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I don't think it really matters what "nickname" the books go by; it seems like different people use the same nickname to apply to different books. You just need to know what level the different Campbell texts are at:

 

If you want a 9th grade, Introduction to HS Biology type text, you want Biology: Exploring Life by Campbell, Williamson & Heyden. Lots of illustrations, concepts explained very clearly, not math-heavy.

 

If you are looking for a more in-depth, honors-level HS text, or the sort of book a CC would use for a one-semester Bio 101 type course, you want Biology: Concepts & Connections by Campbell, Reece, Taylor & Simon.

 

If you are looking for an AP-level text, which is frequently used for a year-long Biology Majors college course sequence, you want Biology by Campbell & Reece.

 

Jackie

 

Aha! Thank you. This is clear. This, I understand.

 

And Exploring Life is no longer being supported by the publisher. Hmmm.

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My brother teaches AP and Honors bio at one of the better high schools in our state. They use many of the Prentice-Hall texts mentioned here - I can only share what they use them for; other schools may well do it differently.

 

Miller-Levine : "regular" 9th grade bio

Campbell Exploring Life (which they do call "Baby Campbell"): Honors 9th grade bio

Campbell Reese Biology (college text, they do call it "Daddy Campbell"): AP Biology (typically taken as upperclassmen after already completing 9th grade bio)

 

You might want to double-check the title with your brother, because Exploring Life is definitely not an "honors" level text. If you go to the Pearson website to the list of their Biology texts and click on "Honors & AP level," Exploring Life is not included. It's listed as "On-Level," along with the Miller & Levine text.

 

Concepts & Connections is including in the Honors list, and that's what the Pearson rep said they call Baby Campbell.

 

Jackie

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And Exploring Life is no longer being supported by the publisher. Hmmm.

 

I believe Pearson will continue to sell the current edition (2009), but that will be the last edition, and they won't be updating the any of the ancillary materials. It's a shame, because I think it's a better intro-level text than Miller & Levine, which is what Pearson is pushing now for HS Intro Bio.

 

Jackie

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I believe Pearson will continue to sell the current edition (2009), but that will be the last edition, and they won't be updating the any of the ancillary materials. It's a shame, because I think it's a better intro-level text than Miller & Levine, which is what Pearson is pushing now for HS Intro Bio.

 

Jackie

 

So maybe it won't matter to us, then, they they will not be updating the materials.

 

Thank you. My son is very interested in biology, but he is not considering a career in science or a major in science; we've done very, very little formal science in our home. He's bright, and I tend toward rigorous so I"d love to try the AP or advanced HS Campbell, but I don't want to push my luck, either.

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You might want to double-check the title with your brother, because Exploring Life is definitely not an "honors" level text. If you go to the Pearson website to the list of their Biology texts and click on "Honors & AP level," Exploring Life is not included. It's listed as "On-Level," along with the Miller & Levine text. Concepts & Connections is including in the Honors list, and that's what the Pearson rep said they call Baby Campbell.

 

Hmm... I will ask him about this. But he's definitely using Exploring Life, the one with the big lizard eye on the front, because he lent me a copy and it's sitting on my bookshelf. :)

 

I'll ask him if his school uses Concepts & Connections, and if so at what level. It's a really big school and they have lots of levels, so they could be using even more texts - I just found out that they used the Miller-Levine because I asked after hearing about it here, and wanted to know where it fit. He's the senior biology teacher there, so he gets to just teach the top classes with the eager beaver well behaved kids.

 

One of my dds just loves the looks of Exploring Life and was kind of upset that we didn't use it this year instead of CPO Life Science - but she's only in 6th grade so I thought it might be a bit much yet...

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The 2009 edition was only what Pearson called a "copyright update." It was primarily to update web links; I was told that they didn't change the text and that this is definitely the last edition they will produce. The CD-rom of activities has not been updated since 2003 and there are no plans to do so. They will continue to sell the Exploring Life text, but Pearson will no longer update any of the materials. As elegantlion posted, they are now focusing their efforts on the Miller & Levine text as their primary intro bio program.

 

Jackie

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