There is a series of science books for grades K-6 that are visually
appealing, well illustrated, carefully written and very readable. The
series includes Teacher Guides for grades K-6, and student Textbooks for
grades 3-6.
They are published by Christian Schools International, 3350 East Paris
Ave., SE, P.O. Box 8709, Grand Rapids, MI 49518-8709; phone 616-957-1070.
CSI's Home Page is at http://www.gospelcom.net/csi/
There you can find info about CSI and its member schools, its
publications and teaching resources, an on-line Catalog, and descriptions
of CSI's Science series.
The price of each Teacher Guide is $49.15 ($39.30 to member shcools).
The price of each Student science book is $27.30 ($21.85 for member schools).
I would expect these books to be very appealing to Christian parents and
to missionaries who are home schooling their children.
I did note some statements about physics topics in Science 6 that need
revision, so that students will have fewer bits of confusion to unlearn
when they reach more advanced physics courses. I did not attempt to
evaluate the presentatons of other topics.
Below are appended some quotes from Science 6 on topics of special
interest to ASAers. Science 6 has no mention of evolution.
Don DeGraaf
Donald E. DeGraaf, Prof. Emeritus of Physics, U. of Michigan-Flint
(home) 1008 Fremont St., Flint, MI 48504
(voice) 810-239-8281 (email) degraafd@umich.edu
Following are some quotations from the CSI 6th grade science textbook,
Science 6, on some sensitive topics of interest to ASAers:
pp. 71-72 Animals in God's Plan
God's creation is full of animals. He made large mammals ... small
coelenterates ... arthropods, birds ... fish ... In this unit, you have
learned about many of the groups of animals in creation.
But God didn't just make animals and leave them to fend for
themselves. Every day, he is taking care of all the animals that he
made. He provides them with food, shelter, water, and sunlight ...
God's plan for animals includes the rest of his creation as well. How
are animals important in creation?
Animals are important to other animals in the food chain. Some animals
are herbivores ... carnivores ... decomposers. ... so animals are
important to plants, too! People also use animals for food.
...
Besides being useful, animals are also beautiful and fascinating to
study. When God finished making animals, he said that they were good.
Animals are a creative work of God, and he is proud of the animals that
he made.
...
From the animals, we can also learn about God's care for all his
creation. If you study how God cares for the animals, you can learn more
about how he cares for you and how you can care for the animals that he made.
p. 145 What is Ecology?
God was the world's first gardener. He planted the Garden of Eden and
caused it to grow. Today you can see God's work every time a flower
pushes through the earth or a baby mouse is born. He cares for the world
that he made and the plants and the animals in it.
After God created the garden, he put people in it to tend it and take
care of it. We are God's gardeners on his earth. This earth is our
home. We share it with plants, animals and all of God's creatures. Our
job is to help keep the world as a good place for God's creatures to live.
An important part of our role as God's gardeners is to study the living
things of the earth and the relationships between them. The study of
living things and their relationships with one another and with nonliving
things is called *ecology*. As we learn more about how God made the
world, we can better understand how to take care of it.
p. 324 What is in the Universe?
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis
1:1). Everything that God created in the beginning--everything on Earth,
in our solar system, and beyond--is part of the universe. The universe
is made up of all the matter and energy that there is. ... It is
important for Christians to study the universe, because it is God's
handiwork.
p. 333
God did not just create all the stars and leave them alone. Instead,
he is continually moving stars from main sequence to red giant to white
dwarf or supernova. He creates new stars from gas and dust in the
universe. Our God is always active; you can see his hand in the life of
stars.
@EJ
p. 353-356 The Origin of the Universe
How did the universe begin? Ever since the beginning of time, people
have asked this question. ...
The Bible tells us that God created the universe from nothing. ... But
the Bible doesn't tell us exactly _how_ he did this.
One current theory about the beginning of the universe is called the
*Big Bang theory*. This theory says that at the first moment, the whole
universe was incredibly small ... Then the tiny universe began to expand
rapidly into a very hot, dense ball of particles that contained all the
ingredients for planets, stars, moons, and energy. ... The particles
formed clouds, which gravity pulled together into stars, galaxies, and
planets.
Most scientists today accept the Big Bang theory as a reasonable
explanation for the origin of the universe because it fits the evidence
that they have. ... the universe still seems to be expanding. ...
Does the Big Bang theory fit the with the Bible's account of creation?
The important thing to remember is that God created the universe from
nothing by his word. ...
Could God have used the Big Bang as the process by which he brought the
universe into existence? Many Christians think so. In fact, anyone who
accepts the Big Bang theory must accept the idea that the universe did
have a specific beginning. However, ... the Big Bang theory ... is still
a theory. We do not actually know how God chose to create the universe.
... As Christians, we affirm that God is the Creator of the universe who
continues to care for creation through his providence.
Another question that many people wonder about is, When did the
universe begin? Most astronomers think tht the universe is between 12
and 20 billion years old. ... Many Christians also believe that the
universe is billions of years old.
However, many other Christians think that the universe is only about
6-10 thousand years old. They believe that when the Bible talks about
God creating everything in six days, it means six normal, 24-hour days. ...
The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God made everything in six
days. Some Christians believe that these are six, 24-hour days. Others
think that the six days stand for six longer periods of time. But _all_
Christians agree on one thing: the heavens and the earth were not
created by chance or accident. God created them and he cares about them
and controls them still. ...