Recommended Science books for new syllabus???

[dudbomber]

 G'day everybody, my school uses the "new" "in Focus" books for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. But I find it basic and unchallenging, likewise with the Maths in Focus books. I use IGCSE, IA and IB science pdf books, because they comprehensively (and excessively) cover most (not all) of the syllabus, and challenge students with puzzling questions.

Such as: "what is the electronic (subshell) configuration of copper?" Which clearly is an exception to the aufbau principle: [Ar] 3d10 4s1. Which the  "new" "In Focus" books bereft.

Note: Dotpoint and surfing series books are also quite interesting.

Internet... Is of course one of the best resources too... as long as it is relevant and understandable, eg;https://chem.libretexts.org/

Not sure with Pearson and Heinmann. But I'm looking forward to any responses and experiences that you guys have.

Makes me wonder. What other books would you guys recommend?

[jamonwindeyer]

I think the thing to be careful of when considering a textbook/resource is that there is only a certain amount to know. The syllabus is of finite length. So while it might be tempting to consult a heap of additional resources, the mark benefit you'll get from that is next to non-existent once you get past a certain point. So unless you are reading for your own interest, it's not really worth the financial outlay to learn stuff that could never and will never be examined. For me, efficiency is key

That said, the "In Focus" books cover everything you'll need in terms of assessable content. If you wanted a summary of the content (again, more efficient than flicking through a textbook), something like the ATAR Notes Course Summaries is really good for that. I agree that the Focus examples tend to be a tad simplistic, it sounds like those other resources are doing a good job filling that gap. Hopefully someone can lend a hand with additional stuff if you need it!

[ganeshremedies]

The CBSE class XI syllabus for the academic year 2015-16 has been issued by Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi. Keeping in mind the need for detailed and well-defined sections in the subject, the syllabus of CBSE Class 11 is comprehensive, yet concise. The chapters prescribed in the Class 11 syllabus for 2019-20 are appropriate for good performance in entrance exams such as IIT JEE, NEET (AIPMT) besides the final exams.

[avocadinq]

G'day everybody, my school uses the "new" "in Focus" books for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. But I find it basic and unchallenging, likewise with the Maths in Focus books. I use IGCSE, IA and IB science pdf books, because they comprehensively (and excessively) cover most (not all) of the syllabus, and challenge students with puzzling questions.

Such as: "what is the electronic (subshell) configuration of copper?" Which clearly is an exception to the aufbau principle: [Ar] 3d10 4s1. Which the  "new" "In Focus" books bereft.

Note: Dotpoint and surfing series books are also quite interesting.

Internet... Is of course one of the best resources too... as long as it is relevant and understandable, eg;https://chem.libretexts.org/

Not sure with Pearson and Heinmann. But I'm looking forward to any responses and experiences that you guys have.

Makes me wonder. What other books would you guys recommend?

Personally, I've used in focus and jacaranda for physics + pearson for chemistry. All textbooks were fairly good at covering the concepts, with jacaranda and pearson with more detail than in focus. In Pearson, there are lots of questions varying in difficulty (with the easier questions at the beginning and the harder questions at the end), whereas jacaranda and in focus had questions covering the basic concepts. Past paper questions and the atarnotes topic tests/study guides are also a good alternative to textbooks if you are looking for harder/more challenging questions or a basic summary of the content.