Do you use religious or secular science curriculum?

[mytwomonkeys]

both. i use singapore science with my son & "let's read & find out about" books. with my daughter i use rod & staff. it's rather dry, but i already owned it & after heart of dakota didn't work - we just used what we had. i also use the CLP nature readers with both kids, and they are christian. as my kids get older, i'll use both. i am a YE creationist, and i teach that. however, i don't want them to be ignorant regarding evolution, so i will teach that from a secular perspective as well. right now, we don't even discuss it really. we are still on science topics that don't touch evolution at all, and creation is introduced through our bible time.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I use creation based, YE Science. I believe that God created everything, and since he is the author of all, he is the author/creator of Science. So... Science acknowledging God, or Science that is devoid of recognizing the Creator. Just because certain Scientists don't acknowledge God's "hands" in Science, doesn't mean that they aren't/weren't there. If I believe (and I do) that Jesus died on the cross... and came back to life.... and that I am meant to be a Christian (Christ-follower)... then I can believe that he created the World that we live in....

:)

 

 

 

:iagree:

[Night Elf]

I answered we don't do science but was only talking about the 'before high school' years. I couldn't find a secular curriculum I liked well enough to use it all the way through. We tried bits and pieces of various ones but nothing stuck. Thank goodness for traditional high school textbook based courses. Easy peasy.

[Mama2Many4]

We use the Christian Kids Explore series, but I have to highlight many parts to skip over. We love the layout, but don't agree with some of the views.

[nansk]

100% secular.

[Moniksca]

Secular here.

[Lacie]

You make me laugh... The Stig! :lol: I so wanted to answer that, but I actually gave my answer.

 

YEC material

[mommyrooch]

We use secular science here.

[Crimson Wife]

Secular or neutral only. I really wish I could find a book with a "theistic" evolution POV. Something like The Language of God by Dr. Francis Collins and God's Universe by Dr. Owen Gingerich but accessible to children.

[Mrs Mungo]

Secular or neutral only. I really wish I could find a book with a "theistic" evolution POV. Something like The Language of God by Dr. Francis Collins and God's Universe by Dr. Owen Gingerich but accessible to children.

 

http://Http://www.answersincreation.org has some homeschool info. It isn't a full curriculum, but it is worth checking out.

[Momling]

Secular!

 

I'm a bit embarrassed about my own poor science background at the hands of BJU and Abeka Press and teachers who didn't know much about science and spent far too much time trying to fit religion into science.

 

I remember, for instance, going home and taking off my shirt so my brother and I could count how many ribs we had. (I had been told boys have one less.)

[Melissa in Australia]

We use the 2nd ed Well trained mind science recommendations, so it is secular up to grade 9 then apologia.

I skip the religious aspects of Apologia.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We use both. I change the religious curric to suit me though. We're intelligent design types.

[Joyofsixreboot]

http://Http://www.answersincreation.org has some homeschool info. It isn't a full curriculum, but it is worth checking out.

 

Thanks

[AvasMom]

Secular or neutral only. I really wish I could find a book with a "theistic" evolution POV. Something like The Language of God by Dr. Francis Collins and God's Universe by Dr. Owen Gingerich but accessible to children.

 

:iagree: We use secular for both kids right now but next year we are incorporating both of Francis Collins' books into dd's curriculums. We just do a lot of talking about it at this point. :)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Negin]

We're religious (although not Christian).

We use secular. :)

[mom2scouts]

We use the Apologia Elementary series because I think they contain a lot of great information in them and they are fun and easy to use. I fall more to the OEC side and Apologia is YEC, so I sometimes say that some people believe this and others believe something entirely different. We then discuss the different beliefs, including secular. I've found that the majority of the Apologia Christian content we've encountered are along the lines of "Isn't is amazing how God created the x to do y?" and I don't have any problem with that. I also use secular supplements.

[Jen in PA]

Secular.

[BigMamaBird]

We use Sonlight for Science. It uses mostly Secular materials but gives you guides for how to present it in a religious way if you want. So I voted we use Both.

[MissKNG]

I was really bummed when they revealed who The Stig was. My heart broke...

 

We are young Earth Christians and use Noeo right now. Switching to Sonlight when Noeo is complete.

[happyhomemaker25]

It was a mix for me. I start with what we believe for my younger kids. YEC. In middle school we look at everything a little bit. In highschool we dig deep into the other views.

[KungFuPanda]

I dabbled in religious science curricula for a while. Sunlight worked well while they used us borne books, but somewhere along second grade the sent a copy of Dinosaurs and the Bible, so that ended that. Later we tried a co-op that used a young earth text. The teacher and class was awesome. The science was sound and she never mentioned the YE stuff, but the text was awful and had mistakes that ten year old's (with exposure to science) could (and did) point out. It was obvious to the kids that the book was written to sell creationism and actual scientific facts were an afterthought. They couldn't get BEES right. Come on!

