Science: BJU vs. Apologia (7th-12th)

I just hung up the phone with a very dear and close friend of mine. (She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science & Mechanics with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering (summa cum laude) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.) As I was talking with her I was taking notes. She's so chock full of homeschool knowledge, experience and wisdom that I literally have to take notes when I'm on the phone with her. Eeevery time! I love it. She really knows her stuff, and is so willing to share and encourage others. I so appreciate her heart for the Lord and her willingness to serve Him by serving others. She always ministers to me as we talk about homeschool and life! The Lord uses her in BIG ways whenever we talk. I'm so thankful. (Thank you, Lord!)

Today I called her about something specific, and lo and behold, God had recently equipped her with the exact knowledge that I was seeking! She just finished researching about science curriculum and setting up science tracks! Guess what I was calling her about!? Science curriculum and tracks! AND to top it off, she had researched and compared the only two science curricula that I'm considering- BJU Press and Apologia! Is that God or is that God!? (Thank you, Lord! You are awesome!)

I wasn't planning on sharing my notes on my blog, but I decided to type them up here because I think the information will be helpful to others, and I know she won't mind.

She looked at ABeka, and she didn't approve of their Science courses. She didn't elaborate on that, so I'm not sure why. So she compared and contrasted Apologia and BJU Press, and believes they are both excellent science curriculum. Based on what she has experienced through teaching science with Apologia for the past 5 years and all she learned through her recent research, she made decisions and put together a plan! And how blessed I am to be able to have had her to help me put together a plan for my children!

Is it necessary to take General Science?
It is not necessary to take Apologia's General Science, and there won't be a hole in your child's science education if they miss it, but it would be wise to take it. When you take General Science one year and Physical Science the following year, you get a more complete Earth Science course and a sophisticated level of Human Anatomy. So Apologia's General Science and Apologia's Physical Science make a good unit together.

BJU's 7th Grade Life Science
This is not an easy course. It's not too hard, but it is a serious course and there is a big difference in BJU's 6th grade science and their 7th grade science. It's like a mini Biology course, so if your child misses anything, don't sweat it; they'll get it again in 10th grade Biology. Don't stress about it. Think of it as an exposure course. Math is a disciplined study and we expect skills to be mastered, but we don't expect mastery in 7th grade science, so keep it delightful and more about discovery. Try to light a fire!

Physical Science: BJU vs. Apologia
Apologia's Physical Science course is her all-time favorite course! Depending on the accrediting agency you use (if you use one), it may or may not be considered a high school credit if your child takes it in 8th grade. BJU's Physical Science, designated for 9th graders, is hard; it's a tough course. It's too much too soon. She said she would recommend it for a bright 9th grader and would never give it to an 8th grader. It's magnitudes harder than Apologia's Physical Science.

Should Physical Science be taken in 8th grade or 9th grade?
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in that decision with each child. Physical Science can be taken in either 8th or 9th grade. *See "Possible Math and Science Tracks to Consider"

Biology: BJU vs. Apologia
As far as Biology goes, she actually recommended BJU's course over Apologia's. She's not crazy about Apologia's Biology, but BJU's Biology (and Chemistry) are really good. Having said that, BJU's Biology tests are hard. For example, their True/False questions are very hard. It seems more like the students are being tested on how to answer tough questions rather than how much they understand the topic of Biology. Apologia's Biology tests are easier. Her solution to this was to simply create your own tests for BJU Biology.

Chemistry: BJU vs. Apologia
BJU has designated their Chemistry course for 11th grade and rightly so. It's definitely built for 11th grade. Don't take their course in 10th grade. So either use Apologia's Chemistry course in 10th or 11th OR use BJU's course in 11th.

Physics: BJU vs. Apologia
BJU's Physics course is very rigorous. It's not bad or boring. It has good applications and good color pictures, but it has a ton of material. It's so sophisticated and like a college level non-calculus based physics. In Apologia's Physics course there's not as much material. It's still deep, but your student is not inundated with material. Cathy Duffy says in her review of BJU's Physics course that "It combines both conceptual (as in the Conceptual Physics text) and mathematical approaches to physics. The course actually uses a great deal of higher level mathematics, so the teacher should also be familiar with the math involved."

Possible Track 1:
7th- Life Science, BJU
8th- General Science, Apologia
9th- Physical Science, Apologia
10th- Biology, BJU
11th- Chemistry, Apologia or BJU
12th- Physics, Apologia

Possible Track 2:
7th- General Science, Apologia
8th- Physical Science, Apologia
9th- Biology, BJU
10th- Chemistry, Apologia (not BJU)
11th- Physics, Apologia
12th- An Advanced Science (There's a plethora of courses to choose from.)

Random Tips:
1. She said the Apologia Notebooks are amazing with full color illustrations, so those are valuable resources. They contain more than 400 pages, so don't feel like you have to do everything.

2. She also mentioned skipping Apologia's "Optional Modules."

3. She said to buy Apologia's MP3 Audio CDs and have your child listen to the audio while they read along with the book. This will help them pronounce all the BIG words they will be learning.