Apologia or BJU Biolgy

[LisaKinVA]

My older two used Abeka in 7th -- but it was a bit lighter than I really wanted.  This will be a "first pass" at Biology for a student who has already had a full Life Science, A&P, Earth and Space and Physical Science at a middle school level.  This will also NOT be the last time this child takes Biology (He'll take AP level in high school...)

 

I'd like to use a Christian text, because it will fit in with the Origins study he'll be doing that same year.

 

He's a good reader, but not a fast reader.  DVDs would be very helpful.  Easy organization/layout very welcome.  I'd like to keep the cost around $500 (I will probably re-use this with my last two girls).  Labs will be done, but mostly virtual -- as he'll participate in some of the AP labs with his siblings.

 

 

 

 

[FriedClams]

My DD is taking apologia chem and bju biology right now, so I see them side by side.

 

I agree Apologia is much "lighter". I think they survey well and go for the big picture. The text is larger, the graphics more simple, the tests much easier to read. DD is taking the class in a co-op,but reads through the text and does all the practice problems, end of chapter review, etc in about 2-3 hours a week.

 

BJU is much, much more detail oriented. The graphics are much more numerous and much more detailed. The text is small, and the book is about twice as long as Apologia. Maybe longer. I'd say there's 1.5x more text per page also. I would consider the BJU biology course an appropriate "honors" class. My dd works about 75-90 minutes daily on bio.

 

 

For my science kid, we'll stick with BJU. For my kids who wants to learn the forest, and not the specifics of each tree's bark in the process, we'll likely use Apologia.

 

That being said, I have two friends with kids who have all graduated college, and homeschooled using apologia, and they are all killing science fields (chem engineering, med school, etc). So, I'd definitely pick what fits your kid's learning style best.

[Mom22ns]

Fried Clams did a great job of discussing the differences between the two. I haven't used either for Biology, although I used both for Chem (different students). I just wanted to give a heads up that Apologia is known for a ridiculous amount of memorization in Biology. Search for Apologia Biology on this board and you will see complaints over and over. I really can't compare it to BJU which typically has much harder/more detailed tests, but I do think it is worth mentioning.

[LisaKinVA]

I remember doing a lot of memorizing in Biology...haha.

 

I am looking for something a bit "easier" in the way of Biology, but "meatier" than Life Science.  I looked at the video lessons, and they seem to be done fairly well.  I'm more or less looking for a "step up" from Abeka Biology, and Apologia is looking like it might fit the bill.  I'll see if I can borrow a text for ds to look at.  I've seen the BJU one, and the detail of that book appeals to me.  I just think it might be a bit much for this student at this point in time. 

[mom31257]

I haven't seen BJU Biology, but dd did use Apologia Biology in high school and BJU Life Science in middle school. She enjoyed both courses. Virtual Homeschool Group has free self-paced courses to use along with the Apologia textbooks. It includes recorded audio lectures, online quizzes and tests, and lab report starters. 

 

You can find the self-paced courses here. Scroll down for Biology.

 

You can find how to register for an account here.

 

BJU DVDs are not available for purchase so that you can use them later with other children. They are only available through a lease and have to be returned. The same is true for their online content. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mom31257]

double post.