Let's talk about the text book first. It is a very sturdy, thick, hardcover book. There are 16 modules in total. If your student plans to spend two weeks per module, he or she could finish the entire curriculum in 32 weeks. There is a schedule in the student notebook though, which is what my 15 year old sophomore in high school is following. Your student should have a biology credit under their belt before attempting this course.
I really love how Apologia can be successfully used by several different types of learner. There are ideas in the very front of the text book that share how to tailor this curriculum toward your learner whether he or she is an independent learner, auditory learner, visual learner, or a social learner. There are options for all types of learners. Definitely make this curriculum fit your child instead of the other way around!
The 16 modules included in this curriculum are:
- The Oceans of Our Planet
- Life in the Sea
- The First Four Kingdoms
- Marine Invertebrates I
- Marine Invertebrates II
- Marine Vertebrates I
- Marine Vertebrates II
- Marine Ecology
- The Intertidal Zone
- Estuary Communities
- Coral Reefs
- Continental Shelf Communities
- The Epipelagic Zone
- The Deep Ocean
Each module dives deep into the topic and teaches the vocabulary associated with the module. Students also pause during their reading to answer the On Your Own questions. If your student is also using the student notebook, there is a place to record their answers to these questions. Each module also includes hands-on experiments. These are often my least favorite parts of science because of the mess involved and because sometimes supplies are hard to find. I always have my daughter read through the experiment to make sure she understands what is being asked of her to do. I also have her check that we have all the necessary supplies on hand before beginning. Occasionally we need to order something online or pick it up at the store. In that case, she needs to remember to come back to the experiment and complete it.
The student notebook is a thick soft cover spiral bound notebook for the student to record their experiments, vocabulary, test review, and notes. It is printed in full color. This is not a necessary component to the course, but it is a nice way to help students stay organized and on task. There really are more pages in the notebook than my daughter will probably use, but that is ok. I will just have her use the pages that I assign. She can pick and choose between the others. Included in the notebook is a suggested schedule. I find that following this schedule is a big help to my 15 year old. She knows exactly what is required in order to complete the assignment and can get right to work. I like that the entire year is already scheduled for us. If there is something that I don't need her to complete, I can just cross it off. So far she hasn't had any trouble keeping up and has spent about 45 minutes each day with the reading and answering of questions. I also have her record the vocabulary words as she comes to them in the reading.
Each module in the student notebook contains an optional summary of that module. It is fill in the bland type of activities which help to review the vocabulary words and other topics covered in the module. In addition to space to answer the On Your Own questions, there is a study guide. I have found that many of the study guide questions are similar to the On Your Own questions, just asked in a different way. This is a great way to study for the test as well.
The tests are contained separately in a paper booklet. If you choose to use the tests for your student, you will want to keep these separate from the rest of the materials and pull them out at the assigned testing time. The solutions manual contains a copy of each test as well as solutions for the study guide, answers to the summary, and solutions for the test for each module. The beginning of this manual also includes helpful tips for grading.
As mentioned in the beginning of my review, we also were blessed to receive the MP3 audio book. This is read by Marissa Leinart and is a very helpful addition. My daughter enjoys listening to the audio book and following along in the text. She can pause it when needed in order to record vocabulary words or answer questions. It really helps her to listen to the information in addition to reading it.
My daughter is enjoying this study so far. It is an unconventional science credit for her, but it is also a great fit for her.
Curious what other reviewers had to say about this product? Head on over to the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read all the reviews.
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