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AIG God's Design For Science vs. Apologia
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Is anyone using God’s Design for Science rotation. I understand it can be used through the elementary years and then again through jr. high. I already have planned to do 106 Days… this fall, but I was thinking ahead. We wouldn’t be able to go through them twice, but doing them all would last at least from 5th thru 8th grade.
I have read posts where Apologia was not a big hit and some that love it. I had also considered this for later. What would be the differences in style between these two science programs? Which fits better with CM style?
We used God’s Design this year and plan to switch to Apologia next year because many of the families in our homeschool co-op feel it is a better quality product.
1) Apologia books have around 13 long chapters, each on a single subject so you get really in depth for that subject over a two week period. They have a lapbook that you can purchase and print out for written narration. It seems to be very CM. However, then you only get one topic for the whole semester. I think you would need two Apologia text books per year. If you do science two or three days per week.
2) God’s Design books have around 34 short chapters, so you can do two chapters per week. Each chapter has three sections, one for each age group. I didn’t feel like there was enough material for me to work with at home with my kids who love science. It is great when you are teaching several kids in a wide age range, as in a family or homeschool co-op. It isn’t designed to be CM style, but basically they are just presenting information and you can have your kids narrate, etc. so it is flexible. They plan that if you are covering Earth Science one school year that you work through their three Earth Science text books. Geology, Weather and Water, and Our Universe.
I hope that helps! Feel free to ask me any specific questions because I have one of each textbook sitting on my desk
That being said
I think kids will love either book series, they are fascinating. It is just a matter of what you need as the teacher. I really like the lapbook option with Apologia to help keep track of what we have learned.I also think that you could use the God’s Design more as a spine and add living books and experiments, etc.
mtnmama-Thanks for the info. I think both are great, so it may be a hard choice. I have some time to decide. I actually have planned to 106 Days of Creation this fall. Then I would like to do one of Queen’s Discovering Nature books. Also, I am planning to do Prairie Primer at some point. If I’m not mistaken, I believe that has some science included. So, God’s Design or Apologia will be after those. I’m thinking ahead. I actually have a few of the older versions of God’s Design, and I know aomeone who has Apologia. So, I can look at both and go from there.
sheraz-That is a good idea about the living books with God’s Design. I don’t want to lose that CM feel. I will keep that in mind. Who know’s. Maybe I will stick another Queen’s book in there sometime. So many choices!
My eldest (12) completed 2 apologia books with our co-op (botany, astronomy). She learned and it was ok, but they were not favorites and I wouldn’t choose to use them again. I dislike lapbooks as do my kids, it is simply busy work for us.
We returned to only living books for science and enjoyed it much more.
In junior high, we will look at the older apologia books, but are likely to skip general science as it is many topics we’ve covered with living books already.
I tried using Apologia a couple of years ago and shelved it. Can’t really explain why and we may go back to it but after flitting around with this and that we have settled on AIG’s God’s Design mainly because it is a better fit for us. The chapters are short which I as a teacher need right now. I may have my kids read the Apologia on their own at another time but that is where I stand with science.
missceegee-I am one that needs some kind of guide, so that is why I look at this type of curriculum. But, what kind of living books do you use. What would a year of living books typically look like at your house? Do you plan your own activities/experiments to go with them? I never did my own planning like that before, but I may be interested in trying. I like the idea of AIG w/ living books like sheraz mentioned, but without a guide, I would be lost.
Kristen-I like the short chapters in AIG as well.
We used Apologia Astronomy last yr and finished it up at the beginning of the school yr! Yes!! It took us that long! At that time my sons were 7 and 9. The 7yr old got tired of listening to it, so I had to break the ch. up a lot! My 9 yr old enjoyed it! They both completed the Jr. Notebook and loved it! However, this yr we started Apologia Flying Creatures and once again my youngest now 8 still zoned out! LOL! So after the first chapter, I gave the book to my oldest to read by himself! He is enjoying it a good bit! Glad of it! But, I do miss our together time for Science. Although I know he needs to do independent work at this age,10!
My ds8 is reading living books on flying creatures as well as informational books. He likes that a whole lot better!
This is a great website for following a list of living books and schedule for science. The only thing is you probably could only do the human body at this early of an age. Then wait to do the botany and physical science for middle school. HTH! 🙂
Psreitmom – how old are your kids?
There are several options. For 5th, my dd read Fabre’s Story Book of Science and kept a journal with copy work, drawings, narrations. http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=fabre&book=science&story=_contents
Guest Hollow has some good choices. I like Fabre’s books. Let me know ages and I’ll give some more options.
I think kids will love either book series, they are fascinating. It is just a matter of what you need as the teacher. I really like the lapbook option with Apologia to help keep track of what we have learned.
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