Another science curriculum to consider - Bob Jones?

[LNC]

I'm searching the boards and online reviews and it looks like Lifepacs are out!

I'm looking for a long term plan for my science loving going into 3rd and 5th graders. They both want careers in medicine.

 

Bob Jones pros:

-I could keep them at their own grade level

-Easy to schedule and includes tests etc.

-Kits available

-Variety of topics each year for my science loving kids

-High school is college science major prep and AP prep

-Dive cds for high school

 

 

Bob jones cons:

-lots of Teacher prep

-not portable like workbooks

 

What do you think???

[Rachel in KY]

We've done BJ 5 and 6 and I haven't found that there's a lot of teacher prep. I love BJ Science, and plan on using it from now on.

[Mom22ns]

I used BJU Science 6 this year and I did do lots of teacher prep :lol: That said, we loved it. We did one or two experiments every week, sometimes additional demonstrations. My son came in thinking he didn't really like science, aced the course and now realizes science is fun and interesting. We're planning to do life science next year. I'm very pleased with the fact it builds to college prep level science work.

[HollyDay]

I love BJU elementary science and used it 2nd - 6th. I used it for both dc - 3 grades apart - at the same time. I taught to the oldest mostly and it was not a problem. In fact, my youngest oftened retained more than her older sister! You can make BJU as easy or as indepth as you want. When we had a crazy week - I would simply use it as a science reader. I would read and explain the lesson - (answer questions, draw pics, whatever we needed to do to grasp the concept) to the dc. That would be it - no TM, no experiments, etc. When we had more time - or a lesson I wanted to take more time with - we did all the experiments, activity book activities, etc. It really worked very well. Again, BJU does not have to be overwhelming - make it work for your. IF you want to do the experiments, I would suggest ordering the kit from homesciencetools.com. Having everything in one place is so much easier. I can honestly say, this is one curriculum my dc asked to use again. And as far as "pick up and go", yes, you can teach that way. We would simply take the student book with us and do the lesson from it.

[SnowWhite]

We will be doing BJU Science 3 in the fall. It is our first year to use BJU science. It looks great! My kid is very *into* science, and the BJU 3 is not terribly intense or time consuming, so we're also going to do WP Animal Habitats. LOL, I can't help myself. I always double dip on science.

[G5052]

We used it for three years, and the only prep I ever did was to make sure that I had all the supplies lined up for the week before and scanned through the lessons for the week. I usually did that Friday afternoon. It's very scripted and clear. We're using Sonlight 5 this year, and frankly as we go into the home stretch, I wish that we had done BJUP 6. Sonlight was good, but BJUP was better. I combined both kids into one level of science, matching the older one's level with the plan that the younger one would need help. If you do them separately, keep in mind that you'll be teaching separately. It's not a hand-and-go curriculum. You are about 2/3 or more of it.

 

Keep in mind that the 7th and up program is not as homeschool friendly. They've done a lot to make the labs more homeschool-friendly, but the content may be tough unless you're very science-oriented yourself. A friend of mine was a chemistry CC professor, and she called me several times with questions when her oldest was doing Physics (and he's off now on full scholarship studying science, so he's no flunkie either). Most families have to go to the DVDs at some point if they stay with it. That said, it's frankly the most rigorous science program around with a young earth perspective.

Edited March 30, 2009 by GVA

[LNC]

One more question:

 

I've been reading science posts on the boards all day. It seems like an insurmountable homeschool task to get a child ready for a college science major. I'm considering the new online or dvd option for the 7th-up science. So, I'm hopeful the content will be rigorous but doable by watching a teacher.

 

Combining them in the elementary level doesn't appeal to me. But, I don't think I could teach both well. They will be in 3rd and 5th next year. If I combined them in 4th grade BJU science next year and 5th grade the next year - would my daughter be able to go into 7th grade BJU life science the following year? She would skip 6th grade then.

Edited March 30, 2009 by LNC

[Rebecca in VA]

You don't want to skip BJU sixth-grade science! It gives an outstanding introduction to the topics the student will see again over the next few years. The student covers earthquakes, weathering and erosion, natural resources, stars, the solar system, cells and classification, animal classification, plant classification, plant and animal reproduction, heredity and genetics, atoms and molecules, electricity and magnetism, motion and machines, the nervous system, and the immune system. It's true that he will see the material again in future years, but this is a really well-done introduction that will set him up well for the much more difficult middle school courses.

 

The very best way to teach the material is to use the DVDs -- or the new online streaming option. Mrs. Dunn (Science 5) and Mrs. Vick (Science 6, 7, and 8) rock! They're exactly the sort of teachers you would *want* your child to have if you ever sent them to a school.

