Apologia's Exploring Creation Series (elementary grades)

Name: Apologia's Exploring Creation Series (elementary grades)
Brand: Apologia Educational Ministries

by Apologia Educational Ministries

ScienceGrades K–6

About This Curriculum

<cite index="4-3,4-4">Apologia's elementary science curriculum is designed with a creation-based perspective, encouraging children to explore God's world through hands-on experiments and engaging lessons. Each course emphasizes curiosity, discovery, and a wonder and awe of God's creation.</cite>

What makes it unique: <cite index="23-32,23-33">With Apologia, children are given in-depth, immersive exposure to each science topic. They provide students the opportunity to develop a deep love for a subject, such as astronomy, botany, zoology, earth science, anatomy, chemistry, or physics.</cite>

Apologia's Exploring Creation Series: Creation-Based Charlotte Mason Science

Apologia's Exploring Creation Series is a Christian science curriculum for grades K-6 that uses Charlotte Mason methodology with an immersion approach, covering single science topics in depth through conversational text, hands-on experiments, and creation-based perspective. Each course focuses on one area (astronomy, botany, zoology, etc.) rather than surveying multiple topics, emphasizing wonder and discovery in God's creation.

Best for

Christian homeschool families seeking creation-based science with Charlotte Mason methodology, particularly those wanting depth over breadth and comfortable with conversational, discovery-oriented learning

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 2 concerns · 2 neutral · 1 insufficient evidence

Hands On IntegrationStrength

Strong integration of hands-on activities and experiments with content instruction throughout each lesson.

Courses are 'loaded with activities' and experiments, with 'frequent activities' breaking up text and experiments typically conducted at lesson ends using accessible materials like 'matches, wire, empty soda bottles'

Scientific VocabularyStrength

Explicit attention to scientific vocabulary through multiple reinforcement methods.

Textbooks 'include Latin and scientific names, sometimes including explanations of word derivations' and notebooking journals contain 'crossword and word-search puzzles that help students review vocabulary'

Teacher TrainingConcern

Limited formal teacher training, though textbooks include some guidance and answer keys.

Textbooks have 'answer keys at the back' and include 'lists of necessary resources organized by chapter' plus access to 'dedicated website with additional helpful tools', but no mention of professional development

Direct InstructionConcern

Limited direct instruction structure, relying more on conversational reading and discovery-based learning.

Author 'writes as if she is chatting with her own children in a style that is very conversational' and emphasizes 'wonder and joy of discovery rather than reading a bunch of facts'

Knowledge RichNeutral

The curriculum provides in-depth coverage of single science topics but may lack breadth across scientific disciplines within a single year.

Each textbook covers 'just one or two areas of science, so there's more in-depth coverage' with 14 lessons per topic, but 'eight textbooks and six grade levels' means students cannot complete all topics

Retrieval PracticeNeutral

Some retrieval practice through review questions and narration prompts, but limited systematic review.

'What Do You Remember?' questions at the end of each lesson' and 'narration prompts that occasionally appear after a section of text' plus '50-question final review for the entire course'

Ngss AlignmentInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of explicit NGSS alignment, focusing instead on creation-based perspective.

Curriculum is 'clearly Christian in outlook, continually reaffirming God's role as creator' and takes 'Creationist viewpoint starting with Genesis' but no mention of standards alignment

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com, thecurriculumchoost.com