Katiebug_1976 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I have been looking at BJU science because Apologia is just not working well for my dd's. They are doing Apologia Physical Science this year (8th & 9th grades). I'm thinking that I will have my older dd (will be 10th grade) move on with BJU Biology, but I don't think younger dd (will be 9th grade) will be ready for it. She is not a math/science person AT ALL! I'm thinking we should back up and maybe do BJU Life Science or Earth & Space Science, then move on to biology. She does not have a strong background in science so either one would, I'm sure, have a bunch of new information for her. I'm just not sure which one to go with. Is one better than the other? If you had to choose, which one would it be? and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 BJU Life Science and Earth Science are not considered or marketed by BJU as high school level courses. When it comes time to apply to college, schools sometimes want to know what materials are used. We used high school level courses in high school. BJU Biology requires no mathematics. If you use the DVD's, the course can be readily accessible to both a 9th grader and a 10th grader. You will find that strong reading skills and good study skills will put your kids over the top. A love of science or mathematics is not really required. I would recommend that you look into the biology course for both of them. It's expensive and will require diligence from both of them; the class is 45 minutes a day, and then there is reading and homework. But it was a great experience for my kids. Peace, Janice Enjoy your little people Enjoy your journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 BJU Space and Earth Science is OK for high school, even though is it their 8th grade text. I compared the text to the one our local high school uses, and they were comparable. Earth science is not in the math/science college degree line up, however. It is acceptable w/high school level labs for other degrees. I used Apologia exclusively, but really wanted a science teacher, so I switched to BJU (because of the dvds). I really didn't like it. It was very hard to manage. Text, T/E answers to text, CD answers for what didn't fit in the T/E, Lab workbook, T/E for lab book, Online workbook, Answers to that, etc. It filled my kitchen table! So, at eight weeks, I happily went back to Apologia and have been there ever since. We use Virtual Homeschool Group for lectures, but there are Red Wagon Tutorials as well. So, now, there are classes to go with Apologia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 BJU Space and Earth Science is OK for high school, even though is it their 8th grade text. I compared the text to the one our local high school uses, and they were comparable. Earth science is not in the math/science college degree line up, however. It is acceptable w/high school level labs for other degrees. I used Apologia exclusively, but really wanted a science teacher, so I switched to BJU (because of the dvds). I really didn't like it. It was very hard to manage. Text, T/E answers to text, CD answers for what didn't fit in the T/E, Lab workbook, T/E for lab book, Online workbook, Answers to that, etc. It filled my kitchen table! So, at eight weeks, I happily went back to Apologia and have been there ever since. We use Virtual Homeschool Group for lectures, but there are Red Wagon Tutorials as well. So, now, there are classes to go with Apologia. Wow, I guess I will have to look at it more. I don't want something thats very teacher intensive. So tell me how you like the Virtual Homeschool Group classes. I would really like to learn more about it. I signed up for their newsletter, but I'm not a patient person :tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Dd did biology last year and really liked it. She is doing chemistry this year. The only problem for us was that chemistry moved a little too fast. No problem though, you can still do the class at your own speed, the links are there and you can get help during open office hours. It has been a huge blessing for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I think BJU high school is very teacher intensive unless you use the dvd or online option. It is quite ambitious (in my opinion). The amount of material to be covered each year is intense - 2 complete texts in 1 year. I have heard through the local rumor mill that a teen had trouble with their high school transcript because they counted Life Science (7th) for biology. I've also heard it said that Apologia assumes there is no teacher but BJU assumes the teacher has a BS in science. We chose to use Science Shepherd Biology this year. It is a new text put out by the folks who did Castle Heights. I like it quite a bit. It is not as ambitious or fast paced as BJU, but it is also no where near as "chatty" as Apologia. We used and liked APologia Physical but neither dd or myself like Apologia Biology or Chemistry. I did try to use BJU biology but I found it too much for dd. I could teach it, with some time put into lesson planning. But the amount of material covered in week was a real push. Comprehension was not what I wanted it to be. Science Shepherd fit the bill nicely. I know some local folks who chose to use Abeka Physical Science over Apologia or BJU. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtmcm Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Why not use BJU's 9th grade text? It's Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) and totally acceptable on a transcript for college. I haven't used it, but just wondering if there was a reason why you you weren't considering it? It seems like if your 9th grader doesn't have a strong science background, then doing an IPC course might be exactly what she needs to prepare her for Chemistry and Physics in high school. We have used A Beka's 9th Grade Physical Science during middle school. It's nicely laid out and covers Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science in one text, so it provides a basic foundation in all of those subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Why not use BJU's 9th grade text? It's Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) and totally acceptable on a transcript for college. I haven't used it, but just wondering if there was a reason why you you weren't considering it? It seems like if your 9th grader doesn't have a strong science background, then doing an IPC course might be exactly what she needs to prepare her for Chemistry and Physics in high school. We have used A Beka's 9th Grade Physical Science during middle school. It's nicely laid out and covers Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science in one text, so it provides a basic foundation in all of those subjects. I had ruled out BJU's 9th grade book because both dd's are doing Apologia Physical Science this year so wouldn't it just be a repeat using a different curriculum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtmcm Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I had ruled out BJU's 9th grade book because both dd's are doing Apologia Physical Science this year so wouldn't it just be a repeat using a different curriculum? Opps! Of course, you're right! I think I was confusing your post with another thread where they were going to abandon Apologia mid-year. I've been very curious about Science Shepherd Biology. Since you have a recommendation from HollyDay, maybe that would be a good compromise to keep your DDs using the same sequence? We're planning to use BJU Biology for high school, along with the DVD's. But I remember in high school, one of the toughest things about Biology was memorizing all of the vocabulary on top of the concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Opps! Of course, you're right! I think I was confusing your post with another thread where they were going to abandon Apologia mid-year. I've been very curious about Science Shepherd Biology. Since you have a recommendation from HollyDay, maybe that would be a good compromise to keep your DDs using the same sequence? We're planning to use BJU Biology for high school, along with the DVD's. But I remember in high school, one of the toughest things about Biology was memorizing all of the vocabulary on top of the concepts. No problem. I haven't heard of Science Shephard Biology so I'm going to go check it out. I haven't decided whether or not we will switch from Apologia yet or not, but I would like to explore what other options are out there and see if there is a better match or if we just need to make Apologia work. I had heard good things about BJU, but it is sounding like it is going to be way too teacher intensive for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.