 

Last week I asked a friend how her co-op was going. She said she had to run screaming. A BJU text was used and she had to spend too much time working around it to teach her kids science . . . and something about the belief that children are born with diseases because if their sin!?!? I wish someone could clarify that point. Do people really believe my son was born with muscular dystrophy because of sins he would commit in the future? Or is he paying for his parents sins?

 

Um, no . . . I don't mix religion and science and often wonder how kids who learned that way fare in advanced college science courses.

[Tigger]

Secular science. Religious religion. Interesting discussions as to how they relate to each other.

 

:iagree:

[Scarlett]

I said both.

 

I don't really have a religious curriculum....but I certainly teach religion in with the secular science program and just as part of my son's overall day. (shhh don't tell the state of AR)

[Jenny in Florida]

We're not really doing much of a "curriculum" for science this year. It's one of the subjects I've essentially turned over to my son. However, all of the materials he's using are secular.

[Spock]

 

Last week I asked a friend how her co-op was going. She said she had to run screaming. A BJU text was used and she had to spend too much time working around it to teach her kids science . . . and something about the belief that children are born with diseases because if their sin!?!? I wish someone could clarify that point. Do people really believe my son was born with muscular dystrophy because of sins he would commit in the future? Or is he paying for his parents sins?

 

 

 

I THINK they were trying to say that congenital diseases exist in the world because humanity as a whole is sinful. In other words, they were saying that if Adam and Eve (and all of us afterwords) had never sinned, such diseases would not exist. At least, the typical Christian teaching is that disease and tragedy and such are all results of the first sin of Adam and Eve.

 

There probably are people out there who believe that congenital diseases are due to a specific sin on the part of the parents or a future sin on the part of the child, but that isn't standard Christian doctrine.

[AnnaM]

I dabbled in religious science curricula for a while. Sunlight worked well while they used us borne books, but somewhere along second grade the sent a copy of Dinosaurs and the Bible, so that ended that. Later we tried a co-op that used a young earth text. The teacher and class was awesome. The science was sound and she never mentioned the YE stuff, but the text was awful and had mistakes that ten year old's (with exposure to science) could (and did) point out. It was obvious to the kids that the book was written to sell creationism and actual scientific facts were an afterthought. They couldn't get BEES right. Come on!

 

Last week I asked a friend how her co-op was going. She said she had to run screaming. A BJU text was used and she had to spend too much time working around it to teach her kids science . . . and something about the belief that children are born with diseases because if their sin!?!? I wish someone could clarify that point. Do people really believe my son was born with muscular dystrophy because of sins he would commit in the future? Or is he paying for his parents sins?

 

Um, no . . . I don't mix religion and science and often wonder how kids who learned that way fare in advanced college science courses.

 

 

My guess with the BJU stuff is that it was either poorly written and/or misunderstood. What I would guess that it means is not that your son was born with muscular dystrophy because of his specific sins but rather that because we live in a fallen world (because of sin) we are no longer perfect and therefore disease happens. It is not because of something your son specifically did or will do, but because the world as a whole is suffering the effects of sin. I hope that makes better sense.

Edited November 11, 2011 by AnnaM
correcting an error

[AnnaM]

There probably are people out there who believe that congenital diseases are due to a specific sin on the part of the parents or a future sin on the part of the child, but that isn't standard Christian doctrine.

 

 

:iagree:

[KungFuPanda]

My guess with the BJU stuff is that it was either poorly written and/or misunderstood. What I would guess that it means is not that your son was born with muscular dystrophy because of his specific sins but rather that because we live in a fallen world (because of sin) we are no longer perfect and therefore disease happens. It is not because of something your son specifically did or will do, but because the world as a whole is suffering the effects of sin. I hope that makes better sense.

 

I'm a Christian myself, and don't BELIEVE this, I was just curious to know if an intelligent argument existed in favor of this position or at least clarification about what the actual stance is. Honestly, until I started homeschooling I was never exposed to such extremist Christian views and I grew up in a Church of God in the sticks!

 

I'm not offended, nor do I need reassurance. I'm just a little morbidly fascinated. I REALLY should have majored in sociology and it always interests me to learn WHY people believe what they believe.

[ashfern]

I voted other because we don't use a set curriculum. :tongue_smilie:

[Rivka]

I am astounded by these results, which are not at all what I would have expected from this board.

[EmilyinND]

Secular

[Live2Ride]

We use a mix of things, but my main focus is to teach them both sides, to allow them to make up their mind. Sometimes their views may change on something...sometimes not. They are still young. I want them prepared to carry on a proper involved discussion on a topic and know their view on it, but also be aware of another's view. I love the discussions we have because of it.

[kalphs]

It's a poll, hooray!

 

eta: secular science here

The Stig! :lol:

In reality we use secular materials.

[curlygirlzx2]

Secular in our house.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I so wanted to vote The Stig! But--to be honest, science around here is secular.

 

 

(Now who can tell me how to get one of the Top Gear boys as my Garmin voice? Anyone?) (Parenthetical hijack over.)

[Coffeemama]

Secular.

[Parrothead]

Ooooh, here you go! :)

I so want one of those. :D

[Negin]

I am astounded by these results, which are not at all what I would have expected from this board.

