.... Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Has anyone used BJU earth science? Can you do the labs at home (reasonably)? What did you need to buy to work through the labs? Thank-you for any replies! And why is it so hard to find science at the jr high/high school level... :svengo: Edited January 5, 2016 by Evanthe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I feel your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 :bigear: We did Lifescience at home, without problems. We are using BJU Physical now, and I replaced some of the experiments with a youtube film or something from Physics with toys. Space and earth science is our grade 11/12 Geography topic, so we will use the book then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 :bigear: We did Lifescience at home, without problems. We are using BJU Physical now, and I replaced some of the experiments with a youtube film or something from Physics with toys. Space and earth science is our grade 11/12 Geography topic, so we will use the book then. I hope you don't mind me asking you some questions (I know you're busy!). Are you planning to use the high school levels? I am seriously considering it, but I'm afraid of the labs. Everything I read says a lot of the labs are hard to do at home. Have you been able to do the Physical Science labs at home? I keep dismissing this program because of the labs and the cost, which is a bummer, because the course content actually looks pretty good. Do you like the Physical Science course? I know there are lab kits you can buy, but OUCH! They're expensive! One kit I looked at was over $300. Way out of our budget for one subject... I'm also not interested in buying a bunch of DVDs/online classes to go with it. Both my husband and I have science degrees and my husband works in the aerospace field. There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to handle high school science... Hopefully?? :001_unsure: I'd love to know what your science plans are! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 First some background: We live and work in Belgium. Follow the Flemish requirements and are ESL. Dd is a languages child :) We have no lab requirements during exams In grade 7/8 dd did BJU Life Science + a flemish secular textbook geared to the examprogram. We skipped the Evolution chapter as they explained it not properly imho. During grade 9-12 we have integrated science as dd is not in the science track. We will use BJU Physical Science + Parts of BJU Physics for the physics part of our 12th grade exit exam. I like having the full answers, explanations and instructions in this subject. I won't use BJU biology but M&L Biology: we need a proper explanation of evolution for our 12th grade exam, and I think BJU is lacking in that point. For Chemistry BJU didn't fit my goals. So for grade 9/10 we will use IGCSE Chemistry. For grade 11/12 parts of: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-General-Biochemistry-Frederick-Bettelheim/dp/1133105084/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452089314&sr=1-2&keywords=bettleheim We own the Kosmos & Thames C3000 box, and I think that will cover 'enough'. I like BJU science, it gives me the feeling I can do this :) Dd did love Lifescience (she loves biology) But doesn' like BJU Physical Science so far. As we are only in Chapter 4 of the book I think it comes through the topics so far. Oh yes: don't be too impressed by the word 'labs' This week the 'lab' was 'just' 3 pages of calculations... Nothing fancy imo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 First some background: We live and work in Belgium. Follow the Flemish requirements and are ESL. Dd is a languages child :) We have no lab requirements during exams In grade 7/8 dd did BJU Life Science + a flemish secular textbook geared to the examprogram. We skipped the Evolution chapter as they explained it not properly imho. During grade 9-12 we have integrated science as dd is not in the science track. We will use BJU Physical Science + Parts of BJU Physics for the physics part of our 12th grade exit exam. I like having the full answers, explanations and instructions in this subject. I won't use BJU biology but M&L Biology: we need a proper explanation of evolution for our 12th grade exam, and I think BJU is lacking in that point. For Chemistry BJU didn't fit my goals. So for grade 9/10 we will use IGCSE Chemistry. For grade 11/12 parts of: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-General-Biochemistry-Frederick-Bettelheim/dp/1133105084/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452089314&sr=1-2&keywords=bettleheim We own the Kosmos & Thames C3000 box, and I think that will cover 'enough'. I like BJU science, it gives me the feeling I can do this :) Dd did love Lifescience (she loves biology) But doesn' like BJU Physical Science so far. As we are only in Chapter 4 of the book I think it comes through the topics so far. Oh yes: don't be too impressed by the word 'labs' This week the 'lab' was 'just' 3 pages of calculations... Nothing fancy imo Thank-you for posting that!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Yes, you can definitely do many of the labs in the newest edition of BJU's Earth Science (4th ed). I am doing it right now with my middle son. BJU has rewritten both the text and lab manual with this newest edition to make it easier for a homeschool family to accomplish. It is very well done. Quite a few of the labs only require paper, pencil, graph paper, rulers, globe, Google Earth, etc. In other words, no special lab equipment. There is quite a bit of graphing and data analysis in the Earth Science lab manual...I am VERY pleased with it. There are several labs that require a decent rock/mineral collection, so that is a beneficial purchase. My suggestion with any BJU science course is to purchase (either used or new) the textbooks and lab manuals first (and yes, I find the TE of both text and lab manual to be helpful). Then go through the lab manual while looking at the text and pick which labs you most desire to do. You probably only need to complete one lab per chapter, but in some chapters you may want to do more than one. Then make a list of what to order from only the labs you plan to do. I would never recommend ordering an entire kit...way too much initial $ output when it is doubtful that you will complete all the labs (there are lots) anyway. I've done Life Science twice, Earth Science twice, and Physical Science once. I love the first two; they are some of my favorite programs in all my years of homeschooling. However, the physical science one I was a bit "meh" about (and I'm a physics/chemistry teacher). I thought it tried to cover way too much in a one year program, and it also included a level of mathematical sophistication that *most* 8th-9th graders would not be ready for. My older son did fine with it in 8th grade, but he was ahead in math at the time. HTH! Please ask any specific questions you have about the Earth Science text because I'm right in the thick of it right now! :-) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 I absolutely agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 MorningGlory: Thank-you for the review! I think we're going to try the Earth Science this fall. Are you planning to use their science for high school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Another option for labs would be to get a kit from Quality Science Labs: http://www.qualitysciencelabs.com/earth-science/qsl-earth-science-lab-kit/ It is only $124. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 MorningGlory: Thank-you for the review! I think we're going to try the Earth Science this fall. Are you planning to use their science for high school? No. I actually use A Beka for biology. It is a bit simpler than BJU's bio text, so it works well in a group setting of students who have different backgrounds and abilities (which is how I use it). I like A Beka's lab manual; it includes a lot of microscope work, dissections, and interesting projects like an insect collection and pond study. I've taught it multiple times, and the kids always love it (although the text is a bit dry in places...aren't they all!?). I used Spectrum for chem with my older son (who went on to take AP Chem from PA Homeschoolers), but I seriously doubt I will use that text again...although I may use the Spectrum lab program again. I have purchased World of Chemistry by Zumdahl and have been using it to tutor my niece. I really like it! But it will take a good bit of work for me to set it up as a group class (which, again, is how I will use it). And I teach my own physics program which spins off Hewitt's Conceptual Physics. (((blushing...please know that I am not advertising...I'm just talking as a homeschool mom))). So no, I have not used...and don't foresee myself using...BJU for high school science. But I still highly recommend the middle school courses...Life and Earth Science. By the way, my middle son is doing the Earth Science in 9th grade for high school credit. I believe that the course straddles the line and can easily be used for hs credit. We do a lab with every chapter, and he takes the BJU-published tests which are HARD. My older son did the same program in 7th grade. Very different kids. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 Another option for labs would be to get a kit from Quality Science Labs: http://www.qualitysciencelabs.com/earth-science/qsl-earth-science-lab-kit/ It is only $124. Thanks! I have never seen this website. Going to see if there's high school stuff on there! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasons Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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