feedback on Integrate curriculum from Biologos?

[Porridge]

Has anyone used modules (any or all) from Biologos' Integrate curriculum?

https://biologos.org/integrate

I'd love to get your perspective and to know how you used it -- one on one alongside another Bio curriculum with your child? as part of a co-op? as a series of seminars?

Locally, I'm frequently seeing classes/ seminars for highschoolers that promote an anti-science viewpoint. I don't see resources that are pro-science in the Christian homeschool community - I only see that in secular classes.

(cross posting to the highschool forum)

[TravelingChris]

I looked at a few of the questions.  It comes from an Evolutionary Creationism perspective.  Basically they call Evolutionary Creationism neither science nor theology.  They find evolution to be the best explanation for how life has progressed in our world.  They do believe in the old age of the universe.  They do think God is the creator and maybe intervenor in creation.  But I haven't had a chance to check out more of their sciences.  

I am also not sure is this a whole science program or a one year program?  Does it replace some other science like Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics??  Those were the sciences I focused on in high school.  I am a Christian who believes sort of Old Earth Creationism, sort of Intelligent Design and sort of Evolutionary Creationism.  But as a science loving person, I have had mathematically and scientific problems with the Evolutionary stuff I was taught in school and that still seems to be being taught in many schools and places.  Basically I think that a lot of evolutionary theory is flawed and not because of any theological issues but other scientific, probability, and other sciences and softer sciences that I know about.  In fact, the more I have learned since school the more skeptical I am on anyone broadcasting simplified explanations that if you did deeper, you see they miss the point altogether.

[Xahm]

This is really interesting to me. It looks like a science-y Bible study more than a science course to me. Is that right? Since my kids will likely hear a lot of "Christians against evolution" talk from their home school peers, it might be good to have something like this to help them think through things. I'd want to look it over to be sure it wasn't weirdly dogmatic in some other way.

[Christy-Jean]

I'm one of the authors of the curriculum. To answer the questions here, it's not intended as a stand-alone science curriculum; it's a supplement to equip teachers to bring up Christian worldview issues (theology and ethics) while using a "secular" science program. Or if you are using a YEC textbook, you could use it to supplement the lack of evolution/ancient earth coverage. Each unit features a video introduction to a Christian role model in science or theology, a devotional on a Christian virtue that relates to the topic (like wisdom in the DNA tech unit or compassion in the genetic diversity unit), hands-on activities that get into science content related to the topic like a lab or simulation, and discussion activities around videos or articles that delve into theology/ethics/Bible interpretation questions. The last activity allows students to reflect on what they have learned and figure out their own personal takeaways or life application on the topic. Each unit is about 5-6 hours of lesson plans, but they are modular and can be used somewhat flexibly. The unit plans include links to all the worksheets (which are editable google docs) and it is designed to be pretty much open-and-go so there is minimal prep or planning or science background the teacher needs to use the lessons. The discussion questions have detailed sample answers to guide teachers who are less familiar with the content and would like some hand-holding. But much of it would allow you to infuse your own denominational or personal faith perspective. The point is more to open up conversations and push students to consider the facets of difficult questions at the intersection of faith and science, not to give them all the right answers.     

There are 15 unit studies on various topics that a science teacher could pick and choose to use alongside the normal biology curriculum. A homeschooling parent could conceivably use all 15 units as a Bible/Christian worldview type course, but we imagine most people will not use the entire curriculum because of the time constraints most teachers have.

We recognize that not everyone who would potentially be interested in some of the topics (creation care, science as a Christian vocation, DNA technology and bioethics, seeing God in creation, cells, genetic diversity, etc.) will be coming from an evolutionary creation perspective and we have tried to be sensitive and respectful of other Christian positions in the way we framed discussions and assignments. Students will not be indoctrinated into the EC view and expected to adopt it, but when it is relevant to the topic, they will be shown the reasons and evidence for evolution and ancient earth that the vast majority of Christians in the sciences find compelling and they will be prepared to encounter these ideas in college. Even Christian colleges will overwhelmingly employ biology professors who accept and teach consensus science. That said, only three of the 15 units deal specifically with evolution and old earth geology. 

Here is a review from a YEC homeschooler who piloted two units for us: https://biologos.org/articles/pursuing-knowledge-in-unexpected-places-using-integrate-as-a-young-earth-homeschool-family/

All the units have been piloted by educators (some Christian school teachers and some homeschoolers) and each has been expert reviewed by a PhD in Bible/theology and a PhD in a relevant scientific field. The first five were also expert reviewed by PhDs in education. On the author team we had two homeschooling parents with teaching backgrounds, three biology PhDs (two with expertise/degrees/jobs related to science instruction) and one current private school teacher with an MA in science education who wrote the lab manual for Campbell's Biology, the standard AP text. So it's been carefully vetted. 

I'd be happy to answer any specific questions anyone has. 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Christy-Jean