
How to find a homeschool science curriculum
Some parents think that science is an intimidating subject to teach their children. However, a good homeschool science curriculum can be the perfect tool to put these fears to rest. Selecting the right science program can help ensure a great learning experience for you and your students.
Time4Learning’s science curriculum makes it fun and easy for families to teach science at home. Thousands of families around the country have rated us as a trusted and thorough online science program for students from PreK-12th grade.
Some of the questions you should ask yourself when selecting your ideal science curriculum include:
- Does the program offer ideas for hands-on science activities?
- Does it rely heavily on textbooks/workbooks or is it a computer-based science curriculum?
- Is the science content age-appropriate?
- Does it contain visually-engaging content?
- Does the curriculum worldview match yours?
- Does it match your student’s learning style?
- Is it suitable for independent study?
- Does it include tests or other assessments?
Why is science important?
Science is important because it is all around us and influences many aspects of our daily lives. Advances in medicine, technology and numerous other fields could not be possible without science. If it weren’t for science, we wouldn’t have many of the products we use today, life-saving medicine and equipment, and so much more.
Being scientifically literate allows students to understand the complex world we live in, and also allows them to think critically. In addition, becoming familiar with the scientific method early on can help students develop skills that allow them to become better learners in a number of other subjects. These skills include asking the right questions, doing research, analyzing information, and more.
In the last few years, careers in technology have been in high demand, and that is likely to continue over the years, so having a solid science education can be highly beneficial for a student looking to work in the field.
What do you learn in science?
Science is perhaps the main subject that satisfies the natural curiosity we are all born with. And without it, we wouldn’t be a modern world at all. Science allows students to learn about an enormous amount of topics including health, environment, technology, space, biology and more. To accomplish this, a well-rounded science curriculum should include lessons that, at a minimum, teach students about:
- The scientific investigation process
- The various tools used to collect and analyze data
- How to make educated predictions and work collaboratively
- Living things, what they need to survive, and their habitat
- Earth’s history and structure
- Weather and the water cycle
- The human body and its systems
- The solar system and universe
- Elements, molecules and chemical reactions
- Various types of organisms and their structure
- The different branches of science
Science curriculum overview
Science is exciting, dynamic, and unpredictable. It is an on-going process often raising new questions. To ensure this excitement is passed on to students learning about science, a good homeschool science program must be more than just a presentation of facts. With Time4Learning science is taught using a combination of animated lessons, engaging activities, worksheets, quizzes and tests.
Students also have the opportunity to enhance their learning with tons of ideas for hands-on projects and experiments. They’ll also learn to draw the connections between living things and their ecosystems, expand their knowledge of the universe and so much more. The right science program will motivate students to:
- Ask questions and develop scientific thinking
- Build crucial STEM skills
- Conduct research and test ideas
- Develop observation skills and draw conclusions
- Analyze data and present information