Raise your hand if you don't like Apologia Elem. Sci (esp. Zoology)! Tell us why!

[HappyGrace]

Just checking-because I'm thinking about Land Animals one for next year but it's against my better judgment to do a whole year on one topic. I mean, a huge section just on worms, for example? Will they get bored? I'm also worried about it being kind of a time waster to spend so much time on just land animals. Dd9 talks about being a zookeeper (:confused:) and likes the look of the book, which is why I'm even considering it, and I could fold in ds6, but in the past they haven't really liked staying on one sci topic for long periods of time and prefer to mix it up more. Also she did a bird class in co-op a couple yrs ago that used the Flying Creatures book for part of it, and she HATED learning so in-depth about birds for a whole hour once a week! (But it wasn't at all an interest at the time.) I do LOVE the Biblical worldview of the books, and this one especially covers some of the anti-evolution type of topics I'd like to start covering with dd.

 

What have your experiences been? Have you seen benefits to delving so deep into such specific aspects of zoology?

[WyoSylvia]

:lurk5:

[tullyfamily]

I've never used the zoology book, but we tried to use the Astronomy & Botany books. We did not like the textbook approach. The illustrations were beautiful and I longed to like it but I found it about my kiddos (they are ages 9 and below).

 

I have seen & know people who use Apologia in the upper level... it looks very good. Just not in love w/ it for younger grades.

[Melissa in CA]

I have no experience with the Zoology, but we tried really hard to enjoy the Astronomy book. My son got bored. *I* got bored. The book itself was not at all boring, we just got tired of astronomy, KWIM?

 

Your dc are still young though so perhaps a year on animals would not be boring to them. Animals are always a bit fascinating. :D Plus with your dd wanting to be a zookeeper, this might keep her interest. If not, you could always add something else into the mix. I have no suggestions off-hand, but I'm sure there are other easy topics you could do a unit on here and there taking breaks from the book. How about a NOEO level 1 Biology or Chemistry kit...using both and spreading it out a bit. I don't know, just a quick suggestion. :001_smile:

[abreakfromlife]

We are going through the Astronomy book and like it. I've had the same thoughts about the Zoology ones.....I'm thinking about if I do it, buying all 3 of them, and doing parts from each of them during the year, so at least we'd be covering more than one type of animal....but then that's 3 books for one year. :glare: So I might do Botany instead. Or something completely different. :tongue_smilie:

[HollyDay]

Raising hand - unfortunately. I really really wanted to like it. Really I did. We loved Astronomy. But, I think that was because dad has a telescope and did much of the program with us. He just made it really fun using his scope and his astronomy software.

 

But, the others were miserable. Dc (and I) became very, very bored. We did try the Swimming Creatures because we had just visited the GA Aquarium. But, even with that, we did not make it very far.

 

There are much better elementary science curriculums on the market.

[dani3boys]

We really gave it a try. We did the whole astronomy book and found ourselves hurrying through it by the end. We then tried zoology 1, but only made it through the first three chapters.

We have since switched to AIG's God's Design for Science series. We are three weeks into the Life science series and I think it is a good pace for us. They just did a redesign to their series so it is now in color. There are four different series in their curriculum, GDF Life, GDF Chemistry and Ecology, GDF the Physical World, and GDF Heaven and Earth. We have liked it so far. We are on the plants book which will take about 8 weeks. The other two books are animals and human body. The books are in depth, but not so much that they are getting bored. I'm using this with my two 10yo sons. The Life series and Heaven and Earth series are made for grades 1-8, chemisty and Physical are made fro grades 3-8. The lessons are divided up for different age groups.

Here is a link to the series if you want to look, http://www.answersingenesis.org/PublicStore/product/Gods-Design-for-Science-Complete-Curriculum-Set,5954,191.aspx

 

 

By the way, my older son is doing Apologia General Science right now and loves it. I think it is a great program for upper grades!

[HappyGrace]

I expected. I just remembered that we did one chapter of Astronomy a couple yrs ago and didn't like it! I understand what you mean about wanting so badly to like it and just not liking it!

