High School chemistry scares me. But it is an inevitable part of higher education and one subject that I definitely want taught from a Christian perspective. So this is where this DVD series, Chemistry 101, from Westfield Studios became a part of our learning experience.

This high school chemistry course is DVD based. There are four discs with 19 lessons included. The lessons begin with the birth of chemistry and the men and women who studied and experimented to learn more about the elements God gave us. It then moves into the periodic table and does an overview of all the elements. Next neutrons, ions, compounds, and molecules are discussed, and finally the different kinds of metals are studied. At the end of the course are two chapters which discuss the future of chemistry.

Each of these segments range from 20-45 minutes and are narrated by the author of Chemistry 101, Mr. Wes Olson. Mr. Olson has done a wonderful job of making chemistry come alive and does his best to make it an interesting subject. Instead of teaching the students in front of a whiteboard in a classroom, the lessons seem almost documentary-like in nature. For example, when describing how William Roentgen discovered x-rays, Mr. Olson actually re-does the experiment as he describes the process. When talking about the periodic table and the division of elements, he gives a visual comparison of the eight colors, and uses crayons to make a periodic table. Throughout the lessons are quotes from other chemists, photographs, and even video and audio shorts that help to make the material come alive. And most of his narrations are done outside, or in a room that looks like a chemist’s office, or other appropriate setting. His engaging style and the professionalism of the DVD production makes it seem like you are watching an informational film instead of taking a chemistry class.

The fourth disc contains the rest of the accompanying curriculum. For every segment on the DVD there is a short section of the Guidebook in pdf format for your student to read. Ranging from two to four pages, this text is helpful in reiterating the lessons from the DVD. There are interesting anecdotes in the margins, and discussion questions for further analysis. After each reading section is a multiple choice quiz for the student to take.

Another PDF on the DVD is the Accreditation Booklet. This resource is especially helpful to those who are looking to fulfill a one-year high school credit. Laid out in an organized way, you can see at a glance what to assign your child in each segment. Extra reading and research, essay ideas, mini labs, and ideas for oral reports are all described in detail. And to keep track of the course and schedule, the suggested time spent on each activity is included. 

Two other resources are on the fourth disc; a detailed color map of the periodic elements, and a visual timeline of the history of the great chemists. These are easy to print and very helpful when teaching the material. You can purchase the DVD set on the website for $69.95. That price is very reasonable, when you think that it is an entire year’s worth of high school science.

We used this chemistry course in our small homeschooling co-op. There were four students, ages 14-16 in the class. Each week I would give assignments which always included watching the DVD segment at home. Then, following the suggestions in the Accreditation Booklet, I would also assign an essay to be done each week along with the segment quiz. Then we would meet at our weekly co-op and go over the discussion questions in the Guidebook, talk about the quiz and share our answers, and if suggested in the Guidebook, do an experiment. One of these was an experiment on air temperature. We put an inch of water into a pan which had a ball of clay in the center. We stuck a few candles into the clay, lit the candles, and then covered it with a jar. The candles went out and the water was suctioned up into the cup, because of the temperature change and the vacuum in the jar.

My kids really liked these DVD’s. They were attractively done, and very captivating to watch. The work load was appropriate for a high school course; there are over 150 hours of activities and projects if you follow the Accreditation Booklet. A couple of times I changed the essay topic; in segment 3 the suggestion is to write a 200 word essay on electrolysis. This proved to be a tough one to research so instead I asked my students to write a research essay on Mendeleev, who is described in that same segment as the Father of the Periodic Table. The Accreditation Booklet makes it very easy to substitute your own essay topics and ideas, if so desired.

I appreciated the format of this curriculum. It flowed very well, and made a difficult subject easier to understand. The DVD’s were actually so fascinating that my younger children would watch them alongside the older ones. I was also very thankful that this was a Christian program. God gave such incredible wisdom and knowledge to others and acknowledging Him as the one who governs our earth is not optional. I do plan on finishing this DVD curriculum with my older two this year, and am very grateful for the way that this curriculum has made chemistry come alive in our schooling.

Product Review by Charlotte Gochnauer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC October 2013