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Christian Kids Explore Chemistry - TOS Review

Looking for  a science curriculum, make sure to read this review!



A couple of months ago I was given the chance to try Christian Kids Explore Chemistry, a science curriculum put out by Bright Ideas Press. It has been a hit at our house.


From the website: 
"This user-friendly, unabashedly Christian science curriculum includes teaching lessons, gorgeous coloring pages, hands-on time, review sheets, and an awesome supplemental book list! You can choose from Chemistry, Creation Science, Earth and Space, and Physics. Award winning, college professors-vetted, and parent approved!"

Christian Kids Explore Science is a very comprehensive and easy to use science curriculum. The curriculum is divided into 5 units, each in turn divided into 5 to 8 lessons. At the end of each lesson there are fill-in-the blank review questions, and at the end of each unit is a unit wrap-up.

Target grade: 4th - 8th graders. I think it fits the target age quite well, being perfect for upper elementary and lower middle school age kids. Since my boys are 1st and 3rd graders I slightly adjusted the way I taught it. I do not think they will retain lots of it but they are enjoying learning about it. We will get back to the subject matter anyway.

Price:  

 Christian Kids Explore Chemistry: $39.95
 Christian Kids Explore Biology: $34.95
 Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space: $34.95
 Christian Kids Explore Physics: $39.95

Each volume comes with a free resource CD.

You can see samples of the table of contents, lessons, supply list and review questions for each volume on their website.

Our thoughts:

As I mentioned earlier we received the chemistry volume for review. My boys love chemistry and physics so they were happy to start with this curriculum.
The way the curriculum works is that you read the lesson out loud or the student reads it for himself, then he answers the review questions at the end of of the lesson (we did this together). Then, on the next teaching day, or if you want on the same day, you do the hands-on activities, and vocabulary work.

What we liked:
  •  It is definitely christian, but not overly. It is primarily a science book but every lesson makes the point of recognizing God as the designer, that is, the one that caused and is behind the way things are and the laws of nature. There are Scripture verses (in the margins) praising God for his creation in each chapter.
  • It has easy to do hands-on that uses kitchen stuff and are easy to perform.
  • The text to read to the student is very well written and clear, and also of the right length.
  • It contains reviews questions that allows to recap what has been learned in the lesson, and subsequently in the unit.
  • An extra reading list to supplement the knowledge. I was able to get most of the books at my local library.
The volume I received, in PDF format (not yet available but upcoming), came with an extra download containing additional resources to use with the curriculum (which is included on a CD with every physical copy you buy). This is what you will find in this resource:
  • Reproducible review pages
  • A printable glossary of chemistry terms and vocabulary
  • Reproducible coloring pages 
  • Reproducible activity charts
  • A list of all the supplies needed sorted by lessons
  • Lesson plans
  • Bonus Literature Study Guide
  • A printable Periodic Table of Elements with a printable list of the corresponding elements to their symbols
In the past few weeks it has been a lot of fun to learn about what chemistry is, atoms, the Table of Elements, atomic number, atomic mass and weight.  The boys want to have chemistry every day!


In conclusion CKES has become one of my favorites. I have another science curriculum that I love, which I am planning to use next year, but I think I will definitely use this series as well in the near future.

For more thoughts and reviews of the Christian Kids Explore series make sure to visit the crew blog.


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Disclaimer: I received a PDF format copy of Christian Kids Explore Chemistry in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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Comments

Kate said…
This review is great! (And your children are adorable!!) You have to get extra points for cuteness for SURE. :)

Thanks so much!

Warmly,
Kate
April 18, 2012 at 2:23 AM
Joelle said…
Thanks Kate. Can I bank these extra points for future use? -;)
April 18, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Kate said…
haha! Yes, absolutely! :D

Kate
April 18, 2012 at 11:57 AM
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