I have 6 resources for making homeschool high school science easy. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School.
Science has been a subject that we have always tried to add naturally into our day.
Too, I folded it into our unit studies even at the high school level.
However, we do love spending our time reading about history and geography.
So, I wanted to be sure as the boys entered high school that they received more formal training in science.
It didn’t mean we had to give up our hands-on things we were doing with our unit studies, but I wanted to be sure our activities were high school level because I wanted our transcript to reflect that.
Like history, science is a subject that you and your teen need to determine how in depth to cover it.
Though my boys loved science, like me, they had a bent toward history and geography so that did affect their choice as to curriculum.
If you’re a science minded family, its important which science track your teens takes.
Even if your teen is not choosing a career in science, the advantages of covering science at the high school level go far beyond just college or career.
5 Questions Before Purchasing A High School Science Program
Before I mention those advantages for us, look at these things to mull over before you pull the trigger on a high school science program.
- Do you want to only cover the major sciences like biology, chemistry and physics?
- Do you want to cover subjects outside the traditional subjects, like astronomy or botany? Having homeschooled from the beginning, this is what appealed to my sons. They could feed their minds on subjects they were passionate about. So not only does science stir up a deep appreciation for creation, but the logical thought process that science teaches sticks with your child lifelong.
- Does a Christian or secular view matter?
- Is any teacher prep involved?
- What kind of costs are involved for hands-on and lab? We stuck to curriculum that just used items we could find around the house and purchased a few other things like microscopes and lab things, but for the most part, we just used what we had.
Mr. Senior 2013, enjoyed the textbook approach of Apologia during his junior years but when it came to high school, he wanted a change.
He was pursuing some electives like public speaking that he wanted to focus on and writing.
But first, look at some of these how to homeschool high school books.
How to Homeschool High School Books & Resources
How to homeschool high school can be daunting at first. With a little help and these great resources, you’ll be a homeschool pro in no time.
Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops. When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.
Are you afraid of homeschooling high school? Do you think you’ll ruin your teen’s life? Are you afraid you’ll miss an important requirement for getting into college? Are you confused about credits and coursework? Or are you just downright overwhelmed and don’t even know where to start?
This book will take you step-by-step through the process of planning your child’s high school coursework all the way through to graduation, in such a way that you will KNOW that you are not missing anything! You truly can feel absolutely confident that you are doing the best thing for your child and your family. You can make informed decisions knowing you have done the correct research to do so. You can be FEARLESS!
Experienced hikers know to never begin a demanding journey without a good map and a strong plan. For homeschooling parents, it’s even more important to establish a solid homeschool plans toward high school graduation.
So, What Are Your Homeschool Plans?
- Do you know how to homeschool high school?
- Do you know how to prepare for college?
- Do you know the high school courses essential to preparing for graduation, college and career?
Learn How Homeschool Electives Can Make Teens, Parents, and Colleges Happy!
Homeschool electives are fun! Teens love them because electives involve a lot of what they want to do anyway. Parents love them because a happy teen makes for a happy family! Colleges love them because it helps them understand your teen so they can make good admission and scholarship decisions.
Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, shares the joy of homeschool electives. You will learn strategies to help you choose elective homeschool high school curriculum and document electives colleges will value. Don't put your homeschool in a box. Use electives and let your homeschool soar!
You’ve worked hard homeschooling your child, and now you’re near the goal line... homeschool graduation. Your plan your graduation takes forethought, not just for the culminating graduation ceremony, but also to ensure your child has accomplished everything you want them to before
leaving the nest.
Too, Apologia had advanced courses like Advanced Physics that I knew we could come back to later if he wanted to pursue science in more depth.
So after reading about the interactive content Switched-on Schoolhouse used, he decided to use SOS Integrated Physics & Chemistry.He enjoyed the video clips, animations and games.
He ended up really liking their courses because they had courses that were outside of the traditional approach and kept science fun for him.
That program was discontinued but I find that 1) Glencoe Science Integrated Physics and Chemistry was similar and used with my second son.
Too, courses like 2) family consumer science are offered. Such practical courses in preparation for adulthood are sometimes not easy to find.
So, my next son didn’t follow a traditional approach either.
Random Efforts Can Pay Off
He liked more of a simplified approach to science and wanted to study only subjects that interested him like the stars.
So we used 3) Lift Up Your Eyes On High: Understanding the Stars (Christian Liberty Press High School Curriculum) .
And he also liked 4) Biology: A Search For Order in Complexity, 2nd Edition.
Too, Christian Liberty Press borrows some of their books from A Beka and Bob Jones.
Then for Mr. Awesome 2015 we also used part of 5) Biology by Bob Jones and then back to Christian Liberty Press for part of Chemistry or it was really by Bob Jones.
Lastly, we loved the straightforward approach of 6) Lifepacs. They are like worktexts which are good for independent learners. We loved Lifepac Biology.
Mr. Senior 2015 stayed on just one or two science providers.
Mr. Awesome 2015 was all over the place on subjects but liked the combinations.
Too, the process of scientific investigation is critical to higher thinking skills and logical thinking ability is a lost art not just among teens, but among adults too.
These are skill sets my boys should have.
So we didn’t follow a traditional approach by a family that would be pursuing a science career.
But we enjoyed having the variety of topics that fed my sons’ curiosity at the high school level,
However, it kept their passion for science.
What has worked for your family or what are you mulling over?
More High School Science Tips
- 25 Great High School Science Curriculum
- How to Easily Meet the Lab Component of High School Science
- 10 Popular High School Chemistry Curriculum
- How to Teach Science Through A Story – Middle & High School
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