Intro to Archaeology & Geology Curriculum from Master Books {Review}

Intro to Archaeology and Geology Pack from Master Books

I want to thank Master Books for providing me with a copy of the Intro to Archaeology & Geology Curriculum in return for my honest review.

Of all the things my three boys have always been the most drawn to read, graphically-illustrated non-fiction has always topped the list. They love their facts and figures served up on a bed of photographs, maps, and labeled drawings. One of the things I love about material from Master Books is that they excel at creating high-quality, visually stimulating books that present non-fiction material in an engaging manner from a biblical perspective. How can it get any better than that.

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This year our two youngest children are headed into 5th and 6th grade. We’ll be beginning our study of history over again, starting with Creation in the fall and progressing to the Fall of Rome by late spring. I really wanted to introduce them to archaeology this year. We’ll be studying some biblical archaeology in the Dialectic level of Bible Road Trip next year and I wanted them to have a firm understanding of the theories and techniques behind the science. I did a little asking around and my friend Shaun (book guru extraordinaire) told me about this great Intro to Archaeology and Geology set. Of course, you can’t truly study archaeology without studying geology as well!

The set is intended to by used for 7th-9th grade. The Archaeology Book is written by David Down and is 96 pages. The Geology Book is 80 pages from Dr. John D. Morris. The Intro to Archaeology & Geology Parent Lesson Planner is designed to organize the two books into a year of science for 1/2 a credit. It includes a schedule, worksheets, quizzes and tests. The one year schedule includes work three days a week.

The Archaeology Book by David Down is fabulous. It addresses issues such as: the objective and subjective aspects of archaeology; why cities were built on hills; Egyptian chronology; the problems with carbon dating; and methods of excavation. The book goes through ancient cultures, ruins, and significant finds in 11 chapters. Interestingly, the reading on each 2-page spread is color-coded for ages appropriateness, with the yellow background representing information for 5th to 6th grade, blue for 7th to 8th grade, and white for 9th to 11th grades. We’ve been fairly systematic in our educational approach, and I have no doubt my children will be able to understand the entire text.

The Geology Book by Dr. John D. Morris is printed on thick, glossy pages in full-color. Eight chapters showcase photographs and diagrams on every page, taking kids through an exploration of planet earth, the ground we stand on, the earth’s surface, geological processes and rates, ways to date the earth, great geological events of the past, questions people ask, and the future earth. The book is written scientifically, with scientific explanations that will leave students with quite a bit of information. Yet the writing is understandable and not at all dry. I am confident that the boys will understand the writing well.

I’m enthusiastic about using this resource with the boys this year! The books are beautiful and well-produced, the teacher’s guide is laid out in a comprehensive manner, and the kids will love all the pictures and information. Honestly, the only thing I anticipate struggling with is keeping the kids from reading both books on the sly!

Are you looking for additional materials to go with your intro to archaeology and geology study? Consider the following Master Books offerings which are written for a little older level (we plan to use these in four years): Unveiling the Kings of Israel: Revealing the Bible’s Archaeological History, Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline, and The Genius of Ancient Man. Actually, we plan to read The Genius of Ancient Man this fall, but I expect it to be a little bit of a stretch, so I’ll read it aloud when the toddlers are sleeping. Sleeping toddlers make everything easier to understand.

You can purchase the Master Books Intro to Archaeology & Geology Curriculum at:

Amazon: The Archaeology Book (Wonders of Creation) and The Geology Book (Wonders of Creation) and Intro to Archaeology & Geology Parent Lesson Planner
Christian Book: Intro to Archaeology & Geology Pack, 3 Volumes The Wonders of Creation Series
New Leaf Press: Intro to Archaeology & Geology Curriculum

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