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Hi, my name is Melissa. Pour yourself a cup of tea and stay a while. I'm completely devoted to my Savior, madly in love with my husband, and joyously raising my daughters. I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoy your time here!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Life Science: Origins & Scientific Theory Curriculum: A Moms of Master Books Review

Sometimes I think back on my high school education and I realize just how blessed I was. My high school years lasted from 1994-1998 in the Bible belt. While many other areas of the country had been shifting towards removing all hints of Christianity from science. I would say looking back we were right on the edge of the big push. I was unbelievably blessed to have Mrs. Lowe as my AP Biology teacher. Not only because she made biology fascinating and gave us opportunity to be creative in whatever way we liked best, but because she unashamedly proclaimed her doubts about evolution based on her faith. She flatly told us that while she thought it was very important to understand and learn about evolution due to its prevalence in our society, she didn't believe any of it. She believed the Bible was the Word of God and that was where she found her truth for creation.

She gave me courage to boldly proclaim what wasn't popular. She prayed for me outside of class when I was chatting with her after school one day. She laughed with us and gave us coloring books the week of the AP test so we could de-stress and then colored with us. After that she told us she was praying daily for our preparation. Teachers like this are now silenced. I definitely didn't realize how unique this was at the time, but now I appreciate her more than I could ever say.

As I began our journey into homeschooling I knew the Bible was true and that we would teach our girls this, but I also knew it was important to teach them the theory of evolution, just as my biology teacher taught me. I don't ever want them to follow a set of beliefs merely because, "I said so." Whether faith in God or a scientific belief I want them to choose for themselves what they believe. Does that mean I take a hands-off approach to the Bible and science like some of my friends do? Absolutely not! It means I teach them from birth about our faith, and as they grow older I help them understand the other viewpoints. I'm not afraid to teach my children about evolution and this seems to shock many of my non-homeschooling friends. Perhaps it stems from the sheltering stereotype. Honestly, I think it's funny that they would think I'd hide this from my kids.


Once again Master Books steps in to help me where I felt I was lacking. For all the wonderful things my biology teacher taught me, I left her class without knowing how to talk about the possibility of an alternative to evolution. I am using the Life Science: Origins & Scientific Theory Curriculum for myself as I anticipate my children using it in a few years, but even if it was only for me I loved working through these DVD's and books!

The layout is very easy to follow with a chapter and then portion of the DVD to show. Everything is clearly presented from both sides with the option then for conversation and debate. Yes, it is written by a Christian who believes in a young earth viewpoint, but I do think he fairly portrays evolution as mainstream evolutionists see it. I think the best part of this are the interviews with those who do not agree with the biblical view of creation. We have the opportunity to hear in their own words not only what they believe but where they see problems.

I also really, really like the parent lesson plans. While I'm not testing myself I have looked through all of the testing materials and feel they are an excellent addition to make this a full science curriculum for a year. It is slated for high school, but I think advanced and interested middle school students would also be able to handle the information. I actually previewed both videos with my oldest daughter, Rose, who is 10. She really enjoyed this and learned a lot. I know she retained what we watched because of our recent trip to our local science museum.

As we made our way through the really amazing dinosaur path, Rose stopped and read a lot of the signs. This one was my favorite because she asked me why those who oppose a literal 7 day creation weren't willing to acknowledge the possibility of Noah's flood being real even when they were willing to admit that events like floods were what created the fossils. It was such a great conversation to have with her.

What I appreciate most about this book in addition to the amazing photography and detailed information is the genuine desire to get at the truth. It never feels forced or condescending. Instead real evidence is shown and reasonable logic is portrayed so the learner can decide for themselves what is possible.

I highly, highly recommend this curriculum whether you are just beginning your journey to learn about creation vs. evolution or you have studied this for a while. Young and old alike can learn and grow as a result of this fascinating text and DVD study.

Disclaimer: I was provided this book to review as part of the Moms of Master Books review program. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. 

6 comments:

  1. Sounds fascinating! I am very interested in learning about the facts about creation and the fallacies with evolution. My family has watched all of the Kent Hovind DVDs and learned so much. This book looks interesting. My daughter will be in 8th grade next year, and I may use this for her. Great review.

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    1. If you do end up using this pop back in and let me know how you like it!

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  2. I am considering using this in the fall for my 9th grader. How would you compare it to something like Apologia Science? My daughter plans to go into music, and definitely does not appreciate science or math. So I want her to do Biology, but not stress too much over it.

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    1. I personally fell this is less rigid than Apologia. I think this is a great fit for anyone wanting to understand the difference between the belief in a literal biblical creation and evolution. If your daughter is looking at a field outside of the sciences there is no reason to work through something rigid. Let me know how she likes it if this is what you choose!

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  3. My daughter IS planning a science/medical route. I am planning on using Apologia's Biology in 10th grade. I used it with my oldest a few years ago and felt it was very thorough and was pleased with it. My question is, I noticed MB has this curriculum listed as a Biology credit. If I did this with my daughter in 9th (next year), then did Apologia Biology in 10th, would she be getting a lot of repeat information? As I looked through the MB Origins and Scientific Theory samples on the website, it seemed like it was more about creation/evolution and not about Biology so much. I don't want to have my daughter repeat the same information twice, and I WILL be using Apologia Biology for sure. Can you tell me if that book was more Biology focused or more creation/evolution history? Thanks for your help.

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    1. Hi Alicia! I haven't used Apologia Biology, but I just popped over to their website and looked through what they have online. It doesn't look like you would be repeating. This curriculum from MB is definitely more about how to look at the evidence and understand how the interpretation of that evidence depends upon your world-view starting point. I would be comfortable doing this and then Apologia the following year. Another option is the MB Concepts of Medicine and Biology: https://www.masterbooks.com/plp-concepts-of-medicine-biology-digital-single This is what one of my daughters who is looking at going into the medical field will probably use if that continues to be her direction. She's in elementary school now, so that could always change.

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