If you had to pick between BJU, A Beka or Apologia for Science...

[athomemom]

for 7th grade which would you pick and why?

 

I hear so many great and wonderful things about Apologia, but it honestly does NOT visually appeal to me. I tried listening to Mr. whoever it is on the sample yesterday online, but I dunno about it...my dh said the guy sure was happy! :lol:

 

BJU appeals to me. I haven't been good about doing the experiments up to this point in our schooling. I would like to do better. I've looked at Home Science Tools for the kits that have all the necessary stuff to get the experiments done, but OMGosh! The kit is almost as expensive as the science books and dvds. I KNOW that I am not comfortable teaching this level of BJU science w/o the dvds.

 

My ds loves A Beka science and even begged me to go back to it this year after trying something else. So, we did. I've looked at the online 7th grade samples of this as well, and I wasn't terribly impressed, but I'd love to hear from some of you that have used it and get a better idea if I should consider the video option or not.

 

We have basically used A Beka science all the way through in one form or another. But I know that science is getting ready to change in the middle and upper levels and I'd love to hear your experiences.

 

Thanks again! (I'm gearing up for our book fair and exploring our options so that I am not overwhelmed when the time comes.)

[Stacy in NJ]

I cannot compare Apologia to the other texts you mentioned, but ds13 is using their Physical Science text this year and enjoying it.

 

I really wanted to comment on Home Science Tools kit's; they're not really worth the money, at least not for Apologia Physical Science. They supplies were pretty skimpy, and I needed to go out and search for the additional materials any ways.

 

There is a list of necessary lab materials listed in the back of the Apologia book. If you decide to go with them, simply use that list as a shopping guide and get the stuff together and put it in a box in your pantry at the beginning of the school year. This will save you money, time, and frustration.

 

Good luck. Stacy

[HollyDay]

i'm reevaluating 7th grade science as well. A couple years ago, I bought and planned to use BJU 7 Life Sciences. It absolutely flopped for us. It was too much, too intense, too fast paced, etc. The only thing I could get locally was Apologia General so we did that. It was okay. The unit on history was rather dull. But, the unit on archaeology really sparked an interest in dd that has stayed with her. It is meant to be done independently, but I really like science and wanted to work with it. It is a big text with lots of information. But, it is very wordy and chatty which neither dd nor I like.

 

Now, fast forward 3 years. Youngest is rather put off by Apologia General. She enjoyed the elementary series quite a bit, but does not like the Apologia General text. I'm not sure if the size of the book is the issue or the perhaps the first unit on history does not interest her at all. She is enjoying Abeka 6 this year after finishing Swimming Creatures, so she as asked about Abeka 7. I will look at it when Abeka comes to town.

 

If you want a general science course, then don't use BJU 7 because that is Life Science.

 

For what it is worth, we did enjoy Apologia Physical very much. It was more appealing visually and captured oldest dd's interest when she was in 8th.

[newbie]

Dont like Apologia, but I might be a minority.

[MGK]

My daughter used Apologia General Science in 7th, and my son is currently using BJU's 7th grade science which is Life Science. Apologia is much wordier and not as visually interesting. The topics covered are more broad than BJU's in 7th grade. My daughter likes Apologia because of the conversational tone of the text.

 

Bob Jones Life Science is basically just Biology Lite. I chose it for my son because his sister is now taking Biology, and I knew he would want to do some dissecting along with her. He is really enjoying the Life Science book, and I will probably stick with BJU for him all the way through high school. Personally, I usually buy the HST kits because it is nice to have everything you need together in one box. Of course, you still have to add a few things to the kit since it won't have every single thing.

 

We used Abeka in the earlier grades and everyone enjoyed it, but I have no experience with their 7th grade books.

 

HTH,

 

Melanie

[athomemom]

My daughter used Apologia General Science in 7th, and my son is currently using BJU's 7th grade science which is Life Science. Apologia is much wordier and not as visually interesting. The topics covered are more broad than BJU's in 7th grade. My daughter likes Apologia because of the conversational tone of the text.

 

Bob Jones Life Science is basically just Biology Lite. I chose it for my son because his sister is now taking Biology, and I knew he would want to do some dissecting along with her. He is really enjoying the Life Science book, and I will probably stick with BJU for him all the way through high school. Personally, I usually buy the HST kits because it is nice to have everything you need together in one box. Of course, you still have to add a few things to the kit since it won't have every single thing.

 

We used Abeka in the earlier grades and everyone enjoyed it, but I have no experience with their 7th grade books.

