How to Use Apologia Science in your Homeschool

I get a lot of questions about exactly HOW to use Apologia science. So, today I am sharing how we use Apologia science and why we love this homeschool science program.

Through the years I have shared a lot about Apologia science and our love for this homeschool science program. However, I still get questions a lot about exactly HOW to use Apologia science. So, let’s dive into the homeschool science program that our family loves, Apologia science.

I was compensated for this post from Apologia Science, however, all opinions are my own, and we were using and loving Apologia  WAY before compensation was even a thought 😉 

Who is Apologia?

They are the #1 publisher of creation-based homeschool science programs and Bible curriculum with more than fifty top awards from homeschool parents and media. The goal behind Apologia is to publish resources and offer services designed to help homeschooling families learn, live, and defend the Christian faith.

What does Apologia Mean? 

If you have ever wondered where the company name originated you are not alone. The Greek word apologia appears eight times in the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, and it is always used in the context of people defending their faith or actions by reason and logic. In 1 Peter 3:15, for example:

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

This is the goal behind Apologia. They long to equip families to defend the historic Christian faith so that they may speak the truth in love anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. They do this by offering resources to help homeschooling families equip their students to give a reasoned defense of the Christian faith. As the years have passed they have continued this ministry by developing even more curriculum that helps families cultivate a biblically sound approach to all thought and experience.

 

What does Apologia offer for homeschool science?

Apologia science has three levels, the young explorer’s program, two junior high guides, and then the high school levels. Apologia science is really an open and go program. There are no teachers manuals required, and the students can use it independently. If you are homeschooling multiple ages with Apologia science the best way to use Apologia science in the elementary years is to combine the kids in one of the young explorer’s program.

I share more about this homeschool science program in the posts below.

• All About Apologia Science- Want to learn more about Apologia Science? I’m breaking down each guide and answering ALL your Apologia Science questions including which Apologia science to start with.
• A Peek into the Apologia Curriculum-Apologia curriculum is more than just Science. It’s resources for your whole homeschool family! Take a peek into the Apologia curriculum and learn what all Apologia has to offer you!

How to Schedule Lessons in Apologia Science

Scheduling lessons is a struggle for many homeschool families. However, Apologia science makes this super easy. Inside the notebooking journals, there is a daily Apologia science schedule laid out. It is broken up into weeks and gives lesson plans for two (Young Explorers) or five (Jr. High and High School) days each week. But, you are NOT tied down to this schedule. There have been years where we have followed the schedule as written and years where we create our own. Here are a few ideas for scheduling Apologia Science.

• When my kids were younger, we spread the lesson reading out over the course of a few days. Then, one day a week we would sit and do the notebooking activities.
• Another way to schedule lessons in Apologia science is to break up the lessons into two parts. So, if in Young Explorers you want to do homeschool science 5 days a week, break each day into two sections instead of doing it all in one sitting.
• You could also do the lessons as written two days a week, but save the experiments for a flex Friday.

Don’t feel obligated to do EVERY activity in the Apologia Science textbook or notebooking journal. Complete the activities that fit your family, and skip the rest. We have never used the copy work pages, and one of my kids hates word searches. One child loves the mini books, the other detests them. The beautiful thing about Apologia science is that it is truly customizable to your family. It was not created to be a burden or a list of to do’s but to be a wonderful way to educate your child in God’s design and creation.

If you have been wondering how to teach multiple ages in your homeschool, Apologia makes homeschooling multiple ages SO simple and has allowed my kids to truly dig into and enjoy science. Learn more about scheduling lessons with Apologia science in this post all about homeschooling multiple ages with Apologia science. 

Amy from Raising Arrows also shares how to use Apologia Science with multiple ages. 

Must-Have Resources for Apologia Science

We have used all of the homeschool science programs from Apologia below high school level and have been blessed with this science curriculum. Because we have been using Apologia science for so many years I feel I can confidently share what the must-have resources for Apologia Science are.

Let’s start with the notebooking journals. These journals are a must have because they contain the schedule right up front to help you and your child complete the program with ease. Another great benefit of the notebooking journals are that they include vocabulary pages, science experiment worksheets, mini books to enhance learning, and so much more. If you could only purchase one extra resource outside of the Apologia textbook it really should be the notebooking journals from Apologia science. I share more about notebooking with Apologia including why you should consider it, what notebooking has to offer your children, and how you can use notebooking journals from Apologia in your homeschool in this blog post and in the video below. These really make Apologia Science a  hands-on science homeschool curriculum.

 

The next must-have in my opinion are the homeschool science kits from Apologia. These kits truly contain EVERYTHING you need to complete all of the science experiments in one box. They are phenomenal. Check out the unboxing of the Astronomy science kit from Apologia below.

Apologia science offers many other additional resources including audio books, multimedia companions, DVD resources and much more. Be sure to check out all of the additional resources for Apologia Science on their website. I also have included my thoughts on must have resources in the blog posts below.

• Great Resources for Apologia Astronomy –Studying astronomy this school year? Check out these amazing resources for an astronomy study! They go along great with Apologia Astronomy or another astronomy program.
• 5 Must-Have Resources for Apologia Land Animals-While Apologia is a program you can use alone, I think there are five must-have resources for Apologia Land Animals that made our year even better!

Apologia Science Reviews

I have a few reviews up on the different programs offered from Apologia. I am also sharing some reviews from my friends who also use the Apologia science curriculum. Be sure to comment if you have questions about a specific program and I will be happy to answer it.

• How to Study Human Anatomy in Your Homeschool–Do you plan on studying human anatomy in your homeschool? Maybe you’re wondering what resources to use? I am sharing what we plan on using for human anatomy in our homeschool and what we’ve learned from studying it in the past.
  
• Our Favorite Projects from Apologia Science –Apologia Science has been the best for our family. I wanted to share some of our FAVORITE projects from Apologia science and break those down in this post.
• Space Exploration with Apologia Astronomy- Do you have a space lover? Maybe just want to do a years study of Astronomy with your homeschooler? Consider Apologia Astronomy! This program has amazing science experiments and will make space exploration fun for your whole family!
• Why We Love Apologia for Elementary Science by Hip Homeschool Moms
• The Curriculum Choice offers a huge assortment of Apologia Science reviews.
• The Happy Housewife shares a review of the Apologia Elementary series.

We have truly loved our years with Apologia Science and look forward to finishing out their homeschool science curriculum throughout high school. I also have additional posts about how to use Apologia science in your homeschool so if you’d like to learn more be sure to check out these resources.

Additional posts about how to use Apologia Science

• How to Use Apologia Young Explorers for Junior High-Do you have a child struggling with science? Considering Apologia but not sure if they are ready to move on to Apologia junior high science content? Beef up Apologia Young Explorers for junior high-level science with these tips!
• How to Add Apologia Science to Beautiful Feet Books Around the World-I share exactly how we plan on combining two of our favorite curriculums together for one fantastic school year. Apologia Science and Beautiful Feet Books picture books come together seamlessly creating a fun-filled homeschool year perfect for your elementary aged child.
• Apologia is Homeschool Science for the Animal Lover-Apologia Science has given my animal lover the foundation she needs to someday pursue a career in veterinary science. Without a doubt, Apologia science is homeschool science for the animal lover.
• How to Homeschool a Child who Hates Science–Do you have a child who hates science? I had no clue how to homeschool the child who hates science, and realized I was doing it ALL wrong! Here’s how to do it right and a homeschool science program that may encourage them to enjoy science.
• Elementary Homeschool Science Curriculum FAQs
• HOW TO USE APOLOGIA SCIENCE CURRICULUM FOR ELEMENTARY AGES