I think it’s terrific that so many homeschool moms just like you are seeing a need in their curriculum, filling it, and then making it available to all those others who are looking for something just like that. Stephanie Redmond has done just that, constructing a user-friendly, biblically-based elementary biology program that you can easily use with multiple levels of children at once. The program consists of 35 lessons, each designed to be completed in about a week. The lessons begin with the basics such as creation, cells, taxonomy, the biosphere, and food webs, and then move on into the 7 units, each covering another group of living things; plants, birds, mammals, humans, reptiles, insects, and aquatic creatures. Each lesson begins with unit vocabulary and a list of materials needed. The lessons consist of a "Teaching Time" of about a page of reading, followed by several hands-on activities to take the lesson further, and actually "experiencing" it for younger children. Some questions follow and can be used for either discussion or a short quiz. Finally, a reproducible coloring page or a diagram to be colored and studied rounds out the lesson. At the end of each unit is a review and a unit "wrap-up," which can be administered as a test, or used to discuss the end of a unit, whichever best fits your needs. To round out the lesson, the author suggests making and reviewing the unit vocabulary with each lesson, perhaps reviewing the main point of the previous lesson, do the current lesson, work on the vocabulary for the current lesson, and complete some "outside" reading time for each lesson. This may mean using some of the books she recommends for each lesson in her lengthy (and obviously well-researched) "Supplemental Reading" section, or finding your own library books to complement the lesson that the children will enjoy. The hands-on activities, topic research, and other suggested activities can be performed any time you feel they fit into the lesson. She also recommends that each child maintain a science notebook for the course and include their reading lists, vocabulary and definitions, diagrams, research, reports, coloring pages, and any field trips or pictures you have taken about things studied. A lengthy appendix in the back of the book contains the reproducible experiment form, daily reading sheet, field trip journal form, plant observation form, maps, memory lists for each unit, scripture memory cards, coloring pages, suggested supplemental activites/recipes, answer key, lengthy supplemental resource list, divided by unit (including books, videos, journals, magazines, field trips, and more). To sum it up, it’s a very complete "beyond-the-textbook" approach to elementary biology, with a good combination of both structure and individual freedom to adapt lessons and activities as desired. Furthermore, it is very easily used with multiple levels of elementary-aged children; even children younger than 3rd grade could benefit from lesson content, appropriately-aged reading books, and taking part in the activities. Reproducible for family/individual classroom use. - Jess

Customer Review

 
Sonja W. from Kentucky wrote the following on 04/24/2008:
I ordered the book Christian Kids Explore Biology for our science curriculum. When I began to look through the book it was very exciting. Finally, a science curriculum that both my kids and I could enjoy. The explanations are thorough and the questions and activities are thought provoking and fun. (My kids and I have already been reading some of the chapters). I also love the side notes that lead you to more discovery. The biggest plus is that I can use this curriculum with all my kids at one time. How wonderful is that?