Homeschool Science Curriculum: A Complete Plan From Preschool to Graduation
Nerd alert: I LOVE science. (Which is why talking about homeschool science curriculum makes me super excited!)
Yep. It’s true. In high school, I couldn’t put down the Biology textbook. I was even president of the Biology honors society. Oh, and for fun, we spent our time blazing a trail on the back of the school property and growing various habitats.
I already feel better just getting that confession off my chest. Haha. So how about you? Do you love science? Or are you one of those parents who would rather have a root canal?
Perhaps you enjoy science, but haven’t really found a way to engage your kids in the learning of it. Sometimes we can get so caught up in memorizing seemingly random names, facts, and compounds that we miss the beauty of science.
Yep. I said science is beautiful. In fact, it ought to be every Christian’s favorite subject, because in the learning of science we can truly enjoy and find awe in all that God has created for us.
But I totally get your hesitation. Teaching science sometimes brings with it feelings of inadequacy, fear of anti-Christian agendas, and flashbacks of 100s of flashcards from our high school years. Stick with me for a few minutes and let me help you see a homeschool science curriculum plan that won’t be quite so daunting.
Table of Contents
A Complete Plan From Preschool to Graduation
Homeschool Science Curriculum for Elementary
When the kids are little, reading should be your focus, and science curriculum should be super laid back. In fact, for years our “science” class was digging into a pile of amazing books while cuddled on the couch. Each week I’d carefully select nonfiction books sharing all about fish, elephants, or really, anything interesting. And the kids loved it!
This helps you focus on what is most important at this stage: growing strong readers. When Mom holds her little ones in her lap and reads aloud, kids hear beautiful language, learn the organization and structure of language, and eventually begin to desire to read those words on their own.
Some of our favorite homeschool science books have been …
We’ve also really enjoyed homeschool science videos. Kids gravitate toward the screen, why not use it for good stuff, like learning? We have so many great ones like these …
We also have a subscription to Pure Flix where we can watch hundreds of educational titles.
Homeschool Science Notebook
We keep a notebook where we will note some of the things we have learned from our reading and exploring (think composition notebook with blank pages). This is our science journal. Don’t get too overzealous about this. It can be a killjoy. Just allow your kids to draw or write something that interests them.
Sometimes I have them narrate facts to me and other times we don’t. Let it be natural and fun!
I know this method is a little non-traditional, but remember, there is a reason we didn’t go with the traditional school option anyway, right?
If your kiddos master reading and math and you’d like to add in a little more, here are a few favorites. (Note that I really don’t think you have to. In fact, you could spend all of elementary school cuddled on the couch and be totally fine in upper-level science classes.)
We typically add in a more formal homeschool science curriculum in the 4th or 5th grade.
We LOVE Apologia science curriculum. It’s hands-on, provides tons of notebooking experiences, and is just plain fun. Our favorites have been Flying Creatures and Swimming Creatures, but they are all great.
One of the reasons I opt for Apologia is I absolutely KNOW I can trust the content being taught to my children. Not only is evolution taught as an incorrect theory, but students are also given tools for supporting and proving the fact that God created the earth. I love this point of view!
We also love Master Books science. It’s Charlotte Mason-inspired, featuring living books in many cases. I love that it’s lighter in content but gives kids plenty of opportunities to dig deeper.
Homeschool Science Curriculum for Middle School
As your kids enter into middle school, it’s time to get a little more structured with science curriculum. But remember, science isn’t synonymous with boring. One suggestion I always make for middle school is to enjoy pursuing interests. As your child enters high school, his/her options may become more limited depending on the track they choose. Middle school is a great time to prepare for that by enjoying some sciences you may not get to later.
For example, consider studying astronomy. It’s a fascinating subject that usually doesn’t fall on the high school transcript. Kids LOVE it, and the study of it builds scientific skills and knowledge without seeming so, well, “scientific.” My friend Luke Gilkerson has a course that we love called Experience Astronomy.
In the course, Mr. Gilkerson teaches the kids on video each week, assigns homework (think star-gazing), and even gives quizzes. Each one of my kids has been excited about middle school so they can enjoy this course! Oh, and did I mention you get ALL of this from a strong Christian perspective? It’s a win-win for sure.
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Homeschool Science Curriculum for High School
Once you get to high school, you’ll need to make sure you know the requirements of your state. You can find these on the HSLDA website. Although each state varies, most will look a little like this:
Three credits in the following: Biology, Chemistry, Physics.
Now is not the time to lose your creativity, though. You still have options. First, you might consider taking a course at a local co-op so you can take advantage of the lab element. Unless, of course, you like dissecting things in your living room. Haha.
Seriously, a co-op is a great option, but not everyone has that opportunity. Other options include dual enrollment at a local community college and online courses.
My friend Trisha and Luke have a fabulous online biology course. Students watch lectures, complete assignments, and even take quizzes. It’s a great way to get excellent teaching, independent curriculum, and a strong Biblical worldview all in one!
