question about awarding science lab credits

[beachmom]

I am soon to be in the world of high school homeschooling, and I have some questions about awarding credits for science. If my dc take the Apologia sequence (biology, chemistry, physics, and possibly some of the advanced courses), should I do a lab component for each course? If I do a lab component, is the entire course awarded 1 credit or 1.5 credits? How do you list it on the transcript? Is it Biology or Biology with Lab? Also, how many lab courses do most colleges want to see?

[newbie]

We do the Apologia Bio and it has labs in the book, we have done all so far.

I think it is 1 credit and listed as Bio w/lab. Check state requirements for lab requirements.

[Jane in NC]

When my son did AP Biology, I considered awarding more than a single credit because of the phenomenal number of hours involved in the course. I was warned though that brick and mortar high schools do not do this. My son is graduating with five science credits: one credit each for Conceptual Physics and Biology (home grown courses) then three more credits from CC courses (Chem I, Chem II and Microbiology). All of these were lab courses.

My son's transcript lists the homegrown courses as "Biology w/lab", etc. The CC courses include name and course number. Another document details the course description, the texts and lab manuals used.

High school is fun! Welcome aboard!

Jane

ETA: Our CC operates on the semester system. One three or four hour course at the CC usually translates to one high school credit.

[Kareni]

On my daughter's transcript, I have:

Physical Science, 1 credit
Chemistry (Lab), 1 credit
G 101: Earth's Dynamic Interior (Lab), 0.50 credit
G 102 Earth's Dynamic Surface (Lab), 0.50 credit
G 146: Rocks and Minerals (Lab), 0.50 credit
ENVS 181: Terrestrial Science (Lab), 0.50 credit

The first two courses were taken at home. Physical Science did not include a lab component while we used the MicroChem Kit for Chemistry lab.

The last four classes were all taken at the local community college which operates on a quarter system. I gave 0.50 high school credit for each 4 hour class there. (The G refers to Geology, ENVS to Environmental Science.)

Regards,
Kareni

[Sharon in MD]

I feel that it is best to try to follow the typical pattern of the lab sciences being counted as 1 credit for the course with the lab. That is what is expected of typical high school courses. I think that if we award extra or additional credit for labs we run the risk of looking like we are padding the transcript. So, even though, as Jane rightly pointed out, an AP level course has a ridiculous amount of work in it, I'd still count it as 1 credit and list it as Bio w/lab etc....

[beachmom]

Thanks to all of you who have replied. This is most helpful!