amo_mea_filiis. Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I hope I have not been asking too many questions recently. :D I know this is a possible hot topic but I'm not looking to debate these topics, just teaching them. Do you teach evolution in depth? Dinosaurs? Anything prehistoric? What do you use, or what do you do? I'm planning ds's school year and a bit of a guide for the future (mostly following TWTM, but not exactly as written). I want to combine science, history and geography for a year or so and work off of a timeline from the beginning as known until the ancients, or the start of the people. Is this too big a time period? It's only a few billion years, right? Can't be *that* hard :001_huh:. He just turned 7, so I'm not looking for serious studies, just a way to touch on some key points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) Yes, I teach dinosaurs, evolution, etc. I am not at the computer now, but I use a variety of sources for grammar stage. I use the Holt Earth Science for middle school. It is a traditional secular program. http://rainbowresource.com/product/sku/029679/30057e2a299f4903893604bd eta: We are Old Earth Creationists. Edited October 23, 2011 by Mrs Mungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Yes, I teach evolution in depth. I used a book called Darwin and Evolution for Kids by Lawson. I found it a good overall book to begin discussions about evolution. However, there is a lot of text for 7yos. I hit the main points. I use STOW so, we cover the theory of evolution when we discuss Darwin. I cover the beginning of the universe in physics, and dinosaurs as part of pre-history. Not that it matters, but we are not a religious family. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 We teach dinosaurs in depth and mention evolution in early and lower elementary school. Being old-earth creationists, we spend more time on that for origins. Discovery has lots of videos on dinosaurs. My kids are pretty well-versed there. I've lost count on the books. We get into evolution more in Life Science and Biology. I do have a whole 2 month course planned for my oldest to do prior to starting Biology which focuses on the origins debate and dinosaurs (he still really likes dinosaurs... even as a pre-teen). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 We are young earth Creationists, however we do intend to teach our kids about evolution in depth. I was very disappointed in my own education in this area. I thought I could argue for YEC competently, but learned I truly had minimal understanding of what I was opposed to. My high school and middle school just taught these straw man theories and said they were evolution, and here is how they are wrong. As far as dinosaurs...what is the question? Do some people believe they didn't exist or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 As far as dinosaurs...what is the question? Do some people believe they didn't exist or something? I'm just looking to include dinosaurs in my kids studies and was wondering how others may. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Well, we're atheists so yes, we believe in proven science. I started the kids with Usborne books and we took a kids class on dinosaurs and we've managed to check out every single book our library system has on dinosaurs for kids as well as plunked down some cash on amazon. DS wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 We did an entire year on prehistory last year (Kindergarten). I blogged about most of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 We watch a lot of Nova on-line. It isn't a systematic study, but it is interesting. We'll do systematic studies later. Also there seems to be regular news stories regarding dinosaurs. Reading the last finds can be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skadi Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) The best book I've seen so far is EVOLUTION: How We and All Living Things Came to Be. It's written for ages 9 and up, but you could read it aloud to a younger child and they would understand most of the big concepts. There are lots of illustrations and examples, which I love. I'm also a huge fan of this series by the BBC featuring Kenneth Branaugh as narrator: Before the Dinosaurs: Walking with Monsters Walking with Dinosaurs Walking with Prehistoric Beasts Walking with Cavemen It's a lot cheaper to buy the entire collection together. Last I checked, all of them are available on Netflix Instant Play, and some of them are on YouTube as well (here's part 1 of 9 of Walking with Monsters). They're also on Amazon Prime I think. Walking with Monsters is not listed in the correct order on Netflix, though, so watch Episode 3, 1 and then 2. The only caveat is that the series shows the creatures hunting and killing each other, and while there is no graphic violence, it does show implied violence (blood on teeth, etc.) so it may not be suitable for really young kids. The series does an excellent job of illustrating how more and more complexity can arise from simple organisms as they adapt to their changing environment. Edited October 23, 2011 by Skadi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggiegal Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I'd say it was more about my kids teaching me than the other way round :tongue_smilie:, but yes, we've done a lot on dinosaurs and evolution. We live very close to some of the best dinosaur bonebeds in the world though--Dinosaur Provincial Park and the Tyrrell Museum of paleontology are a couple hours drive away, and we have done many trips and programs at both places. Otherwise, the boys have taken out pretty much every dino and evolution related book in the library, and watched tons of DVDs. Everything from Dinosaur Train (PBS) and Dino Dan when they were younger, to BBC productions like Walking With Dinosaurs, Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, Prehistoric Park, to the recent Genius of Charles Darwin. We also take advantage of local events; we went to a rock and fossil show at the library this afternoon, and there's an 'open to the public' paleontology symposium held at a local university each year. Books and DVDs (and websites and games, etc.) are great, but to IME the kids get a lot more out of it if they can experience it first hand--touching real fossils, talking with paleontologists, etc. Are there