Homeschool Review: Apologia's Exploring Creation with Marine Biology #hsreviews #MarineBio #homeschoolBiology

What I love about homeschooling is that I have the opportunity to customize my children's education in such a way that they are "all in".  This high school thing is for real, y'all, and I just don't want to do it without the resources from Apologia Educational Ministries.  My daughter is enjoying studying through the Marine Biology 2nd Edition Advantage Set this year and I like that it fits so neatly into where she has been and where she is headed.  We've been using Apologia Science for just about as long as I can remember and the early days of Exploring Creation with Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day (Zoology 2) laid the perfect groundwork for Marine Biology in High School.

The Advantage Set makes it easy to "dive right in" (pun intended) as it includes the Textbook, the Tests-and-Solutions Manual, and the Student Notebook.  There is also a Tests Booklet included that allows my girl to take a test without having to tear it out of the Solutions Manual -- and it leaves me with a clean copy of all the tests right alongside the answer keys.  I love that my daughter is still "Exploring CREATION" in upper level science classes, and I cannot get over the fact that Apologia makes it so accessible.  The Marine Biology Advantage Set offers a GREAT science, and with one small addition, it is the PERFECT science.  Seriously, when you add the Marine Biology 2nd Edition Audio CD to the Textbook and Student Notebook, you've got the perfect science combination for students who want a college-prep, lab-based science that allows you to think out-of-the-box.  I don't know about yours, but this is EXACTLY what my daughter wants.

If you don't mind, I'd like to tell you a little more about each of the components of the Advantage Set and explain a bit how we are using it and the Audio CD here at Long Leaf Academy.  First, the Advantage Set includes:

1. Exploring Creation with Marine Biology 2nd Edition TEXTBOOK -- This textbook is massive.  It is a hardcover book with 557-pages, fully illustrated.  It is written directly to the student in a conversational tone and is broken down into 16 learning modules.  Students can complete each module in about 2 weeks time if they will devote 45 minutes to an hour in study and lab work.  Perfect for my independent learner, this comprehensive text begins with a study of the oceans and works through marine life and all that it entails.  From invertebrates and vertebrates found in the ocean to the environment of the deep blue, students are reminded that GOD created it all and we are to be good stewards of HIS world.  I love that GOD's Word is referenced throughout the text and that every word in the text is centered on CHRIST and bringing HIM glory .  There is so much to explore and learn in the depths of the seas and this text does a great job with it all.  The experiments and dissections make for a thorough lab credit and the study guides and summaries for each module prepare your high schooler for the tests to come.  My Junior handles this all on her own.  She follows the schedule provided in the Student Notebook and spends her time reading, answering, and researching.  She is LEARNING and I love this.

2. Solutions and Tests for Exploring Creation with Marine Biology 2nd Edition -- This softcover MANUAL has 212-pages and is designed with the homeschooling parent in mind.  I'm not a marine biology expert and it's been YEARS since I even studied the depths of the ocean.  Thankfully, Apologia has my back.  While the Textbook is written to my daughter, the MANUAL is written for me.  It explains to me what my child is learning and how the material is being presented to her so that I can come alongside her when she needs help.  All of the answers to the Study Guides she is using are compiled for me and the Tests are ready to be used as is.  The MANUAL tells me how to grade her work and how to assign points for the things that she completes.  The weighted coursework is explained and I feel confident that I will be able to assign her final grade by following the suggested grading scale.

3. Exploring Creation with Marine Biology 2nd Edition STUDENT NOTEBOOK -- Okay, y'all   . . . this is PHENOMENAL.  And my girl LOVES it because it makes her life so much easier.  The STUDENT NOTEBOOK is a coil-bound book that contains a whopping 505-pages.  The pages of the NOTEBOOK correspond with the 16 modules of study from the Textbook.  That means each and every section of questions found in the Textbook have a special place for her to put her answers in the NOTEBOOK.  In addition to that, she has the grading rubrics for all experiments, notetaking hints and helps, a detailed daily schedule that allows her to check off work once she's done, lined pages for taking notes in each module, lab sheets for experiments and their reports, AND extra summary work right at her fingertips.  It is the easy button of scientific notebooks and she thinks it is just perfect because it is 100% her customization.

As you can tell, we really like the Advantage Set and adding the Exploring Creation with Marine Biology 2nd Edition MP3 Audio Book is the icing on the cake for this high school science.   The CD is a COMPLETE reading of the TEXTBOOK and is my absolute favorite part of the course because my daughter will actually LISTEN to it as she follows along in her book.  The material is read by Marissa Leinart and is an easy listen.  My daughter says that it is absolutely NOT boring.  If it weren't for that CD, she'd be skimming the book JUST looking for the ANSWERS and wouldn't be totally immersed in the educational experience.  I snapped this picture when she first started working through the course and I just love all that it is.  Do you see the many facets of learning going on in her room?  My girl is soaking it all in.  There is the visual learning process as she reads the text combined with the complementary auditory component (check out those earbuds) that helps bring it all to life for her.  How perfect is this? Her STUDENT NOTEBOOK sits at the ready for jotting down important information.  She can see it, feel it, and hear it all and that means she is learning.  

And even more fun?  We'll be adding to this experience soon when we open up her Dissection Set and she begins dissecting the clam, sea star, and dogfish shark.  Although the Dissection Set isn't required to complete the course, we think it is well worth it to provide the hands-on lab component.  PLUS, my daughter enjoyed the dissection portions of the prerequisite Biology.

Apologia has long been one of our family favorites -- from science curriculum to personal encouragement and devotions for mom, Apologia has you covered.  If you've been a part of the Apologia family, then I'm sure you are familiar with the Book Extras that are available for each of their textbooks.  I want to encourage you to make use of those for Marine Biology.  The special website has even more material for your student and it's recently undergone a complete makeover to be more user-friendly.  You can also connect with Apologia and find out how they can best serve your family through the following Social Media links:

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It's Homeschool Marine Biology from Apologia for the win at my house. Why don't you join us?

I was given the opportunity to review  Marine Biology 2nd Edition Advantage Set  from Apologia Educational Ministries as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this high school science.

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