Secular Science Curriculum For Homeschoolers Resource List

Finding Secular Science Homeschool Curriculum is Hard!

Having been a homeschool mom for the last 8 years, one thing I have always had trouble with is finding secular science curriculum for homeschoolers!  I am part of many groups, and that is a question that comes up so often in the discussion, so I know I am not the only one.  I was determined to tackle secular science and find the best non religious based resources out there for homeschool secular science, and I’m going to share them with you.

Isn’t Science Secular already?

You would think science would be a subject that it is fairly easy to find a secular curriculum for, right?  I mean science in itself seems like it lends itself as a secular topic.  But think again, because that isn’t the case in the homeschooling world. Secular Science curriculum is a rare thing around here.

There are a lot of homeschool science curricula out there, but so many of them try to appeal to the homeschooling masses.  This means they often tend to avoid subjects like evolution in an attempt to still be an option for many religion based homeschoolers who don’t want to teach those topics.   Because of that, a lot of the resources that are believed to be secular science curricula are considered by many of us to be more “neutral” than actually secular science curriculum.   So, for those of us who prefer something that includes evolution, the big bang, climate change, etc., a secular science curriculum is much harder to find, but they are out there!

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The Resources

By sharing the secular science curriculum resources I have found, I am hoping to make the task of finding one that works for your family much easier.  This isn’t a review of the materials, but rather gathering them all in one place to make it easy to locate the appropriate solution for your needs.  I have not used every single one of these, but several of them I have used or will be using this year.  I wanted to share all of the secular science curriculum I have found, and let you decide the best one for you.  Below, I am grouping them into what I am calling Secular and Neutral resources, as explained above. Here are my current top choices in both categories:

Secular Science

These resources are secular and contain references to things usually avoided by neutral curricula.

R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey

R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey from Pandia Press is definitely a secular science curriculum. Often confused with Real Science 4 Kids because of the name similarities, they are completely different things. The R.E.A.L. stands for Read, Explore, Absorb, and Learn science.  They wrote the curriculum specifically for homeschoolers (or small classrooms).

It consists of two levels.  The first level is for 1st through 5th grade and consists of four themes: Life/Biology, Earth & Space, Chemistry, and Physics.  The present the lessons in a story format, followed by plenty of activities to keep the kids interested.  Level Two consists of Biology and is appropriate for grades 5 through 9.  Their goal is to bring high school level science to middle school kids in a fun way.  You can view sample pages at their site to see what they are offering before you purchase.  The books are available in either eBook or print format.

The Story of Science

Joy Hakim’s The Story of Science is an inexpensive three book series for grades 7 and up.  The series goes from ancient times to the present while illustrating the evolution of science. The books contain many visual interests with a lot of color photos, charts, maps, etc. in a story-like setting.  There is also a “Student’s Quest Guide” and “Teacher’s Quest Guide” for the books that you can purchase separately.  These accompany the text and provide lessons for a better understanding and depth for the original text with hands on learning and activities.  The first book is titled The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way, followed by Newton At The Center and finally Einstein Adds A New Dimension.  My son is entering the 7th grade this year, and we will be using these in the upcoming years.

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BSFU) consists of 3 volumes that cover the K-8 spectrum.  The first one is Scientific Understanding and is for grades K-2.  The second is Elementary Science Education for grades 3-5.  The last volume is Middle School Science Education appropriate for grades 6-8.  It is based on hands on learning and also incorporates elements from other subjects.  BSFU claims very little specialized equipment is required, which is a big plus. They also say no prior experience is needed and the teachers can learn along with the students.  The author also has an online community where he offers additional help if needed.

Mr. Q’s Classic Science

Mr. Q’s Classic Science is a secular science curriculum written by Mr. Q., a high school science teacher who created his materials for homeschoolers.  He writes the books with humor and comics mixed in, which is great and makes science even more fun. His books range from elementary to advanced high school curriculum.  The elementary titles are Life Science (which you can try for free!), Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physical Science.  The advanced series is Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Science.  He also has a “Lab Notes” monthly newsletter that includes experiments and other science related things.  So far, we are really liking the Life Science book to use with my daughter.

