On a new episode of ID the Future, I welcome Kristin Marais and Summer Lile, two passionate instructors from the Discovery Institute Academy, to discuss their high school biology and chemistry courses, uniquely taught from the perspective that nature reflects intelligent design. These courses offer a complete, sequenced curriculum and include readings, handouts, videos, pre-recorded instructor lectures, and hands-on wet labs designed to be done at home. Live classes and one-on-one teacher drop-in sessions are also available. 

Summer’s biology course is a new, exciting offering at Discovery Institute Academy. The course explores the study of life, which, being hard to define, is approached through its characteristics, like using energy, interacting with the environment, and having a genetic code. Units are structured around these characteristics, covering key areas such as inheritance, cell structure and function, biochemistry, ecology, and anatomy — all the standard biology topics, but with the added element of the evidence for intelligent design built right into the course content.

Evidence for Design

Kristin’s high school chemistry course provides all the components of a traditional high school science course. The first semester covers the scientific process, matter, atoms, chemical bonds, and chemical reactions. The second semester delves into the behavior of gases, properties of solids and liquids, solutions, thermodynamics, equilibrium, spontaneity, acid-base chemistry, and nuclear chemistry.

Both courses integrate evidence for design throughout. Kristin and Summer explain that while traditional science classes often present a purely materialistic view of living and non-living processes, their courses explicitly show students that there is overwhelming and growing evidence suggesting features are the product of intelligent purpose, not just blind processes. Summer’s biology course accomplishes this by teaching students how to discover design evidence themselves. It covers topics like the fine-tuning of Earth for life and the complexity of the human body, comparing intelligent design claims to evolutionary explanations to help students learn to argue from either side. 

Kristen’s chemistry class weaves in intelligent design concepts by looking at topics like the fine-tuning of light and Earth’s atmosphere for complex life, referencing the work of biochemist Michael Denton. Students also explore the unique properties of water and its integral role, again referencing Denton’s insights. The integration is key; they don’t just tack on ID concepts but place them directly where they fit with the underlying scientific understanding. This allows students to consider “which explanation makes the most sense” for the evidence.

Decades of Experience

Both teachers bring decades of teaching experience and a strong enthusiasm for their subject to the classroom. Summer’s love for biology stems from a lifelong curiosity about the natural world, finding that the subject allows her to delve into the “how they’re made” details of living things. Kristin, on the other hand, is drawn to nature’s non-living things. Her passion for chemistry started when she was young. She found chemistry elegant, organized, and powerful in explaining everyday phenomena like gas laws and heat transfer, solidifying in her a desire to share her passion for chemistry with others. 

Download the podcast or listen to it here. Even if you don’t have kids who can participate, can you help us get the word out to those who do? Forward this episode or simply a link to discoveryinstitute.academy to homeschooling families or homeschool co-ops who might be interested. For a limited time, parents can get $50 off tuition by registering now.

Dig Deeper

• Learn more and register now for HS Biology or HS Chemistry at Discovery Institute Academy!
• Listen to Kristin discuss the success of her HS Chemistry class on ID the Future.