The Rainbow Frequently Asked Questions

The Rainbow: Frequently Asked Questions

What age is the curriculum for?
It is written for junior high school level, generally 7th-9th grade. It is a two-year program that can be done in 7th and 8th grades, 8th and 9th grades, or even spread out over three years.
Can a younger or older child use the program?
We don't recommend it for any student younger than 6th grade because the concepts will be too challenging. A high school student who has not had a lot of exposure to science would certainly benefit from the program. However, The Rainbow is not intended to be a high school course.
Will you have other grade levels available?
Yes. In the spring of 2000 we are planning to have our high school program-The Spectrum-available. It will be a three-year program, in separate one-year courses, covering physics, chemistry, and biology. Following the completion of The Spectrum, our plan is to have available The Colors - a science program for the later elementary grades.
Do you teach evolution?
We familiarize the students with the theory of evolution so that they understand it and are adequately knowledgeable to discuss it with others. However, we reject it as a belief. We openly acknowledge God as our Creator.
How much will this require of me as the teacher?
The Rainbow is designed for the homeschool setting, and for the most part can be done by the student alone, with minimal parental involvement. We include yearly Teacher's Helpers which help you to gauge how well your student is working through the program.
Does everything come with it?
Yes, other than a gallon of distilled water, which you buy at the beginning of the program. We provide a two-year textbook, yearly Teacher's Helpers, lab workbooks, and two laboratory kits to be used each year. The durable equipment sets contain items that can be reused by another student. The renewable kits are essentially consumable kits that would have to be replaced for a subsequent student to go through the program.
How much time does it take to do this?
The Rainbow is designed to be used three days a week. The students work two days in the textbook, and one day in the lab workbook. Text lessons will require 10-30 minutes. Labs may take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. There is a corresponding lab for every two text lessons.
Who wrote the program?
Durell Dobbins is a Christian and a professional scientist. His own five children are homeschooled, and he wrote the program with his junior high school age son in mind. Durell runs a small environmental clean-up company which operates out of Minnesota, and currently has a new office in Bowling Green, KY.

Can we skip Year 1 and start with Year 2?
The Rainbow curriculum is written from the perspective that an understanding of physics is fundamental. The program then builds on that foundation into a study of chemistry, which is an application of physics, and then into the study of biology. Because our program is structured to build on concepts, beginning with the Year 2 curriculum defeats the purpose. Also, our Year 2 program requires the use of many of the items from the Year 1 lab kit.
Are there any tests?
In the physics and chemistry course, there are two major reviews, which are essentially tests, written into the lab workbook. The biology and applications workbook contain three.
My child is not a good reader/has ADD. Will he be able to handle the program?
Because our curriculum is designed to build your child's understanding based on concepts, rather than load them down with terminology and memorization, our text lessons are concise and easily readable. Our lessons focus more on the doing of science and grasping of concepts than on reading.
Does The Rainbow cover General Science? Earth Science? Life Science? Physical Science?
The Rainbow provides one semester each of physics, chemistry, biology, and applications of science. The course could certainly be called General Science. Earth Science is covered in the applications semester. Life Science is taught during the semester of biology. Physical Science is taught the first year of the program in physics and chemistry.