"God's Design for Life books are the best life science books I have used with my children." - TOS Magazine

God's Design for Life, a series of three books by Debbie and Richard Lawrence, is a comprehensive and FUN life science curriculum for the elementary grades. The series, consisting of The Human Body, The World of Plants, and The Animal Kingdom, can be used collectively or singly. Each book contains 32 to 35 lessons, unit quizzes, projects, special features, a resource guide, a supply list, an answer key, and a detailed "How do I teach science?" section.

In about three hours a week, you can finish the series in a year. I enjoyed all three books and found that they will appeal to a wide range of ages. While designed for elementary students, older students will not find the material simplistic. The required supplies are not difficult to acquire (there were only two items from the three books I did not have at home). A grocery store and craft shop will provide all your needs. There are three optional supplies (an owl pellet, tadpoles and tank, and butterfly larvae) that you will need to order if you want to delve deeper into The Animal Kingdom.

Topics covered in The Human Body include studies on cells, tissues, and organs; the skeletal and muscular systems; the circulatory and respiratory system; and genetics (see a sample lesson at http://home.att.net/~rdeducation/Human.pdf). The Animal Kingdom includes studies on mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, insects, and more (see a sample lesson at http://home.att.net/~rdeducation/Animal.pdf). The World of Plants covers seeds, flowers, trees, leaves, meat eating plants, tropism, ferns, mosses and algae, and fungi (see a sample lesson at http://home.att.net/~rdeducation/Plants.pdf).

God's Design for Life books are the best life science books I have used with my children. I appreciate the minimal lesson preparation and that the books were written for homeschoolers by homeschoolers. The hands-on experiments are fun, easy, and, best of all, educational. My favorite experiment was making a model of a cell using Jell-O, grapes, raisins, and a shoebox. Check out R and D Educational Center at http://rdeducation.home.att.net, or call them at (970) 686-5744.