Thursday, November 17, 2016

EDUCATION: A Creation-centered Science Curriculum

Thanks to my husband who went to a Lutheran school in the 70's telling me how much he loved his science book, I've stumbled upon a science curriculum that Christian home-schools and parochial schools should check out as everything in it is from a Creation perspective. It's the Rod and Staff Science program and covers 2nd through 10th grades.

Check it out and if nothing else, this curriculum would be a great resource for Christian school teachers as an example of how to teach all of science from a creation-centered perspective. God created this world for us and we are seeking to understand it better.

Grade 2 Science WorkbookGrade 2:  Patterns of Nature
Science, at this level, mainly involves identification. Such subjects as seasons, seeds, wildflowers, weeds, trees, mammals, insects, songbirds, and the celestial bodies are introduced on the child's level.

Grade 3: God's Protected World
Units cover water; solids, liquids, gasses; the seasons; heat and cold; care of the body; animals; farming, machines, stewardship. The theme of the book is God's care of man and nature. The Bible theme identifies scientific facts that relate to the story of Noah.

Grade 4:  God's Inspiring World
Students will study weather, animal life, star constellations, light, electricity, plant life. Health and safety are addressed in a unit on human disease and in some lessons such as the lesson on the eye. References from the Book of Job help establish the theme of the book.

Grade 5 Science "GodGrade 5:  God's Wonderful World
Students will learn the basics of orderly, scientific study. God's wonderful world is best understood by careful observation and by consistent testing of one's conclusions. They will observe God's power and control, study and classify various forms of life, and become acquainted with practical applications of everyday science as well as the value of conserving God-given resources and the value of observing safety. References from the Book of Psalms help establish the theme of the book.


Grade 6:  God's Inhabited World
Students will learn about the solar system, energy, food chains, electricity and magnetism, body systems and health, and the earth with its support of life. The book theme, "God's Inhabited World," strongly emphasizes how God designed the earth for life and designed life for the earth. The spiritual tone is drawn from the Book of Isaiah, and the values of good stewardship are emphasized.

Grade 7:  God's Orderly World
The book theme, "God's Orderly World," frequently shows the orderliness in the laws and designs of God's Creation. Another goal is to help the student understand the error of false science and how to guard against losing Biblical faith.

Grade 8:  God's Orderly World
Students learn the laws of energy and motion as well as integumentary, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, lymphatic, and excretory systems, nutrition and digestion. They also learn about backyard stargazing and deep-space objects, heat energy; weather and weather forecasting; the nervous system, the senses, and the mind; health, safety, and basic first-aid procedures.

Grades 9 & 10:  God's Orderly World
Students will learn the principles of light, including color, optics, and the eye, work and machines, energy and engines, principles and applications of chemistry, electricity, magnetism, generators, motors, circuits, electronics, and electrical safety as well as an introduction to reproduction and heredity.


Closer look at God's Orderly World, Grade 7.

"God's Orderly World frequently shows the orderliness in the laws and designs of God's Creation. Another goal is to help the student understand the error of false science and how to guard against losing Biblical faith."


Unit 1: What Is Science?
An Orderly World
A Discoverable World
The Scientific Method
A Scientific Attitude
Practical Use of Science
A Dependable World
Why Study Science?
Limitations of Science
Unit 1 Review

Unit 2: Life on the Earth
God, the Source of All Life
Characteristics of Life
Cells of Life
The Cell Membrane
The Protoplasm
The Cytoplasm
The Nucleus
Function of Cells
Multitudes of Living Things
Survey of the Monera and Protista Kingdoms
Survey of the Fungi Kingdom
Survey of the Plant Kingdom
Spore-producing Plants
Seed-producing Plants
Survey of the Animal Kingdom
Unit 2 Review
First Quarter Review: Units 1-2

Unit 3: Natural Resources of the Earth
The Earth, Shaped by God
Ecology and the Balance of Life
The Atmosphere
Water
Soil
Mineral and Fuel Resources
Nonrenewable and Renewable Resources
Stewardship of Natural Resources
Biblical Principles of Good Stewardship
Practical Conservation of Natural Resources
Unit 3 Review

Unit 4: Sound
Sound and Faith
Sources of Sound
The Transmission of Sound
The Speed of Sound
Differences in Sound
The Volume of Sound
The Pitch of Sound
The Quality of Sound
The Regularity of Sound
The Larynx, a Versatile Sound Producer
The Ear, a Masterpiece of Creation
Parts of the Ear
Care of the Ears
Using the Ears Wisely 
Unit 4 Review
Second Quarter Review: Units 1-4

Unit 5: Fire
Use and Control of Fire
Fire, a Chemical Reaction
Requirements for Burning
Fuel
Oxygen
Heat
Fighting Fires
Fire Types and Fire Extinguishers
Dealing With Fire Emergencies
Preventing Fires
Common Causes of Accidental Fires
Unit 5 Review

Unit 6: The Force of Gravity
Gravity, a Mysterious Force
The Bible and Gravity
The Orbits of Heavenly Bodies
The Earth's Gravity
Weight
Density
Gravity and Water Pressure
Buoyant Force
Gravity and Atmospheric Pressure
Lifting Liquids With Atmospheric Pressure
Creating a Partial Vacuum
Lighter-than-air Balloons
Unit 6 Review
Third Quarter Review: Units 1-6

Unit 7: Diseases
The Body, a Gift From God
When Sickness Comes
A Doctor's Instruments
Infectious Diseases
Diseases Caused by Germs
Common Disease Parasites
Defenses Against Infectious Diseases
Sanitary Living
Personal Hygiene
Sanitation in Other Areas
Other Kinds of Diseases
Allergies
Degenerative Diseases
Nutrition-related Diseases
Congenital and Heriditary Diseases
Cancer
A Biblical View of Medicine
Unit 7 Review

Unit 8: Agriculture
The Importance of Farming
The Farmer as a Steward
Stewardship of Soil
Care of the Soil
Stewardship of Crops
Stewardship of Livestock
Farming as an Occupation
Unit 8 Review
Final Review: Units 1-8