Name: ICHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-05T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-07T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Bourbonnais, IL

Tagged: Apologia, biology, high school science

This topic has 10 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 2 months ago by Karen Smith.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

Author
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March 6, 2022 at 7:37 am
Jamie
Participant
My DS needs a biology course for high school and was considering Apologia.
I see that Dr. Wile’s edition is recommended over the 3rd edition. Just curious as to why.
I also found the link explaining Dr. Wile had left Apologia because he stated that he could not “continue to work for a company that is opposed to many of the Christian values that I hold dear.” Do you know what they were?
Do you personally recommend 2nd edition over 3rd? Differences? General pros and cons? Does it really matter?
Thanks!

March 7, 2022 at 12:02 pm
Karen Smith
Moderator
We recommend Dr. Wile’s editions of Apologia middle school and high school science courses because we like the way the material is presented in them. Dr. Wile reviews Apologia’s textbooks whenever they do an update. You can read his review of the 3rd edition of Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Biology on his blog. Of course, you are always free to choose whichever science texts you would like to use for you family. 🙂
March 7, 2022 at 5:31 pm
Jamie
Participant
Thank you much for your reply! I’ll check that link out!
March 7, 2022 at 6:48 pm
MissusLeata
Participant
The Co-op we were in this year used Apologia Biology 3rd edition. It was awful!!!!!! I pulled my son out of the class after a semester. Jay Wile says it’s way too much information for a highschooler. I took one of the questions my 9th grader was given to the Christian school where I teach Spanish. I asked the science teacher and the trig teacher about it and they said it was not a ninth grade question and that the honors students at school that are upper HS students wouldn’t have gotten it.
When my next child needs biology, I won’t use the Apologia book. But I won’t use any Apologia for science anymore. I’ve had the worst experiences with Apologia…..textbooks with misinformation, confusing questions, confused students, very wordy books that just exhaust my kids. I think I will use either Master Books Biology or Guest Hollow Biology.
A lot of people love Apologia. But it seems like just about as many completely hate it. My kids are definitely in the latter category.
March 8, 2022 at 5:20 am
Jamie
Participant
That’s what I’m finding! I’ve heard good about it until I looked into it. Not just SCM but also AO suggested 2nd edition… and I wondered why. The more I dig, that’s what I am finding.
Thank you for your input!
I am also looking into The Riot and the Dance or Friendly Biology. I need something laid out for me but still with a CM process AND something that will hold my DS’s attention (some were even saying Apologia can get dry). He wants to get into agriculture so I’m thinking we better make biology count!
If you or anyone has heard of or has even used these other two, I’d like to know what you think 🙂
March 8, 2022 at 7:08 am
MissusLeata
Participant
I researched several biology books when we ran into trouble with Apologia Biology in the fall. It was my job at the co-op to look into curriculum and several parents were complaining about Apologia. (Not just Biology, we were also using General Science for middle schoolers. The complaint we were getting is, “I don’t like Apologia.”)
The Riot and the Dance looked dry to me. But that’s probably because it didn’t have pictures. I like a science book to have colored illustrations. It was all black and white and I don’t think there was a photo in the book.
I haven’t really looked at Friendly Biology.
A lot of the Master Books curricula I don’t like, but their Master Class sciences look pretty good. Along with the Biology book, you can get a book of really great pictures to use for labs. So, you don’t have to have a microscope. I liked the Master Books option because it really seemed to bring worship into science and I think all sciences are a great place to stand in awe of our Creator.
The other biology that I have found that does that is Devotional Biology.
Also, Jay Wile has started his own company, Berean Builders, and now has a high school Biology available. It’s called “Discovering Design with Biology.” It’s probably similar to the Apologia 2nd Edition book. Personally, I am not a huge fan of his teaching style and my kids haven’t enjoyed his books, but that option is available for those who do.
March 8, 2022 at 7:51 am
Jamie
Participant
Yeah, I’m not sure about Dr. Wile. We did use the Apologia Phys. science 2nd Ed. for 8th grade and it was okay. My son said it was “eh!” …lol… teens…
Never thought to check MB biology. I’ll take a look! I need simple but covers what DS needs. I am teaching multiple grades and I’m already frazzled some days. Adding high school to the mix has upped the frazzleness… if that’s even a word! lol… someone had recommended Friendly Bio because it’s pretty laid out with a Christian worldview (Hajda also offers a secular version) but I want to keep the CM values. It’s tough!

March 8, 2022 at 9:07 am
MissusLeata
Participant
My oldest is in 9th grade this year and I totally get the frazzleness. I spent the first semester totally overwhelmed. Dropping Apologia helped a LOT!
March 8, 2022 at 10:19 am
Karen Smith
Moderator
Here’s some information that may be helpful to you regarding Dr. Wile’s science courses published with Berean Builders and how they compare to his Apologia science courses.
First, Dr. Wile’s Discovering Design with Biology course is not available yet. Berean Builders is hoping to release it this summer. Dr. Wile is currently writing it and it is in the long publication process.
Second, Dr. Wile’s Apologia science courses were written with the assumption that a knowledgeable adult would be overseeing the course. He wrote those courses for a co-op, not individual students in their own homes. His newer Science in the Atomic Age and Discovering Design series for middle school and high school students are written directly to the student with the assumption that there is not a knowledgeable adult in the home to help the student. Because of that, Dr. Wile’s writing style in the newer books is more living than in his Apologia books. They are worth looking at a sample to see if they appeal to your children. We do recommend Dr. Wile’s newer books over his Apologia books and over Apologia’s new editions.
March 8, 2022 at 10:42 am
Jamie
Participant
Thank you, Karen! Very interesting!
Is there a way to see a sample? I clicked on the link which brought me to the site, but I am not seeing a download to show one on the biology page. I may be missing something, lol… I’m known to not see something and it’s right in front of me! haha!
March 8, 2022 at 2:42 pm
Karen Smith
Moderator
Currently, there isn’t a sample for Discovering Design with Biology because the book has not been published yet. You can look at samples of Science in the Atomic Age, Discovering Design with Earth Science, and Discovering Design with Chemistry to get an idea of the writing style. When you go to any of those books on Berean Builder’s website, there are sample pages under “Product Resources”.