Apologia vs BJU biology

[Punks in Ontario]

How do these two programs compare?

 

My ds (14) is currently taking Apologia Biology and struggling with it. I'm debating whether I should let him wait a year and take the BJU course, or stick with it and sign him up for BJU chemistry next year. He is a science kind of guy, so I want to make sure he has a good foundation. Biology is his least favourite science.

[Melissa in CA]

I cannot compare them completely as I have not used both. In my ds's 10th grade (middle son) he decided to tackle both Apologia Biology and BJU's Chemistry (with DVD teacher). The reason being that he wanted to graduate in 11th and still squeeze Physics in...and also because our umbrella school told him that biology was required. So, instead of using two DVD courses, and because I already owned Apologia's Biology that my oldest ds used, we went with BJU Chem and Apologia Bio. My ds LOVED his BJU Chemistry class! He looked forward to it each and every day. My ds was bored to tears with his Biology and it was sheer torture to get it done.

 

When BJU decided to dismantle their Homesat satellite, I decided I better record their biology for my youngest ds to one day use. I can honestly say that as I was recording and dubbing to DVD BJU's Biology, I found myself watching whole classes out of sheer enjoyment. The class was super interesting! Whereas Apologia, to me, was just...eh. I knew then and there that Apologia was going on the sale board. :D

 

Now, because my youngest ds is only 13, I have not actually used BJU's Biology yet, but having watched many classes over the months it took to record it, Apologia, in my opinion, doesn't even compare with the enjoyment of BJU's DVD classes. I forget which teacher I recorded (it's packed away), but she was young and you could tell she loved her subject.

 

So, all that to say, I personally think BJU is the better class IF you are getting the DVDs because the teachers bring so much more to the course. If not, then either course would be fine with Apologia being more independent than BJU.

 

Hope that helps some.

[Jodi-FL]

if it's half the course or more, i'd have him finish it, then look into bju next. it would be a shame to waste all that effort (and you can add more exciting things to apologia, like the cell made of jello--search the boards) to finish the year.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I think the Apologia course is hard because of the memorizing all the vocabulary. I ditched the tests and made up my own tests .. mostly matching and multiple choice. I used the Apologia study guides and tests so MY exams cover mostly the same material. Some chapter I made tests on the website Easy Test Maker and other chapters I have tests on Quizlet. I've also found some diagram/picture assignments that I can use from MIT -OCW.

 

Hope this helps.