 

You can get kits with materials for the experiments at http://www.hometrainingtools.com. Having the kit available has saved me many emergency trips to the drugstore, hardware store, grocery store, etc. for experiment supplies.

[LNC]

You don't want to skip BJU sixth-grade science! It gives an outstanding introduction to the topics the student will see again over the next few years. The student covers earthquakes, weathering and erosion, natural resources, stars, the solar system, cells and classification, animal classification, plant classification, plant and animal reproduction, heredity and genetics, atoms and molecules, electricity and magnetism, motion and machines, the nervous system, and the immune system. It's true that he will see the material again in future years, but this is a really well-done introduction that will set him up well for the much more difficult middle school courses.

 

The very best way to teach the material is to use the DVDs -- or the new online streaming option. Mrs. Dunn (Science 5) and Mrs. Vick (Science 6, 7, and 8) rock! They're exactly the sort of teachers you would *want* your child to have if you ever sent them to a school.

 

 

you can get kits with materials for the experiments at http://www.hometrainingtools.com. Having the kit available has saved me many emergency trips to the drugstore, hardware store, grocery store, etc. for experiment supplies.

 

So, you are recommending I don't combine them and teach two science grades each year? Or, should I teach both at my older daughter's grade level even though they are two years apart?

[HollyDay]

Let me throw another 2 cents in here. I would put both in 5th grade - not 4th. There isnt much difference in difficulty and it would keep you on track for your 7th grade plans.

[HiddenJewel]

One more question:

 

I've been reading science posts on the boards all day. It seems like an insurmountable homeschool task to get a child ready for a college science major. I'm considering the new online or dvd option for the 7th-up science. So, I'm hopeful the content will be rigorous but doable by watching a teacher.

 

Another option is to use the D.I.V.E. into Science CD-Roms in high school alongside the BJU textbooks.

[LNC]

Let me throw another 2 cents in here. I would put both in 5th grade - not 4th. There isnt much difference in difficulty and it would keep you on track for your 7th grade plans.

 

So, if I have them both in 5th and 6th science so she can go into 7th grade life science on time, do I have my then 5th grader start the 7th grade life science with her?

[PeterPan]

I'd do the BJU4 science with your 3rd grader and have your 5th grader do the BJU6 with the dvd's of Mrs. Vick. They're science lovers and maybe a bit advanced? Then you'll want to bump them a year up. GVA did, I do. If you don't bump it up, the advanced kids find it babyish. I totally agree with the others that you don't want to skip levels. There's so much more in there than just the basic science. There are terms and nitpicky details. There are study skills and writing assignments. You don't want to jump 2 grades either. So that's why I say teach your younger yourself and do dvd's for the older. (I'm assuming you don't want to teach both levels.) They're still get to do activities together and have fun together, but that way the written assignments, study guides, etc. will be on their level.

[Cindyg]

Let me throw another 2 cents in here. I would put both in 5th grade - not 4th. There isnt much difference in difficulty and it would keep you on track for your 7th grade plans.

 

Wait a sec. I need to comment on this. Holly, have you done BJUP's 4th and 5th grades? I've done BJUP's science grades 1-5 now, and I see a significant leap between Grades 4 and 5.

 

It is true that Grades 1 and 2 aren't that different, Grades 2 and 3 aren't that different. Grades 3 and 4 aren't that different. But, IMO, Grades 4 and 5 are different.

 

I would not put a 3rd grader in Science 5. If you must, you'll need to make accomodations for the younger child (which is not undoable, but it's something else you'll have to do).

 

And let me underscore that Mrs. Dunn, the 5th grade video teacher, is excellent! If you're going to do BJUP, and if you're considering the video route, I would not skip this class. It's a excellent preparation for the more advanced sciences ahead, and Mrs. Dunn is delightful to watch and listen to.

 

I'm very glad to read all these great reviews of BJUP Science. We've liked Grades 1-5.

[PeterPan]

Ditto what Cindy said. I have an advanced dc, but I still wouldn't have put her into the BJU5 as a 3rd grader. She's not going to be able to do it fully and will miss a lot of the richness of it. If you're only going to skim and do it superficially to make it fit a younger, do Apologia or something else. Part of what they're doing with the BJU science is learning how to read a textbook. My dd is a prolific reader, but that's a totally separate skill. The study guides make her do a double take and go back. It's not just the content that steps up, it's the whole approach. And the skills build. Since the op is willing to do two separate levels, I would.

 

There's another separate issue no one has commented on which is the way the BJU topics seem to match the age-appropriate interests of the dc. To me it's uncanny, but then much of the BJU stuff seems to click with my dd. For instance, in doing the BJU4 science, my dd totally clicked with the topics and ran with them, doing extra projects, etc. They were a perfect match. And now with the BJU5 I see the same thing happening. I don't know, maybe that is just coincidence? I'm not even smart enough to know why it's happening, just that it's a pattern. My dd's interests in the early years seemed to follow the progression WTM spells out too, which I always thought was interesting. So no, I see no point in jumping a 3rd grader up to BJU5, not when you have a choice. But definitely consider jumping them up a year if they're advanced.

