If you are looking for a rigorous homeschool science curriculum from a Christian worldview that doesn’t take a lot of preparation and can be done independently, Apologia is your answer!
It is important to me that my children have a college-prep education. I choose our curriculum based on rigor, accessibility, and worldview. I want the lessons to challenge my kids. I want them to be able to work independently because as a large family mom, I need to maximize my homeschooling efforts. And I want it to lead them toward Christ – not away from Him – as the answer to our every need.
Apologia is all this and more!
In fact, we have been so satisfied with Apologia as our sole Science curriculum that we have used it for over 10 years! That’s saying something for a homeschool mom who LIKES to change curriculum!
Today, I want to share with you a brand new edition of the Physical Science curriculum from Apologia. We use this in middle school and early high school after our children have taken General Science and before they take Biology.
NOTE: Physical Science is listed in the Middle School category of Apologia materials, but in many states it would count as a High School Science credit.
READ MORE >> How to Use Apologia Science with Multiple Ages
Is Apologia Science rigorous enough?
As you read this review, you will see there are many different ways to use the Apologia curriculum. But, a lot of families just want to know if their kids will be able to handle college science classes after using Apologia.
Here’s my testimony…
I have graduated 2 children from my homeschool who only used the Apologia Science curriculum. Both have taken college level science courses and received A’s in every single one. Our family is proof positive this curriculum works!
In the Physical Science Advantage Set™, you receive the softcover text, the student notebook, and the tests and solutions manual. In my opinion, this is the biggest bang for your buck because it gives you options. (That’s why I’m giving away an Advantage Set™)
How do you use the Advantage Set™ to your advantage?
- You can use the notebook to solidify what your students are learning from the text and tests.
- You can use the notebook as a way of testing your student’s knowledge of the text without using the tests themselves.
- You can use the text and tests, only using the notebook for experiments.
- And the list goes on and on…
It is important to observe your children individually and decide what will work best for them. Some kids may prefer taking a test over writing in a notebook. And some kids freeze when it comes to tests and would be better off using the notebook until they are a little older.
In our homeschool, I rarely give science tests before high school level (although I do require the children to fill out the included study guides). I prefer to use the notebooks as a gauge of how they are engaging with the information from the text.
But several years ago, I would not have even considered using the notebook portion of Apologia Science because I was unfamiliar with how it was designed and how beneficial it could be. Now that I have used it with several of my children, I have to say I would not order Apologia without buying the notebook as well!
READ MORE >> Why Notebooks are a Great Way to Learn (even for a large family!)
How We do Physical Science with Apologia
My daughter starts her science lessons by reading through everything she will need to fill out in the Notebook that day so she can be looking for it in the text as she reads. Doing this helps her to know what the main points of the lesson will be.
The Physical Science Notebook has her assignments listed for each day so I don’t have to make a lesson plan and she doesn’t have to figure it out on her own. It gives her the pages to read in the text, which experiments she will be doing (if any), and which notebooking pages she will be filling out.
She is able to easily complete her assignment for the day, and I am able to tell she is learning simply by the conversations we’ve had about her assignments.
WHAT MY DAUGHTER SAYS…
The Physical Science textbook is “interesting and engaging.” She’s not “bored or overwhelmed by the reading assignments because they are only 3-5 pages a day.”
I really like that the lesson plans are set up in a 4 day a week schedule for 34 weeks, but the lessons are not assigned to a particular day of the week. We school 4 days a week year round, so it fits well with our schedule. It also works well for families who don’t do Science every day or who do Science 5 days a week. I like it when lesson plans are super flexible like this.
What about Homeschool Science Experiments?
This review promised you could do homeschool science without mom being hands-on. Between the textbook being written in an engaging way and the notebook facilitating even more ways to capture that information, you don’t have to be the one reading, lecturing, and managing every scientific moment in your homeschool.
But can your kids do the experiments on their own too?
Absolutely!
The Physical Science experiments are listed in the textbook and the notebook. All the needed materials and outcomes are there for your student to gather, plan, perform, and observe. There are no hard-to-find material and the experiments are laid out in an easy-to-understand way.
And best of all, the experiments allow for your child to make changes, omit ingredients and swap out for items they don’t have!
Don’t have all the materials and can’t run to the store right now? No worries! Just make a notation on the experiment pages (included in the back of the notebook) and move on! There’s that flexible plan I love so much!
By the way, I do not require all the experiments in the text. Every year, I let my kids do the experiments that interest them…until Biology.
NOTE: Because Biology is the “lab science” we use to meet state graduation requirements, I do require the dissections and other labs included in the Biology text.
Kids who are hands-on learners will get a lot out of doing the experiments included in the Physical Science text, but not every child needs this kind of hands-on learning.