 

HTH,

 

Melanie

 

Are you teaching BJU on your own or are you using the video option? Did you buy the HST for 7th as well? And do you have a microscope?

 

Thanks! :D

[amtmcm]

I'm not an Apologia fan. IMO, it's more wordy than it needs to be. I'm co-teaching Apologia Biology at a co-op and the lead teacher and I both agree that BJU Life Science has better explanations.

 

My DD and I are loving BJU Life Science. I think there's a big difference between the 2nd and 3rd editions, so make sure you're evaluating the newest material. DD is able to read and teach herself and then we use the Investigations DVD for labs and reinforcement. This is a DVD set you can purchase (not rent) and use again. We purchased a microscope and some experiments (including the frog) from Home Training Tools.

 

We have also used A Beka 7th (General Science) and A Beka 9th (Physical Science). I prefer BJU and appreciate that that they incorporate critical thinking into their material. This seems to be a consistent opinion as you can see from this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192310&highlight=bju+abeka+critical+thinking

 

That said, I think it really depends on what your DC need(s) - do they have any gaps or specific interests?

 

My DD13 used this sequence (which wasn't very well planned):

6th: A Beka 7 General Science & Rainbow

7th: A Beka 9 Physical Creation

8th: BJU 7 Life Science (we needed to back up and fill this Life Science gap)

 

DD11 will probably do this sequence:

6th: BJU 6 General Science

7th: BJU 7 Life Science

8th: A Beka 9 Physical Creation + Rainbow Science for labs (since I own it)

 

Why A Beka 9 Physical Creation instead of BJU 8 (Earth Science) or BJU 9 (IPC)? 1) Because I already own it. And 2) because A Beka 9 Physical Creation covers Earth Science, Chemistry & Physics, so we can cover all of those topics with one text in preparation for high school science. I like that A Beka is beautifully illustrated with clear explanations, but as I mentioned, it does tend to spoon feed information without incorporating critical thinking. But I think it will be worth using it for one year since it does a good job of covering the areas I think DD11 will need before starting high school.

 

I'm not saying this is the best plan for everyone, just sharing what we've experienced so far. :) However, I highly recommend BJU Life Science with the Investigations DVD. I wish I had science like this before I started high school!

[Ibbygirl]

We like BJU in our house. :) It does get more rigorous for 7th grade, but I found that all of the subjects seem to. :confused: My dd did the Life Sciences last year and she liked it. The teacher's manuals come with a cd-rom that has animations and video clips and other supplementals that were fun to use. It introduces some biology, but it's not a huge portion of the book. I don't think a microscope is necessary. The books have beautiful color pictures that are very detailed and show the parts of the cells very clearly. They also have some cute cartoon type pictures to explain the more difficult to understand (and remember) parts of the cells. :)

[athomemom]

We like BJU in our house. :) It does get more rigorous for 7th grade, but I found that all of the subjects seem to. :confused: My dd did the Life Sciences last year and she liked it. The teacher's manuals come with a cd-rom that has animations and video clips and other supplementals that were fun to use. It introduces some biology, but it's not a huge portion of the book. I don't think a microscope is necessary. The books have beautiful color pictures that are very detailed and show the parts of the cells very clearly. They also have some cute cartoon type pictures to explain the more difficult to understand (and remember) parts of the cells. :)

 

I purchased for a "song" on Ebay the 8th grade BJU science. I just looked in the back of the TM, and I don't see a cd-rom. It's the 3rd edition. :confused:

[Mommy7]

My dd did 1/2 of Apologia General Science for 7th and is finishing the other 1/2 this year in 8th. I think it was a good pace for her...and she learned to study without feeling so pressured.

 

She enjoyed it and we plan to continue through high school with the series. She just said that is challenging, but it is definitely good!

 

HTH.

 

Blessings!

[MGK]

Are you teaching BJU on your own or are you using the video option? Did you buy the HST for 7th as well? And do you have a microscope?

 

Thanks! :D

 

I'm teaching BJU on my own. I have heard wonderful things about the DVD's though. Some of the activities suggested in the teacher's manual are for classroom situations, so we skip those.

 

I did purchase the life science kit. We have a microscope for my daughter taking biology, so my son is using it also. (We purchased the Sonlight microscope and have been very happy with it) If you don't have a microscope, I probably would not buy the kit, since it has a lot of slides. You could probably view the slides online instead of under the microscope.

