Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: 7th grade, Apologia General Science, science

This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 3 months ago by APiper31.

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

Author
Posts
January 9, 2020 at 12:44 pm
Regan
Participant
On the Berean Builders website it says, “This textbook has been revised to a third edition. Berean Builders will not be carrying the third edition. When the second edition is no longer available there will be no seventh grade science recommendation until Science in the Atomic Age is released in mid 2020.” I am beginning to make plans for next year and will have a 7th grader. This was SCM’s science recommendation for 7th grade. Should I order this before it sells out or is there another recommendation? Is there another place to find Dr. Wile and his materials, like this one? Thanks in advance!
January 9, 2020 at 2:23 pm
HollyS
Participant
These books come up for sale used pretty often, so I think it will be easy to find if it does go out of stock before then. I’ve already purchased their Biology for next year, so I don’t think it’s too early to shop ahead, if you are sure of your plans. If you order it, you will want their solutions/tests book too.
January 9, 2020 at 10:12 pm
Regan
Participant
Good to know, Holly. Have you done Dr. Wile’s General Science? What did you think? This will be the first non-SCM science curriculum and more textbook so curious what your thoughts are?
January 9, 2020 at 10:38 pm
CrystalN
Participant
I might be wrong, but I think Dr. Wile and Apologia parted ways. Dr. Wile is publishing his new stuff under the Berean imprint, but I think Apologia is still publishing their Exploring Creation through… series. General, Physical, Biology, etc. I suspect Apologia General science will still be available through Rainbow, Christianbook and of course, my favorite, used. I may be totally off but the last time I looked at Dr. Wile’s stuff that is what appeared to be happening. I suppose the new editions of Apologia will have additional authors.
January 10, 2020 at 12:42 am
Regan
Participant
Yes, Crystal, I may not have made it clear but the quote from the original quote is not from the Apologia website, it’s from the Berean Builders website. So I’m wondering, is the Berean Builders website no longer going to carry Dr. Wile’s science books? And if they aren’t is there somewhere else I can buy them new? Also, wondering if there is a 3rd edition like the BB website says, does SCM recommend it?
January 10, 2020 at 8:38 am
sarah2106
Participant
The 2nd edition General Science was replaced by 3rd edition last year.
You can still buy the second edition used but the supplements such as the tests and answer guide are also discontinued and sometimes tougher to find, though many sell theirs as a set. The student notebooks are also discontinued.
Dr Wile explains the difference between the 2nd and 3rd edition here https://blog.drwile.com/my-review-of-exploring-creation-with-general-science-3rd-edition/
My understanding is Dr Wile split from Apologia a few years ago when he started his other science curriculium.
January 10, 2020 at 8:52 am
CrystalN
Participant
I believe, and again I could be way off, that the books we are thinking of as Dr. Wile’s are technically Apologia, the Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Botany, Zoology, etc. Those will still be published by Apologia and sold through them and other book sellers. Dr. Wile is/has been writing a new series, Science in the Beginning, Science in the age of Revolution, etc. Those will be available through Berean. I dont think any of the books will be gone altogether. I dont think he will be writing for Apologia anymore so their newer editions will be written by others, but will still be called by the original names. So if it is Dr. Wile specifically you want you may have to buy used Apologia or wait for his new stuff. Otherwise I think the new editions of Apologia will still be a solid choice. Is that clear as mud? And again, I could be off, I have not seen any official “statement” about any of this. It is just what I have seen happening over the last few years.
January 10, 2020 at 11:49 am
Karen Smith
Moderator
Let me help clear up some of the confusion.
Many years ago Dr. Wile was asked to provide science materials for a homeschool co-op. He wrote what became the Exploring Creation with . . . series of books for middle school and high school. Jeannie Fulbright then wrote an elementary science curriculum which Apologia published. Apologia used to be Dr. Wile’s publishing company, then he sold it but still wrote for them. Eventually, he parted ways completely with Apologia.
Several years ago he started writing an elementary science curriculum, the Science in HIStory series of books. He did not want to be the publisher this time, so Berean Builders publishes his new books.
Berean Builders sells, but does not publish, the Apologia middle school and high school books. Apologia replaced the 2nd edition of General Science this past year. They did an okay job of it as you can read at Dr. Wile’s blog linked above in Sarah2106’s comment. I encourage you to read it as Dr. Wile gives a fair review of it. Because Berean Builders is a seller of the Apologia books only, they cannot continue to sell the 2nd edition of General Science when their stock of them runs out. The same goes for any company selling Apologia’s books, once the 2nd edition of General Science is sold out, it will be no longer available, as Apologia is not printing anymore of the 2nd edition books.
Before Apologia released their revised General Science book, Dr. Wile had already started working on a 7th grade book continuing his Science in HIStory series. You can read about that book, Science in the Atomic Age, on Dr. Wile’s blog here: http://blog.drwile.com/coming-soon-science-in-the-atomic-age/
SCM will be reviewing Dr. Wile’s new book when it comes out and will make a decision as to what will be our recommendation for 7th grade science. Until then, we still recommend Exploring Creation with General Science, 2nd edition. As HollyS mentions above, there are plenty of used copies available if you can’t get a new copy.
January 10, 2020 at 4:37 pm
HollyS
Participant
Two of my kids are using General Science this year. It’s going well. I love that our science experiments turn out well and use general household supplies. Everything needed can be found at home, the grocery store, or Walmart. The text is well written. We’ve also tried Sabbath Mood and Novare, and this has been my favorite science for upper grades.
January 10, 2020 at 4:46 pm
sarah2106
Participant
My oldest did General Science 2nd edition last year and is doing Physical Scence this year. I agree about the experiments. We have done almost all of them (in both books) with out any extra trips to the store she would just add the occasional item to my grocery if we did not have it on hand. It is so nice that they are completed with things around the house. My daughter has really enjoyed both books and tells people her favorite subject is science, which still surprises me, and is always telling me “mom did you know…” which has been fun!
General Science started a little slow, but we stuck with it and had a great year last year. Next year my older son will be using it as my oldest moves to Biology.
January 10, 2020 at 5:14 pm
Melissa
Participant
I’m so glad this question was posted. It’s been on my mind for a while. My daughter will be 7th next year and I wasn’t sure what to do. I saw that Rainbow Resource still has stock on the 2nd edition text bundle. I ordered it today, and it’s discounted!
January 14, 2020 at 12:29 am
Regan
Participant
Thank you for clearing that up Karen! Thank you HollyS and Sarah2106 for your feedback. I’m glad to hear your kids have enjoyed it and you were pleased with it as well. It feels like a giant leap to use a textbook for science I definitely want one that is done well. Thanks again!
January 26, 2020 at 1:09 pm
APiper31
Participant
Thank you for all of the information on this thread! I was planning to buy the 3rd edition for my daughter for next year, but I didn’t realize how much of a difference there would be until I read Dr. Wile’s review. Since she is taking Exploring Creation with Physical Science the next year, this will help to avoid a lot of overlapping of information. I also found a great deal on a Like New set on eBay this morning, so it saved me a lot of money on the curriculum as well!