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Principles, Theories and Precepts of Biology Review by Christine Hindle

Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum
PO Box 200
Dublin TX 76446
325-649-0976
http://www.pacworks.com/

This curriculum consists of 6 chapters, 2 booklets per chapter. The first booklet for each chapter is the text, and the second booklet is the activities. The activity book is basically a workbook with fill-in-the-blank, true/false, multiple choice, and matching exercises. A typical worksheet has about 20-25 questions, with a good mix of these various types of questions. For instance, in Chapter 1, Section 1, Lesson 4, there are 21 questions. These consist of 9 multiple choice, 4 true/false, and 8 fill-in-the-blanks, of which the final question is, "Write the life principle." According to the answer sheet, the answer is, "There is more evidence to suggest an abrupt arrival of man rather than a gradual process of evolving." These books are not illustrated in color, but I do not think that detracts from them in the least. The Teacher's Resource Kit contains answer keys, quizzes, and tests. These were also on the CD-ROM that was included.

This study covers the building blocks of life, atoms, and molecules (Chapter 1), cells (Chapter 2), heredity/genetics and DNA (Chapter 3), evolution and the data and rationale it is based on (Chapter 4), classification of organisms (Chapter 5), and bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and algae (Chapter 6). There are a lot of very nice illustrations in the text and sidebars with vocabulary words. These lessons are easy to read and understand, and the workbook helps to solidify the ideas for the student. Each chapter contains 3 sections of 5 lessons each. For each lesson, the student reads the text and then does the corresponding pages in the workbook. After each five lessons, there is a section quiz. After completing all 15 lessons, the student takes a chapter test.

Don't let the fact that the course discuss evolution in this series make you nervous. Our children have inquiring minds; they want to know what it is all about and why people think it is true. It is good to present them with the facts and theories on both sides. With the evidence presented here, I believe children will reach the right conclusions on the matter. This is not a full biology course, per se. It is just what it is named: Principles, Theories & Precepts of Biology. It presents all the theories (young earth, Creation, evolution, heredity, etc.) and the basis scientists have for them.

Each text booklet is 8.95, and the accompanying activity book is $6.45. I think this is a good value for what you receive. I am very impressed with the content and the methods used for presenting this material. I look forward to using it in the very near future in my homeschool. I hope PAC will publish another biology unit very soon that will pick up where this one left off.

Product review by Christine Hindle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2010

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