Cathy Duffy: Christian Kids Explore Biology
Review of Christian Kids Explore Biology by Cathy Duffy as seen in her new book: 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.
This excerpt is printed with permission from Cathy Duffy:
“I like the balance of information and activity in this science curriculum for grades 3 through 6 that is presented within a single 295-page book. Developed by a homeschool mom, Christian Kids Explore Biology is set up, ideally, for two ninety-minute block sessions a week.
The first session each week is “teaching time.” It begins with reading and discussing the information from the text. Students complete a daily reading sheet (reproducible form in the appendix), write words and definitions for their vocabulary list in a notebook, possibly work with flashcards, and do extended reading or research.
The second session is “hands-on time” for experiments or activities. These don’t require expensive of exotic materials, but it will take a little work to gather the necessary items (e.g. brown pipe cleaner, magnifying glass, old T-shirts, face paints, alligator stickers). There are also some artistically done coloring pages – at least one per unit. Colored pencils are the perfect medium to use for these. The book has numerous smaller black-line illustrations that children might also color. Students should each maintain a three-ring binder in which they keep all of their science work, including coloring pages. You will need to select activities and adjust the amount of work required according to the ages and abilities of your children.”
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There are eight units with a number of lessons per unit-thirty-five lessons in all, so the curriculum should take one school year to complete. Vocabulary words and lists of materials needed are at the beginning of each unit. Each unit concludes with a review, a test, and a writing assignment.
A biblical worldview is presented throughout with the idea of God as the master designer a key theme. The first lesson advances a creationist perspective, although it takes no position on the age of the earth. However, recommended resource books tend toward a young-earth perspective.
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Christian Kids Explore Biology
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