 

HTH,

 

Melanie

[Ibbygirl]

I purchased for a "song" on Ebay the 8th grade BJU science. I just looked in the back of the TM, and I don't see a cd-rom. It's the 3rd edition. :confused:

 

Did you check both of the TM's?? Mine came in the part "b" one.

[Susan in Central Texas]

My dd in 9th/10th is currently in Apologia Chemistry. She has completed Apol. Bio, Physical, and Gen Science. She loved all of those texts so much that I decided to start my younger kids in the Apologia texts developed by Jeanie Fullbright (sp?). My son (6th) has now completed Botany, Zoology-Land Animals of the Sixth Day, and is working his way through his third text- Anatomy/Physiology. My youngest (4th) is working through that text alongside him.

 

If I had only known how wonderful these texts were when DD1 was their age, I would have started her in them also. They are easy to implement at home, and the "wordiness" referred to by some (and I acknowledge that this is true to some extent) is one of the things that makes the science accessible to my more linguistically-oriented family. I feel that they are thorough, colorful with excellent illustrations, and have easy-to-follow experiments with commonly available household items.

 

We do vocabulary, What Do You Remember questions, experiments, and lab reports for all of our work. We have a test at the end of each unit. This provides a multi-sensory approach to the science as the kids see, touch, write, hear (when I read or they read aloud), and talk during discussion and oral review.

 

I cannot say that this curriculum is the best of all curricula for science, because we are not using everything. I also do not believe that any curriculum is best for all people in any subject since all learners and teachers are different. I can say that it works well for our family and for its variety of learners. :001_smile:

 

When DS enters 7th and 8th next year, we plan to continue in Apologia with General and Physical Sciences.

 

HTH.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Susan in Central Texas
Left out info specifically pertaining to 7th-8th which was original poster's question.

[creekmom]

Dont like Apologia, but I might be a minority.

 

 

Same here. My son went from loving science to dreading it. My dh took a good look at the text and said, "This book reads like a political campaign. This guy has an agenda and is using this text to support it. Instead of presenting science as something fascinating to discover, science is a way to prove his religious beliefs. -And anyone who doesn't believe the way he does is obviously in the wrong."

 

We are Christians, but I'd rather my science books stick to science. That said, I ordered Earth Science from Prentice Hall, and so far, it's been like a "breath of fresh air".

[PeterPan]

We're doing the BJU Life Science (7) and really enjoying it!!! I think the reason some people get flustered by the text is because it's meant to be outlined. You're not going to be able to just read it and get it. WTM tells us to outline, but we don't want to do it in our science, hehe. When you do, the whole thing comes together quite nicely. We're doing the text together, outlining and discussing, and using the Investigations dvd for the labs. It's fabulous, totally worth the $$$.

 

This is turning out to be such a good mix for us (textbook plus lab dvd), we'll probably just keep going! We have the apologia general science, and while it had some good content, it just wasn't nearly what the BJU Life Science is. This really gives my dd a run for her money!

[AFwife Claire]

Did you check both of the TM's?? Mine came in the part "b" one.

 

That's funny! Mine came in a clear envelope thing stuck to the back of part A in the TM!

[Jlynn]

We started doing the outlining with our BJU Grade 6 text and boy has that worked wonders! So I second this rec. But, OhElizabeth, I'm taking it that you don't use the teaching dvds/online classes, and you still feel that she's able to handle the material well. We'll be starting Life Science next fall and I will have a 2 year old in the house, so I was seriously looking at those dvds. But, if its doable without, I might consider it. Are you happy with that decision or do you wish you had gone the dvd route? My son has used BJU for science since 3rd grade, so he's very used to their textbooks. But, from looking at the samples online, Life Science is a pretty big jump from this year's text.

[Ibbygirl]

That's funny! Mine came in a clear envelope thing stuck to the back of part A in the TM!

 

Oh maybe it was in Part A. I confess I didn't check it personally just now before I posted. I just knew it was in the back of one of the TM's. :blushing: :)

[PeterPan]

Yes, there's a big jump from the BJU 6 to 7 materials in just about everything I've looked at. I wouldn't say it's independent or easy, but it's good. We're using the lab dvd ($100, Investigations) and not the full dvd course. I thought about the full course, but for a variety of reasons decided not to go that way. My dd doesn't care for Mrs. Vick (her voice, nitpicky, I know!), so that was an issue. Also, we're coming off so many issues with VT (vision therapy), etc. I just really wanted to work with her. Yes it's hard to get done with a 2 yo underfoot, hehe. The lab dvd sure makes it easier. We're attempting the chapter a week pace someone else on the boards had mentioned, and while it's a bit nuts, it's nice. It happens to fit with our speech therapy schedule. So we work hard together 3 days then have the dvd for speech day and test Friday.

