I was paid a wee bit to write this review, but just like with all things from The WOLFe Pack, what you will find here is an honest opinion from a seasoned homeschool mom with a Master’s Degree in Education and a decade of experience in the classroom…who also happens to be a mom with way too little sleep, too much fluff and just a few months left on her homeschool clock.
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Homeschool Resource Review- Discovering Life’s Story by Joy Hakim (Volume 1: Biology’s Beginnings)
When asked to review this new science book by Joy Hakim, I was thrilled to give it a whirl! My son loves science, especially biology, and, thanks to our eclectic style of homeschooling, we are always on the lookout for new quality resources to add to our arsenal. So, reviewing this book, along with Volume 2: The Evolution of an Idea, was a natural fit.
Read below for an honest review plus suggestions on how to incorporate the book into your educational plans.
Who is the author, Jay Hakim?
Joy Hakim is a well-established author who has written several books including a series of U.S. history books that cover the crossing of the Bering land bridge through the 21st century in a story-telling style. But, don’t let the descriptive phrase “story-telling style“ mislead you. Hakim’s books are both thorough and accurate. She may use a fluid approach to relaying the information, but she does not pick and choose what to share based on what might play into a child-friendly story. She covers it all. In addition to not disregarding events, she also does not dumb down her word choices. She includes rich vocabulary that turn her books into an ELA opportunity. In the words of another author, “Joy Hakim understands how to use the power of narrative to bring topics in history and science to life.” And, her latest venture is a planned four-part science series, Discovering Life’s Story.
What is the series, Discovering Life’s Story?
The intention of Discovering Life’s Story is to tell the history of life science. Using Hakim’s signature story-telling style, the first volume starts with the Islamic Golden Age and smoothly moves through Medieval Times, the Renaissance and into the late 1800’s. The second volume repeats some of the first volume and then takes the reader through Darwin and Mendel and ends with Weismann. With only two of the four planned volumes complete, it’s unclear what else will be covered and where it will end. But, knowing Joy Hakim’s journalist-like penchant for accuracy, this series will be thorough.
What is covered in Volume 1, Biology’s Beginnings?
Biology’s Beginnings starts in the 8th century with the Canon of Medicine and ends in the late 1800’s with the discovery of the first virus. In between, it touches on several things including:
- plagues
- Aristotle
- the Aztecs
- dissections
- Da Vinci
- Galileo
- taxonomy
- the pinhole camera
- Robert Hooke
- Isaac Newton
- vaccines
- microbes
- fossils
- cells
- pasteurization
- microscopes
- tobacco
- and so much more*
*This list is not exhaustive nor is it in order.
How is this resource formatted?
It’s a hardback book with just under 200 pages of glossy paper filled with rich text and multi-colored images that serve several purposes. It also includes highlighted sections which sometimes cover a full page and other times fit in a small square. There are also a couple of quotes from influential scientists to start each chapter.
The book starts with a 14-page intro followed by 12 chapters with catchy titles including:
- A Scientific Superstar, a Plague and an Influential Artist Thinker
- Cultures Clash and a King Sends His Doctor to America
- The Sharp-Eyed Lynxes Want to Know More: One of Them is Named Galileo
- A Philosopher Named Bacon and a Bloody Doctor
- Tongues that Are Teeth: A Shark, Steno and Cimento
- Spontaneous? Why Not?
- Magnified Wonders Help Create an Awesome Book
- Seeing More is Better: Enhancing Magnification Using an Artist’s Eyes
- The Name Game: Linnaeus Tries to Name Everything
- A Big Time Adventurer and a Quiet Scholar
- Three Icons; One is Pasteurized
- A Tobacco Disease in Holland Baffles the Experts
The book also includes some important reference sections at the end including a bibliography, index, source notes and more. The Looking Ahead page does a wonderful job of summing up the progression found in the book while also setting the reader up to read the next in the series.
How could this resource be used?
When my son was in elementary school, we took a four-year timeline-based approach to U.S. history and utilized several resources to teach from New World Exploration to Trump. And Hakim’s History of US was one of the main resources we used.
If my son was still being actively homeschooled, we would use this book to complement a traditional biology curriculum. Biology’s Beginnings does a fabulous job of explaining the history behind a number of significant scientific failures, discoveries and advancements. And, understanding the why and when behind these events is an important part of the whole picture that is usually forgotten in traditional Biology books. This book could be used:
- as a stand-alone book to read (independently or even as a read-aloud).
- in tandem with other biology curricula (as you learn about cells in your other book, you read the corresponding passages in this book).
- to create a science timeline (as you read).
- to add to a world history timeline (as you read, add the events in this book to an established timeline that includes all types of events in history).
- as a supplement to a biology curriculum used in the past (to fill in gaps, make better connections, offer other perspectives, etc).
- as a way to prepare for a full biology curriculum (read this book before.)
Where can the resource be purchased?
Amazon, of course! 🙂 But it is also available from Rainbow Resources.
What else should be known before purchasing this resource?
It was written from a secular perspective. If your family wants everything presented from a Christian worldview, this book is not for you.
It is not a Biology curriculum. If your student needs Biology credit, this will not fit the bill. But, it could be a great complement to your curriculum of choice.
This is part of a series. Books 1 and 2 have been released, but 3 and 4 are still in the works (as of the date of this post, 05/27/24.)
It was written with Middle and High School students in mind. Though I think this book would make a fabulous read-aloud for nearly all ages, be aware that some topics might be tough for younger kids. Be especially tuned into the images when evaluating their appropriateness. Joy Hakim does an unusually great job at selecting images that make an impact and bring the text alive for the reader. But, some of those images may not be appropriate for your younger readers.
Final thoughts about this resource…
The book is beautifully presented, thoroughly referenced and nicely priced. As a Christian homeschooler with a kid who wants a career in biology, we are acutely aware that most science that our son will be faced with in higher education and his future career will veer away from his belief systems. Because of this, we have been very conscientious about presenting all sides of science to him. We used live online classes from Apologia but also supplemented with dozens of other resources and, if this book had been available at the time, we would have definitely included it!
