We have been using Apologia’s elementary science curriculum for 5 years now. Science is the only subject where I have found a curriculum that is THE one for our family. The only decision I have to make each school year is which topic/course we would like to cover.
This year we are going with Anatomy & Physiology. This will be my second time teaching this course and I’m pretty excited about doing it again.
Since I will be doing this course with 4 of my children (grades 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st), I needed to find a way to cut costs a bit. We already owned the textbook from the first time I did the course and I really love the notebooking aspect for the course, but buying four notebooking journals just wasn’t in the budget this year. So, I made my own. Don’t get me wrong, the notebooking journals for Apologia are great; we have used them in the past, but it just wasn’t in the budget.
I made several of my own basic notebooking pages (that I will share with you below) and then searched around on the internet for additional free pages that I could add to our notebook.
I ended up making two notebooks – one for the first half of the course and one for the second half. I only printed on one side of the paper in order to make writing in the notebook easier. I didn’t want the notebook to be too thick, so I split it into two. If you’d prefer to print on both sides of the paper, you could easily end up with one notebook.
So if you would like to make your own anatomy notebooking journal (even if you aren’t using Apologia’s Anatomy & Physiology you could still use most of the pages I’m going to share below), read on and see how I put ours together and where I got all the pages.
*Please note that all links that go directly to a pdf are files that I created. Please honor the Terms of Use when downloading these files (as well as the Terms of Use of any files you download). Also note that not all of the ‘Blank notebooking page’ links are the same; there are several different notebooking pages linked throughout the post.
The Cover
- I got the cover from Sprouting Tadpoles. She actually has a whole Anatomy Science Journal Pack available to download, but I just used the cover.
- After the cover I included a blank page that will be for the Personal Person Project that the student does throughout the year (more on that later).
Lesson 1
- Blank notebooking page to take notes. Of course you can add as many as you’d like; I just did one because my kids are not big note-takers…. yet.
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all of the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there for all of the elementary science courses.
- Two additional notebooking pages for the Notebooking Activity at the end of the lesson
- An animal cell labeling worksheet from Homeschool Clipart
- Parts of a Cell notebooking pages to describe the functions of cell organelles
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 2
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Skeleton labeling worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 3
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Newspaper article template from Layers of Learning
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 4
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Comic strip template (there are several to choose from) from Kids Activities Blog
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 5
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Make a menu page – Apologia offers some notebooking pages on their website that you can access with the password at the beginning of the textbook (in the introduction); that is where I got this page.
- Blank food pyramid – Apologia offers some notebooking pages on their website that you can access with the password at the beginning of the textbook (in the introduction); that is where I got this page.
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 6
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Blank notebooking page for explaining the breathing process
- A lung labeling worksheet from Homeschool Clipart
- Blank notebooking page for the dangers of smoking speech
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 7
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Blank notebooking page for an illustration of blood
- Blank notebooking page for writing an Apologia for your faith
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 8
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- A heart labeling worksheet from Homeschool Clipart
- Blank notebooking page for advertisement
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 9
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- A brain labeling worksheet from Homeschool Clipart
- A neuron labeling worksheet from Homeschool Clipart
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 10
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 11
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Eye labeling worksheet – Apologia offers some notebooking pages on their website that you can access with the password at the beginning of the textbook (in the introduction); that is where I got this page.
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 12
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Skin labeling worksheet – Apologia offers some notebooking pages on their website that you can access with the password at the beginning of the textbook (in the introduction); that is where I got this page.
- Fingerprints activity page – Apologia offers some notebooking pages on their website that you can access with the password at the beginning of the textbook (in the introduction); that is where I got this page.
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 13
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Blank notebooking page for the Notebooking Activity at the end of the lesson
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
Lesson 14
- Blank notebooking page to take notes
- What Do You Remember Questions – You can get access to a file that has the What Do You Remember questions for all the lessons of the course when you join the Elementary Apologia Science Files Yahoo group. There are a lot of great resources and ideas in there.
- Blank notebooking page to draw and explain the stages of development
- Blank notebooking page for Possible Purpose Page
- Science Experiment page – you can get a FREE download of several different science experiments pages when you become a member of NotebookingPages.com. It’s free to join and there are lots of other great free resources for you when you join. I only included one of these pages for each lesson; you can include as many as you’d like, as there are multiple activities and/or experiments in some lessons.
- Project Picture Page – I included one of these as the end of each lesson as a place to attach pictures from your projects and experiments.
I mentioned the Personal Person Project at the beginning of this post. For this project, the student will add one body system at a time to their personal person as they study that system. You can make the body yourself to add to your notebook; you will find the instructions at the end of each lessons, or I have found some alternatives.
- You can use this printable folding body systems book
- Or you can use this one
- Or you can make a magnetic one that I found at Confessions of a Homeschooler
- Or you can make a full size replica by using the instructions and templates found in the My Body book
If you’d like to have the book bound like I did, you can buy a binding machine (this might be a good investment if you use a lot of digital curriculum) or you can go to your local office supply store. To save money, just use a 1″ binder.
This is really helpful- we are just starting Apologia General Science, and also do not have a budget for extras such as journals, so thank you very much for sharing this 🙂
I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the work you put into this. I am so excited about science this year. This is going to help a ton. You are an angel!
I’m glad it will be helpful! It was a pleasure to make, and share!