Biology Matters Textbook

Not for homeschooling. Lessons are too detailed and experiments are designed to do in a science lab.

Biology Matters is quite different from typical US science books. The narrower scope focuses on plants and humans. These topics are then covered in more depth. The simple language is briefer, but abundant diagrams and illustrations demonstrate the concepts. The organization is by function rather than by form. Rather than everything about plants being in one unit and everything about humans in another, the chapters tend to be paired so that nutrition in humans is followed by nutrition in plants or cell division is followed by plant reproduction and then human reproduction. The book is also about half the length of a typical US textbook.

Investigations are found throughout many of the chapters and tie closely to the Practical Book; however a few investigations in the textbook are not in the lab book, and vice versa. Answers to the investigation questions are found in the textbook answer key so the teacher knows what the outcome should be. To me, part of the appeal of this biology book is the hands-on exploration, so I would likely have chosen something with more extensive reading if I had not wanted to do labs. The correlation between the textbook and the lab book allows you to choose whether to do the labs informally with just the textbook or formally with the Practical Book.

The reviews at the end of each section and chapter are brief compared to US textbooks. The end of each chapter also has a Think and Evaluate page that requires a more extensive response and often some research as well. These tend to deal with current issues and practical choices.

As a secular textbook, evolution is covered briefly. There are three pages that dwell on evolutionary theory including one on Darwin's finches and another on how rabbits may possibly differentiate. So far I have found no references to origin of life or evolutionary eras. The word adaptation is used occasionally rather than characteristic, but this book is focused primarily on how, not why. Typical questions are in the form of “What does X do?” or “How does X do this?”, not “Why did X develop this adaptation?” or “How does this adaptation benefit X?”. Instead of evolution or creation being the main theme of the book, practical applications are emphasized. Thus most of the discussion about mutations involves genetic diseases in humans and artificial selection when breeding plants and animals.

Because the book is not aligned with US books, I would not suggest it for students who want to take a biology exam for college entrance. I also wouldn't suggest it for voracious readers who hate to do hands-on activities. For students who are not likely to enter science fields this would be a great choice because the topics covered generally have more application in real life. I also think it is an excellent choice for students who plan to go into nursing or medical lab technology if they also use the Practical Book. Likewise, it is a good choice for those interested in gardening and agriculture. It is also a good choice for science-loving students who don't love to read.

For those on a budget or who want a minimal course, the textbook and answer key would be sufficient. I highly recommend the workbook as a review or a test. The practical book is great for science-oriented students and teachers. The teacher's guide would only appeal to a small group of homeschoolers.