Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 7 months ago by AngieG.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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August 4, 2011 at 3:57 pm
pbjmom
Member
Wondering if anyone has done zoology 3 first out of the 3, and what your thoughts are with tryint that. This is my first year homeschooling, and I hear so many good things about apologia, and that’s the one that I think my kids would like the most, but wondering if not having done zoology 1 & 2 first if it would be a problem. I could try to go over animal classification before starting it if that would help, but appreciate any suggestions. Was thinking about doing zoology 3 this year, then a&p next year, then when my dd goes on to the 7th grade book my ds could do zoology 1 & 2. Thoughts anyone? Thanks!!
~Amy
August 4, 2011 at 4:02 pm
4myboys
Participant
My understanding is that the First Chapter from Zoology 1 is required before doing Zoo 2 or 3 — but you can download chapter one of Zoology 1 from the apologia website as it is the Sample chapter. I am not uisng Apologia this year, but this is what I’ve read in previous posts. Given that, I don’t see why it would be a problem to start with 3, then go to the others in future years. How do your children feel about it?
August 4, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Rachel White
Participant
I wouldn’t recommend it; they wouldn’t get the most use of them that way. I got my son #2 a couple of years ago; he devours the Apologia in his spare time. He told me that there are terms in #2 that are introduced and taught in #1.
There’s alot of meat in these books and it may pose a problem if they don’t have background in the informatioin that is introduced in #1 and then expanded in 2 and 3. I really is a team set.
HTH, Rachel
August 4, 2011 at 7:28 pm
AngieG
Participant
Apologia recommends doing #1 before the others as there is terminology introduced in that volume, but they note that if you have “a general knowledge of life science and you do the zoology books out of order, you can just explain these terms as they’re encountered.” (I read this in their catalog, FAQ page). Doesn’t sound like it will present a problem. We’re going to start with Book 2 this year, not having done any others.
August 4, 2011 at 8:25 pm
LDIMom
Participant
We’ve done all three. Honestly I don’t think it would be a problem. There are a few places where the author says if you haven’t done Book 1, you can go to the course website and read terminology that is helpful. Once you buy the book, you have the code for the course website. We did do them in order, but you could definitely not. The order is based on Genesis, but each one is an independent book. Our favorite was Zoology 2, Swimming Creatures, but we loved them all.
Book 1 does spend some time on taxonomy, which she does not explain in as great a detail in the other 2. As someone else said, you could possibly read that first chapter if you have all of the books or perhaps you can just check the course website for helpful info.
August 4, 2011 at 8:36 pm
suzukimom
Participant
I am on an apologia yahoo group that the author herself is on. She says you can do them in any order, starting with the Zoo 1 chapter 1 (sample chapter).

September 10, 2011 at 4:11 am
Sue
Participant
@suzukimom, do tell! Yahoo groups are my lifeline sometimes. Is the group you are referring to the Elementary Apologia Science group?
We’re using Apologia (Zoo I for ds12 and dd11, Gen Sci for dd13) for the first time this year, and I could probably use some support.
September 10, 2011 at 4:18 am
suzukimom
Participant
Yes, that was the yahoo group. I’m not on it right now (not doing apologia at the moment…), but that was it.
September 10, 2011 at 11:32 am
meagan
Participant
My kids did Zoology 3 without having done 1 or 2. No problems in this house!
September 20, 2011 at 8:55 pm
AngieG
Participant
We are using Apologia, Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day, w/o having used the 1st book. When we got to the part that talks about Animal Classification (Kingdom, Family, etc), it refers to Book 1. We were able to read that part of Book 1, Chapter 1 and got all the info we needed inline as it is the sample chapter for Book 1. It was really helpful to be able to do that too as Book 1 explains classification so clearly for the kids to be able to see how it all breaks down. 🙂