Can anyone tell me about OM's Basic Life Science or BJUP's Life Science?

[Bee]

Judging from the sample pages,I am thinking that I might like to use BJUP's science course for dd next year.Except she doesn't want to disect animals or kill bugs for scientific study.Could she still get enough out of the course by doing the expiriments that don't require doing those things or could I substitute another book of expiriments instead?The only other alternative so far that I have come up with is OM's Basic Life Science.Is there enough information in the course?The sample pages look almost too simple,especially compared to what I saw in BJUP's.Dd will be going into 7th grade next year,we haven't used textbooks for science much but I would like to start leading her in the direction of getting used to using a textbook for science since I know that will happen in high school and beyond.

[Hoggirl]

we are planning on using the Life Science from BJU for next year. I believe they have a dissection DVD for about $50 where you can just watch the dissections. We won't be doing a bug collection, either!

Cynthia

[Tami]

I think that dissection is extremely important to a study of life science. If it is not a religious issue, but merely one of being squeamish, I would forge ahead and do at least 3 dissections. An eye, a heart, and a brain. These are biproducts of meat processing, so these animal parts are really no different from the meat on your plate. If you are vegans, or have religious issues, than I would at least get detailed plastic models.

[Melissa B]

We are using OM Life Science with my dd age 10. If you are looking for the amount of information and detail in BJU then you would not like OM. I just glanced at BJU online - as I have never seen it. It looks to be a standard textbook which OM is not. OM's high school courses use an actual text book. Their junior high books are meant to be more exploration and experimentation. The life science book has a lot of observation and hands-on work but no dissection.

 

Besides the obvious difference of BJU coming from an expressly Christian worldview - BJU looks to me like a program that really needs to be scheduled daily. I don't know how you would get through the book otherwise.

 

We do OM once a week. The projects are ongoing - growing plants, a terrarium, a worm farm, etc. And the essays and reports are worked on all week, but we only use the text book maybe once a week. I think the book is great for learning outlining skills which is what I use it for. But, most of the information is found through the observation and research done outside the book.

 

OM works well for us because we do not do any formal science in the grammar stage years and plan to go fairly light until high school. For those who do science in the grammar stage or plan to do science daily, OM would most likely be too light. And if BJU is the way you are leaning, I would not recommend OM as an alternative. :)

[Robin in Tx]

It's the frog that my dd doesn't want to do in BJU's 7th grade Life Science. She has done a body part before, and doesn't mind that. But she is traumatized by the thought of cutting open an intact animal. I won't force it. She'll get another round of life science labs in high school.

 

Robin

[Tami]

It's the frog that my dd doesn't want to do in BJU's 7th grade Life Science. She has done a body part before, and doesn't mind that. But she is traumatized by the thought of cutting open an intact animal. I won't force it. She'll get another round of life science labs in high school.

 

Robin

 

 

Oh, what a sweet girl. Do you think that she'll be any less squeamish in high school? I did a dissection class, and all the kids got over their squamishness pretty quick. The moms were more worried about the traumitization than the kids actually turned out to be. Maybe this type of thing is easier in a class? Not to try and talk you into anything, but just FYI.

[Tami]

Are you going with the Home Sat or DVD's or doing the teaching on your own? I'm a bit intimidated by upper levels of BJU, even though we have used and liked the elementary.:eek::eek:

[Melissa in CA]

If you can somehow afford the BJU DVD classes with this I highly recommend them. In class, Mrs. Vick does the experiments as well, so if your daughter does not want to actually dissect her own frog, she can at least watch her teacher do so. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her go through a real heart and point out all the parts! Fascinating stuff!

 

You might want to request a sample DVD from BJU. It is a lot of money for the program, but the money also includes all your books, an amazing science teacher, and a daily schedule as well. :D

 

Blessings,

[readwithem]

Hey Robin (waving!)

Do you think she would do better in a group where she didn't have to do much (if any) cutting? The Health museum has fabulous dissection classes. If you get to the museum district, I'll come meet you :)

[Bee]

Dd and I read through them,she looked at the samples from both and she thinks she would prefer OM which I suspected she would.I was the one who prefered BJU,dd would prefer her science to be secular.Dd will be 12 when we do it;will she find it too easy?She has had several years of earth science,several years of Sonlight's science courses,and some environmental science classes in the past.My tentative plan is to do biology for 7th grade,physics for 8th and then to use OM's high school courses.Dd is not at all sure of her future career plans but is thinking she might want to be a geologist...or a librarian...or an editor.

[Michelle in AL]

I have both OM & BJU Life Science. BJU does appear more complete and detailed and it is, but there have been certain units where I read the chapter from BJU and it was confusing and then read the chapter of OM on the same topic. OM explained things in a more understandable way and they both basically taught the same concepts.

 

My dd prefers BJU, she thinks it's more interesting.

 

We did do a group dissection, but I don't think this is necessary.

 

If you're looking for something secular, BJU is not. In fact if you aren't a young earth creationist it can be down right condemning. It will dispute all creation theories except it's own, pointing out why others can't be right, but leaves all possible arguments of their theory's faults out. My dd did pick up on this, but we chose to continue anyway (I'm going from memory on their treatment of this topic, but this is the feeling I walked away with).

[Robin in Tx]

I think she'll be a lot better in high school. I really do. Especially if she's in a class situation.

 

I was surprised to find out how upsetting the idea was to her. It's not squeamishness, it's the idea of the little froggie having to die :). I don't know how to describe it except to say that she was as upset as if I'd told her that we were going to disset a little kitten. So pictures and DVDs will have to do for now...

 

And this is the child who wants to be a vet! LOL She's just a little bit of growing up to do.

 

Thanks for the encouragement... I do think when she's older she will be much better with laboratory specimens that are raised for the specific purpose. And being with other kids will surely help (although I think sometimes in groups, kids tend to feed off each other's silliness, too).

 

Thanks again!

Robin

[Robin in Tx]

Hey you! We have done a brain there before, and you are right... they have great classes! She actually doesn't mind the cutting... but if the sight of one slain froggie is enough to make her weep, can you imagine a whole room full of them? LOL

 

I wish we lived closed to the museum, though, becuase the "body part" dissections would be a great (and we'd get to see you, too!!).

 

Love,

Robin