Biology: God's Living Creation Field/Laboratory Manual (5th Edition)

Instilling an academically solid, God-centered understanding of all branches of science from the early elementary years through high school is the mission of this traditional curriculum. Uniquely, Abeka focuses on mastery of the sciences from a young age through two pathways. First, the science curriculum follows a spiral approach to learning, which means students review previously learned concepts each year, expanding on known concepts and learning new material. The second path, if you chose to use Abeka curriculum in other subjects, is the integration of the grade level scope and sequence, which takes the material taught in science and reinforces it in other subjects like language arts and reading comprehension. While this approach is helpful for mastery, it is not necessary to use other Abeka courses to gain a thorough understanding of the sciences. Scripture references are KJV.

Following a traditional philosophy of education, the basic components include a student text and a teacher edition and/or answer key. Student textbooks are full color and written at a level that each learner can read and understand. Teacher edition content will vary depending on the grade. At all grade levels, Abeka science is teacher led and not designed for independent student work, although at the higher levels, students may be able to do some reading and related activities independently. The K-2 teacher guides include all the information needed to teach science successfully from the scope and sequence and lesson plans with teaching notes, to the activity suggestions and answers (except kindergarten). Beginning in Grade 3 through the high school courses, teacher resources have been divided into separate categories. While this may seem overwhelming, targeted teacher resources help parents and teachers find what they need quickly. Additional supplemental resources may be available. Student and teacher books are not reproducible. See individual descriptions for more information. ~Deanne

Rigorous and college preparatory, the upper-level science courses from Abeka continue to provide a God-glorifying, traditional approach that follows a standard scope and sequence. Parents/teachers remain directly involved in the teaching process at the upper levels and may feel more comfortable to teach Abeka science at home if they have a strong science background. But don't let this hinder you from choosing this rigorous science curriculum! Abeka offers online courses to meet the needs of homeschool parents who feel uncomfortable teaching upper-level science courses. See their website for more information. Student books are softcover. Teacher guides are spiral bound and hardcover. Separate answer keys are softcover. Lab experiments are more complex and may require special equipment (especially at the high school level). Student and teacher books are not reproducible. See individual descriptions for more information.

Presenting life as God's most complex creation, Abeka's Biology: God's Living Creation course studies plant life, human anatomy and physiology, zoology, and cellular and molecular biology through the lens of Scripture. While evolution is mentioned, the theory is presented as a departure from true science. The course is designed to engage a student's interest and promote field work. Text work and text readings are integral, with microscopic and dissection activities beginning in the early chapters. A compound microscope (400x), slides, dissection tools and specimens are required for successful completion of the course. Contact Rainbow Resource for a complete list.

The student textbook provides textual readings, feature articles, and the section and chapter reviews. Space to record answers is not included, so students will need a separate notebook. The text is well illustrated, with graphics and colorful photographs throughout the text to aid student understanding. A nice feature is the Trans-Vision Plates™, which provides a unique look at the inside of the human body through transparent overlays. Also includes a glossary of biology terms and medical prefixes.

The teacher guide provides the full student text at the beginning and the teacher resources in the back section. Resources include the scope and sequence with a suggested teaching schedule, classroom management information and grading scale, daily lessons, and answers to the text questions. If you prefer to not use the teacher guide, a separate answer key is available that includes the answers only to section and chapter reviews from the student text.

Additional resources include the Field and Lab Manual, Quiz Book, and the Test Book. Answers are not included; each book has a separate teacher guide or answer key.

The Field and Lab Manual provides 25 experiments and 3 additional projects. Each experiment begins with an overview, equipment and supply lists, step-by-step instructions and a report sheet. You will need to provide numerous items including a lab coat/apron, safety glasses/goggles, 400x compound microscope, dissection tray and tools, slides, dissection specimens (sheep brain and heart, fetal pig, frog, perch, grasshopper, crayfish, starfish, and earth worm), beakers, test tubes, prepared slides, and numerous other items. Please contact us for the full list. For your convenience, we also offer the companion Lab Demonstrations DVD, which gives students the opportunity to view all 25 experiments and 2 of the additional projects (The Tree Identification Project is not included). Use the DVD to supplement or replace the hands-on experiments. If your student is college bound in the sciences, you may still wish to implement some of the hands-on experiments at home to better prepare them.

