Description
Unless you are using this course with someone else and they have the Helps & Hints you may want to order the set not just the textbook
Science in the Ancient World is the second book in a hands-on, multilevel elementary science series that introduces scientific concepts using history as its guide. Because each lesson is built around an activity or experiment, it is engaging for all K-6 students. In addition, there are three levels of review for each lesson, so the parent/teacher can choose the depth at which each student is expected to grasp the material. The course contains roughly 90 hours of instruction, 35 of which are composed of hands-on activities.
The course covers the scientific work of natural philosophers who lived from about 600 BC to the early AD 1500s. It concentrates mostly on what these ancient scientists got right, but it does spend some time discussing what they got wrong, because even the mistakes that scientists make can sometimes advance our understanding of the natural world. Of course, when the students are taught something that is now known to be incorrect, they are made aware of this fact!
Because the course covers science as it was developed, it covers a wide range of topics including human anatomy, medicine, optics, heliocentrism, geocentrism, sound, music, magnets, how steam is used to generate power, the motion of objects through a medium, combustion, levers, pulleys, plant growth, plant anatomy, tree ring dating, the atmosphere, astronomy, the basics of graphing, plastics, density, water flow, friction, and erosion. Throughout the course, students learn that most of the great scientists who lived from AD 500 to the end of this time period were devout Christians who did science because they thought they could learn more about God by studying His handiwork.
Testimonials
"I just wanted you to know that my 6-year-old son and I are enjoying your science series tremendously. Thank you for taking time and effort to create it for us. We look forward to following the entire series that you create. Thank you and many blessings."
"I am overjoyed that the multi-level approach was part of this program as we loved learning together. As a mother of 10, time is a precious commodity and somehow Dr. Wile seemed to know this when he designed his hands-on experiments. Most, if not all, items needed for the experiments you will find around the house. Sometimes we did the experiments multiple times because they were so much fun. (I even heard my older high school and college teens lamenting that they never had the chance to do such cool experiments.) Adding to the fun factor was a high level of learning retention! Science concepts were effectively displayed through the fun experiments, lessons, and end of chapter questions. Our children's lab books became full of drawings along with answers to key objective questions for each lesson. This home educator could not be more thrilled."
"We study Dr. Wile's first book, 'Science in the Beginning', and we loved it. But then I got a little apprehensive about the next ones, because like you say, they were written with a different approach. I tried a different curriculum, with a more traditional sequence, and we were bored! One semester was enough. Since then we have done all four books, and we started with the 5th one this school year. What we love the most is that the lessons teach ONE concept, and the experiment, like you mentioned, cements that concept. I will not look into more Science curricula ever. "
"...this is our 2nd year with your elementary science. I can't express what a blessing it has been!! The year before I found your curriculum was a horrible science year. Errors and confusion abounded. We stopped before completing it. In previous years we used Fulbright's 'Exploring Creation With....' Good, yet too long, and we were never sure if we got the correct result in the experiment or not. Nothing stuck with my two children."
"I selected this book by Dr. Wile for our homeschool science text this year and it has become one of our favorite school resources. While it's written in a manner in which even my elementary children can understand (with some clarification from me), it still comprehensively covers an array of scientific principles that may have been discovered in the ancient world but still apply today. Dr. Wile takes care to note when ancient philosophers made incorrect assumptions about our world but still made notable contributions that furthered our understanding of science.
This books differs from others I've seen in that it offers simple, clear experiments for each and every lesson. The materials needed for each experiment (all common household items) are itemized, the experiments take minimal prep and are easy to conduct and more importantly, easy to comprehend for my children. The focus of this book is not on memorizing text for a test; rather its focus is on encouraging students to observe the world around them and conduct simple, repeatable, experiments for themselves to prove foundational principles of science.
Through study of this book, my elementary aged daughters have discussed and conducted experiments on topics ranging from sound waves to atoms, simple machines (levers, pulleys) to the solar system, optics, anatomy, and the list goes on. It covers scientific contributions from the likes of Democritus, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Galen, da Vinci and so many more.
It has engaged their interest and encouraged them to embrace science and math. For that, I sincerely thank Dr. Wile and will purchase his other science texts."
Denise McFarland –
Excellent Science!
We are enjoying it very much. The experiments are very helpful for understanding, but not overwhelming.
I highly recommend.