[LNC]

Ditto what Cindy said. I have an advanced dc, but I still wouldn't have put her into the BJU5 as a 3rd grader. She's not going to be able to do it fully and will miss a lot of the richness of it. If you're only going to skim and do it superficially to make it fit a younger, do Apologia or something else. Part of what they're doing with the BJU science is learning how to read a textbook. My dd is a prolific reader, but that's a totally separate skill. The study guides make her do a double take and go back. It's not just the content that steps up, it's the whole approach. And the skills build. Since the op is willing to do two separate levels, I would.

 

There's another separate issue no one has commented on which is the way the BJU topics seem to match the age-appropriate interests of the dc. To me it's uncanny, but then much of the BJU stuff seems to click with my dd. For instance, in doing the BJU4 science, my dd totally clicked with the topics and ran with them, doing extra projects, etc. They were a perfect match. And now with the BJU5 I see the same thing happening. I don't know, maybe that is just coincidence? I'm not even smart enough to know why it's happening, just that it's a pattern. My dd's interests in the early years seemed to follow the progression WTM spells out too, which I always thought was interesting. So no, I see no point in jumping a 3rd grader up to BJU5, not when you have a choice. But definitely consider jumping them up a year if they're advanced.

 

So, you think it's possible to teach two levels of this program?

 

I'm getting so confused here! I don't want to spend money on the dvd's or online for elementary science.

 

I don't want science to take up too much of my time yet - we focus our time on skill subjects. They read a lot for content subjects - but I don't spend hours teaching them science or history yet.

[momtotkbb]

Honestly, I would put them each in their grade level BJU science class. Keep in mind that the 3rd grade sci is designed to be a one semester class with Heritage Studies being the second semester - you could easily do it in 2 days a week or less. I think there's only like 50 lessons - the 5th grade one has about 130. I wouldn't do dvd's for the elementary levels - but that's me. I enjoy teaching science and my kids are science nuts so your situation may vary. Now, by high school I plan to purchase the dvd's or use our co-op as extra help - not that I wouldn't have fun teaching it, but with three at various stages still left to homeschool I think I'd go nuts.

[G5052]

I've always combined with BJUP because I considered it a more "fun" subject to do together versus something that I had to teach and check separately like math or spelling. Frankly I'd get more gray hairs if I had to gather materials, teach, and grade two levels of science in the early years.

 

For 7th and up though, I believe in separating for a more academic emphasis. And BJUP's 6th grade science is not a prerequisite for the 7th anyway. I know kids who have done fine with it after having only very informal science in K-6th from library books, magazines, museum visits, etc.

 

YMMV...

Edited March 31, 2009 by GVA

[TracyR]

I'll admit. I was lucky to finally get to see the BJU science and amazingly enough the book isn't very big. It looked to be very portable and is not hardback either. The science looks really good , their History looked even better to be honest.

[PeterPan]

LNC--Only you can decide if they will be better combined or separate. It really depends on *your* dc, kwim? Did you know you can see the table of contents, intro info, and the entire first chapter of each book on the BJUP website? Go check it out. That will give you a much better feel for the curriculum and how the expectations change with each level. I suggest you look at the samples for grades 3-6, all of them, so you can get a feel for each and see what you think is best. Then just go with your gut. If your gut says combine them in the 4th gr book, but supplement with extra kits and things for your 5th grader, fine. Timberdoodle has GREAT stuff to go with the science 4!!! We really enjoyed Snap Circuits, the 3D anatomy puzzles, etc. If your gut says combine them in the 5th gr book, fine. If your gut says your 5th grader will be bored stiff without the 6th gr book, then you have a problem and need to split them up. It's really what you think when you look at the levels. If you have the younger tag along with the older, it just means you're going to have to do more to support the younger (reading the text aloud, skipping the writing, etc.). He'll still learn a lot, just won't be able to do it fully.