I like you and enjoy your posts very much :grouphug:. Are you astounded in a good way or bad way? Sorry, my brain's not fully functioning yet.

[Running the race]

Oops. Sorry to mess up your poll. I voted YEC. I should have voted both.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

We use a secular program, just because it is what I happened to like the best. I'd be open to using either if I liked the program better.

[Rivka]

I am astounded by these results, which are not at all what I would have expected from this board.

 

I like you and enjoy your posts very much :grouphug:. Are you astounded in a good way or bad way? Sorry, my brain's not fully functioning yet.

 

From the general tenor of the board, I assumed that the majority of the people on this board used YEC materials. So I'm really surprised to see secular science materials so popular. You'd think that we'd have more options to choose from!

[Farrar]

I had the same reaction, Rivka. I thought it would be more like an even tie, but I'm surprised at what a landslide it is.

 

Can we send this thread to... I don't know... some secular science curricula producers so they can make better high school materials for science? We're pretty far away from there, but it's my understanding that there are simply not that many great options once you get to high school outside of Apologia. Hello? Anyone listening? Look how well it'll sell!

[Veritaserum]

I had the same reaction, Rivka. I thought it would be more like an even tie, but I'm surprised at what a landslide it is.

 

Can we send this thread to... I don't know... some secular science curricula producers so they can make better high school materials for science? We're pretty far away from there, but it's my understanding that there are simply not that many great options once you get to high school outside of Apologia. Hello? Anyone listening? Look how well it'll sell!

 

Yeah, more secular HOMESCHOOL options would be fantastic. :) Dd11 is using Prentice Hall. It's ok, but it was written for a classroom and doesn't always work in a home setting.

[AvasMom]

From the general tenor of the board, I assumed that the majority of the people on this board used YEC materials. So I'm really surprised to see secular science materials so popular. You'd think that we'd have more options to choose from!

 

I would have assumed mostly secular or theistic evolution would be the majority. I guess I haven't been here long enough? lol!

[Mommy22alyns]

We use Apologia. I don't agree with YEC though. I would rather have a good secular curriculum, but I like Apologia more than any of the secular ones I've examined.

[Negin]

From the general tenor of the board, I assumed that the majority of the people on this board used YEC materials. So I'm really surprised to see secular science materials so popular. You'd think that we'd have more options to choose from!

Yes, I see what you mean. Not that I know what YEC or OEC are. We do secular. I agree that one would think that there would be more secular science options to choose from.

 

I thought it would be more like an even tie, but I'm surprised at what a landslide it is.

Yes, huge landslide. Very interesting.

 

Can we send this thread to... I don't know... some secular science curricula producers so they can make better high school materials for science? We're pretty far away from there, but it's my understanding that there are simply not that many great options once you get to high school outside of Apologia. Hello? Anyone listening? Look how well it'll sell!

:iagree: I wish they would listen.

 

I would have assumed mostly secular or theistic evolution would be the majority. I guess I haven't been here long enough? lol!

:lol:

I can't always figure out these boards and I've probably been here a bit longer than you. Sometimes people here really and truly surprise me. But overall, I think that it's a very diverse group of homeschoolers, more diverse than any that I've seen. That's why I love it here.

I thought the secular and religious would be divided fairly evenly. I'm pleasantly surprised. :) This is by far one of the most eye-opening and interesting polls I've seen in a long time. Thank you to Mrs. Mungo for starting this. :D

[TravelingChris]

I put down both, but I didn't mean at the same time. Currently, my youngest is using secular. She will likely continue to use secular but we used religious earlier in her academic life. For my other two, I used mostly religious but some secular. The religious was all YE but I skipped some parts in the books. Some books, Rod and Staff which I used for a time with the youngest, didn't need any modification. All the religious in it was Isn't it great God gave the birds the ability to find their way, type. Since I am a Christian, I agree.

 

The one secular book I did use with my youngest in the earlier years was a text normally used in PS and it was boring, dumbed down, and we stopped using it.

[happycc]

mainly because husband is ye (literal based on the Bible) and I am Christian but haven;t been able to get science and religion to jive. I prefer secular but have used Christian texts (Abeka and BJU) because someone gave it to me for free and I use it as a supplement. I am more of the science person in the family so I guess my secular views are represented more. I may have to buy Apologia science or some kind of Christian textbook spine to appease husband. We are mostly studying elementary biology this year-animals and human anatomy. Not much on creationism there. You know label the body parts of a cricket kind of thing.

 

Well I will have to introduce to the kids that this is dad's belief and this is mom's belief and we each read our own texts. You think that would confuse the kids much?

 

I have been toying about wanting to write a science curriculum based on Star wars..six episodes six grade levels for elementary grades. THen middle school science curriculum based on Lord of the Rings and Star Trek for High school. I would just need some great scientists willing to write these curriculum (I hate textbook writers) and of course permission from George Lucas and whoever else for LOTR and Star Trek. And of course the time and money to do so...SIGH!

Edited December 30, 2011 by happycc