Interactive Guide Grade 4

30 Fourth Grade Core Subjects : : Science and Health

Science Checklist • Are the materials up-to-date and relevant? Reprinted textbooks frequently fail to update the student sufficiently or correct inaccuracies— both factual and conceptual—that stem from the fact that we have learned many things since the original writing of the texts. • Is the pace enjoyable? Some texts proceed from A to Z without hitting much of the stuff in the middle. It is better to cover less ground and make sure the student understands the basics, because it isn’t difficult to acquire infor mation later, or even to understand further science materials once he has a good grasp of the basics. • Are the materials Catholic? The idea that we can legitimately use secular or Protes tant materials by simply telling our children that the book is wrong seems at first glance to solve the problem of using non-Catholic texts. However, one cannot teach truth by simply pointing out error. Error must not only be refuted but the truth must also be taught in its place. How much better then, rather than carving out additional time to teach the Catholic perspective on the topic and/or risking that the student will be taught doctrine that runs counter to our Catholic Faith, to simply teach one lesson that contains the Catholic doctrine all within the context of the material.

“ This will be our third year to use CHC. We love it!!! This picture shows my son, Noah, with his

"likeness" that was created during our use of "My Temple of the Holy Spirit" science curriculum. He cut out, stuffed, and sewed all of the internal body parts, and we cut his silhouette from foam board. Great project and lots of fun!! —Angela, OK

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