Adding to a Christian science for variety of views on creation vs evolution

[lulalu]

I have been using the science that gets done at our house. Currently that is Rod and Staff. It is easy to read through and then additional activities are there if we have time and resources. It is very practical and meaningful for science.

(I know all about many people saying just read books until high school. But we live overseas (currently we are stuck outside of our country, but should get back soon) and have no access to a library and the cost of purchasing books adds up quickly. It just doesn't work for our home.)

We haven't come to a conclusion in our family on creation vs  evolution. It just doesn't seem worth it to us to debate or take up so much time. That is one reason I don't want to use Apologia, that just feels like it keeps beating creation over and over. We are Christian so I don't mind the occasional reference to God's creation. We believe in intelligent design, just don't want to spend so much time discussing how the design happened. 

Anyways, R&S hasn't been too over the top with creation. But I would like to add in a unit on evolution so that DS can learn the other side too. Any good resources for a unit to add on evolution? What have you found balances out science study well? 

It just seems that the textbooks that are easy to use and engaging to read are so full of creation! Like that is the only part of science to study! Rod and Staff at least does a good job balancing out the topics it just seems to be a sentence here and there. 

So what all have you found to use? Is a science encyclopedia enough for evolution topics through middle school? Or do I need more resources? 

[historically accurate]

2 minutes ago, lulalu said:

I have been using the science that gets done at our house. Currently that is Rod and Staff. It is easy to read through and then additional activities are there if we have time and resources. It is very practical and meaningful for science.

(I know all about many people saying just read books until high school. But we live overseas (currently we are stuck outside of our country, but should get back soon) and have no access to a library and the cost of purchasing books adds up quickly. It just doesn't work for our home.)

We haven't come to a conclusion in our family on creation vs  evolution. It just doesn't seem worth it to us to debate or take up so much time. That is one reason I don't want to use Apologia, that just feels like it keeps beating creation over and over. We are Christian so I don't mind the occasional reference to God's creation. We believe in intelligent design, just don't want to spend so much time discussing how the design happened. 

Anyways, R&S hasn't been too over the top with creation. But I would like to add in a unit on evolution so that DS can learn the other side too. Any good resources for a unit to add on evolution? What have you found balances out science study well? 

It just seems that the textbooks that are easy to use and engaging to read are so full of creation! Like that is the only part of science to study! Rod and Staff at least does a good job balancing out the topics it just seems to be a sentence here and there. 

So what all have you found to use? Is a science encyclopedia enough for evolution topics through middle school? Or do I need more resources? 

Build Your Library has an evolution unit study that might work well to balance out. What level are you looking for? My kids did the BYL study around 4-7th grade depending on kid.

https://buildyourlibrary.com/unit-study-darwin-evolution/

[desertflower]

We are Christians too and believe in studying both sides too. 

Real science odyssey middle school biology (or is it called life science?) has a unit of evolution in it. 
 

plenty of biology for middle schoolers classes on outschool will have evolution. 
 

Now that I think about it, there’s a class solely on evolution via outschool. Benjamin Corey I think is his name.  I heard good things about this teacher, but my daughter (Christian) couldn’t finish the course. 
 

Hth

[Servant4Christ]

I hesitate to post because I'm not sure how much help I'll be. We also use R&S for science per my oldest's request. I wouldn't know what to suggest you add because we just regularly discuss the difference when these topics come up. I did contact multiple Christian science publishers a couple of years ago and asked for a preview of their section on Darwin and I thought Berean Builders did the best job of explaining. My current plan is to switch to BB when Oldest starts highschool. Something you could do is maybe write down a set of specific questions that you and your child can research answers to for both. Example: when does time begin? Look up the creationist vs evolutionist viewpoint. This way when you're done, the answers can be compared side by side. Then you can discuss why people believe what they believe and when these ideas originated ect.

[HomeAgain]

Getting Nerdy With Mel and Gerdy has evolution lessons/interactive notebook pages.  We've loved the materials we've gotten from them (and they are pdfs).

Our shelf also has the Born With A Bang series.  They are a set of 3 children's books written by a theologist (or nun, I forget) and focused on evolution.  Each is written as a letter from the universe, but the back of the book details a bit more, especially touching on looking at evolution through the possibility of being a project of God.  Faith guides, science gives understanding. 

[lulalu]

On 11/19/2022 at 12:38 PM, historically accurate said:

Build Your Library has an evolution unit study that might work well to balance out. What level are you looking for? My kids did the BYL study around 4-7th grade depending on kid.

https://buildyourlibrary.com/unit-study-darwin-evolution/

This sounds good. She doesn't have a sample I can see though. Does she just schedule readings from books? Do you know what books are needed? We haven't used anything from BYL before so I don't know what it is like. 

[lulalu]

10 hours ago, Servant4Christ said:

I hesitate to post because I'm not sure how much help I'll be. We also use R&S for science per my oldest's request. I wouldn't know what to suggest you add because we just regularly discuss the difference when these topics come up. I did contact multiple Christian science publishers a couple of years ago and asked for a preview of their section on Darwin and I thought Berean Builders did the best job of explaining. My current plan is to switch to BB when Oldest starts highschool. Something you could do is maybe write down a set of specific questions that you and your child can research answers to for both. Example: when does time begin? Look up the creationist vs evolutionist viewpoint. This way when you're done, the answers can be compared side by side. Then you can discuss why people believe what they believe and when these ideas originated ect.

Glad to know others use Rod and Staff science as well! I really like how easy it is to use and science gets done regularly now. 

I've tried bringing up what I remember from my schooling. But it has been many many many years now and I have forgotten so much. 

We do a lot of museums and often I read the signs and that includes evolution. But I feel he needs a better understanding of the eras and details. I just worry about DS growing up feeling he is blindsided by another view. (Maybe I read too many former homeschooled students complaints on thing like reddit). 

But thanks for the idea of just looking up questions. That may be enough for now. Maybe high school is a better time for an indepth look at evolution. 

[lulalu]

9 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

 

Our shelf also has the Born With A Bang series.  They are a set of 3 children's books written by a theologist (or nun, I forget) and focused on evolution.  Each is written as a letter from the universe, but the back of the book details a bit more, especially touching on looking at evolution through the possibility of being a project of God.  Faith guides, science gives understanding. 

Thanks. That sounds like a great book series for a Christmas gift. 

[historically accurate]

17 minutes ago, lulalu said:

This sounds good. She doesn't have a sample I can see though. Does she just schedule readings from books? Do you know what books are needed? We haven't used anything from BYL before so I don't know what it is like. 

I thought she had a sample, but I'm not finding it either. So I copied the book list here. It uses the Darwin & Evolution for Kids for the activities. You can look at a week of the main curriculum levels for the style of the curriculum - this is level 5: https://buildyourlibrary.com/purchase-level-5-curriculum/ (about halfway down the page is the link to the sample).

Required Books:

Bang!: How We Came to Be

Darwin and Evolution for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (For Kids series)

Billions of Years, Amazing Changes: The Story of Evolution

One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin (Y)

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story (Y)

Fossils Tell of Long Ago (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) (Y)

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (U)

Optional Books: The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History - the first section of this book covers pre-history and it can be helpful for an extra reference. Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be Do Animals Have Feelings Too? (A Sharing Nature With Children Book) Trapped in Gondwana - This is a Kindle book – it might make a good reader. The story is about a girl who gets trapped back in time on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana.

Edited November 21, 2022 by historically accurate

[lulalu]

Thanks!