CHOOSING MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE | Exploring Options 6th Grade Secular Science Homeschool 2023 - 2024

Choosing Middle School Science
In anticipation of starting middle school in the fall, I have been on a quest to explore our science options.
I took all of your recommendations to heart and checked them out.
Today I am sharing what I found and my thoughts.
I hope this provides a condensed quick-look version of the options available for secular homeschool science for middle schoolers.
I know some of you will be offended by how I made my choices but I need to be honest with myself about what we will and won't enjoy using.
You may love something for exactly the reason I would hate it.
Let's all remember that we don't need to use the same things to achieve great results.
#choosingmiddleschoolscience #makingeverydaymagic #secularscienceformiddleschool
-💖Shanna
Just a mama making magic!

Links To What I Checked Out:

Generation Genius:

Science Mom:

Exploration Education:

Supercharged Science:

Real Science Odyssey:

Core Knowledge:

Mr. Q:

Khan Academy:

Crash Course:

BrainPop:

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[Homeschoolology]

Wow, there are way more choices than I realized! Thanks for sharing them. You plan sounds great! Thanks for reminding me of Khan Academy.

[NJDeXdance]

Middle school is on the horizon for us. This was very helpful! Thank you!

[KitKat_]

This is so me this past week of binge watching so many videos to find a good, secular science. I hope this gets easier as my kids get older and the number of homeschoolers keeps growing. I wish we were religious, so I was comfortable using all the pretty curriculum others offer. We ended up deciding on Elemental Science. They go through 8th grade and also have lapbooks for my crafty kids. From there, they recommend CK12, who I had never heard of before like yesterday. I feel silly for not even thinking of Khan Academy lol.

[serenityinthewoods]

Hello from Houston 👋
My 8 y/o is also a visual learner. Science is one of those subjects that’s difficult finding the right fit.
I love all your choices and I can definitely see it working for visual learners. Thank you for sharing them.
As long as our kiddos are enjoying it and learning at the same time, that’s all that matters. It’s a definite win 🏆

[melanimontague]

This was such a great video!!! I’ve never looked at khan academy for anything other than the game for my kiddos!!! I’m so excited to check it out!!

[jenniferandersen]

I appreciate your video and even bringing up the ones you didn't like, because maybe someone will. My daughter would rather videos as well and I want to use Khan Academy, but like you, I don't think it's robust enough. I'm looking into the others you mentioned. I learned about new ones through this video so thank you again!

[catherinemcbride]

I love R.E.A.L Science Odyssey but I do wish they had videos that went along with each lesson and experiment

[lovetosmile]

Lots of great info. I learned LOTS! Thanks for sharing. We used Pandia Press this year (6th grade) for history and science. We supplemented both subjects with Crash Course videos and Nat Geo videos. We use some Khan academy videos for math, but I didnt even think to use for science. Will definitely add them to my (short) list. We will be using Pandia Press again for history and science this year (7th grade). Thanks again!

[elizabeth]

This was full of helpful content! Thank you 🎉

[thehomeschoolfamily]

My kids love video based science also. We used most of the programs you mentioned. Did you ever hear about Biochemistry Literature for kids? It's video based, and after watching first free lesson my son loves it, so we might be using that next year.

[wheretheresahilltheresaway]

Thank you for posting all of the links to the programs you mentioned. I also have an incoming 6th grader and been debating if we want to stick with Generation Genius or if there's something better suited to our needs, you've given me plenty to investigate. I love and appreciate your channel so much.

[astoldbydeedra]

We are actually using Blossom and Root Science, which is literature based. However the creator has lots of video links, labs, and levels to fit your kids learning style or teach multiple kiddos together at their individual level. I’m going to supplement that with crash course and mystery science to emphasis the lesson. Free and Secular Mama had a great video about layering science curriculums in this same way, but her whole channel was taken down earlier last month and I can’t find her content anywhere anymore.

[susan]

We enjoy watching CrashCourse. My 5th grader does EvanMoor skill sharpener science or daily science a page a day but then watches the crash course videos. Fun, short, definitely sometimes over his head but sometimes that isn't a bad thing. I let him pick which ones we watch and go from there (i am pretty sure they are based on AP high-school classes)

[howowen]

Is there a special link for the home pricing on Generation Genius? All I see now, Feb. 2024, is 1 Teacher & their class w/ 1 Device at a time & No Student links for $225 for a years access.

[katem]

I’m 100% with you on being turned off by a website, I am the same way. I love using brain pop, crash course, and generation genius to supplement.

[heidikennedy]

We used Mr. Q Science this year. I agree about the website. Earth science is going well this year but I do add a lot of videos in to make it more interactive and deepen the learning. I like the experiments, they are easy, dont require a lot of supplies, and for the most part worked for us. Next year we are doing Elemental Science Chemistry for thr Logic stage for my middle schooler, adding in Mr Q. Chemistry for my elementary age kiddo and then again videos.

[elizabethcervantes]

Have you heard of Mosa Mack? I recently heard of it through a local co-op. It’s video based lessons and from what I saw seems very engaging. It has online labs.

[evawebb]

We have been using cognito on YouTube as a spine .5 min videos very well done, then we draw pictures, make models and read our own books about the topic

[donnabolt]

So first off- you are not even close to being offensive.

I have done exploration education science with my oldest when he was in 8th grade. So I can tell you about it. Our kids are in 6th starting in Fall, but you can remember this for future
We did the advanced physical science highschool level. I was going to help teach but became extremely ill (diagnosed w/ aggressive ms) and he ended up doing the whole year on his own.) He got highschool credit
There was 170 labs total. Very cool experiments. He had to build a house provide electricity etc.
He really enjoyed it (he watched videos online, answers questions and then tests at end of quarter.)
So basically very hands on. Everything they build they use for their experiments. He said it was a very hard class, it probably would have helped having an in person teacher (mom of the year award for me 😢) but he managed a 95% because he's incredibly smart like his father.

I hope this answers questions but ask me any you have about it! Your child can be totally independent with it and it's pretty thorough.

[littlelearnerandmom]

I am so with you about website. If the website isn’t exciting I am not bothering.