options like that near you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Yes. I include it as a formal unit in life science as well as earth science. We also include some scientific history in our history so Darwin etc are studied and discussed. My boys have a lot of interest in these topics so they watch many videos and read books etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 As far as dinosaurs...what is the question? Do some people believe they didn't exist or something? I met someone who didn't believe they ever "really existed". Skeletons, museums, all that - a huge conspiracy. [i'm not sure WHO was supposedly pulling the strings or why] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 As far as dinosaurs...what is the question? Do some people believe they didn't exist or something? My mother said that God planted the fossils so we would see how powerful he is? I can't remember exactly what she said. We did an entire year on prehistory last year (Kindergarten). I blogged about most of it. Awesome! The best book I've seen so far is EVOLUTION: How We and All Living Things Came to Be. It's written for ages 9 and up, but you could read it aloud to a younger child and they would understand most of the big concepts. There are lots of illustrations and examples, which I love. I'm also a huge fan of this series by the BBC featuring Kenneth Branaugh as narrator: Before the Dinosaurs: Walking with Monsters Walking with Dinosaurs Walking with Prehistoric Beasts Walking with Cavemen It's a lot cheaper to buy the entire collection together. Last I checked, all of them are available on Netflix Instant Play, and some of them are on YouTube as well (here's part 1 of 9 of Walking with Monsters). They're also on Amazon Prime I think. Walking with Monsters is not listed in the correct order on Netflix, though, so watch Episode 3, 1 and then 2. The only caveat is that the series shows the creatures hunting and killing each other, and while there is no graphic violence, it does show implied violence (blood on teeth, etc.) so it may not be suitable for really young kids. The series does an excellent job of illustrating how more and more complexity can arise from simple organisms as they adapt to their changing environment. The bolded is probably how I'll keep ds's interest. :blushing: He loves these things. I do come across mention of that book quite often. I think it's time to get it. I'd say it was more about my kids teaching me than the other way round :tongue_smilie:, but yes, we've done a lot on dinosaurs and evolution. We live very close to some of the best dinosaur bonebeds in the world though--Dinosaur Provincial Park and the Tyrrell Museum of paleontology are a couple hours drive away, and we have done many trips and programs at both places. Otherwise, the boys have taken out pretty much every dino and evolution related book in the library, and watched tons of DVDs. Everything from Dinosaur Train (PBS) and Dino Dan when they were younger, to BBC productions like Walking With Dinosaurs, Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, Prehistoric Park, to the recent Genius of Charles Darwin. We also take advantage of local events; we went to a rock and fossil show at the library this afternoon, and there's an 'open to the public' paleontology symposium held at a local university each year. Books and DVDs (and websites and games, etc.) are great, but to IME the kids get a lot more out of it if they can experience it first hand--touching real fossils, talking with paleontologists, etc. Are there options like that near you? Without research, not much of this is available to us. If anything is, it isn't going to be very local. I will check around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Without research, not much of this is available to us. If anything is, it isn't going to be very local. I will check around! You'd be surprised. We go to a spot on the eastern shore of MD to collect fossils all the time. And there's a place less than an hour away where you can help dig for dino bones. There's a lot more opportunities for that sort of thing out west, but the east coast has its options for hands on prehistoric exploration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 When I was a kid (say, in the elementary grades), I was totally, utterly fascinated by a book called 'Thread of Life: The Smithsonian looks at Evolution.' It's from the early 80s and out of print now, so might be a bit dated/incorrect in some places, but I spent hours and hours and hours over several years reading that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I met someone who didn't believe they ever "really existed". Skeletons, museums, all that - a huge conspiracy. [i'm not sure WHO was supposedly pulling the strings or why] We have a family in our inclusive homeschool co-op that believes that satan planted the dinosaur bones to confuse people. That idea just confuses me. :lol::001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We have a family in our inclusive homeschool co-op that believes that satan planted the dinosaur bones to confuse people. That idea just confuses me. :lol::001_huh: My mom used to say this as well..... Odd, because we weren't church people.....:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) The best book I've seen so far is EVOLUTION: How We and All Living Things Came to Be. It's written for ages 9 and up, but you could read it aloud to a younger child and they would understand most of the big concepts. There are lots of illustrations and examples, which I love. I would agree this is a good book. We used it last year (my kids were 6 and 10 when we read it). My kids were also lucky enough to get in on a evolutionary biology class at our local zoo that had fossils on hand and plenty of hands on stuff. The hands on stuff we did and saw at our zoo and science museum (and out at National Parks when we learned about the shallow seas, etc and saw fossils in the group first hand) really helped cement these concepts for my kids. Edited October 23, 2011 by kck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We cover this as a science topic, starting with astronomy, geologic history, moving into animal science, and finishing with paleontology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 My mom used to say this as well..... Odd, because we weren't church people.....:001_huh: I just