Science for Young Catholics series

Seton Press

Four books for grades 1, 2, 4 and 7 are available in this series, although more should be developed in the future. Science 1 and 2 are recently-revised courses for first and second grades. Both have a mixture of full-color and black-and white illustrations, which are helpful, but a little distracting since they are a hodgepodge of styles (clip art, line drawings, and photos). Content is interestingly written and clearly Christian. As with almost all science texts, these books try to cover many topics, so each gets minimal space. Level one is a general introduction to science and personal health. The second grade book covers topics such as the solar system, light, magnets, sound, plants, reptiles, and birds.

The fourth grade book is quite different from the younger levels. While there are a few activities suggested in the younger books, this one is loaded with experiments.

The worktext format includes fill-in-the-blank questions within each chapter plus chapter reviews (tests) at the end of each chapter. An answer key comes with the book. Illustrations are both full color and black-and-white. Parents will need to spend some time collecting materials, but most required materials are household or easy-to-find items. The major exception is a microscope, but you can get through the course without one if need be. Features such as biographical sketches at the beginning of each chapter make this book more obviously Catholic in content than the younger levels. Topics covered astronomy, space, the sun, the moon, earth, oceans/weather/climate, water, matter, machines, living things, the human body, and health. I suspect that fourth graders will love this mix of information and experiments.

The seventh grade book is similar in format to the fourth grade book. It covers topics from the fields of chemistry, physics and geology, including aeronautical engineering and rocketry. It comes with an answer key.