Notebooking for Homeschool Science
The beauty of the Apologia Notebooks is that your child engages with the lessons beyond simply reading. Most human beings need more than a quick read through a text to retain the information. Apologia has created notebooks that help your child extract the information and remember it!
They write down vocabulary definitions, answer questions, fill in blanks, and fill out graphs and table. There are a variety of activities included in the notebook to kee your child interested and engaged.
WHAT MY DAUGHTER SAYS…
She likes the Physical Science Notebook because it “isn’t intimidating,” it helps her “learn how to take notes,” it is very “organized and visual with pictures, graphs, etc.,” and it “feels less messy” than trying to take notes on her own.
I see notebooking as a way to teach note-taking – a VERY important college-prep skill. It guides your child toward the information they need and helps them to take what they read and extrapolate the main points from the text. It is a great way to introduce your children to the concept of note-taking without long lectures and stressful lessons.
Kim says
I would like to try Apologia science!
Leslie says
I would love to get the Apologia Biology set!
Renee says
I enjoy learning from you. Your Christian perspective is refreshing and helpful! Thanks!
Renee
Heather says
How fun, thanks for this!
Marcella says
We are new to homeshcooling with my 9 year old. She attended public school and does not have great experiences with Science. We are struggling to find something that is not too overwhelming for you so that we can find a love of learning that includes Science. This may be the way to go.
Angela Kim says
I am interested in the apologia physics set. I tried to enter the drawing, but it keeps saying it didn’t get my entry and to try again.
Cassandra says
I love your blog! If I could choose a free apologia set it would be biology for highschool ?
Sara says
What a good , thorough review! I liked that you included your daughters thoughts on the curriculum also. I think I would pick the Physical Science since I have kids who are up and coming into middle school…
Yuliya says
Any!
Rachelle says
Apologia is so good! I’d probably pick physical science, because it’s one we don’t have yet!!
Mia Greenhill says
Thank you for this helpful review, Amy! We love using Apologia science in our homeschool. I have twin sons who are getting ready to study Chemistry this year, so I would love to win the Apologia Chemistry Advantage Set!
Jessica Q says
This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing all of this information.
Maria Gruda says
I enjoy reading your articles! Thank you,
Maria
Amy says
I would pick the new biology. We have an older version, but I would love an updated set for our youngest kids.
Jessica Q says
This looks awesome! Thank you for sharing all this information!
Elle says
We love Aplogia I think we’ve used almost all of the middle school/high school guides.
Diana Campbell says
Thanks for the giveaway. I have always wanted to see a sample of the curriculum.
Megan Morgan says
I have been impressed by Apologia. I would hope to receive either Exploring Creation with Anatomy & Physiology or with Zoology 1.
Sarah says
I enjoy your blog and perspective. I have been using Apologia for science for years (I’ve lost count how many), and I probably first read about it here. My youngest son just started 7th grade General Science. And my youngest daughter is working on Astronomy for the elementary grades.
Megan Morgan says
I have been impressed by Apologia. I would hope to receive either the Exploring Creation with Anatomy & Physiology or the Zoology 1 sets. I am always appreciative of your post.
Kelly Wright says
Thanks for the chance to win this. ? I love reading your blog posts.
Kelly Wright says
Thanks for the chance to win this. ?We too have love Apologia science for many years. I love reading your blog posts.
Tina Bryars says
I want my daughter to have the opportunity to use Apologia‘s Physical Science and Marine Biology… Science is her absolute favorite subject and she has really enjoyed the other Apologia Sciences that we have used…
Danielle says
I’m looking forward to using Apologia at some point…haven’t made the purchase yet but it looks so good! Thanks!!
Megan M Morgan says
I always enjoy your posts. I would hope to receive the Zoology 1 book.
Danielle says
I’m looking forward to using Apologia at some point…haven’t made the purchase yet but it looks so good! Thanks Amy!!
Danielle Swiontek says
I’m looking forward to using Apologia at some point…haven’t made the purchase yet but it looks so good! Thanks Amy!!
Heather R says
This is our first year to use Apologia and we are so excited! My kids are 12, 8, 5, and 3 and we are doing Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day! We are co-schooling with 3 other families so I am planning and teaching Zoology 2 to 9 children ages 5-12. I love that Apologia is structured to where they can all learn together and do things to show what they’ve learned on their level using the 2 notebook types and the lapbooking option. I cannot wait to dive into all that Apologia has to offer and would absolutely love to win this giveaway!
Jennie W says
Yes, 4 day schedule and Biblical focus is priority for me.
LR says
Would love to have the Biology set for my ninth grader.
