Choosing the Best Physical Science Course for Homeschool

We exist within a physical world that we experience through our senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. We live with our human nature interacting with nature itself. So, choosing the right physical science course for your homeschooled student should be a matter of how you want your student to view his or her physical world.

Understanding Physical Science

What is physical science? Well, it’s a way to learn about our physical world, a methodical process to actively investigate, apply, and connect to everything around us. There is one big caveat, though. Physical science is a systematic method of studying nonliving things.  

In its broadest sense, natural science can be broken down into two main categories: life sciences and physical sciences. As you might expect, those two topics are generally studied through subdivided and more specialized courses. While you might think their divisions are straightforward, they aren’t always that clear. 

For example, biology, which is the study of life, can be further specialized into topics such as botany (the study of plants), zoology (the study of animals), and so forth. But you can’t fully study those topics without touching on physical science because living things have habitats within the physical world. 

The key areas within physical science include physics, chemistry, Earth science, and astronomy. Hopefully, you can see that there is often much overlap between the sciences. This is an important fact. We cannot possibly relate to the study of physics without understanding how physics is at play in our everyday lives. Likewise, for chemistry. And why include Earth science and astronomy in our studies of physical science? It’s because they are also a part of our physical existence. 

Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, has 15 modules covering.

1. Science – The Basics
2. Chemistry – Properties and States of Matter
3. Chemistry – Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
4. Chemistry – Chemical Bonds
5. Chemistry – Reactions and Energy
6. Physics – Motion
7. Physics – Forces
8. Physics – Energy
9. Physics – Waves and Sound
10. Physics – Light
11. Physics – Electricity and Magnetism
12. Earth Science – Our Earth
13. Earth Science – Our Atmosphere and Beyond
14. Chemistry and Physics in the Life Sciences
15. Physical Science Research

The Importance of Studying Physical Science

Looking at these topics, you can see that it is important that you include physical science in your homeschooled student’s education because the benefits of studying and understanding our world last a lifetime. Grasping how the physical world exists and interacts (think chemistry, atoms, and the periodic table) and how it functions (think physics and the mathematical realities of our world) helps us appreciate the grandeur and the power and beauty of it all. It also prepares us for more detailed high school-level studies, where students spend an entire year delving deeper into the world of chemistry or physics. It also brings us closer to the mind of God. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Physical Science Course

The physical science course you choose should be rigorous enough to meet any standards your state requires, but it should also align with your child’s educational goals and interests. 

Difficulty Level

Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, is written in a conversational tone to engage your homeschooled student in an interactive dialogue between him or herself and the textbook, which talks with your student and not at your student, as most science textbooks do. We’re rigorous enough to be considered a high school 9th-grade level course, yet we’re written so that most students complete their physical science studies in 8th grade. Even better, our 4th edition allows students to easily study and test at an honors level for their course transcripts.

God-Honoring Curricula

Perhaps the most important factor to consider when choosing a course for your homeschooled student is whether or not the material is God-honoring. At Apologia, we know that God has gifted us with our natural curiosity. It’s that curiosity that creates our desire to seek Him in creation. Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, is the best way to discover God’s signature in our physical world.

The welcome page sets the tone for the year’s study:

“You are about to start an amazing journey of discovering much about the world around you. That’s what science is—a way to learn about our physical world. Science is a systematic way to actively investigate, apply, and make connections to the world around you. And that is just what you will do this year. And in your study of science, you will see order, precision, and the creative hand of God. The more you learn about creation and the way our world works, the more you can know the Creator and recognize how great He is.

Why should you learn physical science? Well, physical scientists study the Earth and all the processes and nonliving things on it. God designed the Earth specifically to be our home. Since we live on this amazing planet, it is a good thing to understand as much as we can about it. Also (and more importantly), by investigating Earth and the fundamental laws God set in place when He created it, you will begin to see God’s fingerprints and learn more about His nature and power.

This year, you will learn about atoms that make up everything you see (and even things you don’t see), the depths of the Earth, the atmosphere above the highest mountains, the waters that cover our planet, and the forces that govern our world. Through this study, you will marvel at how great God is.”

Learning Style Compatibility

We all have our individual learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), and your child is no exception. When considering a physical science course, look at all the options available for your student. Is there a textbook? Student notebook? Are there hands-on experiments? Are there any online learning options or classes your students can use? Finding a good match for your student can mean the difference between a successful year and a desire to move on in the sciences to dread and a desire to shut down scientific study altogether. Most of the time, it isn’t the scientific study that causes the distinction but rather the method of information delivery.