The Field and Lab Manual Teacher Guide includes the complete student lab manual with answers. It also includes teacher notes for each experiment and the additional projects. A comprehensive listing of necessary supplies/equipment and instructions to construct a permanent plant press is also included.

The test book provides a total of 12 exams: 8 tests (roughly one every 3 weeks), 2 nine-week exams, a semester exam, and a final exam. Short answer, multiple choice, matching, and essay questions are included on each test. The quiz book includes 36 quizzes which offer a variety of reinforcement exercises including matching, true or false, short answer questions and labeling/identification pages. Answers for the test book and quiz book are found in the corresponding answer keys. Student and teacher resources are not reproducible.

Also available are the Biology Student and Parent Kits. The student kit includes the textbook, test book, quiz book, and lab manual. The parent kit includes the teacher edition, the test key, quiz key, and the Field and Lab Manual Teacher Edition. The optional Lab Demonstrations DVD is sold separately.

Revised with expanded content and improved graphics, Biology: God's Living Creation, glorifies God through the study of life as God's most complex act of creation. Topically, students will learn about plant life, human anatomy and physiology, ecology, zoology, and cellular and molecular biology through the lens of Scripture. While evolution is mentioned, the theory is presented as a departure from true science. The course is designed to engage a student's interest in and appreciation for the gift of life and promote field work. Text work and text readings are integral, with microscopic and dissection activities beginning in the early chapters. A compound microscope (400x), slides, dissection tools and specimens are required for successful completion of the course. Contact Rainbow Resource for a complete supplies list.

The softcover Student Textbook provides textual readings, feature articles, and the section and chapter reviews. Application questions are included in the reviews to help students connect science to real life. Space to record answers is not included, so students will need a separate notebook. The text is well-illustrated, with graphics and colorful photographs throughout the text to aid student understanding. Key words are in bold and there is comprehensive glossary in the back of the book.

The spiral-bound, two-volume Teacher Guide provides a scope and sequence, daily lessons (170), chapter overviews, lesson preparation resources, teaching notes and extension opportunities. Reduced student pages are included with the section review answers in the margins of the corresponding pages. Answers to Chapter Review questions are found in the appendix. Volume 1 covers chapters 1-12 and Volume 2 covers chapters 13-24. If you prefer to not use the teacher guide, a separate Answer Key is available that includes the answers only to section and chapter reviews from the student text.

Additional resources include the Field and Lab Manual, and the Quiz and Test Book Volume 1 and Volume 2. Answers are not included; each book has a separate teacher guide or answer key.

The Field and Lab Manual provides 25 experiments, 10 additional activities, and 3 field-study projects. Experiments include the introduction and purpose, equipment and supply lists, step-by-step instructions, and a report sheet. You will need to provide numerous items including a lab coat/apron, safety glasses/goggles, 400x compound microscope, dissection tray and tools, slides, dissection specimens (sheep brain and heart, fetal pig, frog, perch, grasshopper, crayfish, starfish, and earthworm), beakers, test tubes, prepared slides, and numerous other items. Please contact us for the full list of supplies.

The Field and Lab Manual Teacher Guide includes the complete student lab manual with answers. It also includes teacher notes for each experiment and the additional projects. A comprehensive listing of necessary supplies/equipment and instructions to construct a permanent plant press is also included.

The Quiz and Test Books Volume 1 and Volume 2 are separated into semesters, following the same chapter divisions as the Teacher Guides. Volume 1 and 2 combined include a total of 12 exams: 8 tests (roughly one every 3 weeks), 2 nine-week exams, a semester exam, and a final exam. Short answer, multiple choice, matching, and essay questions are all represented. There are a total of 36 quizzes in the two volumes, which offer a variety of reinforcement exercises. For example, matching, true or false, short answer, and labeling/identification pages. Answers for the test book and quiz book are found in the corresponding Answer Keys. Student and teacher resources are not reproducible.

Also available are the Biology Student and Parent Kits. The Student Kit includes the Textbook, Volume 1 and 2 Test and Quiz Book, and the Lab Manual. The Parent Kit includes Volume 1 and Teacher Editions, Volume 1 and 2 Test and Quiz Key, and the Field and Lab Manual Teacher Edition. There is no Lab Demonstrations DVD available currently. Since this is an optional resource, it is not required to successfully complete the program. ~Deanne