dinosaurs

Taking the Mystery Out of Geology & Geology and Apologetics from Northwest Treasures: A TOS Crew Review

July 26, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Our culture heavily saturated with the idea that evolutionary theory is fact, so much so that even children’s television begin teaching this to preschoolers and young elementary students. Proponents of the theory gloss over the problems and ridicule anyone who questions them. We have never shied away from teaching our children the theory of evolution. We think it is important they know the different beliefs which are swirling around us and why we (my husband and I) do not agree with them when considering the Scriptures. We know it will be their own choice whether they choose to believe evolutionary theory or not, but I want them to be full equipped with all of the knowledge available. This is why online classes such as Geology and Apologetics and Taking the Mystery Out of Geology from Northwest Treasures are so helpful. Our daughters take a science class at a homeschool learning center which seeks to remain neutral on this topic. For that reason, we choose to supplement at home with teaching that shows both sides of this issue. This short class is a wonderful introduction to Geology, especially if your children have never had the opportunity to study this discipline. I also personally enjoyed this course as a brief and informative reminder of the basics of Geology so I am fully equipped to understand what new scientific “discoveries” are actually referring to with regards to geology. I greatly appreciate that this deals with both the science and philosophy behind modern geology. Understanding this pairing is vital to see why the proof used to support evolutionary thinking can actually be interpreted differently based upon your beginning philosophy. This 6-part study dives more deeply into how geology and apologetics must go hand-in-hand. Rather than blindly accepting what mainstream science claims under their personal faith in evolution, students are readily equipped to see things from a different perspective and understand God’s hand in it all through creation and the flood. The class is geared towards ages 8 thru adults.
I personally appreciated that right off the bat the difference between science and philosophy are discussed in a very clear and understandable way. Also the importance of studying and knowing the Scriptures for yourself is reiterated over and over again. These are all things we have taught our daughters, but having them hear it from a different voice is beneficial.

After each of the six lessons there is a series of questions for discussion. This makes it ideal for a group setting. We would pause at each question and talk about it, sometimes returning to various portions to watch again before discussing. I’ll be honest, I was a bit surprised just how much my 8-year-old retained. She is definitely at the young end of the age range and learned quite a bit. One of our longest discussions centered around the difference between observational science and faith. I think the girls really grasped the differences between the two after watching this course. We had some wonderful talks about how to tell the difference between what can be observed and what is taken by faith, whether that faith is in the Lord and His Word or in evolution.

We found both video courses to be beneficial for the entire family to watch together. We used this as some of our learning time during the heat of the afternoon we get here in the South. When the girls didn’t want to be outside in the muggy weather and I wanted them to be productively engaged, science videos are a great option!
There are some other really good things offered from this company on their website and from Schoolhouseteachers as well. You can use physical products such as their high school course Northwest Treasures Curriculum Project. If you are looking for something geared towards the younger set, Geology for “Little Eyes” is a great choice! Some of my Crewmates also took a look at Dinosaurs and the Bible which looks fascinating to me!
We want our children to believe the Scriptures and follow the Lord as they grow into young ladies. We do not want them to do so just because my husband and I tell them to do so. We want them to learn for themselves and chose for themselves whom they will believe. The most valuable thing we can do as we homeschool is equip them with knowledge and understanding, allow them to ask questions, and seek the answers alongside of them. Northwest Treasures is a wonderful tool to help with this along the way.
See what my Crewmates have to say!

Dinosaurs for Kids: A Moms of Master Books Review

May 30, 2015 Grace-Filled Writer

Have you had a chance to check out the updated Master Books website? It has had an beautiful upgrade which is both aesthetically pleasing and streamlined for easy searching. I’m more excited than ever to share with you books from this publisher through the Moms of Master Books review group!

Up for review today is Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham. This is such a fun look at the life of the dinosaurs from a biblical perspective. My first impression of this book was it would be attractive to every little boy I know! Oh my how menacing this giant reptile seems! Even though I felt this was a really fun cover for boys, I wasn’t at all surprised it was quickly snatched away with gusto by my daughters.

I like how facts ranging from how dinosaurs were given their names, to what did dinosaurs eat, to how to we reconcile dinosaurs with our understanding of Scripture are covered in a kid-friendly, but very honest way. The visually stunning paintings give beautiful renderings of the many varieties of dinosaurs which are similar to others I have seen in museums and books.

My girls enjoyed reading this together and by themselves. We looked at some of the sections together, but whenever I wanted to pick this up to look at again together, we had to go on a search around the house because it had inevitably been taken somewhere else to read during their afternoon quiet time.

During this particular reading the girls were studying about the different names of the dinosaurs and how to pronounce them. They would practice pronouncing each name and try to remember what it meant. Their pronunciations are fairly good since they are fans of the kids PBS show about dinosaurs. Even though this show has an evolutionary perspective, I do not have a problem with my girls watching it because they are very much aware of evolutionary theory and thinking. We talk about it a lot. I’m not afraid for my girls to learn about this alongside of Creation because I have the Word of God as my foundation. This is why I am so grateful for the resources from Master Books. They help me show why we believe in a 7-day Creation and how to balance it with what secular sources teach.
We love visiting science centers and museums. I am always excited to share these experiences with my daughters. We openly discuss the information provided deciding which parts can be known as fact from observation and which are assumptions based on evolution. My girls are quite knowledgeable of these things because of our Master Books. They ask very good questions and I love it when they ask things like, “How do we know that?” Sometimes the answer is because the Bible tells us, sometimes the answer is because we can observe it, and sometimes it is simply a guess based on what we know from the Bible and observations. Being honest with them about what we can know and what we can’t know for certain helps them in making their own conclusions.