[mom2att]

Well, I can't raise my hand and say we didn't like the Zoology books, but maybe my experience can offer insight as to why others didn't. My oldest took a Marine Biology at co-op last year using the Swimming Creatures book. She absolutely loved it--she was in 6th grade at the time. In fact, she loved it so much that I bought her the other two books in the Zoology series (Land Animals and Flying Creatures) just to have. I know that these books are slated for elementary grades, but I think that perhaps due to the textbook-y nature, they are more likely to be enjoyed by older children--upper elementary or middle school. It could also be that my dd had a really great, energetic teacher for the class she took, and that combined with the book made the topic exciting enough for the entire year.

 

So YMMV. I would not give these books a second look for a child younger than, say 4th or 5th grade. They are quite wordy and in-depth.

[sixpence1978]

Well, we like it but....

 

Yes, the kids get bored of covering the same topic for an entire year. At least that is the case here. I think my main problem with the Apologia Elementary series is that it is just so wordy. Even my son, who LOVES anything Zoology, would space out about a paragraph in. While I don't like things that "talk down" to children, I also want them to be able to understand. The material is also way too advanced for young elementary children. What they need to know is where the animals live, what they eat, something special about them...not categorize into species and sub-species.

 

That being said, I thought the experiments all went really well. We really like to have the books on hand for reference purposes, but it just wasn't our cup of tea for a year-long curriculum.

[MamaT]

I haven't tried the Zoology book, but we bought the Botony and never used it. It looked boring for younger kiddos to me, and I also felt it talked down to them. I wanted to like it! We have always used Apologia in high school and have been pleased, but I'm doing something else with my littles.

[Julie in MN]

Absolutely loved Astronomy here. But we

 

- did it in one semester (per MFW schedule)

 

- did it with a 5th grader (2nd semester 5th, too)

[Rhondabee]

I expected. I just remembered that we did one chapter of Astronomy a couple yrs ago and didn't like it! I understand what you mean about wanting so badly to like it and just not liking it!

 

We did about one chapter, too, about two years ago. We did make a balloon model of the universe, which we attached to the ceiling fan of the dining room (where we do our school). It was neat to see the planets rotate around the sun for about a month!

 

But, the book itself was just too much reading! We didn't get much farther. But, *JUST TODAY* I finally got the last bit of masking tape off the pull chain of the fan!

 

:lol:

[way2cross]

I like it, but sticking with "Flying Creatures" this long is driving me nuts. I think it's way to advanced for my kids. I need something for a 6 through 9 year old and I think this is years beyond them. Maybe down the road.

[lotsofpumpkins]

This is slightly discouraging to hear.... I have Zoo I here and am getting ready to start it soon with 2nd, 1st, and pre-K children (obviously the younger ones won't get as much out of it). The experiments look fun, and I'm really hoping the birds will cooperate. We've had a simple bird feeder hanging outside for a couple of months now and the birds have not discovered it. :confused: We live in the country and there's TONS of birds here. Maybe putting out a different kind of feeder will help.

 

Anyway, even if the wording in the book ends up being over their heads, we are going to try it anyway, and at least do the experiments.

[Chris in VA]

I reluctantly sold Zoo 3 earlier this year, after attempting it late last year (end of 2nd grade). It was pretty interesting to read, but it was sort of like an Usborne book for us--too many facts in too short a time to absorb them. Apologia itself says not to expect much retention in kids that are on the younger end of the elementary years.

[mamaof2andtwins]

My oldest dd uses the Zoology books, but she did them in 6th and 7th grade. She is quite a reader, so these were a great fit for her, and she never got bored. We have also done all of Zoology 2 and most of Zoology 3 this year. She does about a chapter (lesson) per week. She does it independently.

 

I don't know how well this would work if we did it with little ones. I do use Astronomy with my 4th graders. We only do it 2 days per week, if that. The reading is a little much for me. I am discovering that they can read it on their own, and then narrate to me what they have read. This is working pretty well.

 

I thought these books were a little much for the younger elementary student.

