Prolific children’s non-fiction author, Seymour Simon has teamed with HarperCollins Publishers and the Smithsonian Institution to produce a series of books about the natural world. Tucked into the prolific and still-growing library of scientific information produced by Simon and the Smithsonian is a sub-series about the human body. The books in the human body series provide a treat for the eyes and a feast for the brain.
At present there are eight books in the series.
●The Human Body
●Eyes and Ears
●The Brain: Our Nervous System
●The Lungs: Your Respiratory System
●The Heart: Our Circulatory System
●Guts: Our Digestive System
●Bones: Our Skeletal System
●Muscles: Our Muscular System
The Human Body, provides an overview of the twelve major body systems.
It discusses the following topics:
●cells
●the integumentary system (skin, hair, and bones)
●the skeletal system
●the muscular system
●the circulatory system and blood
●the respiratory system
●the digestive system
●the nervous system
●the immune and lymphatic systems
●the urinary and excretory systems
●the endocrine system
●the reproductive system
●the five senses
The remaining books discuss the body system of their title using correct anatomical terms, detailed descriptions of body processes, and a depth of information that is accessible to elementary-age students but applicable for older students. The books make use of technological advances in the medical field by incorporating computer-colored x-rays, MRI scans, and incredible inside photos of the body, along with applicable diagrams.
The impressive, real-life illustrations combine with a detailed, systematic approach to the human body’s inner workings to produce a useful product that is a delight to peruse.
I chose these books as the spine for our human body study. I could not be more pleased with them. They were easily found at the library, detailed enough to provide food for thought for my children, and used the correct terms for body parts and processes. Since my kids are lower elementary and preschool-age, there were a couple of times that I skipped a page or two that contained more detail than we needed. In those cases, we checked out the pictures and continued on to the next subject.
My children learned a lot about how our bodies work, and enjoyed learning what we look like on the inside. Personally, I found the books to be fascinating. Each volume contributed to our understanding of the human body. My children were especially delighted with the book about the digestive system, Guts, as it let them in on all of the nitty gritty details of how the body extracts the good stuff from food and then passes the rest out of the body. Ask my six-year old about passing gas. She will fill you in on the how and why. She will also giggle with abandon.
Keep these in mind when you study the human body. They provide scientific information without sucking all of the fun out of it!
Most days find Susan on the couch reading to her children, in the floor “playing” math, and generally in the middle of a good-sized mess. A love for the Lord, a love for her little ones, and a love of learning have led Susan and that wonderful man she married to an educational philosophy that is Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical and Charlotte Mason, with a touch of the traditional.
Susan currently home educates a third grader, a first grader, and a nearly Kindergartner. Her background is public school-traditional, but she and her husband are drawn to the classical emphasis on order and the logical accumulation of knowledge. They have added in Charlotte Mason’s emphasis on living books, nature study, and artist and composer study, since it offers such a beautiful complement to the sometimes heavy feel of classical. They even do a little lapbooking and notebooking at their house. Finally, they have covered all of this knowledge-acquiring with prayer, asking the Great Teacher to lead and instruct their family in His Way.
Hi. Thank you, Susan S., for your thorough review of Seymour’s THE HUMAN BODY. I wanted to let your readers know that we are in the process of re-designing Seymour’s website to include many educational resources for kids, families and educators, including homeschoolers. Over the next few weeks we will be soliciting feedback on a prototype “Teacher Guide” for one of Seymour’s books – keep an eye on his blog (on the homepage) if you would like to participate. Our goal, by Fall 2010, is to have a 4-page Teacher Guide for all 26 of the Collins/Smithsonian books. We want to provide all the free resources that we can, and your feedback is always welcome.
Best regards,
Liz Nealon
Producer, SeymourSimon.com
In celebration of Seymour Simon’s birthday he is giving away an autographed copy of his new book Tropical Rainforests at my blog.
http://www.happybirthdayauthor.com/2010/08/happy-birthday-seymour-simon-august-9.html