E is for Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics {Crew Review}

When the girls were all young we discovered the Young Explorer’s Series of science books written by Jeannie Fulbright and published by Apologia Educational Ministries. Supergirl listened in while we read books about astronomy, anatomy or zoology but she wasn’t quite ready for them to be directed at her until recently. With my other two girls currently studying Physics and Chemistry, the timing seemed perfect to review Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics Textbook and the accompanying Junior Notebooking Journal.

This sturdy hardcover text contains 14 lessons.  In the notebooking journal you will find a suggested Daily schedule for using Chemistry and Physics two days a week. Following this plan you’ll complete the course in 28 weeks.  This gives you plenty of time to dig deeper or explore topics that grab your student’s attention.

In the Introduction section of the textbook you’ll find How To Use This Book: A step-by-step Guide. Also included in the book:

• Supply List
• Answer Key (to the questions in the What Do You Remember Sections)
• Index
• Photograph and Illustration Credits

The purchase of the textbook also gives users access to the Course Website located at Apologia website. The book includes the web address and password.  This Course Website has links to videos, demonstrations and other websites. These are listed lesson by lesson.

Each lesson includes bolded vocabulary words with definitions, natural breaks with encouragement  for narration with statements such as “tell someone all you’ve learned about . . .”,  and Try This! sections with a fun hands on activity. At the end of every lesson are these three sections: Final Matters, What Do you Remember? and Notebooking Activities.  Each lesson ends with an Experiment or a Project.

 

The notebooking journal is the perfect accompaniment to the textbook. With the notebooking journal, I slow down and make sure that Supergirl is processing the vocabulary.  It would be easy for me to just read through the textbook, do a few of the hands on activities and miss the opportunity to go deeper.  My favorite part of the Junior Notebooking Journal is the Test It Out section which has activities and suggestions for going deeper.  I love having book suggestions for every lesson. I love using a literature approach to studying and having a list of books that coordinate with the lesson topics means that we can read more books aloud and count it for school!

Using Chemistry and Physics:

The suggested Daily Schedule in the Junior Notebooking Journal lays out a plan completing each lesson in 4 days:  Two days a week for two weeks.  Supergirl and I prefer to work on science for a smaller chunk of time 4 days a week with the 5th day available for adding in any of the suggested videos or books from the journal or as a day to play “catch up”.

I liked using the Daily Schedule as a frame or anchor so that I had an idea of what I should cover each week.  I found that what seemed to work best for us was to do some reading and some activities until we finished the lesson in the textbook and then work on some notebooking activities like the mini-books.  Supergirl would color the pictures and do some of the copywork in the journal while I read aloud from the textbook.

A day from the first week of a lesson might look like this:

• color page from journal while listening to mom read the textbook
• dictate to mom a sentence or two or so for the Fascinating Facts based on what we just read.
• complete 1-3 or so activities from the Try This sections

My Thoughts: 

Though we have used several other science books in the Young Explorer’s Series this one is my favorite. It could be because the subject matter of chemistry and physics lends itself so much easier to hands on activities or it could be that Ms. Fulbright improves her writing with each book or it could be the fact that I am really grasping and understanding these concepts. What I do know is that Supergirl and I are enjoying this program and enjoying it so much that we want to share it with some friends from church. I also know that Supergirl is grasping and understanding these concepts.

Thoughts from Supergirl:

I really like the science activities. That’s my favorite part. One of my favorite “experiments” is the one with the mirror. I like to color the pictures in my notebook journal and I like the copywork. I like how they do experiments with water. I like doing science like my sisters. Science is  fun.

The Details:

• Vendor:  Apologia Educational Ministries
• Product: Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics
• Recommended Age Range: Grades K-6
• Price:
  • Textbook: $39
  • Junior Notebooking Journal: $24.00
• Samples and Table of Contents links available:
  • Textbook
  • Junior Notebooking Journal

Visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to read what others have to say about Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics.

All information is correct and accurate as of the date of this review.

You can read my other Schoolhouse Review Crew Reviews by clicking here.