 

Now I will tell you the other thing I see happening with my dd. BJU science is technically teacher-driven, BUT it's pretty good even if they just do the text and student activity book. I'm not saying that's ideal, but my dd, like it seems most kids her age, wants to be a bit more independent. She loves the topics, so she's holed up with it in her room, reading and doing the activity manual. Ideally I'd do all the discussion with her. I'll definitely do some. But I'm just going to toss out to you that a bit of cheating or easing of the approach might occur in your reality. You might not find yourself teaching the science quite like they would in school. That's just between you and me, our secret (here on the public boards, haha). Like I said, not ideal, not how it's supposed to be, but still quite good. And while I'm doing the science 5 with her myself, I'd love to have some pennies around to use the online or dvd for the science 6. Dream, dream. The samples of the online/dvd classes, which you can see at BJUP.com, look quite good. I find myself increasingly upping the academic expectations. I'm even planning to do the TESTS next year with the science 6, horror of horrors! I figure you can't get them someplace if you don't ease them into it. That's actually what I've come to appreciate about the BJU stuff, that they gradually build skills, painlessly, pleasantly, and the skills are woven into the subjects. So in the science activities they're working on writing skills, etc., and it all just builds up so seamlessly. The more I do of the BJU stuff, the more terribly impressed I am. I say that in all seriousness. I started into their science just looking for an easy way for me to cover a broad variety of topics, and I've stuck with it because I've seen how much MORE it is than just the science. It's learning how to read a textbook, how to take notes and study. I like our interest-driven stuff, but it builds the SKILLS you need to advance the interest-driven stuff. I kick up our BJU science big time, with extra kits, hands-on stuff, anything I can find (or afford, haha) to go with the topic. You can make it more if you need it to be more.

 

Well now I'm rambling. Don't be confused. Ask 30 people and you'll get 30 answers. The only one that matters is the answer that is YOURS. If you look at the samples for gr 3-6, I'm sure you'll be able to tell which fits each of your dc best and how to proceed. :)

[PeterPan]

I'll admit. I was lucky to finally get to see the BJU science and amazingly enough the book isn't very big. It looked to be very portable and is not hardback either. The science looks really good , their History looked even better to be honest.

 

 

Oh Tracy, don't do this to me!!!!!!! I've spent this evening having this epiphany that I want to switch to the BJU history. It's insane the way I hate history and get frustrated by it. I tried to like the heritage studies when dd was little, but it never seemed like the levels fit us. So what level were you looking at that looked so good? I'm planning to look it over at the convention in April. We're not really in a position to jump now, but when we finish american, we will be. It's really just a matter of me deciding if that's really what I want to do. We can either do BJU as a spine and expand it out with literature the way we like, or we can keep going with other stuff (MOH, Guerber, whatever).

[dymphna57]

We have used their Life Science, Earth Science, for the last few years and it is a great science program. We have used 5th and 6th in the past but switched to Apologia series, Botany, Astronomy etc. We havent found any difficulty in doing the jr high courses without doing the BJU 5th and 6th.

I do try to have materials ready and like the historical use of making ancient science instruments .Sadly:crying:,this will be our last year with BJU as I have been perusaded finally to stop supporting an organization so negative and abusive to my church.

 

 

 

PS O/T Great , Great book report site!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LNC]

Thanks for your help everyone! I'm planning on going to the homeschool store 45 minutes away to actually look at these grade levels.

 

I'm thinking I'll put them both (grades 3 & 5) in grade 4 next year. Then, I'll have my daughter go through grade 6 the summer before she begins Grade 7 (Life Science) with a dvd or online teacher. Then my son will use the grade 6 when she's done. He'll have an empty grade 12 for science, but I'll sign him up for an online ap science. Thanks again!

Edited March 31, 2009 by LNC

[HiddenJewel]

Oh Tracy, don't do this to me!!!!!!! I've spent this evening having this epiphany that I want to switch to the BJU history. It's insane the way I hate history and get frustrated by it. I tried to like the heritage studies when dd was little, but it never seemed like the levels fit us. So what level were you looking at that looked so good? I'm planning to look it over at the convention in April. We're not really in a position to jump now, but when we finish american, we will be. It's really just a matter of me deciding if that's really what I want to do. We can either do BJU as a spine and expand it out with literature the way we like, or we can keep going with other stuff (MOH, Guerber, whatever).

 

If it helps, I really like the BJU science (have used 7th and 8th), but I do not like the history. History is the one subject I for sure do using literature and BJU's textbook was too dry. It could make a good spine though.

[Heather in WI]

I know this is old, but I found this thread so helpful today! It answered a couple of questions that I had. Thank you all!

[happygrrl]

We have used their Life Science, Earth Science, for the last few years and it is a great science program. We have used 5th and 6th in the past but switched to Apologia series, Botany, Astronomy etc. We havent found any difficulty in doing the jr high courses without doing the BJU 5th and 6th.

I do try to have materials ready and like the historical use of making ancient science instruments .Sadly:crying:,this will be our last year with BJU as I have been perusaded finally to stop supporting an organization so negative and abusive to my church.

 

 

 

PS O/T Great , Great book report site!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Oh, Dymphna, I am right there with you! I want to do BJU so bad, but can't work it out philosophically :confused: I keep thinking just the science would be OK....

 

(Edited to add: Oops! Old thread!)

Edited February 8, 2011 by happygrrl