Apologia also offers online classes, and, of course, you can buy the books and the teaching CDs too.
Last but not least, we are trying a new curriculum this year called Biology 101. It’s a little on the light side, but for this particular child, it’s a great fit.
Remember to consider first your child’s academic needs and not to squash them with curriculum that will frustrate their efforts. Particularly if reading is a struggle, pull back on the textbook format and allow them to explore other options.
Homeschool Science Tips, Tricks, & Curriculum Ideas
For more homeschool science ideas and practical tips, watch this video. We’ve created it to give you a short glimpse into some of our favorites.
More Christian Homeschool Curriculum
Need guidance on curriculum for other subjects? Read more about our Christian homeschool curriculum tips and favorites.
Free Homeschool Planning Boot Camp
Feeling overwhelmed and need some help? Remember, you are not alone! It’s pretty easy to get lost in all the details, but our FREE Homeschool Planning Boot Camp will show you how to put a plan together in just 5 days!
Your turn–>
What is your favorite homeschool science curriculum? Leave a comment and tell me how you make it work in your homeschool!
Through practical tools & Bible-based resources, Kim Sorgius is dedicated to helping your family GROW in faith so you can be Not Consumed by life’s struggles. Author of popular kid’s devotional Bible studies and practical homeschooling tools, Kim has a master’s degree in education and curriculum design coupled with over 2 decades of experience working with kids and teens. Above all, her most treasured job is mother and homeschool teacher of four amazing kiddos.
Sixth Grade this year so I chose Answers in Genesis for Science because, like you, I wanted something from a Biblical perspective that shows why evolution doesn’t “work”. I am so excited to do the experiments!! My daughter LOVES hands-on learning. (who doesn’t, right?) Last year we studied human anatomy and my daughter was not thrilled but plugged away. (Funny thing – even though she said she “dreaded” science last year, she was sure to bring up the terminology she was using often! 😉 ) Thanks for the heads up about the state HS requirements on HSLDA. I’ll definitely go check it out!!
Apologia comes from the same angle as Answers in Genesis. Both are great options!
Your plan looks great! I love the Apologia Elementary books. This year we are using GuestHollow.com’s Knowledge of Nature course, built around Apologia’s Elementary Chemistry and Physics book with a lot of “real books” thrown in, and also her Chemistry in the Kitchen course for high school. I’m so excited about all the great books and activities she has included in her courses and can’t wait to get started! She has awesome history plans as well and I loosely use those to help me plan out our Charlotte Mason-style history course.
Thanks for sharing that. I’ve never heard of it.
Be cautious about the Chemistry in the Kitchen. Several of the books have very mature language, very mature themes, and use the Lords name in vain. My high schooler was very uncomfortable with this course.
My 7-year-old is a scientist. Just totally all about everything science! I love to help facilitate, and that really looks a lot like helping him get interesting library books, getting supplies he’d like for experiments, and going to interesting science-related places.
Also as tools, we’re using BFSU (Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding), and Mystery Science (free membership available right now, woot!).
Lots and lots and lots of library books, too.
Love it!
Thank you for posting about mystery science. I needed something free for my kindergartener.
Jonathan Park audio CD series is amazing.
It is a theater type adventure series that uses a believing family of scientist and their children and parents have conversations with others that do not see God’s hand. I love listening to it also.
We love Jonathan Park!
I love posts like these! They speak to the planner in me!
A couple questions-
Is there a reason your plan uses Apologia General Science but skips Physical Science?
Also, do you use the same text for all elementary student or do they each have their own? For example, one child in flying creatures and one in land animals versus both in the same book.
Physical Science isn’t mandatory. So that’s a personal preference. I’ve done the text thing a few different ways. Depends on your kids really. I’ve done the same text and I’ve done individuals.
What is your thoughts about not doing the Apoligia Physical Sciencefor 8th or 9th grade? My 8th grader is doing the General science now. I was considering her doing the physical science in 9th, but see that you choose to skip that and go straight to Biology.
Apologia General science looked sooooo time consuming and overwhelming last year with the notebook and all that I just dropped it all and had her just read an old Abeka science text I had for 7th grade. She loved it. She would have hated science if I had done the other just because of the amount of time it took…2 hours a day it seemed like. I still have it and will think aboutusing it for my other kids but I would love to know if you simplified it or didn’t use the notebook or only parts of it?? I am not good at only doing parts of things unless given “permission”?
Thank you!
This is really great!!! Both my son will love this especially my younger son, he just loves Astronomy. He always reads books related to astronomy and even loves movies related to astronomy. I remember we had seen movie Armageddon, he was so happy. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thank you for this post. Thank you also to all of the people who commented. By the grace of God, I will be a homeschooler soon, and this helps a lot.
