Free Science Curriculum for All Grades

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Preschool Science Curriculum

At this age science is really all about discovering, exploring, and getting messy! The kids are so curious and fascinated by the things that they discover.

It doesn’t take a lot of planning or stress to complete science at the Preschool level.

Science Discovery
http://www.teachpreschoolscience.com/index.html
This FREE Science Discovery Curriculum for Early Childhood features:

• 75 core science-related learning experiences with coordinating lesson plans
• relevant connections to other curriculum areas
• related children's and teacher's books, and websites
• resources for supplies and equipment
• hundreds of activities, ideas, and successful ways to explore science with young children

We used a few lessons from this free curriculum with our youngest. I found them to be thorough, easy to teach, and a lot of fun. The author does a great job of suggesting activities that are age-appropriate and spark a child’s curiosity.

Science Sparks
http://www.science-sparks.com/category/pre-school-science/

While not a curriculum, per se, you can easily put together an entire year of Preschool science with this site. It is amazing! She doesn’t just toss out a few photos of a project and simple instructions, she goes above and beyond by providing extension activities, extra facts for you to teach, and more.

MESS Early Childhood Curriculum
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/educators/early-childhood/
We didn't use this site. I'm not sure it was even around when my kids were this age, but I recently discovered it and let me tell ya, it is a GOLDMINE of amazing resources for this age. If you're looking for something that is well put together and has everything laid out for you (down to supplemental books to read!), this is the resource for you. Here's the description from the site: Marvelous Explorations Through Science and Stories: MESS is a science-centered early childhood curriculum enhancement. MESS includes 10 month-long units that are appropriate for 3- through 5-year-old children. Each unit includes field-tested science experiences, suggestions for ways to integrate each topic across the curriculum, lists of recommended books and science materials, and ideas for involving families in children’s learning at home and in other settings.

20 Science Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
http://happyhooligans.ca/20-science-activities-toddlers-preschoolers/
Jackie over at Happy Hooligans has put together a fabulous list of 20 science activities for toddlers and preschoolers.  This convenient list will save you loads of time since Jackie has done all of the research for you! We have done the Ivory Soap experiment, as well as the Dino dig, the giant bubbles, crayon, resist art, homemade butter, and the paper towel art! Such fun!

Elementary Science Curriculum (K - 5^th grade)

During the first few years of school, we have a lot of leeway in what we teach in science as well as how we teach it. When we get to the higher grade levels, we’re typically required by law to teach certain subjects, depending on the state we live in. But at this level, boy we can have some fun!

Here are just a few of the free resources that we’ve used over the years.

Mystery Science
https://mysteryscience.com/
While Mystery Science is not completely free, they do offer a generous one year trial period which usually ends in June of each year. After that, you can subscribe for a fee.

From the site: “Every lesson begins with a Mystery that hooks your students. I then narrate an unforgettable story told with stunning images and videos and punctuated with opportunities for discussion. Every lesson concludes with simple hands-on activities designed to use supplies you already have (or are easy to get).”

We have used a LOT of these lessons. They are so quick and easy, involving very little preparation on my part—some gathering of supplies for experiments and printing of worksheets. The videos are well made and fun to watch and the “extras” are relevant and engaging.

We really enjoy Mystery Science.

cK-12
https://www.ck12.org/elementary-science/
I admit that I haven’t used cK-12 books as a complete curriculum, though it certainly can be used that way. I actually used the table of contents to help me determine what topics to teach at each grade level. I then filled in those topics with living books and activities.

If you’re looking for a complete standards-based secular science curriculum, then this is a good option.

Easy Peasy All-in-one Homeschool
https://allinonehomeschool.com/
Easy Peasy is a complete, comprehensive online curriculum that has gained popularity over the past few years. We used it exclusively for half a year before I realized that our daughter just doesn’t do well when all of her learning is online. She’s a very hands-on girl, and she needs to move around.

That being said, we have still used individual subjects, or parts of them, to supplement other curriculum or fill in gaps that weren’t covered with other books.

Here are the current offerings in Science:

Biology - https://allinonehomeschool.com/science-year-1/
Course Description: Students will explore two branches of biology: human anatomy and plant life. Students will learn about the body systems and conduct experiments to further their understanding. A study of plants will include their structure, reproduction, and types. Soil, biomes, and underwater plants are some of the special topics covered. Students will use textbooks, videos, and online learning materials. Experiments and nature observations will enhance their learning and understanding. Students will have the opportunity to present their experimental findings to an audience.

Zoology - https://allinonehomeschool.com/zoology/
Course Description: Students will study zoology through readings, videos, and a variety of online activities. Students will study the main branches of the animal kingdom including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and fish as well as others. They will study animal habitats, behaviors, diets, and adaptations. Special studies on endangered species, classification, mimicry, and camouflage as well as ecosystems and food webs will be conducted. Students will complete projects and lapbooks and will have many opportunities to present what they have learned before an audience.