Options Available at Apologia

Apologia believes in helping students achieve their full potential, regardless of their learning style. 

• Traditional curriculum learning is your homeschooled student, a textbook, and a student notebook. If your student is an independent self-starter, this is a great way to incorporate physical science into your home. The textbook and student notebook include everything your student needs for a complete physical science education. Studying, experimenting, and exploring creation are all within the covers of the textbook!
• Audiobooks are a good way to help your student stay on track with reading. A complete audio recording of Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, is also beneficial for auditory learners or students with learning challenges that make reading directly from the textbook difficult.
• Adding instructions without worrying about teaching a course yourself is possible with Apologia’s streaming video lessons. These lessons provide content instruction using visual animations and on-location video clips to bring real-world content into your home. We even have complete demonstrations of each experiment and activity your student is expected to complete in this physical science course.
• If your students thrive when they can interact with others, Apologia Live Classes provides students with real-time, interactive teaching from exceptional instructors.
• Apologia’s Self-Paced physical science curriculum is a great fit for students who prefer a screen to a textbook. This complete curriculum includes a digital version of the textbook, an audio recording of the book, video lessons, experiments, and many more advantages for you and your student!
• We’ve got something for homeschooling parents, too! Apologia recognizes that a homeschooling parent’s time is extremely valuable. AutoGrade+ is an option that provides dynamic online testing with automatic grade recording. This can be purchased separately or accessed through the Self-Paced course.

Tips for Success Using Exploring Creation with Physical Science

Structure and Scheduling

Structure and scheduling are important concepts in any homeschool environment. With Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, we give you both!

Our Student Notebooks are specifically designed to keep your student on track and accountable for science success. The entire year of physical science is broken down into daily sections. Your student will complete the 15-module course in 34 weeks following the recommended schedule of two to two-and-a-half weeks per module, working at a pace of 45-60 minutes each day for four days per week. Since most families follow a school year longer than 34 weeks, there is some built-in “flex time.”

Studying the Material

The On Your Own questions follow short segments of assigned text reading. Your student answers these as they occur. Answering these questions and self-checking the answers allows your student to know if the content material has been mastered before moving on to new learning.

Study Guides are included after each module to help your student review important concepts and prepare for tests.

Setting Up a Lab at Home

Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, has experiments and activities for this course that use household materials. Any additional supplies you need should be available from a supermarket, hardware store, or pharmacy. A complete lab supply list is included with this course. It is broken down into individual activities and experiments so that you can always have the needed materials on hand for your student.

Finding Supplemental Resources

While some courses leave students on their own to supplement their learning, every Apologia course provides students with access to our online Book Extras resource page. This includes a list of carefully selected bonus content related to the concepts taught in the text. This list is available through our website and contains downloadable resources and links to additional websites, videos, activities, and more. It is arranged by module to help your student locate information to complement the text, find help with difficult topics, or further investigate an interesting subject.

Assessment and Progress Tracking

Every homeschooling parent knows the importance of tracking their student’s success. 

At Apologia, we offer multiple options to evaluate progress and understanding effectively.

• The Physical Science Course Guide & Answer Key provides everything a parent needs to assist their student with the Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition course. One set of perforated Test Pages is shrink-wrapped and included. The course guide section explains how to use the curriculum and the various components within the course and provides suggestions for grading. The Answer Key section includes the answers to the On Your Own questions, note-taking prompts in the Student Notebook, Study Guide questions, and test questions.
• Apologia’s AutoGrade+ is a curriculum add-on that provides dynamic online testing for Apologia courses with multiple attempts, immediate answer feedback, and automatic grade recording. With this option, a homeschooling parent’s time is free for things other than administering and grading tests.

Final Thoughts

You’ve made the decision to homeschool your child for reasons that are important to you and your family. Apologia strives to honor the importance of the parent/child relationship at all stages of development. We begin by recognizing that our responsibility is to ensure that choosing an Apologia product gives you peace of mind and heart, knowing that your student will be fascinated and inspired by God’s handiwork through the scientific study we develop. We support your decisions and are honored that you would consider Exploring Creation with Physical Science, 4th edition, as a course of study for your student. You and your family are in our prayers. May there always be joy in your homeschooling journey.