If there’s one subject area that scares homeschool moms, it’s gotta be science. Many of us feel either unqualified to teach science, or worried about the “mess” and “danger” of higher level sciences (dissection and chemistry experiments in the kitchen, anyone?). Despite this, science also offers a lot of fun for students. It’s a very hands-on subject with lots of practical applications. Here’s a list of homeschool science resources to help you out.
SuperCharged Science (online curriculum)
SuperCharged Science is an online science curriculum taught by scientist and mom Aurora Lipper. The website has thousands of videos that can be browsed by topic or grade level. There are also printable tests, labs and other activities. Aurora demonstrates experiments for kids and also provides instructions on how to do fun projects with easy-to-find materials.
SuperCharged Science is a self-guiding program that encourages students to be creative and explore the world around them. Lessons are taught by Aurora, whose excitement is contagious. She takes care of the technical stuff so that kids can have fun learning science (and moms can relax about the mess and the work!).
Grade levels: 1-12
Cost: unlimited online access is $47 per month for K-8, $67 per month for 9-12. Single topic lessons are also available on DVD for about $75 each.
CrossWired Science (online curriculum)
CrossWired Science is an online, Christian science curriculum. Each lesson includes animated videos, experiments, online resources and more to help children learn about the topic. Lessons are intended for a multi-age audience and kids can explore as much (or as little) as they want. (This is a new website, so currently there are three months of full science curriculum available and more coming.)
This website does a great job of breaking big science topics down into easy-to-understand chunks. I also liked the way that science topics are woven together (hence the name crosswired), rather than studied in isolation. For example, the videos cover famous scientists in history and practical applications of a scientific principal as well as definitions of the principal.
Grade levels: 1-12
Cost: $27.95 per year (additional students $10 each)
College Prep Science (live online classes)
College Prep Science offers live, Christ-centered science classes for homeschooled students. Founder and instructor Greg Landry is a homeschool dad and former college professor. He holds a Master of Science degree from Louisiana State University. Greg has “a passion for teaching students to see God’s hand in every aspect of His creation that surrounds us—to help them see that God’s creation didn’t just happen by chance—it wasn’t an accident, a fluke of nature.”
Students can interact live with the teacher and other students. Classes are taught by a veteran instructor. There are graded tests and assignments and a final course grade issued.
Grade levels: 6-12
Cost: $340 per semester
Big River Academy (live online classes)
Big River Academy has a variety of homeschool science courses available for junior and senior high students. These classes are offered live each semester, with a real teacher and fellow students. Students meet once a week for a 90-minute class in a friendly, Christian environment.
Science classes offered include biology, chemistry, psychology, and criminology. Students receive the support of a real live teacher, can interact with other homeschool kids, and learn how to show up on time for a class!
Grade levels: 8-12
Cost: $200 per semester
Techie Homeschool Mom (online unit studies)
Techie Homeschool Mom offers a variety of fun, interactive online unit studies. Her science courses focus on famous scientists such as Helen Keller, Marie Curie, or Thomas Edison. She also has courses on Famous Inventors, the Solar System, and the Stars.
Beth is a homeschooling mom with five children, ages 18 to 8. She has a degree in secondary education and has been designing curriculum for her kids for thirteen years. She first created her unit studies for her own kids, as a way to organize the resources she found for them to study. When other homeschooling families asked to use these resources, her interactive online unit studies were born.
Grade levels: mid-elementary to middle school
Cost: unit studies start at $8; some are more and bundles are available.
Learning about Science (printable eBooks)
Learning About Science from WriteBonnieRose is an easy-to-use, homeschool science resource. Each level is comprised of several booklets, each about twenty pages long. While all the pages are black and white, they include plenty of drawings and bubble words to help make the topics more interesting. Topics covered include earth science, physical science, and life science.
Learning About Science is an easy, kid-friendly way to introduce your kids to science. You can print the entire bundle and coil-bind it as I did for your child, or print each booklet separately. Children can colour and doodle in the booklets as they read and learn.
Grade levels: elementary (1-5)
Cost: varies; $15 – $25 per ebook bundle
NASA for Students (online science resources)
NASA has a website just for students which includes a great free catalog of articles, activities, videos, and games on topics related to STEM, aeronautics, and space exploration. Browse homeschool science resources by grade level or topic. Students can also check out the NASA Kids Club.
Grade: K-12
Cost: free
Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space (textbook)
Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space is a multi-grade Christian science curriculum from Bright Ideas Press. This curriculum has a Christian, creationist approach to science and also uses a classical approach (making it great for multi-age use). This user-friendly textbook covers the earth, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and weather in 24 lessons in 30 weeks.
If your children enjoy this curriculum, Bright Ideas Press now has online classes available, either live or self-paced. There are also more science textbooks available in the Christian Kids Explore series.
Grade level: 3-6
Cost: $39.95 for the textbook
DK Books (print and online science resources)
If you need to supplement your current science curriculum, or if a full-year curriculum seems overwhelming, then DK Books has a great selection of homeschool science resources on various science topics. If you have a reluctant learner, DK Books can be used to “strew” your home (e.g., buy some cool books and leave them laying around for your child to pick up and read). Student can also explore more homeschool science resources for free online at DK Findout.
To get started, check out my reviews of books on the following topics:
Grade level: elementary to middle school
Cost: varies per book
Science, Naturally! novels
If you want to keep your child’s learning going over the summer, or help pique their interest in science topics, check out the Science, Naturally! novels. Through fun stories and mysteries, these novels bring science alive for kids and help them see the practical applications to what they’re learning.
Grade level: 5-9
Cost: varies; about $12.95 per novel.
Ted-Ed (online homeschool science resources)
Ted-Ed lets you build a lesson around any TED talk, TED-Ed resource, or YouTube video. Browse hundreds of TED-Ed animations—short, award-winning videos that will spark the curiosity of your learners. You’ll also find thousands of other video-based lessons organized by the subjects you teach. You can search by lessons or series, or create your own homeschool science resources.
Cost: free
Media Enhanced Books (online unit studies)
Media enhanced books integrate online resources (including text, audio, video, and many more digital features) to provide students with a fresh, dynamic approach to science. Sunshine and Lily easily spent an hour exploring Glaciers and all its resources, and when they finished, Sunshine wanted more about glaciers.
Grade level: 3-6
Cost: varies
Exploratorium (online homeschool science resources)
Exploratorium has a huge selection of free activities, videos, printables, and interactive online resources on a variety of math and science topics. Browse by topic (from astronomy to engineering to physics) or search specific topics that your child wants to learn more about. Loccated in San Francisco, California, the Exploratorium is a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception. Their mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide.
Cost: free
Creation Illustrated (magazine and unit studies)
Creation Illustrated uses Christ’s method of teaching through the things He made. Readers call it “the Christian answer to National Geographic!” Each edition is divided into 3 sections: Creation Illustrated . . . in Nature . . . in Scripture . . . in Living, which provide a balance of Mental, Spiritual, and Physical enrichment.
Every issue of the magazine includes an Instructional Guide to glean vital homeschool lessons from various articles. There are also new coloring, photo, and poetry contests for homeschoolers and even Genesis Cuisine recipes for Mom. Unit studies are also available which expand upon an article in the magazine, such as “the intricacies of snow.”
Grade level: 5-8
Cost: $19.95 for print magazine subscription; digital copies for $2.99 each; $9.95 for the unit studies.
What are your favourite homeschool science resources?
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