For years, I’ve heard homeschoolers rave about Apologia. I’ve seen it show up at the top of many recommended science curriculum lists. And honestly, I probably look at samples online every year and wonder if this will be the year we jump on board with Apologia science. This year, for the first time, I will be homeschooling high school science, and I’m more than a little intimidated. So when I was given the opportunity to review Apologia Biology for high school, I was thrilled to take a closer look at their newest update.
Homeschooling High School Science with Apologia Biology: a review
Disclaimer: I was compensated for my time in reviewing this product and writing an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was under no obligation to post a positive review.
Apologia Biology is a textbook approach to science with an accompanying student workbook that is both notes, study guide, and lab book. It thoroughly covers your typical high school biology topics from a Biblical worldview, with an emphasis on botany, an overview of animals, and thorough coverage of cells, DNA, and genetics. The detailed diagrams, infographics, illustrations, and photos are stunning. It is a lot of reading and a lot of science vocabulary, but while it is definitely challenging material, I didn’t feel that it assumed any prior knowledge from my student. The explanations were thorough and detailed.
I also appreciated the Biblical presentation of the material, and not only on the issue of evolution; life begins with God, and His character and role in creation are evident throughout this course.
The curriculum also comes with a suggested lesson plan that breaks down reading assignments, chapter questions/quizzes/tests, and lab assignments into easy-to-follow daily plans. The course is created with parents in mind, providing information on grading for the course, as well as examples of student work.
About 5-9 pages of reading are assigned per day and about 30 pages per week. Also, I noticed that experiments are scheduled throughout but not on a particular day. For instance, we can’t count on experiments always being on a Friday. Some weeks it may fall on a Tuesday, or a Wednesday. This kind of schedule has presented a little bit of a problem for us in the past and will probably be something we will have to adjust going into the school year.
The experiments are varied. Some of the experiments involve dissections or microscope slides while others can be completed with items from the kitchen. Also, the detailed illustrations and instructions would teach your student a lot even if you chose not to complete the dissection yourself.
The student workbook is in full color, with a great layout for notetaking. Test and chapter review study sheets not only teach the material but teach a student how to study for a test. All the chapter check-up questions are included in the student workbook with plenty of space for writing in the answers. Full experiment instructions are also included in both the textbook and the student workbook, with detailed illustrations for the dissections and other experiments. Plus, lab sheets are included, training your student to record his observations.
My son is an advanced learner that loves a challenge; he enjoys reading to learn and loves a good, consistent structure. For these reasons I knew, if Apologia science was going to work for any of my kids it would be my oldest. All in all, he likes the program and has asked to continue using it this fall. The infographics are his favorite as well as the layout of the student workbook. And, I’d have to agree with him.
The new edition of Apologia Biology has well-organized section breaks, more spacing, and good use of font and color. The graphics are absolutely stunning. It’s designed beautifully. After working for years with my dyslexic kids I’ve realized just how much a good layout can contribute to reading success. Even for my oldest, who doesn’t have the same reading challenges as my other kids, this updated Apologia Biology textbook holds a lot more appeal. Apology Biology makes science, even technical textbook science, inviting and engaging.
- The Apologia science curriculum is a challenging course, ideal for a student who likes to go in-depth and primarily learns by reading.
- If you have a child who learns by doing, this curriculum might be a challenging adjustment. While there are some fantastic experiments, the course is structured for these experiments to reinforce reading, not to replace the reading or to do the instructing.
- If you have a child with reading challenges, I would recommend purchasing the accompanying audio or allowing the student to self-pace through the course, taking more time for each assignment than the lesson plan suggests. Even then, the high level of vocabulary used in the text might make it quite a leap for struggling readers.
Bottom-line, I’m very impressed with the depth of Apologia’s science instruction, and the redesign knocked it out of the park. It’s beautiful, accessible, and a high-quality product. Apologia Biology has made homeschooling high school science far less intimidating, and I’m very excited about adding it to this year’s curriculum shelf.
To read more about this homeschool science curriculum and to view sample pages,
Plus, enter the giveaway to win free curriculum!
