In high school (grades 9-12), students will continue focusing on biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science each year. Families may choose to explore a different topic each day of the week or study biology one day a week and one other subject on three additional days. Either way, students will complete 33 lessons in each subject yearly. Three terms’-worth of material in each category equals a science lab credit for transcripts.
Credit Value
A one-year course (1 credit) is achieved upon the completion of three study guides from a single subject. For example:
| Transcript Credit Components | Your choice of three of the following: |
| Biology (with Lab) | F3-4 Biology F3-4 Botany HS Biology: Anatomy, Part 1 HS Biology: Anatomy, Part 2 HS Biology: Ecology HS Biology: Human Body (extra options) HS Biology: Microbiology, Biochemistry, & Forensics (extra options) HS Biology: Origins |
| Chemistry (with Lab) | F3-4 Chemistry HS Chemistry: Part 1 HS Chemistry: Part 2 HS Chemistry: Part 3 |
| Physics (with Lab) | F3-4 Physics F3-4 Electronics HS Physics: Part 1 HS Physics: Part 2 HS Physics: Part 3 OR Earth Science: Astrophysics HS Physics: Theoretical Physics (optional) |
| Earth Science (with Lab) | F3-4 Geology HS Earth Science: Geology F3-4 Weather HS Earth Science: Weather F3-4 Astronomy HS Physics: Part 3 OR Earth Science: Astrophysics |
Credit can be assigned as follows:
- You can assign partial credit (.33) each year for each subject to show that a one-year course took longer than one year to complete.
- You can assign the one-year course credit (1) upon completion of the course, no matter how long the material took to complete.
- Alternatively, you can assign one-year course credit (1) in a single subject each year. For example 9th grade Biology, 10th grade Chemistry, 11th grade Physics, 12th grade Earth Science. This is the most straightforward way, but not as precise.
Requirements vs. Recommendations
It will be beneficial to research your state’s graduation requirements or the requirements of the prospective colleges your child may want to attend.
While even college-bound students are only required to take 3 courses with a lab, Charlotte Mason included science as part of the broad feast all four years. Therefore, she assigned science four to five days a week all the way through high school. If we follow her lead, students will complete lab credits in all four science disciplines.
- Biology (with Lab)
- Chemistry (with Lab)
- Physics (with Lab)
- Earth Science (with Lab)
Learn More
You can learn more about transcripts on the A Delectable Education podcast episode 80: CM through High School or by downloading the Free ADE Exam Planner.