 

Jennie

[Guest aquiverfull]

Well we love Apologia Astronomy and plan to do Botany next school year, but I have to agree with everyone else. I'm doing this with my 4th grader. I wouldn't think about using them with children any younger than that. The books do get wordy in some places and I think that would be a bit much for younger elementary students. Previously we used SL science and we really couldn't stand the constant jumping around from one book to the next so this has been a much better fit for us. We do get bored on occasion and have taken a week break from the book at times. We just pick it back up and go on, it's working for us so far. :)

[Lori in MS]

Well, my kids love them and they are 6th, 5th, 3rd and 1st. We do one book per semester though. My sixth grader has been begging to do Zoo 3 so we will do it this summer since he is starting General Science in the fall. We have done Zoo 1, Astronomy, and Botany.

[lotsofpumpkins]

Today I decided to go ahead and start reading the Zoo I book rather than waiting. We just read the first section of Lesson I, and I had my oldest copy one sentence (defining zoology). I also had her and the 5 year old make a simple list of the flying creatures we'll be studying (birds, bats, flying reptiles, and insects). I used bird notebooking pages so they got to color the birds when they were done. They loved it, and actually paid very close attention when I was reading. It was just one page though. I guess we are going to take this pretty slowly. Maybe that's the problem a lot of people run into when using these books with young children. Are you trying to read too much each day? I decided rather than scheduling it for 2 days a week, we'll just read a little bit each day and take as long as we need.

 

So, anyway, we're only a page in, but so far so good... I'm not as concerned as I was earlier. (I really must stop reading these threads about curriculum I already own!)

[HappyGrace]

5th grade. Although maybe if we read just a tiny bit each day like lots

of pumpkins said....

 

It's so tempting because it just looks so appealing and I *want* to like it! Judging from the past example of her getting bored with a topic if we overkill it, I'd better wait!

[Guest dherring]

My boys love these books. We have Zoology 1 and did that when the boys were 8 and 9 and now they are 10 and 11 and we are doing Zoology 2 and they still love it. But, then we do this as a read aloud and they eat this stuff up. No, I don't expect them to remember the classifications, but they love nature, etc. My oldest LOVES astronomy and can tell me so much about it...I don't even understand it. lol. I'll be getting the Astronomy book for him to read on his own this next year.

[ChicoryChick]

I was expecting not to like it because it looked to textbookish, but we really enjoyed it. I don't spend a whole year on them; however, and my daughter was in 3rd grade when we started. My youngers had no interest in listening with us so I didn't make them. I do think it is better for upper elementary and done as a read aloud.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[ConnieB]

Well, my kids love them and they are 6th, 5th, 3rd and 1st. We do one book per semester though. My sixth grader has been begging to do Zoo 3 so we will do it this summer since he is starting General Science in the fall. We have done Zoo 1, Astronomy, and Botany.

 

Can you describe how you schedule this for one semester? I've got Botany and plan to start it this summer hoping that we could finish by year's end, but I haven't yet gotten around to figuring out how to scedule it all in to complete that fast.

 

Thanks!

[mamaof2andtwins]

Can you describe how you schedule this for one semester? I've got Botany and plan to start it this summer hoping that we could finish by year's end, but I haven't yet gotten around to figuring out how to scedule it all in to complete that fast.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Connie,

 

On the Yahoo group there are several schedules listed for the various books. Some are 12 week, 15 week or 36 week. I just pick from one of those. I don't like reinventing the wheel. :)

 

Jennie

[FlockOfSillies]

My dd loved the Botany book in 1st, and she specifically asked for it this year in 5th. BUT... we never finished it the first time around (only had abou 6 weeks available for plant study) and I just can't stand reading "Isn't God great?" in every. single. paragraph. The tone is too perky.

[Jenn in Mo]

We loved these! We completed Astronomy as a family, but made it a one-semester course. I supplemented by having them build their own book about the planets and we added in printouts of the planets and a cut-out of a section of the sun and put them down the hallway. I got some printouts from LearningPages.com. It was a great couch-time read-aloud followed by activities.

 

Right now, I've assigned Zoology to my 9 year old after Apologia gave it to us to review. We were also given General Science for my 11 year old, which is why I'm not going through it with him. Too many sciences going on at once. I miss having them together in this subject. My 9 year old is LOVING Zoology and he isn't generally a big fan of science. But again, we're going through a chapter a week instead of the recommended 2 week spread.

 

We school year-round, but I think these books would make AWESOME summer programs.