Focus on Elementary Biology Student Textbook - 3rd Edition (Softcover)

SKU
005804
ISBN
9781941181331
Grade K-4
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
$75.00 $75.00 $48.25
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Description

This textbook has the same content as the hardcover version. There is also a consumable Student Lab Notebook as well as a Teacher’s Manual for this course sold separately.

Category Description for Focus On Elementary (K-4)

If you have a youngster who is bored with the amount of information they read about in their science text and hungers for more "grown-up" science, you might take a look at Real Science for Real Kids. Dr. Rebecca Keller has now introduced a Pre-Level 1 program, designed to introduce children as young as kindergarten to the wonders of science. This program contains the same basic components as its upper elementary cousin but is scaled back a bit for younger grades.

The necessary course components include a hardcover textbook, a paperback student workbook, a teacher guide. The packages include all of these components and a set of lesson plans (as a downloadable PDF), allowing you to create a schedule that works best for you.

The hardcover texts contain sixteen chapters, each divided into smaller, more specific sub-topics. The size of the book is a bit smaller for small hands, but the font and graphics are larger, designed for children to read on their own or listen while it is read to them. The chemistry text covers an impressive range of topics, including atoms, molecules, bonding, reactions, acids, bases, mixtures, food and taste, molecular chains, and more. The text pages combine simply written, clear, but interesting text with colorful graphics and diagrams that add fun and visual interest to every page. Each chapter ends with a summary of important points to remember. The student workbook, which is a bound, paperback book at this level, contains consumable lab activities and questions for each chapter. The questions included are fairly straight-forward, requiring only short answers, and students are also often asked to draw results and other observations. Unlike the experiments included in the notebook pages for grades 4-5, these experiments wrap up with an explanation of what students should have observed during the activity and why. Experiments in Chemistry include: using a cabbagejuice acid-base indicator, mixing various types of liquids together, "un-mixing" variousmixtures, and observing chemical reactions by making "goo." The teacher's manual is primarily designed to guide teacher and student through the experiments. Each chapter of the teacher's manual focuses on the experiment, and includes a list of materials, suggestions for guiding the discussion, more detailed procedural notes, and answers to the questions in the experiments. Please note that review pages are not present at this level.

The content of the Physics book includes what is physics, push and pull, kinds of energy, when things move, chemical energy, electricity, moving electrons, magnets, light and sound, and saving energy. The chapters in the Biology book cover life, cells, food for plants, plant parts, growing a plant, protozoa and what they eat, butterflies, frogs, and our balanced earth. Astronomy is the new addition this year and includes chapters on Exploring the Cosmos, the telescope, the Earth, moon and sun, earth's neighborhood - planets, earth's neighborhood - solar system, beyond the neighborhood - stars, the Milky Way, galaxies, and other 'stuff' in space.

All in all, although some fairly advanced concepts are presented here, they are introduced in a way that is exciting (because it is more like "grown-up" science) and incorporates fun experiments. - Jess

Category Description for Focus On Elementary Science

Explaining complex, advanced scientific concepts in a way that children will understand, this series helps children ‘go deeper' into the topic. Written for mastery, each topical course is one semester in length. Chemistry is the recommended starting point. Follow with Biology or sequence the courses to best fit your family. The five core disciplines include chemistry, biology, physics, geology, and astronomy. Interesting text and home-friendly labs engage children in the wonders of science, while teaching scientific facts and philosophy, without referencing evolution or creationism. Elementary and Middle Science texts generally align and could be used simultaneously by families teaching multiple levels.

Each course requires: Student Text, Laboratory Notebook, and Teacher Guide. Texts offer larger font and engaging illustrations. Consumable lab notebooks complement the student text with hands on activities. Teacher Manuals support the lab activities. Available individually, in semester packages or as complete packages. Each package (semester or complete) also includes a set of lesson plans in PDF format, allowing you to create a schedule that works for you.

Textbooks are full color and provide larger font size with plentiful white space making these a nice option for the younger learner or one who is overwhelmed by dense textual information. But don't let the pleasing graphics and layout detract. The science teaching is solid, with fairly advanced topics presented in an exciting, easy to understand manner. If you are familiar with the previous edition of the Focus on Science, you will be excited with all the wonderful additions to this course! First, each book offers more content through additional chapters, expanded explanations, and some updated graphics. New vocabulary words are in red with an extensive glossary and index in the back of the book. Chapters conclude with a bullet summary of important concepts and a "Some things to think about" section which encourages students to think through the chapter and apply what they learned.

The consumable Laboratory Notebook is a very important part of the program. For each text chapter there are two lab activities: a main experiment and also a second "Just For Fun Experiment" which is a less formal activity and provides further exploration of concepts presented. Experiments are divided into sections: "Observe it" which focuses on making observations; "Think About It" questions; "What Did You Discover?" where students write down or draw what they observed from the experiment; and, "Why?" where they learn the reasons why they observed certain things during the experiment. Single lines are provided for answering questions, along with space for drawing observations. With a few black and white illustrations, the softcover lab notebook helps children develop curiosity and observation skills, both of which are necessary to understand the scientific process. Experiments take approximately one hour to complete.

The softcover Teacher Manual corresponds to the Laboratory Notebook and is necessary for success. Guiding students through the experiments in the lab notebook, it begins with a "materials at a glance" list by experiment and a quantities list for all experiments. Individual experiments begin with a materials list, objectives and instructions for each of the sections outlined above. Where appropriate, answers to lab questions are included. While most labs use common household items, some specialized equipment is recommended. See individual titles for details or contact us for a complete list.

Families looking for a comprehensive, engaging science curriculum that teaches science without getting bogged down in ever-changing theories, will find much to appreciate in this well-done curriculum from Dr. Keller. Previous editions are not compatible with the new edition. ~ Deanne

Category Description for Elementary Biology (3rd Ed.)

Sixteen chapters covering the history of biology and modern biology, the tools of biology, domains and kingdoms, cells, viruses, bacteria and archaea, protists, fungi, molds, mushrooms, yeast, plants, and animals. Recommended lab supplies include a 40-400x Microscope, Butterfly kit, Eosin Y stain, plastic microscope slides, Basic Protozoa set, Tadpole kit plus common household items. Contact us for full listing.

Details
More Information
Product Format:Paperback
Brand:Gravitas Publications
Grades:K-4
ISBN:9781941181331
Length in Inches:11
Width in Inches:8.4375
Height in Inches:0.4375
Weight in Pounds:1.15
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