BJU Science

[Wee Pip]

Anyone use this? How do you schedule it? I bought 5th gr and 3rd grade. I want my kids to do their science independently from one another (combining kids for science was a bad idea last year). But I would like my kids to be learning the same topic at the same time, simply to make my life easier. However, I noticed the topics don't line up. 5th gr is a full year and 3rd gr is a half year. The topics are arranged differently. Does anyone re-arrange their chapters so that your students study the same thing at the same time? It wouldn't be too big of a deal, except I wanted to take the kids to the science center at the end of each unit, and explore the corresponding area of the center for each trip. Also, it might make science experiments a bit harrowing for me if each kid is doing something completely different. Yikes! This is my 1st year using BJU science, as I just can't seem to find a science program that I like, and I needed to get the kids more independent in their studies (if they have to wait for me everyday to start on science, it's never gonna happen!)

[Wee Pip]

Goodness gracious - I printed out a list of the chapters from both 3rd & 5th, and there is very little in common! 3rd grader has animals, 5th grader has dinosaurs and fossils. 3rd grader has solar system, 5th grader does not. The things they do have in common are broken up differently. Matter is grouped with Sound and Energy for 3rd, but is with Energy and Heat in Unit 2 for 5th gr, and Sound is in Unit 5 for 5th grade. There goes my plans...Oh well...I guess we'll just do the units in order. I didn't buy the TMs, so I'm just sort of going through and making my own plans. My goal is to actually do science this year, rather than the way we seemed to rarely do it and ignore it most of the time.

[Mom22ns]

I do BJU science through 7th grade. I highly recommend the TM. If you don't have it, you miss out on half the fun. There are extra demonstrations and projects given on every page of the TM that are not in the student book at all. As far as schedule. I haven't done 3rd grade, but 5th grade can be completed in 3 days/week across a full year. We did 4 days/week and ran out about a month before the end of the year.

 

BJU does general science each year through 6th grade and covers different topics in each grade. Some topics overlap, but you should only expect a couple of topics to be the same between any two years - they don't combine well at all. We do them totally separately.

[Tracy]

I used BJU Science last year, and I really liked it. It was easy to implement, had lots of hands-on, and included some reading. But the seeming randomness of the topics really bothered me. I don't know there is any good way to deal with that with BJU. Sorry I'm not more help.

[Homeschooling6]

Can a student use this independently? This year I have science covered but am considering Bob Jones Science for next year.

[Cindyg]

Can a student use this independently? This year I have science covered but am considering Bob Jones Science for next year.

 

Nothing in BJUP is meant to be used by the student independently or without the TM. BJUP is meant to be teacher led, and, as mentioned above, all the fun stuff is in the TM.

[Spock]

Can a student use this independently? This year I have science covered but am considering Bob Jones Science for next year.

 

For 1st and 2nd grade, most of the content of the course is in the teacher's edition, meant to be presented orally.

 

For 3rd-6th grade it is possible to use just the student text and activity manual, while enjoying and learning from the program. There are extra activities and extra questions/info in the teacher's edition, but there is plenty to do without it.

 

My older boys used the complete kits of BJU 3 (older edition) and BJU 6 (current edition) for science. My younger children have used BJU 2 & 4 with only the texts, and are currently using BJU 3 & 5 with the texts and also the activity manuals. I don't miss the teacher's edition much at all, but we did miss the activity manuals last year. Many of the experiments require further directions from the AM, and/or have simple lab report sheets to fill out in the AM. My daughter also enjoys the workbook pages the activity manual also includes. (We use very few workbooks for school, and she seems to enjoy them.) My 3rd grade son doesn't mind the workbookish pages, and likes many of the other pages.

 

My younger two are doing science almost completely independently this year (BJU 3 & 5). They read the text alone, and do any assigned pages in the activity manual. I also require them to give me an oral narration of what they read in the text. On experiment days I oversee what they are doing, but they need very little help to complete the experiments. (We have completed 6 weeks of school so far, so enough to get a good idea of what they can and cannot do independently.)

[Staci in MO]

I schedule the reading based on the teacher's manual, and they do the reading independenty. I *try* to discuss each day's reading assignments with them using the discussion questions, but I'll be honest, it doesn't always happen. We review orally at the end of each chapter, and then I use the tests. I pick and choose the best experiments out of each book and everyone kind of joins in, whether it's something they've studied recently or not. We've been using BJU science for a couple of years now, and they've both done well this way.

 

It's not perfect, I know, but science if finally getting done consistently. I rely heavily on the discussion questions, answers, and schedules in the TM, and I would have a harder time keeping up if I didn't have them.

[Homeschooling6]

For 1st and 2nd grade, most of the content of the course is in the teacher's edition, meant to be presented orally.