Earth Science - https://allinonehomeschool.com/science-earth-science/
Course Description - This course in earth science will engage students with experiments and projects. Students will also learn through text, video, and online interactives. Their study of the earth will include learning the rock and water cycles. They will study rocks and the makeup of the earth. They will learn about the types and causes of weather as well as how to predict the weather. Students will follow and learn about the numerous types of bodies of water in our world. They will dive into the ocean and discover what’s hidden in its depths. Students will learn about the atmosphere and fly up into space. They will study objects in space and learn the history of space exploration.

Physics / Chemistry - https://allinonehomeschool.com/science-year-4/
Course Description — Students will study chemistry and physics through experimentation, demonstration, readings, videos, and a variety of online activities. They will learn about the periodic table and many of the elements, studying their structure and use. Students will model the structure of atoms and molecules and will explore the states of matter, discovering the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. They will create and observe different types of chemical reactions and experiment with acids and bases. Physics topics include light, sound, aerodynamics, forces, the Three Laws of Motion, energy, heat, electricity, magnetism, simple machines, and engineering. Students will learn but also apply their learning by building a roller coaster, bridge, and dome as well as circuits and a solar oven.

The Lab of Mr. Q Classic Science
http://eequalsmcq.com/ClassicScienceLife.htm
This free course includes a full-color student textbook, teacher's edition, and a list of materials needed. If you like the style of the course, there are several others available for a very reasonable $50 cost—all the way up to Advanced Physics!

Under the Home
https://underthehome.org/
If you prefer a more gentle, Charlotte Mason approach to Science, this is a wonderful resource! You'll find 36-week courses for 1st through 4th grade.

• Grade 1 - Peter and Polly in Autumn
• Grade 2 - Animal Nature Study
• Grade 3 - Plant Nature Study I
• Grade 4 - Plant Nature Study II
• Grade 5 - Nature Study: Rocks and Minerals

Magic School Bus
What kid doesn’t love Magic School Bus! Ms. Frizzle and her class always seem to end up in the greatest adventures.

There are quite a few different free science courses that use the Magic School Bus episodes. Here are some that we have referred to over the years.

General Science from Water On The Floor
(click the first link that says **General Science Curriculum Using Magic School Bus DVDs**)

Another Free Plan from Homeschool Belle

I used Magic School Bus for our daughter's second-grade science and it was a BLAST! I paired the lessons with the science kits, read aloud some of the books, and of course we watched the videos. We had so much fun that year.

Wild Kratts
http://differentdogblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/wild-kratts-curriculum-printable.html?m=1
Running a close second to Magic School Bus on the interest meter has to be Wild Kratts. My kids LOVE the Kratt brothers.
You’ll find loads of printable worksheets, extension activities and more to use with all of the Wild Kratt’s episodes, which you can watch for free with your Amazon Prime membership.

Don't have Prime? You can get a 30-day FREE trial here.

Middle School Science Curriculum (6^th - 8^th grade)

Georgia Virtual Learning Middle School
http://www.gavirtuallearning.org/Resources/SharedMSLA6(MSCopy).aspx

Georgia Virtual Learning offers online science courses for 6^th through 8^th grades.

6th-grade science covers the universe, our solar system, earth, moon and sun, water on earth, weather and climate, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, weathering, erosion, and soil.

7th-grade science covers diversity, cell structure and function, major organ systems, heredity, reproduction, matter and energy, ecosystems, biological evolution, and natural selection.

8th-grade science covers topics such as matter and energy, forces, energy, sound, and light through studies of sports, food, and cooking, and science, and toys.

As you can tell from the topic lists this is a secular curriculum that is used in Georgia public schools for virtual learning. If you are looking for Christian based science, this is probably not the best choice, but it is very comprehensive.

CPO Science - Life Science
https://freyscientific.com/FREY/media/downloads/cpo/douglas-county/LSN_Ebook.pdf
Course Description: With engaging inquiry-based investigations, large, full-color diagrams and illustrations, and real-world connections, students enjoy and retain key biology concepts. Includes cells, the human body, heredity, evolution, DNA structure and functions, classification, and many other topics, including the vital relationships between our physical environment and our bodies.

American Chemical Society’s Middle School Chemistry
http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/download/

Course Description: Investigate the world of atoms and molecules through hands-on inquiry-based activities and molecular model animations.

This is a very comprehensive course that includes a free textbook as well as a year of lesson plans that incorporates videos, experiments, printable worksheets, and other multimedia resources. This really looks like a lot of fun.