DianeJM Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I have BJU Physical World, the physical science course for 9th grade that came out maybe 8 - 10 years ago, with the small hardcover book.... I have the whole set. Never used it -- all my older kids ended up going to 9th grade outside the home. There's now a newer edition out, Physical Science 4th edition. I have not seen it in person but have looked at pages online. Is the 3rd edition okay? Is the 4th edition any better? I learned on this forum that BJU's 8th grade Space & Earth was a really tough course and that their newer Earth Science was a great improvement. Would that be the same case with physical science??? Has anyone used either of these courses? I'm considering this for 9th grade and looking for input from users. If I end up going with BJU, is Physical World a good course? or would you recommend ditching it and getting the 4th edition Physical Science? Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 You know I don't even remember if the texts were the same. Someone loaned me an old edition. The lab books are the same except for formatting, meaning you could use the current lab books with your old edition text. The newer lab workbook has more color and a nicer format, a bit more explanation on the concepts, etc. The Earth and Space was a total rewrite. I'm not sure the physical science was. Try finding the editions on CBD and comparing the samples. Btw, to me the more important question would be *what do you need to get it done*? If you need the videos, then you'll want the edition they use. (books come with the videos) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanine in TX Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Ds is using old edition with DIVE lectures/labs and BJU tests. It's fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeJM Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 Excellent information, ladies, thanks. Yes, he is a kid who needs video, so I would want those, and, I totally forgot about DIVE as an additional option. Good thoughts, thanks a bunch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Mr. Harmon is HILARIOUS in the physical science videos for the BJU. I come in to see how dd is doing, and the teacher is hanging off the ceilings, literally! He's a bit of a live wire, lol. I also really like the set-up of the online BJU classes. The lessons, quizzes, everything is all clearly laid out. They have these blog/sharing things for each kid, so that's fun too. I'm very impressed with the set-up. It's not something they advertise, so I didn't even realize how nice it would be. We signed up during the $99 deal. Made me wish we had started with it at the beginning of the year. If you want the videos, it's very well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeJM Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 Oh, I will have to look into that. I bet ds would connect with an active, fun guy-teacher. What was the $99 deal? [i'm going to have to check back later tonight -- today is my baking day, and I have to get off the computer now :leaving: ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Oh, I will have to look into that. I bet ds would connect with an active, fun guy-teacher. What was the $99 deal? [i'm going to have to check back later tonight -- today is my baking day, and I have to get off the computer now :leaving: ] For the past few years, BJU has offered their online courses for just $99 during the month of January. You get access to the course for a full year...January through December (not a traditional school year). Elizabeth...you mentioned that you wished you had started the online course at the beginning of the year. Did you start the physical science course without the online portion and then add in the online portion in January? So you wished you had the online portion the whole year? It isn't that you didn't like signing up in January, is it? The reason I ask is that I am strongly considering starting my younger son in the online French course next January to take advantage of the deal. I wouldn't start the course before then...I would just add French to his load after Christmas. He would still have a year to complete it. Would this work? I sure hope so! Money talks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Ok, you know me, gotta hear the whole story. :) Dd isn't a textbook person in general, and the BJU textbooks have a way of, well they're not exactly high lit. The World History text we're using she LOVES. The rest are smores fuel for her. I decided since this was 8th with an off-level book with a non-textbook dc who is NOT science-driven and NOT going into anything requiring science (like they'd fire her as a nurse and everything else is laughable) that we would do *just* the labs. I got the PH CIA lab book and the BJU labs, ripped them all up, correlated them into a notebook over 36 weeks, and boom science. That has been FABULOUS. Rough with the math (these are NOT independent labs, oy), but we send the toddler down and get them done. Happy, pleased. The hole in that is when you want some explanation going into the labs. We've done some Disney Imagineering videos and youtube and stuff, but I just thought we'd throw in the BJU dvds during the $99 deal. I've had this insane thing for them, kind of like me and TOG. Don't you have that, with something that may or may not fit your student that you wish you could make work? And oh how I wish I could pay $799, put my kid in front of the computer, walk away, and have school done! I know people don't exactly do that, but you get my point. My dd is so NOT that. She spends half the day wanting to DO something (like today it's Easter stuff and she's downstairs sculpting Galadriel for the fair) and the other half asking if she really HAS to do the stuff on her list. This is not your textbook-loving, sit down and do 5 AP classes in 8th grade dc. ;) So anyways, I figured if there was ever a time to get the BJU dvd bug out of my system, this was it. And yes, Mr. Harmon really is as adorable as he seems on the samples online. The things we thought we'd like about it, we like. The things we thought might be a problem (sitting in front of a screen for 45 min. with something that is totally non-interactive on a topic she really doesn't care about) are indeed problems. So I'm not saying I would use the BJU dvds with every dc. What I am saying is that the lessons take enough time and are sort of wearying enough to watch (not a nice word, but there you go), that if you're GOING to use them, start at the beginning. I was concerned that if I got the videos and we spent 4-5 hours a week watching them, we wouldn't get the labs done. This fear was correct *for us*. The way I'm using them now, I just sit her down on Sunday and command her to watch 2-3 of them. It gets her brain back in "we do school work" mode and makes Monday go better. (That's our reality, if you have bad Mondays, you know what I'm talking about.) I don't care which of the videos she watches. She picks some that seem to pertain to our lab topics, and she watches them. Mondays go better, and I'm happy. Yes, I could have done that from the beginning. However at that point I was trying this new approach and didn't want to undermine it with too many options or perfectionism, kwim? It's a tricky point to get to when you know how to look at all the materials on the buffet and figure out which ones you need and which to leave. If you're going to do the videos, I would get the whole shibang at once. They're too long and tedious to catch up on, and you don't really save that much money anyway. I can guarantee you you're NOT going to want to do the labs without the lab tm. That means you're essentially paying for everything anyway by the time you buy the books and do the $99 deal later. If you want to start everything in January with the sale, that works too. Now on the BJU french, hmm. I like the text (used it for review when I was brushing up for a college placement test), but have you watched the samples for the dvds? They're singularly HORRIBLE. Unless they've rerecorded it, I would go with the Potter's School class. Btw, I think they're doing 10% off at the conventions this year and that's on top of the combo deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeJM Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 This is helpful, thanks so much. I appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ok, you know me, gotta hear the whole story. :) . . . Now on the BJU french, hmm. I like the text (used it for review when I was brushing up for a college placement test), but have you watched the samples for the dvds? They're singularly HORRIBLE. Unless they've rerecorded it, I would go with the Potter's School class. Your answers always crack me up, Elizabeth! Thank you for your *detailed* explanation. :) And a big thanks on the warning about the French courses! You are so right! What in the world???? My older son is doing the Spanish course this year (online) and actually kind of enjoys listening to Mr. Cancino (or whatever his name is). I don't think my younger son would feel quite the same about the French ones. Maybe they will update them before I need them...maybe. Or I will check into TPS. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Btw, I think they're doing 10% off at the conventions this year and that's on top of the combo deals. Sorry to hijack your post. In reference to the above quote, are you referring to BJU in regards to the 10%off? If so, do you know what the combo deals are for this year? Thank you Dixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 By combos I meant where you can combine dvd/online courses from them to hit a certain number for a certain price. I think the 10% is off that even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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