 

Ask me in a few months and see how it's still going. Right now though, it's good. I think if you are drawn to the dvd's or online full course, you'll be glad you did. If you think you want to do it yourself and with the lab dvd, that will be fine too. The only thing I think that WOULD be a stretch and border on nuts would be to try to do all the labs yourself. She does an amazing job on the dvd's. And as far as time, it takes quite a bit of time for us. We're hitting so many skills at once (typing, outlining, higher order thinking, etc.), that to me it's a good thing. If you take it at the pace they spec it out for at the beginning of each chapter it would be more manageable.

 

So I'm not opposed to the full course, just not doing it this year, this time.

[LisaKinVA]

We're doing Abeka Physical Science for my oldest DS next year. We are really going to be focusing on outlining in this subject area, and their Physical Science text is geared for that (the basic outline is already given). I also own it... so it's "cheap." LOL I'm not worried about the "spoon feeding" information. I need it to be a bit on the light side, since next year is more about skills, framework & foundation than anything else.

 

After Physical Science, I'm not sure what we are going to do.... but it's on my agenda to figure out at this year's convention. I'll be dragging oldest DS along with me.

[athomemom]

I'm not an Apologia fan. IMO, it's more wordy than it needs to be. I'm co-teaching Apologia Biology at a co-op and the lead teacher and I both agree that BJU Life Science has better explanations.

 

My DD and I are loving BJU Life Science. I think there's a big difference between the 2nd and 3rd editions, so make sure you're evaluating the newest material. DD is able to read and teach herself and then we use the Investigations DVD for labs and reinforcement. This is a DVD set you can purchase (not rent) and use again. We purchased a microscope and some experiments (including the frog) from Home Training Tools.

 

We have also used A Beka 7th (General Science) and A Beka 9th (Physical Science). I prefer BJU and appreciate that that they incorporate critical thinking into their material. This seems to be a consistent opinion as you can see from this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192310&highlight=bju+abeka+critical+thinking

 

That said, I think it really depends on what your DC need(s) - do they have any gaps or specific interests?

 

My DD13 used this sequence (which wasn't very well planned):

6th: A Beka 7 General Science & Rainbow

7th: A Beka 9 Physical Creation

8th: BJU 7 Life Science (we needed to back up and fill this Life Science gap)

 

DD11 will probably do this sequence:

6th: BJU 6 General Science

7th: BJU 7 Life Science

8th: A Beka 9 Physical Creation + Rainbow Science for labs (since I own it)

 

Why A Beka 9 Physical Creation instead of BJU 8 (Earth Science) or BJU 9 (IPC)? 1) Because I already own it. And 2) because A Beka 9 Physical Creation covers Earth Science, Chemistry & Physics, so we can cover all of those topics with one text in preparation for high school science. I like that A Beka is beautifully illustrated with clear explanations, but as I mentioned, it does tend to spoon feed information without incorporating critical thinking. But I think it will be worth using it for one year since it does a good job of covering the areas I think DD11 will need before starting high school.

 

I'm not saying this is the best plan for everyone, just sharing what we've experienced so far. :) However, I highly recommend BJU Life Science with the Investigations DVD. I wish I had science like this before I started high school!

 

I'd love to know then what you are using for the remaining high school years since you covered A Beka's 9th grade book for 8th grade.

 

I did NOT know that BJU had a separate dvd for 7th grade. I assume that the experiments, etc on this dvd are the same ones shown on the BJU online/cd courses?

 

I don't think my boys have any specific gaps, we've used A Beka pretty much all the way through.

 

Thanks!

[LidiyaDawn]

dd14 started using Apologia General Science for a bit this year and hated it - understandably. It was dry, no visual appeal whatsoever, boring...boring..did I mention boring? :p

 

We ditched it and went back to our usual ways of doing science - mostly eclectic and often interest-led.

 

Anyway - if your son enjoys Abeka's science and wants to continue with that, I'd do my best to listen to him. He's the one who has to work with it, after all. :)

[athomemom]

On a side note, I'm borrowing my dear friend's Apologia book & cd. I've looked at it & I'm going to have dh look it over and the boys too....it still doesn't appeal to me in the least! I mean not at all, but I am trying to let dh and the boys have a say....

 

After using A Beka for so long, Apologia just seems so very dry!!

 

I wish that there was a clear cut answer & I wish that the A Beka videos weren't so expensive!

