Holt Science and Technology: Physical Science

--Anonymous Teacher


The Nature of Science and Evolution   May 29, 2006
G. Cole (CA)
6 out of 15 found this review helpful

Anyone arguing about science and using the words "proven," "hoax," "proof," have NO idea what Science actually IS, let alone religious faith. THERE IS NO "PROOF" INVOLVED IN SCIENCE. The concept of proof is limited to the court and legal systems as well as to Geometry class proofs,a class which I doubt many of the naysayers actually took when they were in High School.

As far as faith goes, I do not need "proof" to believe what I believe about God, if I do, then I am a Doubting Thomas and I have no faith. Asking God to prove Him or Her self is a mockery of faith. In Science we use the available data from observations to understand our physical world bettter. Sometimes we are wrong, as I believe the people who do not believe an omnipotent God who is capable of making evolution are wrong. Its a world I believe God gave us as a gift to try to get to know better and to understand. It's not here for us to fight over and ask for "proof." If our faith requires proof for us to believe, we are not really believers.

As scientists, when we get new data, we can change our ideas to better ones. I sincerely hope that these people who hide in their imitation of faith asking for proof are one day able to free themselves to believing in God just because He or She is there and not because of some paltry "proof." We crawl up a slippery slope when we try to prove God's existence. Anyone who has taken a college-level logic class can tell you that it only takes three lines to negate the existence of God, but you can never prove God exists in a logical argument. So, arguing about God and evolution is pointless. There must be some other way one can spend one's time, maybe seeing to an elderly neighbor or perhaps teaching little urban children how to read.

I've taught from this book for two years and I find it to be a 4/5 because it does not follow our California Standards directly. I think with over 50 million people we Californians would warrant our own version. I am more worried about my Language Learners understanding the sometimes dense text and my Gifted Learners not getting enough enrichment out of it than I am about the references to "evolution" in it. There is one section of one chapter about biochemistry and that is it for Life Science in this book-hence the title "Physical Science."


This book teaches evolution, which is a proven hoax.   May 8, 2003
2 out of 49 found this review helpful

Why does this book claim fossils determine the age of the dirt they were found in and then claims the age of the earth's crust can be determined by the index fossil found? This is circular reasoning! There is no proof of evolution but there is proof of the biblical flood! Read Bones of Contention or In the Beginning. Go to creationscience.org for real proof of the age of the earth. No bible necessary, though always encouraged.