Intellego Unit Studies

Intellego Unit Studies has many secular science offerings.  Their goal is for students to be able to think critically and actually use the information that they learn, not just recite facts. They have their core curriculum divided into grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8.  Within these core curriculum groups are many science options that appear to be extensive.  Just as an example, for the 6-8 group the topics you can purchase separately include Astronomy (where they cover the origins of the universe and the Big Bang Theory), Evolution, Cells & Genetics, Light & Sound, Physics, Disease and Infection in the Human Body, Electricity and Magnetism, Chemical Reactions and Energy, Oceanography, Structure and Chemical Bonds, and Plate Tectonics.  They also have elective Unit Studies available for several science topics (as well as other subjects).

CPO Science

CPO Science is one that we are not familiar with but it looks great as well. They have middle school and high school offerings.  For middle school, their programs are Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. They set the high school programs up a little differently. The programs are Physics, a First Course, Foundations of Physical Science for 9th & 10th grade, Physical Earth, Space, and Life Science for 9th & 10th grade and Foundations of Physics.  They consist of the Student Book, the Investigations Manual, and the Equipment Kit.  One reason we haven’t used them is that it can be quite pricey.  This is especially true for the high-quality equipment kit. However, you can find many of the books on Amazon used for a reduced rate.

Time 4 Learning

Time4Learning is an online learning service that has many options when it comes to sciences (they also offer all the other subjects).  We use Time4Learning for multiple subjects and my kids really like it.  I like it because it is self graded and I can print reports of how they are doing each week.  You pay per month and can pause it at any time.

Tim4Learning has it broken down into 1st – 5th grade (K can have access to the 1st grade science as well), middle school science, and then high school science. They don’t base the elementary portion on all state standards but they do for the upper levels.  They have everything broken down very nicely into detail on their science page, so you can check it out.  Time4Learning also offers a Science4Us program with additional activities for grades K-3.  They set the lessons plans up so that you can pick and choose which ones your children will do. Or if you prefer, they can complete them all.

Science 4 Us

Science4Us was mentioned above with Time4Learning because you have access to the lessons through there as well. If you are looking for just science, you can also sign up for Science4Us separately.  They are also an online monthly service and cover grades K-2.  We have found that a lot of the activities there are for groups, at least in the 3rd grade Time4Learning option. Obviously, as homeschoolers, that doesn’t always work well. However, we have been able to adapt a lot of them to fit our needs and my daughter has enjoyed them.

BioZone

BioZone is another option for high school level courses.  Their books are available on Amazon or their own website. They have several courses including Biology, Earth and Space Science, Environmental Science, Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology 1, AP Biology 2, CIE Biology 1, CIE Biology 2, IB Biology 1, IB Biology 2, Senior Biology 1, and Senior Biology 2.  All of these have the student text and also a student workbook available.   New on their site is also online courses, where they state they are transferring their books into online courses.

CK-12 Science

CK-12 Science is a free resource for science and other subjects. They have Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and K-5 Science books available. Many of the books are also available for free download through Amazon. I love using their Kindle service on my computer or iphone even though I don’t down a Kindle.

Prentice Hall Science Explorer

The Prentice Hall Science Explorer Series consists of many text books on all different topics related to science.  They range from Human Health to Astronomy and everything in between.  You can find workbooks to accompany them as well.  A good number of them are available on Amazon through either buying or renting, which is a cool option. They also have several resources on their site you can use to help reinforce the material.

Oak Meadow

Oak Meadow covers all subjects and grades from K-12 through their accredited distance learning school.  They are secular in nature and do cover things like natural selection and evolution in their materials.  They strive to keep the child’s love for learning throughout their school experience.  I have a friend who uses Oak Meadow with her two children and loves them. You can learn more about them at their website.