[amtmcm]

I'd love to know then what you are using for the remaining high school years since you covered A Beka's 9th grade book for 8th grade.

 

I did NOT know that BJU had a separate dvd for 7th grade. I assume that the experiments, etc on this dvd are the same ones shown on the BJU online/cd courses?

 

I don't think my boys have any specific gaps, we've used A Beka pretty much all the way through.

 

Thanks!

 

The BJU 7th Life Science Investigations DVD is the same as the full course DVDs, but just for the labs. Mrs. Vick is the instructor and she summarizes the topics in each chapter and completely performs the experiments. As many have mentioned about outlining the text, my DD is also doing this.

 

I gave DD her choice for science next year and she wants to do Physics, so here's our sequence:

 

9th: Conceptual Physics w/ Problem-Solving Exercises (to add more math), TTC Physics in your Life and LabPaq Physics Lab. The reason I'm using this text is that I am comfortable teaching it and BJU Physics is a 12th grade course which I believe requires more math than my DD has covered yet.

 

10th: BJU Biology w/ DVDs

 

11th: BJU Chemistry w/ DVDs

 

12th: DDs choice of Advanced Physics (at CC or online course), Advanced Chemistry or Anatomy & Physiology using this text: http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Anatomy-Physiology-Valerie-Scanlon/dp/0803610076/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Recommended in this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235404

[Catwoman]

I vote for BJU. We are currently using the 7th grade DVD program, and we love Mrs. Vick. :)

 

Cat

[Mom22ns]

I vote BJU. I really don't like Apologia, but that is just me. I compared Abeka side by side with BJU and picked BJU. It is much more readable and the science is excellent. We have done BJU in 5th-7th grades. I switch to Prentice Hall Physical Science Concepts in Action for 8th and that has been good. I'm still working on a Biology choice for next year.

[mom31257]

BJU. DD is using the 7th grade life science. She's 8th grade but hadn't had much life science in the last couple of years. This is our first experience with it. She has learned so much, and I'm very happy with it. I'm really torn about high school. I would love to use BJU, but I don't know if we have the money at this point. I'm also concerned about the videos going to 45 minutes plus all the book work. We are probably going to try DIVE next year, but with BJU's textbook.

 

I like BJU so much that I will probably have ds do it online (if we have the money) for some of his elementary and middle school years. I would love 4th or 5th through 8th.

 

I like that they demonstrate the experiments. That way if there is something I can't swing money wise, she still gets to watch it and observe.

 

Good luck choosing!

[Mom22ns]

I like BJU so much that I will probably have ds do it online (if we have the money) for some of his elementary and middle school years. I would love 4th or 5th through 8th.

Good luck choosing!

 

Just a note here, grades 5 & 6 are very easy to teach. The teacher's guide is written on the level for a parent and gives lots of added activities, demonstrations and even discussion questions. I've taught 5th-7th and there is no comparison at the easy of use for the teacher between the elementary and the jump to Jr. High level. If money is tight, I would just teach these yourself. The current editions have been around for awhile and are easy to find on the Sale board or even locally in many places so they can be done very cheaply!

Edited January 28, 2011 by Momto2Ns

[hose]

and I vote for BJU. Abeka felt like bits of information with no interesting ideas to bind the facts together. Apologia is nice, especially for literature strong kids. But I believe BJU is a step above with it's well written, engaging text, colorful pages, and interesting experiments. It's also a great text for outlining and learning study skills.

[DianeJM]

Well, I don't know, I had my science all planned out for the next couple of years. I had forgotten that ABeka's 7th grade science is a general science course. I've seen it. I had it a few years ago and used it with one dd for a little bit. She ended up going to school that year, so we didn't get very far. It was a pretty decent book, as I remember. If your ds loves ABeka, I don't see any harm in using it if you're looking for a general course.

 

The extra added bonus for me would be the fact that it's a 27-week course rather than a 36-week course, because ABeka uses the final 9 weeks to switch to their health textbook. For me, that would make it a little more possible that I might in fact have a chance to get close to the end of the book! :thumbup: So, I guess I have to decide if I want to go for the specific topics of science or do a general course again. I may re-think science now.

 

Hope you find just the right thing!

[NancyNellen]

I think it depends on the child. I have two children (7th and 8th graders) using Apologia's General Science text this year and they are both enjoying it and learning a good deal. They are both avid readers, though, so the wordiness of the text is actually a plus for them.

 

Is there a way you can check with your kids about which appeals to them more?