Quick answer: A good homeschool science curriculum matches your child’s grade band, includes real investigations, and leaves a record a college can read. In grades K-5, pick a program built on observation and simple experiments. In grades 6-8, choose one that teaches the scientific method and the three main branches: life, physical and earth science. In grades 9-12, choose courses with lab work you can document, because colleges ask about it.
This guide covers how to choose by grade band, how to run labs at home with common materials and free virtual labs, what colleges say about lab science, and how secular and faith-based programs differ. It includes a decision table and a lab record you can copy for the transcript. If you are still deciding on your whole program, start with our guide to choosing a homeschool curriculum. Forest Trail Academy also offers homeschool programs for families who want accredited courses and records.
Table of Contents
Choosing a homeschool science curriculum by grade band
Science content is grouped into four areas: physical science, life science, earth and space science, and engineering. Most programs rotate through them. The Next Generation Science Standards use the same areas, and many state standards follow them. You do not have to follow a state’s standards to homeschool, but the list is a handy checklist for what a school-age child usually studies.
The table below shows what to look for at each stage.
| Grade band | What the child is building | What to look for in a curriculum | Lab and materials level |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-5 | Curiosity, observation, vocabulary, the habit of asking “what happens if” | Short lessons, nature study, a rotation through life, physical and earth science, read-alouds, a simple notebook | Household items: cups, a ruler, a magnifier, seeds, a flashlight, a kitchen scale |
| 6-8 | The scientific method, variables, data, the first lab reports | A clear scope and sequence, written lab reports, math used in science, a course in each of life, physical and earth science | A basic kit: goggles, gloves, graduated cylinder, thermometer, scale, simple microscope |
| 9-12 | Courses that count as credits on a transcript | Biology, chemistry, physics or earth and space science, a lab record per course, a syllabus and book list | Lab kit, virtual labs or an in-person lab, chosen by what the target colleges ask for |
Grades K-5
Young children learn science by looking closely and trying things. Plants, animals, weather, rocks, light and sound all fit in a kitchen or backyard. Look for a program that gives you a plan for each lesson and a supply list ahead of time, so you can gather materials before you start. A bound notebook for drawings and observations is the one tool every grade can share.
Forest Trail Academy’s grade 3 science course shows what a full year can hold. Its outline covers plants, animals, ecosystems, Earth’s surface, the solar system, energy, properties of matter and the scientific method. The course lists activities with a hands-on element, such as a Mass, Volume, and Density Lab and a Moon Observation and Model. See also the kindergarten science course.
Grades 6-8
Middle school is where science becomes a skill as well as a subject. Students learn to state a hypothesis, change one variable, record data and write a conclusion. A middle school program should include written lab reports, since the habit carries into high school.
The grade 6 science course at Forest Trail Academy covers scientific inquiry, matter, force and motion, energy, ecology, cells, organ systems, Earth science and weather. Its outline includes a weather lab and projects on the scientific method, cells and the atmosphere. The grade 8 physical science course continues the sequence.
Grades 9-12
High school science becomes credits. Many families plan three years: a physical or earth science course, biology, and chemistry or physics. Forest Trail Academy’s high school science page lists Physical Science, Earth Space Science, Chemistry, Biology, Zoology, Astronomy, Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science and Genetics. The page lists most of them as 1.0 credit.
Whatever program you use, keep the syllabus, the book list and your lab record for each course. Our homeschool transcript guide shows how to turn them into a transcript.
Doing labs at home
You can run real investigations at the kitchen table. There are three ways to do it, and many families combine them.
- Household and hardware-store materials. Fine for K-8 and for many high school labs in physics and earth science. Measuring cups, a scale, thermometers, magnets, batteries, bulbs, soil and seeds go a long way.
- Lab kits. Publishers and science suppliers sell kits with chemicals, glassware and a manual for biology and chemistry courses. Check what the kit includes before you buy, and whether the course needs dissection specimens.
- Virtual labs. Simulations let a student change variables and record data. PhET, from the University of Colorado, offers free simulations in physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space, and math.
Virtual labs suit experiments that are costly, unsafe or hard to see at home. They do not replace handling equipment. Some colleges ask for hands-on work, as the next section shows.
Home lab safety
Treat a kitchen lab like a school lab. The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) keeps a safety resources page with an at-home science activities approval document and guides for elementary and grades 6-12 science. Its grades 6-12 guide says household chemicals can be as hazardous as lab chemicals and that a Safety Data Sheet should accompany any investigation that uses chemicals. Practical habits:
- Read the whole procedure and list every material before you start.
- Wear eye protection for any experiment that uses chemicals, including household ones.
- Keep an adult present for chemistry, heat and sharp tools.
- Keep lab tools and chemicals out of the food kitchen supplies, and do not taste anything in an experiment.
- Look up each chemical’s Safety Data Sheet and store it with the course file.
A lab record you can copy
For high school, keep one page per lab in a notebook or folder. Write down the points below. A student who completes a dozen of these in a course has the documentation a college may ask to see.
