How to Teach Physical Science at Home: A Comprehensive Guide
Physical science is an important subject; it teaches students the basics of much of our world. However, many parents feel unfamiliar with the subject and, therefore, are nervous about teaching it. Parents may be asking things like:
- What is physical science?
- What is the best location and situation to teach this subject?
- Is it worthwhile to use activities to demonstrate the concepts?
- How can I tailor the lessons to reach multiple ages and abilities?
We’re here to help answer all your questions and help you prepare to teach Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th Ed. at home.
What is Physical Science?
Physical science is the study of the nonliving parts of our world. This includes chemistry, physics, astronomy, and the earth sciences. Students learn the explanations behind the behavior of our physical world, such as how airplanes fly and why liquids boil.
The Perfect Place
Your home is the perfect place to teach physical science because students experience these concepts in everyday life. From baking cookies to riding in a car, students are surrounded by excellent examples of physical science principles. A great place to teach physical science is around the kitchen table. Discussions about the order and design of our world and how it behaves according to measurable, underlying principles can spark interesting family conversations. Most concepts can be demonstrated using simple household materials so your students can actually experience the concepts you’re talking about. So, grab a good curriculum, make sure each child has a notebook for taking notes and making illustrations, gather some materials from around the house, and you’re ready to go!
Where do you start?
Choosing a Curriculum
Apologia Educational Ministries offers an excellent creation-based physical science curriculum for all ages. Our elementary course, Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics, teaches students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Written in an engaging way, the text balances theory with practical and simple hands-on activities. As with all our courses, Mom and Dad do not have to have a science background to teach and enjoy learning!
Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science is a physical science homeschool curriculum that’s designed for upper middle school and high school students. It is a more formal text, yet like all Apologia courses, it is written in a conversational tone. The text talks to the student, making the content more engaging and easier to understand. Because most physical science concepts can be demonstrated using basic household materials, no special lab equipment is necessary for this course.
A good homeschool physical science course has a good balance of instruction and practical activities. Students learn best when they can participate in and explore the concepts that are covered. So, it’s always a good idea to add to your home library extra books that enhance physical science exploration. Chemistry experiment books or biographies of physicists will help round out a solid physical science study. Look for multimedia resources to help students visualize some of the more challenging concepts in the course. Preview YouTube videos that cover topics you are studying, or you can get the complete Video Lessons and Experiments series that accompanies Apologia’s middle and high school courses. Visual animations and videos of the experiments with explanations make a concept much easier to understand compared to a two-dimensional image in a text.
Day-to-Day Activities
Field Trips
Consider looking for field trips that can provide real-world applications to your study. Is there a local glassmaker nearby? They utilize chemistry to create color in their glassware. A museum display of robotics will provide students with a good understanding of the application of physical principles to make robots move. A bakery will be able to demonstrate how they use the chemistry behind leavening to make their baked goods rise. Even a field trip to a playground will be helpful as students can personally explore pendulums on a swing set, levers on a seesaw, and centripetal motion as they go down a spiral slide!
Baking
You can encourage your students to explore the chemistry of baking at home. They can perform their own experiment as they discover the best recipe to get cupcakes to rise. Then, they can discuss the chemistry and physics behind what they learned. It’s a delicious way to learn science! As a bonus benefit, these hands-on experiences are great for students of all ages. Elementary ages are able to measure, mix, and use their observational skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about the physical and chemical principles behind the baking process – topics such as the expansion of gases, pressure, and even the properties of oil.
Collaborate with Other Families
A great way to add to the fun is to get other homeschool families to join you. I realize that it can be overwhelming to gather the materials and set aside time each week to do experiments. Often, life just gets so busy that hands-on work gets put to the side. But labs are some of the most interesting parts of science. Students really love performing experiments, and they are the best way to communicate difficult-to-grasp concepts. Meeting once a week to do hands-on activities or experiments with other families keeps everyone accountable to each other and ensures that your students are motivated and excited about science. It’s just more fun together!
Conclusion
So don’t be daunted by teaching physical science at home. It’s an enjoyable, applicable science subject that all ages can appreciate and explore. You don’t need special materials or equipment to demonstrate the concepts, and when you invite others to join you, physical science just might become your children’s favorite subject!