don't get why satan would plant dinosaur bones. Why not aliens or 50 foot human-ish giants or something? Why go to all the trouble of making hundreds and thousands of different dinosaurs? And why not hide all the carbon on the planet or something? If I were satan and almost all powerful, I'd be creating all sorts of mischief but I don't think fossilizing dinosaurs and "hiding them" would be it. :001_huh: We'd have chocolate rivers and unicorns and it would rain books. :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We'd have chocolate rivers and unicorns and it would rain books. :lol::lol: Ok, chocolate rivers I could see as evil, but raining books? Nahhh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Evolving Planet is a great book based on an exhibit at the Field Museum. http://www.amazon.com/Evolving-Planet-Billion-Years-Earth/dp/0810994860 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 For a 7 yr old Netflix is your friend! Lots of Doc's on Dinos, before Dinos, more Dinos, Dinos in Australia, Dinos fighting, After Dinos (big hairy Mammals, YEAH!) beginning of Man, Neanderthals, cave paintings.... This was my favorite part of HSing History lots of science! There are lots of Docs (netflix) about the early geologic history of earth. Like "How the Earth was made" and others. Also check out History channel and science channel for more of the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Ok, chocolate rivers I could see as evil, but raining books? Nahhh... I think she meant booKs. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I used the early chapters of The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Ok, chocolate rivers I could see as evil, but raining books? Nahhh... Well I wouldnt want to get hit by one. The the sadness knowing that books are littered about everywhere getting ruined by the elements and what not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I'm in the theistic evolution camp. I teach from secular science books (right now we are working through Joy Hakim's series) more because I do not believe the young earth theory is true. It is hard to find homeschool science that is both Christian and old earth unless one uses secular science materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I think she meant booKs. :lol: Hey, either one works. :D But if I had crazy power like satan is supposed to have, yeah. The world would be a lot wackier! You could be sitting at the beach and WHAM! Faulker nails you in the head (paperback version?) Oooooo... what I'd do is make it rain the classics. I wonder how much smarter we could all be if free classic books rained down from the sky? And you HAD to read them, because they came from satan! :D:D Although the other kind of books would be kind of funny too. Think they'd bounce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Although the other kind of books would be kind of funny too. Think they'd bounce? Well ... they do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Well ... they do now. :D:D:D:D Holy cow, there went my afternoon Coke!!! All over the computer screen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) We have Jennifer Morgan's books about the origins of the universe and of human life: Born With a Bang, From Lava to Life, and Mammals Who Morph. Mammals Who Morph is the one that deals specifically with evolution, but they're all good. They lean a bit toward a hippy-dippy "Isn't it amazing how we're all part of the universe?" perspective, but since I'm a bit of a hippy-dippy "Isn't it amazing how we're all part of the universe?" person, that works very well for us. ;) I do think the books would be compatible with either a theistic or atheistic perspective on evolution. I really enjoyed reading them, and DS likes them. We also have Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story. I think it does a very nice, basic job of explaining what evolution is and how people came to be, but it might be a bit simplistic for a 7yo. I think it would probably be more appropriate for preschool and kindergarten. I'd definitely recommend Morgan's books, though. I think they're just right for a 7yo. Thus far I have not formally taught dinosaurs. My complete lack of interest in the subject coupled with DS's great interest in it (not so much this year, but definitely in kindergarten and first grade) made it a perfect self-study subject for him. ;) Edited October 23, 2011 by twoforjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Adding to this (old) thread, which has been very helpful to me ... Button's been esp. curious about how the very first cell came to be, out of Just Stuff. I've been hunting for something for a while now (I think I even started a thread for it ...) and just came across the very highly-rated Bang! How We Came to Be which does include a description of molecules starting to form links to each other, then replicate, then add other stuff to make a cell. But the book says it better :). If you yourself want to understand The First Life Forms, the Teaching Company's Biology course addresses this within the first 1-3 lectures; it may be at your library ... We're also going to give Billions of Years, Amazing Changes a whirl as a read-aloud. And finishing off with the Basher Biology book and the Lava to Life book rec'd earlier in the thread (as hippy-dippy, but good -- it is both; I end up either skipping or re-educating around the universe-spirit stuff). Edited March 25, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 We did an entire year on prehistory last year (Kindergarten). ack. An old thread. How do I get suckered in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I just don't get why satan would plant dinosaur bones. Why not aliens or 50 foot human-ish giants or something? Why go to all the trouble of making hundreds and thousands of different dinosaurs? And why not hide all the carbon on the planet or something? If I were satan and almost all powerful, I'd be creating all sorts of mischief but I don't think fossilizing dinosaurs and "hiding them" would be it. :001_huh: We'd have chocolate rivers and unicorns and it would rain books. :lol::lol: I've heard that carbon dating, fossils - the whole thing is a test by God. A test of our faith in Him. Irks me to no end. ETA: ARGH! Old thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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