- Course name, date and lab title
- Question or purpose
- Hypothesis
- Materials and safety steps
- Procedure, in the student’s own words
- Data table, with units
- Graph or calculation
- Conclusion that answers the question, and one source of error
- Format: hands-on, virtual or in-person, and the hours spent
Here is a sample entry for a ninth-grade physical science course. It is an example of the format, not a real student record.
| Field | Sample entry |
|---|---|
| Lab | Does water temperature change how fast sugar dissolves? |
| Format and time | Hands-on, 1.5 hours |
| Hypothesis | Sugar will dissolve faster in warmer water. |
| Method | Three cups of water at three temperatures, one teaspoon of sugar each, stir the same way, time until clear |
| Data | Time in seconds for each temperature, three trials each, with averages |
| Conclusion | Warmer water dissolved sugar faster. The stirring speed was hard to keep equal. |
What colleges look for in lab science credits
There is no single national definition of a lab science course, so the answer depends on the college. The table shows what a sample of official sources say. Read each school’s page for your child’s year, since policies change.
| Source | What it says about high school science |
|---|---|
| University of California | Two years of college-preparatory science covering two of biology, chemistry or physics. A third year is recommended. Its page has no science note for homeschooled applicants and links to a separate homeschooled students page. |
| Bates College | Homeschooled applicants send a portfolio with a course list, a description of each course and “evidence of laboratory experience in science courses.” |
| Arizona State University | Asks for 3 different lab sciences. If more information is needed, applicants can submit a course description form for each lab science. |
| MIT | No specific science course requirement. It recommends introductory coursework in biology, chemistry and physics if available. |
| NCAA Division I | Core course table lists 2 years of science, plus one more year that can be English, native language, math or science. The page does not mention a lab rule, so read the full requirements before planning. |
| College Board, AP Biology | At least 25% of instructional time in hands-on, inquiry-based labs, and at least 2 labs per big idea. When a school cannot provide lab space, virtual labs or safe at-home labs can meet it, supervised by a science educator. |
Three points follow from the table. First, ask the colleges on your list what documentation they want, and ask in writing. Second, the lab record above covers what most of them request. Third, a high school course taken at an accredited school, or a dual enrollment course at a college, comes with its own course description and grade report, which can ease the paperwork.
If your student plans to play college sports, read the NCAA page and the school’s approved course list. Our page on NCAA courses explains where to check, and families should confirm each course in the NCAA portal. For state homeschool rules on science and record keeping, see our homeschool requirements by state.
Secular and faith-based science programs
Families choose between them for different reasons, and both approaches have long-time users. Here is a neutral way to compare them.
| Question to ask | Secular program | Faith-based program |
|---|---|---|
| What is the framework? | Teaches science without religious instruction. | Teaches science within a stated religious worldview, often with Bible references. |
| How are origins and the age of the Earth handled? | Follows mainstream scientific consensus. | Varies by publisher. Read the publisher’s statement of faith and a sample lesson. |
| Will the course fit a college’s science expectations? | Usually matches typical high school courses. | Ask the colleges your student is considering how they read the course. Some families add outside resources or a lab. |
| What is the labeling? | Often says “secular” in the title or description. | Often says “Christian,” “biblical” or “Bible-based.” |
One reviewer’s comparison of homeschool science programs labels Apologia, BJU Press and Master Books as Christian or Bible-based, and R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey as secular. Publishers state their own approach on their sites, so read the sample lessons and the scope and sequence before you buy.
The same questions apply when you read any program. Does it show a scope and sequence by year? Does it include labs or tell you how to add them? Does it give grades or a way to record them for a transcript? If it does not, you will build those parts yourself.
Where Forest Trail Academy fits
Forest Trail Academy is a private, accredited, secular online K-12 school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Courses are self-paced, taught by certified teachers, and enrollment is open any week of the year. More than 10,000 students have enrolled since 2007, and graduates have been accepted at over 1,000 colleges.
Families can take full online courses, or use the homeschool programs, which include correspondence courses where the parent teaches from shipped materials and the school generates an official transcript after final grades arrive. On the high school side, the Chemistry course page says virtual labs and/or simple at-home labs are conducted for most chapters, and students submit lab reports. The Genetics course also includes labs. Read the course page for the details of each course you consider.
Pair this guide with the rest of the set: homeschool math curriculum, homeschool language arts curriculum and homeschool history curriculum.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best homeschool science curriculum?
There is no single best option. The best fit matches your child’s grade band, your budget, your comfort with lab work and your views on secular or faith-based teaching. Look at sample lessons and the scope and sequence before you buy.
Do homeschoolers need lab science to get into college?
It depends on the college. Some ask for evidence of lab work, as Bates College does, and some ask for course descriptions for each lab science, as Arizona State University does. Others set no specific science course requirement, as MIT says. Check each school’s homeschool page.
Can virtual labs count as lab science?
Often, but policies differ. For AP courses, the College Board allows virtual labs or safe at-home labs when a school cannot provide lab space, with a science educator supervising. For college admissions, ask the colleges on your list.
How many years of science does a homeschool high school student need?
States set their own rules for homeschools, and many leave the choice to parents. A common college-prep plan is three years. The University of California requires two years and recommends a third. Our page on homeschool requirements by state covers your state.
How do I record lab science on a homeschool transcript?
List the course name, credit, grade and a short course description. Add “lab” to the title if the course included regular lab work, and keep the lab record and syllabus on file. The transcript guide walks through the layout.
What science should a homeschooler study in elementary school?
A rotation through life science, physical science and earth and space science, with plenty of observation and simple experiments. Grade-level courses such as the grade 3 course above list the topics.
Is a secular curriculum different from a faith-based one?
Both teach core topics such as cells, matter and energy. They differ in framework and in how they treat origins. Compare sample lessons and publisher statements, and ask your target colleges how they read the course.
Do I need a microscope?
A simple microscope helps in grades 6-12 for cell and plant work. A hand lens and a camera on a phone cover most K-5 observation.
Book a call with admissions to ask which science courses fit your child’s grade.
