If you’ve ever tried to choose a homeschool science curriculum, you already know the struggle. There are so many options, formats, and opinions, and somehow you need to figure out what will actually work for your child. When parents find Suburban Science, they often want to know the differences between the full-year traditional science courses (found on TpT or in the website store) and the online homeschool science courses.
Overview:
The full-year courses found on TpT or my website store are written for classroom teachers. The online homeschool courses are written specifically for homeschooling students, with a student-friendly format that allows students to work independently. Both courses cover a year of high school lab science. Both include labs, notes, and assessments. Here’s a simple comparison to help you decide which best fits your situation.
Full-Year Traditional Science Curricula: Teacher-Led & Customizable
These full-year science curriculum options are designed for traditional classrooms with 24-30 students. Perfect for new teachers, choose these curricula if you plan to guide instruction, set the pacing, and differentiate for a variety of student abilities. It’s flexible and great for teachers who like having full control and being very involved with the details of their students’ learning.
In these curricula, you get:
- Daily lesson plans & pacing guides
- Editable PowerPoint slides
- Guided notes, practice pages, and other worksheets
- Lab instructions and procedures for whole group labs
- Review materials for each unit
- Editable paper quizzes and tests
- Teacher instructions, classroom materials lists, and answer keys
These traditional curricula are organized by unit with easy access to teacher instructions and tips, answer keys, and differentiation ideas to reach learners with various abilities and environments.
Online Homeschool Science Courses: Self-Paced & Ready-to-Use
These self-paced online science courses are specifically built for independent at-home learners. Each day, students receive video lessons and instructions for completing that day’s assignments, so they can complete the course with minimal parent involvement.
In these online courses, you’ll get:
- Daily video lessons
- Guided notes, practice pages, and other worksheets available in 2 ways:
- PDFs to print at home
- In a bound student workbook (for an additional cost)
- 2 options for labs (both included)
- Hands-on instructions to complete experiments at home with affordable materials
- Video demonstrations to save on materials while still accomplishing a lab component
- Auto-graded online quizzes throughout each unit
- Tests and answer keys on a password-protected site- you decide whether to give your students the password!
Specifically with homeschooling families in mind, these courses allow teens to work independently, only requiring parental oversight to check work or proctor tests. Daily instructions are simple to prevent student overwhelm while still giving them flexibility. Have a child who only wants to work on science once a week? No problem- they can complete several days of instructions at once or work ahead on topics that interest them.
| Feature | Traditional Year-Long Courses | Online Homeschool Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Self-paced course with daily video lessons & worksheets available to print or purchase in a bound workbook | Teen-facing daily instructions for independent coursework. Worksheets available to print or purchase in a bound workbook |
| Instruction | PowerPoint & Google Slides for teacher-directed instruction organized into full units | Video-based instruction in bite-sized segments |
| Labs | Traditional classroom labs and station activities for classes of 24-30 students; may include chemicals only available to schools | Hands-on labs to be completed at home using affordable materials. Video demonstrations for every lab are also included to save on materials or preview lab instructions. |
| Assessments | Editable, printable quizzes and tests for each unit | Auto-graded online quizzes and printed tests for each unit |
| Differentiation | Provides options and teaching tips for a variety of students- virtual, below grade-level, and honors | Honors assignments built into daily instructions for students desiring a more difficult workload |
| Answer Keys | Printed keys provided for worksheets, labs, and assessments | Keys for all worksheets, notes, and assessments available online for parents to check through a password-protected site |
Choose the Full-Year Traditional Curriculum if you want…
- Full control over instruction
- A traditional, paper-based classroom experience
- Editable presentations and notes you can tailor to a variety of students
- Labs that use standard school equipment and are designed for 24-30 students
See all 4 course options (Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, and Environmental Science) here.
Choose the Homeschool Science Curriculum if you want…
- A self-paced, student-facing course
- Video instruction with guided student notes
- Affordable labs for at-home use or through video demonstration
- Minimal prep and grading
- Printable notes, practice pages, and other worksheets (optional pre-printed workbook available, as well)
- Online community with instructors and other homeschooling families
See all 3 course options (Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology) here.
You can sign up for a free preview of any of the homeschool science courses by simply clicking on the course you’re interested in. Try one, two, or all three! Since math and science go hand-in-hand, a good way to determine which science course is appropriate for your homeschooler is by assessing their math skills.
Final Thoughts
Both programs offer a complete, rigorous high school science experience, but the best choice depends on your teaching environment and desired level of involvement. Classroom teachers often prefer the flexibility and depth of a full-year traditional curriculum, while homeschool families appreciate the independence, organization, and support of the online homeschool course. Teaching at a homeschool co-op? You’ll likely want the traditional science curriculum so you can tailor the course to the needs of your students. If you decide to use the online homeschool science curriculum instead, you’ll need to contact me for a specific co-op license.
