Award-winning filmmaker and homeschool dad Wes Olson introduces a biblically ordered biology program reverently based on the six days of God’s creation. The DVD lessons are brimming with life, action, humor, and the colorful great outdoors. The rapid and witty tour covers: defining life and classification, plants, aquatic and avian creatures, land animals, mankind, and genetics with a brief history of cells, DNA, etc. The DVD segments are recommended for high school, but are entertaining enough to be enjoyed by the whole family. I especially appreciated hearing his sobering thoughts on the ethics of human cloning.
A 114-page study guide (on disk 4) accompanies the film segments and is not without more of Mr. Olson’s light humor. He obviously enjoys his subject. The guide includes quizzes.
Living book enthusiasts will be happy they found this course. Why? Much of the student’s reading will come from the books he finds in the local library. Mr. Olson recognizes the value of biographies and juvenile picture books because they present details on each of the categories of living things. The 27-week accreditation booklet (also on disk 4) is a guide for weekly activities and all the library book reading the student does throughout the school year that he gets credit for.
Karen tells me she remembers rummaging the shelves of the local libraries, wherever we lived, for the same kind of books with a science theme. Carrying home “new” books from the library periodically brought fresh anticipation into the homeschool. Older students can be required to pull books off the shelves that blend well with their lessons, books that satisfy any particular interest. The freedom to do this picking and pulling invites greater involvement in the learning process. Four DVDs, 4 ½ hours total.
—Dean
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
5 of 5 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Tammy Kihlstadius (Burnsville, MN), September 16, 2009
I absolutely love this DVD set. It was deep enough to use as a BASIC biology course for my high schoolers to get a bare minimum of science credits done but simple and engaging enough that even my 5 and 7-year-old watched it over and over. I loved the creation-based content and the subtle fun humor. Very well done and organized. I HIGHLY recommend this for any homeschool or Christian family!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kysha (US), December 23, 2008
I echo Cindy's review. I have a special needs high school student and this course works well for him. I also have Christian Liberty Press' colorful Biology text as a reference which I purchased for only $20 from Christian Book and we are using Castle Height Press' lab and dissection lab kit along with a student microscope from a science supply co. I love the fact that this course is literature based with the included Course Accreditation Program. If you would like a literature based high school science course, this course should work well.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Gail (Lynchburg, VA), June 07, 2008
The DVD content of Biology 101 is excellent! However, it moves quickly and is only a basic introduction of the many facets of biology. The presentation is biblical (according to the days of Creation)and visually appealing - even humorous at times, and definitely holds your attention. The guidebook is simply reinforcement of the DVD content but does contain a quiz for each section. I would not rate this eligible for a high school level biology course credit, even with the recommended study for such credit. But as a supplement to an accredited course, or simply for family viewing (we found nothing inappropriate in content) it is well worth the purchase.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Cindy Downes (Broken Arrow, OK), February 22, 2008
Your visual and auditory learners are going to LOVE this.
The topics covered in this 4 disc set include Defining Life and Life Classification, Plants, Aquatic Creatures, Avian Creatures, Land Animals, Mankind and Genetics. It also includes a printable 114-page guidebook and a 12-page "Course Accreditation Program."
First, what I liked: I loved the beautiful videos; the animated graphs, charts and illustrations; the background music was pleasant and added to the learning experience. The host (also Wes Olson) was an excellent speaker and keeps your attention with clearly defined definitions, anecdotes, and interesting facts. During the plant segment, he takes us to a variety of places to study plants: the bakery to learn about grains, a restaurant to learn how algae is used to make ice cream and salad dressing, and the forest to watch a forester drill a tree ring sample to find out the age of a tree. He also offers memory tips like learning that stamen ends with "men" so it's the male part of the plant, and he shows how plants are used in scripture to illustrate spiritual truths. The animations are excellent and easy to learn from so everyone in the family will benefit from watching the videos.
What I didn't like: There is no real lab work included to speak of, only a few simple projects. The "accreditation program" for students interested science or going to college is not adequate. I would recommend supplementing the curriculum with additional research, composition, and lab work. The guidebook did not include much more than what is included on the videos so I'm not sure how helpful it is to most of us.
However, I liked the videos so much, I would recommend them as the foundation for a biology course or a unit study for all ages. You could teach it topic by topic as a unit study or use if as a full year course. Simple add additional reading, research, composition, and lab to suit.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deborah Zabor (Rocky Point, NY), July 31, 2007
This is an excellent presentation for remedial jr. high and high school students, however, it is limited. We developed a workbook, and used additional resources and completed a biology lab kit to extend the lessons.
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