data in the appendices when doing homework exercises. Also, you don't get permanent access to the text unless you pay a substantially higher price. However, if you anticipate traveling or situations where you must study away from home, eBook versions on your laptop or tablet are far more portable than heavy textbooks.
This link allows you to download the PDF version of the text. If you wish a hardcopy version of the text, you may still purchase it through the Scholars Online Bookstore on Amazon.
Individual lab PDF instructions will also be available from the Biology Moodle.
Robert B Thompson has assembled several versions of the equipment and materials required to perform most of the experiments in his Illustrated Guide to Home Biology lab manual. The basic version (BK01A) contains most of the materials required to complete labs in this course, and is especially useful if you want to prepare for the AP exam. Students wishing to complete only the basic eighteen labs required for credit may find it less expensive to buy only what they need for their selected labs; even so, the kit is remarkably complete and much more convenient than seeking out individual chemicals each week. Note May 2018: As of March, this company is under new management by Ben Siciliano. All kits are in stock and available for purchase.
You may order all texts through the Scholars Online Bookstore.
© 2005 - 2021 This course is offered through Scholars Online, a non-profit organization supporting classical Christian education through online courses. Permission to copy course content (lessons and labs) for personal study is granted to students currently or formerly enrolled in the course through Scholars Online. Reproduction for any other purpose, without the express written consent of the author, is prohibited.