I am reviewing three Apologia science textbooks: Exploring Creation with Zoology: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day for elementary students, Exploring Creation with General Science for middle school students, and Exploring Creation with Biology for high school students.
One of my favorite parts of Apologia's textbooks is a page right near the beginning titled, "Need Help?" The entire page is devoted to getting help through the mail, email, on the web, by fax, and by phone. It gives you the idea that they care about helping homeschooling families! Apologia is supportive and available. One more thing to love about Apologia!
Along with reading the textbook, suggestions to complete the course include narration, notebooking, projects, and experiments. Narration is simply the student telling Mom about what he/she has just finished reading orally or in writing. Conversation with Mom is a great way to remember the material. I love reading textbooks aloud with my children, no matter what age, but upper elementary children and older will have no problem reading it on their own with understanding.
Notebooking activities often involve narration. Here is an example from lesson 9, A First Look at Insects. "Write down what you remember from the lesson in your notebook. The topics we covered were: classification of insects, exoskeletons, eyes, heads, antennae, the three types of mouths, the thorax, and the abdomen. See how much you can remember from each of these topics. Record it on paper and make illustrations......After you have written down what you learned, draw an insect with every feature that makes an insect an insect..." (Page 145 of the textbook) Other times notebooking activities are more light-hearted, such as making an advertisement.
Projects and experiments are varied and include making an insect zoo, building a birdhouse, discovering which color birds prefer, building a bird bath, discovering which food birds prefer, or a nature scavenger hunt. All experiments and projects are easy and fun!
Topics covered in this textbook: what is zoology?, classification, extinction, bird watching, what makes a bird a bird, bird feathers, flying, nesting, matching & hatching, bats, flying reptiles, insects, insect life cycles, social insects, beetles, flies, interesting insects, and lepidoptera. If you want want to learn more, there is a password for the course website where students and teachers can dig deeper. But, I can't give you the password. You have to buy the book for yourself! But do check out Apologia's website!
Exploring Creation with General Science is written for middle schoolers, but could be read aloud to younger children or even used by high schoolers. What a neat textbook! It covers so many different topics: a little bit of physics, some earth science and geology, some biology, and several chapters on anatomy! I love the way it touches on a little bit of every kind of science. The only science not really addressed is chemistry.
The textbook contains sixteen modules, which take about two weeks each to finish. The "On Your Own" Questions at the end of each module should be answered as you read through the module. The Study Guide Questions (at the end of the book in the appendix) should be answered after you read the entire module. Throughout each module are experiments that can be done with things you have around your home. Here are the modules covered in this book:
- A Brief History of Science; Scientific Inquiry
- How to Analyze and Interpret Experiments; Science
- Applied Science, and Technology
- The History of Life--Archeology
- Geology, and Paleontology; Foundations of Geology
- The Fossil Record
- Uniformitarianism and Catastrophism
- What is Life?
- Classifying Life
- The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
- Energy and Life
- The Human Digestive System
- The Human Respiratory and Circulatory System
- The Human Lymphatic, Endocrine, and Urinary Systems
- The Human Nervous System.
Exploring Creation with General Science is a beautiful book! There are lovely charts, graphs, illustrations, photographs, and funny cartoons to keep your interest throughout the whole book. I enjoyed leafing through the entire book. The illustrations of body systems and organs are bright, colorful, and easy to understand. Well-written and easy to understand, your middle school student will have no problem reading this book on his/her own. However, the whole family may enjoy listening to Mom read it aloud too!
This is the best General Science textbook I've read! For the vast amount of information that is covered, great detail is shared without it being dry and boring. Another great job, Apologia!
Exploring Creation with Biology is the best biology textbook I have ever seen. With a Bachelors degree in nursing, I have taken my fair share of biology classes and read numerous science textbooks at the high school and college level. I am impressed with the thorough coverage in Exploring Creation with Biology.
The textbook is divided into sixteen modules. Here are the modules:
- Defining life
- Kingdom Monera (Bacteria)
- Kingdom Protista (one celled organisms)
- Kingdom Fungi (yeasts and molds)
- Chemistry of Life (elements, molecules, photosynthesis, carbohydrates, proteins, and enzymes)
- The Cell, Cellular Reproduction and DNA
- Mendelian Genetics
- Theory of Evolution, Ecology
- The Invertebrates of Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Arthropoda (Crustacea, Spiders, Insects)
- Phylum Chordata (animals with a vertebrea)
- Kingdom Plantae: Anatomy and Classification
- Kingdom Plantae: Physiology and Reproduction
- Reptiles & Birds & Mammals
Exploring Creation with Biology is another beautiful book! You could spend hours just looking at the pictures, reading the charts, and looking at the diagrams.
These textbooks are not cheap, but worth the price!
For the biology class, you can purchase a microscope, slide set with microscope, a microscope slide set alone,or a dissection kit with specimens. Everything else you need for the course can be found around your house or picked up at Wal Mart.
Do not underestimate the effect that the study of science has on your child's walk with the Lord. As the Word of God reminds us, "For since the Creation of the World, God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse," (Romans 1:20 NIV).
Nature reveals the glory of God. Studying God's Creation from a perspective that gives honor and glory to Him changes us from the inside out! As we behold his power and divine nature, we cannot help but be amazed and impressed! Introduce your children to the Amazing Creator and the wonders He has made!
Yes, in case you haven't guessed, I highly recommend these textbooks! Blessings to all you mothers of future scientists in the service of their Creator-King! Happy Homeschooling! Enjoy the journey of learning more about God and His Creation!
Blessings to you!
(Meredith Ludwig Curtis)