Evan – Moor

Evan-Moor is another option. They have a lot of materials which can be used as a supplement to another science program, a spine to build off of, or to go along with unit studies. Daily Science is one series by Evan-Moor that seems to get great reviews.  You have a short amount of activities and information to go through each day. This is enough to reinforce concepts but not so much that it is overwhelming to child.  They also have the Giant Science Resource book for grades 1-6 that looks great.  In addition, they have many smaller books with activities on specific topics such as the Human Body, Simple Chemistry, Weather and more.

Neutral Secular Science

The curriculum content is secular but it is created in a way that is careful not to contradict religious perspectives.

Real Science 4 Kids

Often confused with R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey, Real Science 4 Kids is something completely different. They offer a couple of options.  One is Focus On Science, which is a series of single-subject programs. The subjects include Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy, and Physics for elementary age (K-4). The have the same lineup (Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy, and Physics) for middle school (5-8). Building Blocks of Science is a multi-subject program that includes all of the subjects listed above into one book.  These are divided out simply by Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, and Book 7. Which option you choose depends on which style you like best.

Nancy Larson Science

Nancy Larson Science is for grades K – 4 (5 is coming soon) and is purchased by grade as a complete set of everything you need for that grade.  It starts out as something you do 2 days a week for 20 minutes and finishes at 4 days of 45 minutes each.  This shows that the time and depth of the material progresses as they age.  They are full of hands on activities and kits consist of a Tool Kit, Teacher’s Manual, Student Materials and Resource Materials.

Elemental Science

Elemental Science by Paige Hudson is another option.  She states that she is from a Christian background but has tried very hard to write her programs to focus on science and not religion.  There is no direct inclusion of the Big Bang or Evolution in the younger science programs. There are optional pages on the Big Bang theory for the older years.

The curriculum includes all ages from pre-school through high school.  Sassafras Science appeals to me the most out of the many options they have.  This is also known as The Living Book Series and is for 1st – 5th grades. They have four volumes currently available, but there will be a total of eight when it is completed.  Volume One is Zoology, Volume Two is Anatomy, Volume Three is Botany, and Volume 4 is Earth Science. You can also get the guides and the log book, all of which is available on Amazon.

Supercharged Science

Supercharged Science is written in a creation neutral way as to not contradict religious perspectives.  With that said, it appears to be a solid choice especially if you are looking to make science fun.  She has many options from eScience to Science Mastery programs and covers all grades from K-12.  Check out her site for more information.

Moving Beyond The Page

We used Moving Beyond The Page curriculum in the past for a couple of years.  We really enjoyed it and the kids thought it was very fun.  Their curriculum spans from ages 4-5 all the way to High School 1.  I love that you can buy one unit of the curriculum and see how you like it and be able to spread the cost out a bit.

In my experience, some of their materials contain references to religion.  However, they are presented in a community setting as in being part of your neighborhood, not as actual religious materials. I am told they do have one lesson that covers evolution in 12-14/8th grade level that can be included or skipped. Moving Beyond The Page is not an exclusive science curriculum.  It covers many subjects, including science, through a literature based curriculum.  If that is what you are seeking, it could be a great choice.

ScienceFusion

ScienceFusion is a program that I haven’t been able to find much information about, so I am putting it into the neutral category even though it is used in a lot of schools.  The have write-in student workbooks along with digital lessons and virtual labs.  The makers of ScienceFusion also have HMH Science Dimensions, which looks similar.  I just wanted to list it here as something to check out if you think it may work for you.

Singapore Science

Singapore Science is another neutral secular science curriculum option to consider.  They have a few different programs for different age groups. The one I have heard talked about the most is the My Pals Are Here series.  It is for grades 1-6 and looks really fun for the elementary age students.  There is also Earlybird Science for grades 1 & 2, Lower Secondary Science for grades 7 & 8, and Science Matters for grades 9 & 10.

Always Looking For More Secular Science Curriculum

I am always searching and trying to find new secular science curriculum materials to share.  This is what I have compiled so far and I hope you found it helpful. My goal is to help you determine which secular science curriculum would be best for your homeschooling family.  If you have any secular science resources that you think I should check out, comment below and let me know!