Once again Master Books has provided us with a fun resource to learn about science from the perspective they were created by God at the same time as all the other land animals. This one will be a treasure for many years to come!

Disclaimer: I was provided this book to review as part of the Moms of Master Books review program. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own.

Explore Dinosaur National Monument from Awesome Science: Moms of Master Books Review

March 23, 2015 Grace-Filled Writer

My girls love learning about dinosaurs! They are ages 9, 7, and 5 and we have often enjoyed a trip to our local children’s museum to see life-size sculptures and have a chance to dig for fossils. I love giving them more opportunities to learn about these incredible creatures from the past and they just devour all the information I can give them.

Awesome Science’s newest DVD, Explore Dinosaur National Monument from Master Books (an imprint of New Leaf Publishing) is a great addition to our collection of dinosaur information. It’s fun and engaging style really interests my oldest daughter especially. My younger two are not quite old enough to appreciate the great amount of scientific information provided, but they did enjoy seeing much of Dinosaur National Monument.

Noah Justice is a dynamic communicator. My girls enjoy having a younger person explaining and teaching about history and science from a biblical perspective. I was recently asked how I expected my girls to handle learning about evolution in college when all they ever knew was Creation. I was excited to explain that my girls do know about evolution and understand both viewpoints to an extent. I’m not afraid of my girls hearing or learning about those who choose to remove God from the equation of Creation. I want them to be equipped and I want them to come to their own conclusions and beliefs because of their study of the evidence rather than try to force them to accept what I believe just because I believe it. Awesome Science just one of the items in my tool kit for teaching my girls how to incorporate the Bible into their understanding of science as well as what and why secular scientists believe and teach what they do.

One of the best things about this DVD and others in the series is how my daughters get to experience some of the great wonders of America which they may not see anytime soon. Living on the East Coast makes traveling to some of these locations very difficult. We might one day get to travel to Utah and some of the other areas west of the Mississippi River, but until then we will enjoy learning with resources such as these.

This incredible DVD series isn’t just for children either. I’m often saddened by just how angry and vehement those who hold an opposing view of creation react and find myself unable to have a real conversation about science because of it. I’m not afraid to share my beliefs, but I do not care to converse with someone who fires hateful responses in my direction because I believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God. I’m very grateful to have the resources from Master Books which I do to help me learn for myself how I can balance my trust in the Word of God with evidence from science. I hope to one day have meaningful conversations with some of my friends on the matter and I want to be as equipped as possible.

Chronicles of Dinosauria from Master Books: Review

June 2, 2013 Grace-Filled Writer

Photo Credit: Creation Museum

When I was a kid I was provided with two separate world views. My parents and church taught me God was our Creator. My science classes taught me to trust in the irrefutable evidence that all life was evolved by chance from non-life. I was blessed my senior year to be taught AP biology by a strong-in-her-faith Christian, Mrs. Lowe. It was the late 90’s and evolutionary teaching was forging ahead at full-force, but despite this Mrs. Lowe firmly told us she believed God was our Creator and she taught about evolution simply because she was required to present all theories. I believe I am one of the few students from the 90’s to have a teacher so bold and brave, yet all the evidence she presented still pointed towards evolution. How could all this scientific fact be wrong?

A few years ago I would have laughed at someone saying dinosaurs and humans walked the earth together. I had come to believe that since all the evidence I had ever seen pointed towards evolution and because I couldn’t reconcile this with my biblical world-view I had to just accept both were accurate and there were just missing millions of years in Scripture. Through research for homeschooling I found Answers in Genesis. For the first time in my life I had real answers and they weren’t a matter of reconciling contradictory belief systems. I finally saw the evidence from a biblical perspective and realized starting assumptions determine how scientific discoveries are interpreted.

I have been systematically devouring science and history books which deal with this evidence and understanding of young-earth creation. My mind has been blown over and over as I see the so-called proof provided by scientists that we are not created, but rather evolved with new eyes. The Chronicles of Dinosaur from Master Books (a division of New Leaf Publishing) has been one of the most interesting reads I have had the opportunity to encounter. This stylistic rendering of the evidence showing how we know dinosaurs did indeed walk among men is as fascinating to gaze at as it is informative.

Presented in the style of a scrapbook this beautiful piece of literature covers an amazing array of evidence in just 74 pages divided into eight chapters. The clear explanations in each section helped me understand how I no longer have to reconcile science and the Bible. I always knew the Bible was truth, but now I understand more fully how science in fact supports the Bible rather than contradicts it. I am thrilled to be so well equipped to teach my children the truth and the compatibility of science and Scripture.

My favorite aspect in addition to the beautiful illustrations is that the biblical evidence is presented last. This may sound a little odd since the interpretation of the entire book firsts starts with the assumption of biblical truth. Because of this I feel I can loan it out to any number of my friends who are curious and they won’t automatically assume it is from the perspective of a fairy tale as many who do not follow Christ feel. Christianity is not a religion for our family; it is a relationship with the one true God made possible by His Son, Jesus and revealed to us through Scripture. Beginning with the very Book for which those who are not following Christ hold disdain would be ineffective since they cannot help but scoff at the seemingly outlandish notion of creation and the flood. This intentional and logical presentation will pull any reader in whether or not they are a believer.

I also love, love, that the gospel is presented clearly at the close of the book. What a wonderful witness for Christ. There is no Bible thumping, no arrogant claims of superiority, not even a hint of prideful knowledge. At the end of this wonderful book all which is left is the truth and grace of the Word of God after the curious reader has seen page after page of true evidence pointing them to the true Creator.

Click here to read what others have to say about The Chronicles of Dinosauria!