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Exploring Creation with Physical Science Review by Kathy Gelzer

Solutions and Tests for Exploring Creation with Physical Science
Dr. Jay L. Wyle
Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.
1106 Meridian Plaza, Suite 220
Anderson, IN 46016
765-608-3280
http://www.apologia.com/

Looking for a Physical Science curriculum for junior or senior high schooler? Check out Exploring Creation with Physical Science! It is rigorous, thorough, creation-based (as the name implies), and easy for the student to understand.

There are 16 modules or units in this almost 500-page hefty textbook. They are: The Basics (atoms and molecules, the metric system, and concentration), Air, The Atmosphere, The Wonder of Water, The Hydrosphere, Earth and the Lithosphere, Factors That Affect Earth's Weather, Weather and Its Prediction, An Introduction to the Physics of Motion, Newton's Law, The Forces in Creation--three parts, Waves and Sound, Light, and An Introduction to Astrophysics.

This curriculum is a bit daunting when you first see it. It appears to be on the par with those heavy college books we parents stuffed in our backpacks at university many years ago. Cracking open the book and taking a good look at some of the pages will set your mind at ease. The text is truly engaging and conversational. Here is a quote from the module on the physics of motion: "Now if you want to study the motion of an object, what's the first thing you need to know? You need to know its position. If the position of an object changes, we know that the object is in motion. That should seem like a rather obvious statement to you, but it really is not. Think about it: Suppose you placed a book on a picnic table and then stepped back 3 feet to observe it resting on the table. Is the book in motion?"

Photos, tables, other illustrations, and experiments break up the text. In fact, there are very few pages that contain only text. The back of the book has a glossary referencing page numbers, tables, module summaries, a list of all lab supplies for experiments, and an index.

Dr. Wyle is committed to helping homeschoolers be successful with his materials. The first page after the title page gives you five ways (mail, email, web, fax, and phone) to contact the company if you need any help. This course is written for homeschool families. The experiments are "household-friendly," and most importantly, the course is Christ-centered. Dr. Wyle writes, "In every way possible, I try to make physical science glorify God. One of the most important things that you and your student should get out of this course is a deeper appreciation for the wonder of God's creation!"

The introductory student pages give specifics on how to implement the text. The 16 modules should take about two weeks each (assuming you work between 30 and 45 minutes every school day), for a total of 32 weeks. Optimally, this curriculum would be taught in 8th grade after the completion of 7th grade math.

The corresponding answer guide, Solutions and Tests, contains all the solutions to the module study guides, answers to the module summaries, solutions to the module tests, and quarterly tests and solutions. Additionally, there are three pages of teacher notes. Here you will find an explanation of the "on your own" and study guide questions, experiments, and suggested grading procedure.

My husband and 13-year-old son are working through this book, and they love it. We recommend Exploring Creation with Physical Science to others who want a Christian physical science curriculum for their eighth grade or older students.

Product review by Kathy Gelzer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November 2008

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