Discovering Design with Earth Science

SKU
013755
ISBN
9780996278430
Grade 8-9
Traditional
Christian/Religious
Low Teacher Involvement
Multi-Sensory
Other Materials Required
Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.
Our Price
$69.00
Description

Begins with the general properties of the earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, before teaching the complexities of minerals, rocks, the rock cycle, plate tectonics, fossils and uniformitarianism and catastrophism. Also covered are the hydrologic cycle, atmosphere, pollutants, weather, space, the solar system, and the universe.

The hardcover Textbook contains 16 chapters. Chapters contain the student readings, experiments, and comprehension check questions (and answers). Each chapter concludes with a chapter review that prepares students for the chapter test. In lieu of lesson plans, the daily lessons end with the comprehension check. Following this path, each chapter will take 7 days to complete, allowing 2 days for the chapter review and one day for the chapter test. There is a bit of flexibility built in for students who may need a little more time to complete a chapter. The course is written in a narrative fashion and assumes there is no teacher present, and the information is new to the student. While this may seem more textual compared to other courses, the narration does a great job of explaining information in a way students can grasp. Colorful graphics and illustrations are scattered throughout the text with numerous full color illustrations in the appendix. Also included is a supply list by chapter and index.

Publisher's Description of Discovering Design with Earth Science

Unless you are using this course with someone else and they have the Answer Key and Tests manual you may want to order the set not just the textbook.

This laboratory-based earth science course can be used for either eighth or ninth grade. Most homeschooled students should be ready for it in eighth grade, but privately- and publicly-schooled students will be more comfortable with it in ninth grade. It covers the general properties of the earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Students learn about all the sections of the geosphere (such as core, mantle, crust, etc.) and then they study each in more detail. When studying the earth's crust, they learn about minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle. Plate tectonics is then covered, which leads to a discussion of seismic waves, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Students then learn about fossils and how both uniformitarians and catastrophists interpret those fossils as well as the sedimentary rocks in which they are found. A discussion that compares uniformitarianism and catastrophism follows, in which the strengths and weaknesses of each view are covered.

After that, the hydrosphere is discussed. Students first learn the properties of water such as polarity, the ability to hydrogen bond, and heat capacity. That leads to a discussion of the hydrologic cycle and residence time. Students then learn about the waves, currents, and tides in the ocean. They then move on to the ice reservoirs on the earth and then the freshwater reservoirs. Water in the air is the last part of the hydrosphere that is covered. The atmosphere is then discussed, including the composition of air, the sections of the atmosphere, temperature gradients, and pollutants. This leads to a discussion of weather. The course ends with two chapters on space, one that covers the solar system and one that covers the universe as a whole.

There are roughly 55 hours of laboratory instruction in the course. A kit that contains specific minerals, rocks, and fossils allows students to do very detailed experiments related to the geosphere. These include mineral tests, rock analyses, fossil studies, density investigations, and magnetic property explorations. Students also get hands-on experience with waves, gases, wind, water purification, cloud formation, the Coriolis effect, precipitation, and acid/base interactions. Please see the product resources link for contents of the kit, household items needed, and an overview of the experiments.

Category Description for Discovering Design By Dr. Jay Wile

Believing college preparatory, lab rich science should be a part of every homeschool student's experience, Dr. Wile provides everything necessary for success. With his conversational approach, there is more reading and fewer pictures compared to other curricula. Rather than intimidating, this beautiful approach assumes there is no teacher present and gives students all they need to know about a subject in a clearly explained, user-friendly format.

The Hardcover Textbook offers textual reading, comprehension and review questions, lab instructions and answers to the comprehension questions. The softcover Answer Key & Tests Book includes reproducible tests and answers to the tests and chapter reviews. It also includes grading and testing tips. USB Audiobooks are chapter readings without comprehension questions or experiments. Set includes Textbook and Answer Key/Test Book. Optional Lab Kits or Student Workbooks are available.

Category Description for Discovering Design With Earth Science

This exciting new course from Dr. Wile explores the design and complexity of the Earth, leading students to discover truths about its design and the One who designed it. Begin with the basic concepts necessary to study Earth Science, including a brief look at chemistry, the metric system, temperature, volume, density, and concentration. Once students understand this foundational information, they will thoroughly learn about the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. This course dives deep into these topics. For example, as students learn about the geosphere (core, mantle, crust, etc.), each area is studied in great detail. As they study the earth's crust, they learn about minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle. Plate tectonics is then covered, which leads to a discussion of seismic waves, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Students then learn about fossils and how both uniformitarians and catastrophists interpret those fossils as well as the sedimentary rocks in which they are found. A discussion that compares uniformitarianism and catastrophism follows, in which the strengths and weaknesses of each view are covered. Once these are firmly understood, the hydrosphere is studied beginning with the properties of water (polarity, hydrogen bonding, and heat capacity). The hydrologic cycle and residence time are then explored, leading students into a study of waves, currents, and tides in the ocean, along with ice and freshwater reservoirs. Students then learn about the atmosphere, including the composition and sections of air, temperature gradients, and pollutants, and weather. The final chapters focus on the solar system and the universe. Dr. Wile takes the student on an intellectual journey through evolutionary and young earth creation hypotheses and evidence through comparing the core beliefs of uniformitarianism and catastrophism. He stresses that all scientists approach science with a bias, including him, but he strives to explain both perspectives in a balanced manner, encouraging students to think through their own beliefs.

This a lab-based science program that provides 50+ hours of lab instruction. A Lab Kit containing specific minerals, rocks, and fossils is required. Contact us regarding availability. It will be impossible to do many of the experiments without the specific kit created for this course.

The hardcover Textbook contains 16 chapters. Chapters contain the student readings, experiments, and comprehension check questions (and answers). Each chapter concludes with a chapter review that prepares students for the chapter test. In lieu of lesson plans, the daily lessons end with the comprehension check. Following this path, each chapter will take 7 days to complete, allowing 2 days for the chapter review and one day for the chapter test. There is a bit of flexibility built in for students who may need a little more time to complete a chapter. The course is written in a narrative fashion and assumes there is no teacher present, and the information is new to the student. While this may seem more text heavy compared to other courses, the narration does a great job of explaining information in a way students can grasp. Colorful graphics and illustrations are scattered throughout the text with numerous full color illustrations in the appendix. Also included is a supply list by chapter and index. The softcover Answer Key and Tests provides a brief course introduction, recommended grading scale, and answers to the chapter reviews and tests. Tests are also included. Tests are reproducible for family use.

The textbook and answer key are available separately or in a package.

Optional resources include the USB Audiobook with chapter readings (no comprehension questions or experiments), and the printed Student Workbook, which includes the comprehension questions and chapter review questions with space to write answers. It also provides guidance on creating a lab notebook, and blank pages for documenting labs.

Purchase of course includes access to a course website with helpful resources including direction on recording labs and samples of the first few labs, video clips, and other links. There is also a question-and-answer service available with Dr. Wile. Information for accessing these free resources is included in the text/answer key introduction.

This is an excellent course that meets the needs for a lab-based Earth Science credit in Jr High or High School. Students will appreciate the thorough, well-explained lessons, and parents will appreciate the focus on student independence.

Details
More Information
Product Format:Hardcover
Brand:Berean Builders
Grades:8-9
ISBN:9780996278430
Length in Inches:11.25
Width in Inches:8.75
Height in Inches:1.375
Weight in Pounds:4.45
Videos
This product doesn't have a video
Reviews
Product Q&A