Liz says
I would love to have the Biology set for my ninth grader.
Dana says
Perfect timing! My baby #6 is beginning Apologia Physical Science this fall and I didn’t even know the notebook existed. Definitely getting that! Loved this review! ?
Lisa Parker says
Sounds like a curriculum we need to try.
Laurie says
Thank you for showing how to use the new notebooks. I will be using General Science for my son next year.
Amber Bunch says
I love this science curriculum! My son is going to be using general science this year and my daughter, biology. I would love to get one of those advantage sets! It is great that our kids can learn about the wonder of God’s world without the agenda of evolution education.
Amber
Julia carnes says
Thanks so much for this article!
Mia Greenhill says
I tried to post this earlier, but don’t see it on the comments. Thank you for the helpful review, Amy! We love using Apologia in our homeschool, too! If I won, we would choose the Chemistry Advantage set.
Leslie says
Great tips for large families.
Tami says
Wow, these books look great!
Naomi says
We just bought Apologia Science books for our elementary children. Our family has never used it so we are excited about trying it out.
Lori says
Thanks for doing this giveaway. I know many families could use something like this right now. God bless.
Machell says
Looks like this would be something my daughter would love for homeschool science
Lori says
Thanks for doing thisthis giveaway. I know many families need something like this right now. We have enjoyed using Apologia Science in our homeschool! God bless.
Samantha says
We love Apologia but still thoroughly appreciate your (and your daughter’s) review!! If I won the giveaway, I would probably choose Chemistry or Physics!
Amy E says
I would choose the Physical Science Advantage since it is for middle school but can be used for high school. This would allow me to combine my kids into one science class.
Amy E says
Thank you for the opportunity to win the Physical Science Set. It seems like it would be a perfect fit for my rising 9th grader this year. Thank you for sharing your review and insights. They were very helpful!
Barbara says
Thank you for this post. The information has been helpful. I have been interested in using Apologia but did not think it could be used as independently as the online courses I have found. I am glad to hear this is not the case. I plan on using Apologia this year.
Marie Esslinger says
We would love to try the Physical Science set. We Love Apologia.
Sierra says
I think I would choose land animals or swimming creatures! Thank you!!!
Sierra says
Great post!
I think I would choose one of the zoology science units from apologia.
Thank you!
Stephanie says
Thanks, Amy for all you do. Honesty, I would probably chose the math program first! Math from a creationist perspective sounds amazing!
Julie says
Thanks for sharing your review, including how you use the notebook. It is helpful to hear how your high school children have had success with Apologia. If I won the giveaway, I would choose Biology!
Julie says
Thank you for sharing your review including how your high school children used the Apologia notebook and have been successful with high school science. If I won the giveaway, I would choose Apologia Biology!
Sarah says
We love what we’ve used so far with Apologia. I look forward to continue using it. I’ll look at the Advantage Set, I’m not familiar with that.
Julie says
I would choose Biology! Thanks for your helpful review!
Shannon says
The Physical Science Advantage set looks perfect for us!
Savannah says
I enjoyed Apologia science when I was homeschooled 10+ years ago, and my kids are enjoying listening to the elementary books as read alouds now. I’m sure the notebooks make it that much better. I definitely plan on using them, when the kids are older.
Savannah says
I enjoyed apologia science when I was homeschooled, 10 plus years ago. My kids are enjoying listening to the books geared towards Elementary aged students, as a morning time read aloud. I definitely plan on using the accompanying notebooks, as they get older. I’m sure they make the curriculum that much better.
Bojczuk M says
My 13 year old son is using Apologia Biology this year. It is such a great curriculum! We have used is almost the whole way through our homeschool. I love that you can use it with multiple ages. I completely agree will how versatile it is. Did you know they also have audio versions of their books. The Biology has videos too!
Bojczuk, M says
They have videos and audio books too!
Tami says
These books look really neat! I loved learning science from a Christian perspective as a teenager. I hope I can pass that on to my kids as well.
Janelle says
Apologia is fantastic and I would be thrilled to win any of the sets. Our family has really enjoyed this curriculum, especially the notebooks to keep interest and learn more.
Carey says
Such a thorough explanation. Really helpful information. Thank you.
Martha Mickelson says
I’m still deciding which science! We’ve done many Apologia!
Mandy Nelson says
We LOVE Apologia Science!
Mandy says
We LOVE Apologia Science! My daughter wants to study the Marine Biology course next year for her senior science.
Kim says
I would choose Physical Science or Biology. Both sound great!
Sande says
Thank you for the review and giveaway! I think that we would pick the Physical Science or maybe Biology!
Melissa Claybourn says
I have never used apologia before but would love to try it out!
