Truth be Told, a hardback, glossy-paged science
textbook for 9th graders, "is a compilation and refutation of false
evolutionary ideas." The ten chapters cover the origin of the universe
and life itself, geology and fossils, the age of the earth, dinosaurs
and man, human evolution, and creation scientists. The page formatting
is very attractive and appealing, embellished with full-color photos
and illustrations. A few of these have individual subtitled annotations,
but mostly they refer to topics in the text.
The impetus behind this book is counteracting the usual evolutionary
theories, which are presented as fact in most of today's mainstream
science texts. It is not designed to be used as a comprehensive
science textbook, but rather, its purpose is to prepare high school
students for the material they may encounter in their continuing
science studies, and to equip them with solid arguments against
evolutionary thinking. Bible quotes are used frequently, in order
to help build these arguments. This textbook is equivalent to a
one year science credit.
Each chapter is somewhere between 10-25 pages long, with the average
being twenty pages. I appreciate the pronunciation of difficult
words, which is included in the text. The book is easy to read
and, in my opinion, could be used by junior high students, or even
as a read-aloud to younger children. At the end of each chapter,
there is a two-page review for students to complete with fill-ins,
short answer, true/false, and multiple choice questions. A separate
one-page answer key is supplied, but answers to the short answer
questions are not included. This book includes a table of contents,
ten chapters with reviews, and an index. I missed having footnotes
with references to the sources of the authors' information. I would
also like to know more about the two authors. A short bio page
would be most appreciated. A list of recommended resources for
further study would also be helpful. I would also include a glossary
of important terms.
For a ninth grader, and someone in the first year of high school,
I think this course is a bit shy on the workload. I think there should
be more expected of the student. Maybe a half year and an end of
the year test, some projects, and especially oral and written reports
to help students solidify these pro-creationist views. Since many
Christian homeschoolers use creationist science curriculum, it would
seem this book is written mainly to Christian students who are in
the public school system. However, it is an important book for high
school students who may end up attending a secular university.
Product Review by Kathy Gelzer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January,
2012
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