If you have every went down the black hole of researching homeschool curriculum, you know that it can be very overwhelming. Maybe you’ve purchased a program before only to get it in and realize it’s more work for you than it is the student you’re teaching!
If you have multiple children like me, this sort of curriculum is probably not your first choice. I do not enjoy curriculums that need a $200 lab kit, extra websites to gather information, or 7 pages of reading. My children don’t learn best that way, and frankly, neither do I!
A Better Option
After several years of science curriculum, I have found one that works well for older elementary and middle school students. I have seen this curriculum for years, but never gave it a try. Well, I am so glad I finally did!
The Christian Kids Explore Science series is my new favorite curriculum for younger students (3rd-8th grade). My 6th grader is currently doing the Christian Kids Explore Creation Science. This program starts with creation, air, plants, animals, and progresses from there. Students have two sections for each lesson. The first is the ‘Teaching Time’ and this is where concepts are explained and students answer a few questions at the end of the lesson. The next section is the ‘Hands on Time’. During this part of the lesson, students fill out a char, make observations, or do a project to reiterate the concepts taught during the Teaching Time.
We also have experience with Christian Kids Explore Chemistry. This chemistry program is a great introduction to chemistry to prepare students for higher levels of chemistry they may take in high school. Lessons are laid out in the same manner, with a Teaching Time and a Hands On Time for each lesson. Students cover atoms, elements and the periodic table, chemical bonds, acids and bases etc. The Hands on Time experiments are very practical for the everyday household. There is no special equipment needed to complete this curriculum. In some lessons, there is more than one option so that if you do not have the materials, students can still grasp the concept by completing another activity.
Overall, I feel this is one of the better Christian science curriculums on the market for younger students. Many of the current curriculums targeted towards upper elementary and middle school students are pretty overwhelming. I encourage you to try this one out!
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