 

For 3rd-6th grade it is possible to use just the student text and activity manual, while enjoying and learning from the program. There are extra activities and extra questions/info in the teacher's edition, but there is plenty to do without it.

 

My older boys used the complete kits of BJU 3 (older edition) and BJU 6 (current edition) for science. My younger children have used BJU 2 & 4 with only the texts, and are currently using BJU 3 & 5 with the texts and also the activity manuals. I don't miss the teacher's edition much at all, but we did miss the activity manuals last year. Many of the experiments require further directions from the AM, and/or have simple lab report sheets to fill out in the AM. My daughter also enjoys the workbook pages the activity manual also includes. (We use very few workbooks for school, and she seems to enjoy them.) My 3rd grade son doesn't mind the workbookish pages, and likes many of the other pages.

 

My younger two are doing science almost completely independently this year (BJU 3 & 5). They read the text alone, and do any assigned pages in the activity manual. I also require them to give me an oral narration of what they read in the text. On experiment days I oversee what they are doing, but they need very little help to complete the experiments. (We have completed 6 weeks of school so far, so enough to get a good idea of what they can and cannot do independently.)

Big help thanks:D

 

I schedule the reading based on the teacher's manual, and they do the reading independent. I *try* to discuss each day's reading assignments with them using the discussion questions, but I'll be honest, it doesn't always happen. This is me too. I really want to get those discussions going but it doesn't always happen.We review orally at the end of each chapter, and then I use the tests. I pick and choose the best experiments out of each book and everyone kind of joins in, whether it's something they've studied recently or not. We've been using BJU science for a couple of years now, and they've both done well this way.

 

It's not perfect, I know, but science if finally getting done consistently. I rely heavily on the discussion questions, answers, and schedules in the TM, and I would have a harder time keeping up if I didn't have them.

I want science done consistently too and this is why I'm hoping it can be more of the student. With 6 kids I have a hard time fitting in science if "I" have to do it with them.

 

Thank you ladies, this really helps. I do understand that BJ is teacher led but thought with all the information in the text it could still work.

 

I'm actually going to try Bob Jones Heritage Studies as an independent history course starting in the fall. I read at Keepersofthefaith.com site and they suggest using only the text and test, so this is why I'm hoping the science can work that way too.

 

I think I'm going to give BJ science a try.

[Wee Pip]

Very helpful, thanks! I'm also in the "want it done consistently" boat and have given up all hopes of doing it perfectly:D I know if I have the TM, I'll see all the great stuff that I *should* be doing, get frustrated that I cannot do it, and then not do science at all. I'm hoping that by having it mostly independent (student text and activity book), my kids will at least cover the bases and I can checkmark science off of my list.

We do a lot of non-textbook learning stuff, like nature centers and science centers, library books, nature hikes, etc. So we've got "fun" covered, LOL.

[Homeschooling6]

Very helpful, thanks! I'm also in the "want it done consistently" boat and have given up all hopes of doing it perfectly:D I know if I have the TM, I'll see all the great stuff that I *should* be doing, get frustrated that I cannot do it, and then not do science at all. I'm hoping that by having it mostly independent (student text and activity book), my kids will at least cover the bases and I can checkmark science off of my list.

We do a lot of non-textbook learning stuff, like nature centers and science centers, library books, nature hikes, etc. So we've got "fun" covered, LOL.

I'd love for you to keep us updates on your blog :D with regards to BJ science being used more independently. I have only seen samples and from what I've seen it looks like a lot of info is in the text. I know we want to engage with discussions and such and I'll try but it's hard around here.

I want to use the 6th, 7th and 8th grade next year.

[Wee Pip]

I will do that (in between chasing a 1yo, that is! lol)

I'm hoping it works. I'm still in hot pursuit of the perfect science. I hate teaching science. I've never been an "experiment" person, even in school. My 9yo has requested "more experiements!" - oh dear. My 7yo hates experiments as much as I do and usually ends up in tears ("my experiments NEVER work" sob). So we'll give BJU a go (without the TM), skipping some experiments and doing the ones I think I can handle. I'll try to keep my blog updated, and maybe even post pictures (I love seeing science in action on people's blogs, I just don't like doing science myself!)

[Mom22ns]

I'd love for you to keep us updates on your blog :D with regards to BJ science being used more independently. I have only seen samples and from what I've seen it looks like a lot of info is in the text. I know we want to engage with discussions and such and I'll try but it's hard around here.

I want to use the 6th, 7th and 8th grade next year.

 

COMBINE! Use the 6th grade then choose either the 7th or 8th. The 2 Jr. High texts are on the same level. It doesn't matter which one is done first.