Teaching science has always been one of those subjects that I frequently hear homeschool parents struggle with. They struggle as far as choosing a good, solid curriculum. I’m excited to have the opportunity to introduce you, sweet readers, to this science curriculum.
In full disclosure, I was given this curriculum and compensated for my time. In no way does this sway the information I’m sharing below.
Faith-based approach to Science
By Design Science for grades 1-8 is a faith-based curriculum that offers a bionically centered approach to teaching science. The program is
“built on a foundation of inquiry that encourages wonderment, questioning, collaboration, and exploration of multiple resources to conduct research and investigation.”
Check out their video overview
ByDesignOverview from Adventist Education on Vimeo.
By Design Science for grades 1-8 Breakdown
When you order your curriculum you’ll get a text book and four workbooks (journal). You’ll get:
Text Book (the meat of your course)
And four unit journals:
- Unit 1: Life Science
- Unit 2: The Human Body
- Unit 3: Earth and Space Science
- Unit 4: Physical Science
The contents and pages are in color, but not overly colorful. An aspect I really appreciate as I feel that too much fluff can distract from great material.
By Design Science for grades 1-8 uses a teaching model that promotes inquiry-based learning and stimulates a natural desire for knowledge and better understanding of God’s creation. It uses a five-step instructional model that is present in each lesson. These are:
- Engage: Questions provoke thought and consideration of what’s to come. Each lesson begins by asking your kiddo a question that will help capture their attention and spark interest in the upcoming lesson topic.
- Discover: A fun activity which in which kiddos explore a concept with hands-on activities an scientific methods.
- Explain: When kids can explain what they are learning, it’s a great sign that they are grasping the concept. During this step they’ll explain in their own words, along with some guidance if needed, their understanding of the concepts in the lesson.
- Extend: Taking their knowledge out – your kiddo builds on their understanding of the concepts by applying the content to other areas in order to dig deeper and learn more.
- Assess/Reflect: Through this activity, a lesson review, kids will help showcase and put to the test all they’ve learned in the lesson.
As you can see, it’s very thoroughly broken down, well structured, and well laid out. A great method to help break down the lesson contents while helping learners dig deeper into the topic at hand. If you go to this curriculm tab on their site, and click on the levels, you’ll be able to get a preview of the material http://adventisteducationbydesign.com/curriculum/student-edition/
More about Kendall Hunt Religious Publishers
Kendall Hunt Religious Publishers also publishes these product lines:
Pathways Reading Language Art grades 1-8
In addition, Kendall Hunt offers Talented and Gifted programs in mathematics (M2 and M3) as well as products developed in collaboration with the CFGE (Center for Gifted Education) College of William and Mary in subject areas such as language arts, social studies, and science.
Connect with Kendall Hunt Religious Publishers on Facebook and Twitter.
Order your curriculum on their website!