Brittany says
We just got the Botany textbook and notebook and I’m in love. Hoping to get more. 🙂
Brittany says
We just got Botany and I am in love. Hoping to get their other books throughout the next few years.
Kristen says
We love Apologia! I’m actually needing to purchase Physical Science for my upcoming 8th grader. This would be a blessing!
Jeane Harvey says
We love using Apologia Science! I need the new edition of Physical Science for this year and would be so excited to win it!:)
Stephanie says
What a great giveaway! I love Apologia and would love to win Zoology 3?
Leslie Lewis says
Thanks for the review Amy! I would love to win the Physical Science set. I’ve used and enjoyed Apologia’s Young Explorer series as more of a read-aloud curriculum, but we’ve already ordered and plan to use the General Science set this new school year for my oldest son, 13, 8th grade. We’ve recently discovered he is probably dyslexic, so we purchased the audio book in addition to the text and notebook. Always enjoy your perspective!
Vickie McKinney says
I would like to try the new editions of Apologia General Science or Physical Science. I am homeschooling a 7th grader this year. My 3 adult children used the original Apologia books.
Amanda says
We have used Apoligia science for several years. I have tried other curriculum but nothing compared to Apologia!
I especially love that I can use it with so many children at once.
Thanks for sharing your review here as well as all the other great info on your blog!
Myra says
My children would love land animals of the sixth day.
Christina says
I own almost all the Apologia textbooks, but several need updating! I’d love Physical Science.
Carrie says
Thank you for providing such a thorough review!
Sonya says
Thank you for all the info ?
monica says
We use Apologia as our science now. I intend to stay with them.
Natalie Ziadeh says
So excited! I hope I win!
My 7th grader did Apologia’s new General Science last year, so this curriculum is already in my to-purchase list. Last year’s new curriculum was wonderful! I facilitated it as a class at our co-op (although it is totally self-driven by the student). I just made sure they understood what they were reading. That’s the plan for this school year too. Free stuff please!!! ? Thanks Amy & Apologia!
Christin Yuppa says
Would love the Physical Science Notebook!
Rashelle says
We love Apologia science! I would like the general science set! Thanks!
Amanda Young says
I have just started using some Apologia sets other than What we believe series and I’m loving it. Could really use a Biology set ?
Amy says
Thank you for sharing this. It looks Wonderful!!
Wendi Shipe says
I’d choose the Physical Science set
Courtney says
I think I’d go for their chemistry & physics set. It looks great!
Artem says
We love Apologia Science!
Louisa Settlemire says
Thank you Amy for all your post! You are a tremendous help for my family. Started homeschool last September without a clue. Well, less than a year later I now know how I don’t want to homeschool. Which is great. This is more than I knew in the beginning! I am super excited to start Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology with my 10 and 12 year old girls. I haven’t purchased the set yet and when I saw this post I thought, “perfect”. Would be amazing to win. This year I may be more excited than my children about science and history. Another thing I have learned is how much I need my heavenly Father to help me. And help He does!
E B says
I have only heard good things about Apologia science, and we would love to try it someday. I’d pick either the physical science or one that includes aquatic animals.
Ashley Vereen says
I love Apologia! This year I will be teaching three Apologia courses…one for elementary, one for middle school, and one for high school. I love the notebooks!
melissa Fox says
I would like to win the Physical Science. My son will be doing that course with his co-op this year
Marcia says
Have always loved Apologia’s science courses. My daughter enjoys the lessons – for the most part 🙂 – and has learned a lot from them.
K. Talker says
We love Apologia! We would use the General Science set because my oldest is starting middle school. Thank you for your blog.
Katie says
I’d like to try zoology 1.
Myra says
My kids would love Land Animals of the Sixth Day.
Evelyn says
I would love the general science set!
Jessica says
We have used Apologia before and have found it to be one of the best curriculums out there. It provides a lot and breaks it down enough for a student to easily understand the concepts.
Carrie says
We would love to win Apologia Advantage Set™ – Zoology 2 with Regular Notebooking Journal!
Julia Daniels says
This is a generous offer! Biology would be my choice. 🙂
Amber Armstrong says
Im using the General Science this year and my kids are loving it. Would love to be entered into your giveaway. How do I enter?
Amy says
Sorry, Amber! The giveaway has ended.
Angela Schaefer says
Hi the student using Apologia Science is myself. I have dyscalculia so taking Chemistry and Physics in high school. Was not possible but thanks to Apologia Young Explorer Chemistry and Physics. I am able to now at 50 years old finally able to learn this area of Science. It is fun and I am learning so much. God bless this company for giving students like myself. The chance to learn challenging science courses. I certainly will be ordering more from them.