I am so happy to see that some of the Master Books options I have on my list are recommended by you. I trust your opinion! 😉
Have you heard of Considering God’s Creation? It’s by a very small company here in Oklahoma called “Eagle Wings”. It’s my first time using it, but we are really enjoying it! The lessons are short, hands on, and loaded with info! It’s very fun, I highly recommend. It’s also for ages 5-12, and it’s Bible based (which is always awesome!!)
I love their very creative, interactive, hands-on, discovery learning worksheets.
I just started homeschooling in 8th grade, and it took a bit to find the right curriculum. My daughter likes to work independently, and Shormann Science has allowed her to do that! I don’t have to be involved at all, or I can discuss her lessons with her if we wish. (I’m not into science, so I love her doing it all on her own.) For 8th grade, she had Earth Science. He goes all through 12th grade, and we plan on using this all four years of high school. Dr. Shormann uses a Biblical perspective with everything he teaches, and that is especially helpful with science. She watches a video with him explaining everything on a black screen. Then she answers questions, and takes a quiz at the end of the week. I get to keep track of her grades, and follow along with what she’s doing every step of the way. I love this curriculum 100%!
I so agree with making science fun in the elementary grades and getting kids curious about the world around them and the Creator who made it all. Wile’s “Science in the” series has been a big hit for us. Because it follows a chronological timeline of the discoveries made in science, a broad variety of topics are covered. It’s an elementary science curriculum designed for multiple grade levels with a (very doable) hands on activity for every lesson. (We do 2-3 lessons a week.) Along with the activity, there are a couple pages of explanation, so it’s a quick read with the majority of the time being spent on the activity. My boys love hands-on investigations and have often repeated or extended the activities as their curiosity is piqued.
Thank you Kim, for this insightful and encouraging post!! It was a pleasure to read and I walked away with so much useful information and resources to look into for my children. Thank you for helping to take off the unnecessary pressures of teaching science!
I have a rising 10th grade son and am looking for a fit for him for Biology. We used the Apologia Physical Science in 9th and struggled through. He is a mover so sitting still with lots of large books to read and write about is difficult for him and is not ideal for our relationship. He already does an online math. I was considering Friendly Biology maybe. The Biology Dvd mentioned on this site was recommended as well. I would need more info on how to use the Biology DVD that cost around $65. Is it a supplement or complete on its own?
It’s a full curriculum, but it’s lighter than a typical curriculum. You can check out their website for more info.
We have loved God’s Design from AiG(I am not sure if they still sell the older versions-I know Masterbpoks has taken this series and developed textbooks). For middle school my son is LOVING Science in the Atomic Age by Jay Wile and I have not decided on whether or not to go with BB science or DIVE. I love the DIVE sequence and it also has CLEP test prep available for high school classes.
We use and love Gather Round Homeschool Unit Studies ❤️ I printed lessons from multiple curriculums to compare, looking for high school. And I love the research aspect of Gather Round. Instead of reading a text and answering questions…. It teaches note taking but then gives them a brief introduction to topic and then they have to research it and explain what they think. Always pointing back to God ❤️ They have a high school quiz you can put in what class you want credit for and it’ll tell you which units you need.
This year, for my oldest, we used Discovering Design with Earth Science by Jay Wile for 8th grad. I really liked how it was laid out and how he could be independent. We’ll be continuing with his series by using Discovering Design with Biology for 9th grade.
My elementary kids have been using a mix of curriculums. I’ve been thinking about getting Pureflix and now that you’ve mentioned some of the videos there, I am very interested in adding that to our curriculum as well.
I’m excited to see the rest of your recommendations through the week.
Thank you!
Awesome information, this is great ! 2022 was our first year of homeschooling and after a few changes during the year and finally finding the curriculum that works for us. We found science shepherd 🙂 I love how they teach the difference from a creationist view and evolutionist view and so much more. My 6th grader loves it and is learning so much.
We’ve used mostly Masterbooks science in our homeschool and are very pleased with it. My oldest has done Biology and is currently working through Chemistry. We’ve done several of their elementary and middle school courses over the years as well, and my younger two are currently in God’s Design for Chemistry & Ecology. I let my youngest choose a topic she wants to study for next year, and she chose Elementary Anatomy. We tried Apologia General Science one year for my oldest, and it just wasn’t a good fit for him. We love the strong Biblical and Creationist worldview in Masterbooks!
We love Wes Olsen’s 101 series. He has 4 DVD’s: General Science 101, Biology 101, Chemistry 101, and Physics 101. He’s a Christian and does an awesome job videotaping many images. No talking head! The They are considered to be a spine for non-college bound high schoolers although the Biology DVD is great for younger children watching. (It was filmed first and is shorter than the others.) Our children anxiously awaited each new one to come out. Chemistry and Physics are more like “The History of Chemistry and Physics” He includes a digital guide that has suggestions for making it into a Carnegie credit; mainly by reading library books, writing papers, taking quizzes and doing experiments.