Apologia General Science 3rd edition

[YellowPrimrose]

I'm considering teaching Apologia General Science 3rd edition at our co-op next year for our middle school science. Has anyone used this new edition? Are you enjoying it? Would you recommend it? Trying to decide between the 2nd or 3rd edition, but with the 3rd edition of Physical Science coming out, I'm leaning towards the 3rd edition of General Science.

[cbollin]

I've used 2nd edition twice.  And for the fun of it, got 3rd edition last year and used it with my youngest.  She's special needs learner and science review was fun.  Because of her learning needs, we got the full package with video and audio and notebook.  I really liked how notebook helped guide a student into more independent style of learning with guiding how to take notes, and lab reports and all of that.   I don't remember anything that stood out so horrible as to say oh no, I better post that some day.   My youngest enjoyed watching the videos and then listening to the audio while holding the text and listening along.  The tests and study guides were fine.   I know when 3rd edition was first available Jay Wile had a mild negative about one or two aspects but those didn't seem to hinder us.  Here is a link to that review https://blog.drwile.com/my-review-of-exploring-creation-with-general-science-3rd-edition/

and my opinion of that in light of the course.  Agree with his likes.  His first disagree about coverage of topics: I don't agree that's an issue because it's grade 7 and you'll come back to this stuff. Sometimes it's better (in my opinion of course) to not over explain some stuff.  He even says it's enough for textbook.  So, ok.  if they want to learn more let them go look it up later in another resource.  So, I don't agree with wile's reason for that.  His dislike number 2 was about when things are explained. I saw that mostly in first module.  So it wasn't as big of an issue.  Again, this happens in general courses.  Maybe if it was my first kid, I would have freaked more?  His last dislike:  I don't even know what he's talking about to know if I noticed it or disliked it, but I appreciate his heads up about it.  Again with my oldest I might have read Wile's opinion to her and said "there's another opinion".  I get it. But it's a mild thing and if I were teaching co-op, I might just share the other opinion and move on.

I don't agree with Wile's dislike that the notebook is "required".  Wile states that a regular cheap notebook can be used and same thing achieved.  Well, you know what?  I tried that cheap notebook method with older with 2nd edition, and I say get the notebook.  It will teach and show the young scholar what to do.  It is a tool from which to learn.  Then, the following year in physical, biology, etc. you don't need the notebook then.  You can use cheap notebook that is blank and do it.    If nothing else, at least find the sample notebook pages and glean how to learn to take notes, etc.  But honestly, it felt to me like it was a good tool to use to help the young scholar step it up a notch.   On the nit picky said of it, should it say "highly recommended" instead of "required/necessary"? ok, maybe, I'll agree on that. 

Overall, I liked the 3rd edition with all of the bells and whistles.  It was enjoyable. I think the videos were helpful to watch lab set up and discussion.  I know we muddled through plenty of stuff in 2nd edition and got it done and felt smarter for figuring it out on our own.  So I don't think it is needed to watch those.  The video segments were a teaching of lesson but not in front of a classroom.  I'd have to go back and check, but I don't remember it being a verbatim teaching of the text.  I definitely put it in the optional side of items.  Same with audio reading - perfect for my learning needs child.

minor but cool difference from 2nd to 3rd edition:  module 1 in 3rd edition is paced slower than 2nd edition. It still has overwhelming amount of history and names.  But instead of cramming it into 2 weeks, it goes out a little into 3rd week with more study time.  (Oh yeah the student notebook has a suggested lesson planner).  And I like that it encouraged open book test for module 1 and 2 to help the independent scholar learn how to step up and take tests and not feel like a failure on first module.  So all of those teacher wisdom things that come from doing it wrong the first time in 2nd edition, were placed into 3rd edition.

maybe there are others who know if content was not good. I'm not qualified on that.  But having through it, I liked 3rd edition. Really liked the notebook too. I wouldn't buy notebook each year to cut down cost once they learned how to do it on own.  But it was far better to use that than to muddle through the get a cheap notebook and go figure it out on your own and have a meltdown.

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by cbollin

[YellowPrimrose]

Thank you, cbollin! That was super helpful. I've read Jay Wile's review a couple times now, and I'm not really sure what to make of it. I know he's coming out with a competing middle school book, so my only thought is to take what he says about this new edition with a tiny grain of salt. Of course he probably can't wholeheartedly recommend another curriculum,,,he's going to think his own is best, right? 😉 Anyways... I very much appreciate your thoughtful responses to his points.

I would require the notebook for my co-op class, as it looks like a wonderful tool to help the students learn how to take notes well. I also like the schedule, and I hope that it will be compatible with our co-op schedule. I was pleased to hear of your experience with the videos, too. I'm considering getting them for myself as an aid to my teaching. I haven't taught this type of science before to a class, and I'm thinking I could use all the help I can get! I'm thinking that watching the videos may reinforce in my mind the concepts from the book and aid me with my own presentation of the material. And I always like having a visual of the way the labs are set up and conducted.

Another question... As I read through the first module according to the schedule, I read all about the first experiment and its results. However, the experiment wasn't to be conducted until the following day. So when we actually do the experiment according to the schedule we will already know exactly what the results are from having read the textbook and its discussion. I also noticed this same thing with the first Explore More. It tells the student to do a small experiment, and before the end of the paragraph, the results are given. Are these Experiments and Explore More activities set up the same way in the remainder of the chapters...where students will know what happens before having conducted the experiment? (Or if so, maybe it's not a big deal? My son is doing Apologia's Physical Science (2nd edition) right now and he says he always knows what will happen in the experiments and he's not bothered by it.)

[cbollin]

I know what y’all mean on taking his review (or anyone’s review) with grain of salt. I just figured if that was the worst he had to say then it wasn’t that bad of an edition. ;) Over the years of doing apologia texts my kids and I weren’t bothered if we read about it and then did the experiment.  But there’s a part of me that wishes the schedule would show that first one as read page 6, do exp 1.1 on page 7, read pages 8-10. But then that looks odd and hard to fit in the box. We just knew to do that style in the day. Come to the experiment and do it. Then pick back up in the text.  I have memories of telling that to my oldest and getting that process into her pattern.   Explore Mores. Kind of the same thing except the paragraphs are smaller so breaking them up is awkward. That first one that is showing in samples is one of those where it’s not really about the principles and reasons. It’s there to give an example how you will do an explore more and record it in notebook. Not much is explained about atoms, motion, etc at that point, but the idea is to introduce a fun, quick demo and that you can record it in notebook as a demo of a concept that has something in the chapter.  I didn't think of those are mandatory to do, or "lab work", but more of fun activity, ungraded.

[YellowPrimrose]

Okay, awesome, cbollin. It sounds like I might go with it! I need to talk with the mom who is currently teaching Physical Science. By switching to 3rd edition I may just be signing myself up to teach 3rd edition Physical Science next time around! Lol! Thank you for your time and help! 🙂