Life Science, by Tracy Creek, is the text for a year-long course designed for 6th grade. The mathematics in Life Science is minimal, making the text a good fit for 6th grade, but it may also be used successfully in grades 7 or 8.
The study of biology has changed substantially in the twenty-first century. Fifty years ago, texts in the life sciences focused primarily on the structures and features of different types of organisms. Today, however, much of current technology and news is about cellular and molecular biology, and thus a life science text that is relevant for today’s students must contain a balance of content addressing important large-scale topics and key micro-scale topics, treated at an appropriate level.
Novare Life Science maintains exactly this balance. Large-scale topics include human organ systems, animal and plant reproduction, and inheritance of traits. Micro-scale topics include cellular respiration, photosynthesis, mitosis, meiosis, and sensory systems. Additionally, there are four crucial chapters treating the energy, populations, nutrient cycles, and biomes of ecosystems. The two final chapters provide an introduction to evolutionary theory and a fascinating description of how mutations in DNA lead to genetic variation.
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