6th Grade Homeschool Science Curriculum
Science Shepherd Courses for 6th Grade
Ah!, it's the first year of middle school! Don't panic, we're here to help. Whether you are a veteran homeschool family or this is your first year, this post will walk you through the available 6th grade homeschool science curriculum options from Science Shepherd. We hope it will make choosing your next science curriculum a bit easier!
What about 5th grade? If you're not ready to start 6th grade, you can review our 5th grade homeschool science options here.
We've never really done science before. Where do we start? We totally get that, and it is probably a more frequent occurrence than you realize. If your 6th grade student hasn't done a lot of formal science yet - maybe just some unit studies, living books, or other informal resources - our Introductory Science is a good place to start, even if it is "technically" recommended up to only 5th grade.
Earth Science for 6th Grade
Earth Science is a great option for 6th grade. It covers Earth's structure, rocks and minerals, earthquakes, oceanography, and more. Earth Science is a video-based course that is available in Level A or Level B tracks to help tailor the depth of content to your student. Both Levels share the same core video lessons, while Level B includes about 40 additional videos to provide more advanced study in select areas. In addition to the video lessons, Level A and Level B of Earth Science have an accompanying workbook to help students identify key concepts from each lesson. The workbooks also include activities/experiments for hands-on learning. To help families with students in multiple grades, the schedules for Level A and Level B are arranged so that students in both Levels can complete the core lessons together. A student in Level B will just have an extra video or two each week (on average) to complete. The Level A videos and workbook are most suited for 2nd to 4th grade (ages 7-10) and Level B material for 4th to 6th grade (ages 10-12). In general, Earth Science Level B will be best for 6th grade.
Ready to get started? Save 10% with the Level B Earth Science bundle for 6th grade!
Physical Science for 6th Grade
Key concepts throughout middle school and into high school are chemistry and physics, making our Physical Science a great option for 6th grade science curriculum. Like Earth Science, it uses video lessons with accompanying workbook. In addition to sections dedicated to chemistry and physics, Physical Science also includes a section of astronomy. Level A and Level B use the same video lessons, with only the respective Workbook content scaled for different ages/grades. Level A is written for grades 3-5 (ages 8 to 11), and Level B for grades 4-6 (ages 9 to 12). Physical Science does incorporate some math, with Level B in particular requiring some basic two-digit-number addition and subtraction, so you’ll want to consider that when choosing the right Level for your student. Generally, Level B will be the best option for 6th grade, but workbook samples are available on all product pages to help evaluate the difference between Levels. Since Level A and B utilize the same lesson material, students in both Levels can complete the class together.
Ready to get started? Save 10% with the Level B Physical Science bundle for 6th grade!
Unearthing the Bible for 6th Grade
Another good choice for 6th grade is Unearthing the Bible. It introduces students to various archaeological discoveries, such as the Ebla tablets, Jericho, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and more, to show the historical accuracy of the Bible. Unearthing the Bible is a video-based course, with a PDF workbook included with the video enrollment. While the videos and workbook do not use a Level A/B format, the workbook does include “For Advanced Study” sections for older students. Note that, as presented, Unearthing the Bible is only a 15 week, or half semester, class.
Ready to get started? Enroll in Unearthing the Bible for 6th grade today!
Astronomy for 6th Grade
Astronomy: God's Universe is another option for 6th grade homeschool science. It features a video + workbook format, with topics ranging from our solar system, to binary stars, nebula, galaxies, and more. Plus, students will learn how observations from astronomy support a literal understanding of creation in Genesis. Like Earth Science, the Level A videos for Astronomy: God's Universe serve as the "core" lessons, with additional videos in Level B for deeper study in select areas. The Level A videos and workbook are best suited for grades 5-7 (ages 10-13), and the Level B videos and workbook for grades 7-9 (ages 12-15). For 6th grade, Level A is generally the best video/workbook option, but sample workbook pages and a free preview are available to help you choose the right Level. Like all of our Level A/B courses, the schedules for both Levels are aligned on a weekly basis, so students in each Level can work together.
Ready to get started? Save 10% on a Level A Christian astronomy curriculum bundle for 6th grade!
Life Science for 6th Grade
A final course to consider for 6th grade is Life Science. It marks our first textbook-based course, with daily reading assignments, but still has available video teaching and workbook, too, which reinforce the material presented in the text. Topics covered in Life Science include the characteristics of life, cells, heredity, plants and animals, and more. In addition to the course textbook, videos and workbook, a test booklet and lab manual are available, as well as a detailed parent companion. Life Science is generally recommended for grades 6th to 8th, with some application into high school, and serves as a great introduction to our high school Biology.
Ready to get started? Save 10% on a Life Science Complete Bundle for 6th grade!
Is there a “right” order to everything?
A common question about our courses is if there is a “right” order to progress from one grade to another through them. The short answer is that, no, there really isn’t a right or wrong way. While Introductory Science does serve as a logical course to start with for students with not a lot of previous science study, a student who has already completed some formal science or is just more interested in a specific/different topic would be fine to jump right into something else. And, while there is some logic in completing certain courses before others - Life Science before Biology, for instance - courses like Earth Science and Physical Science can be completed in either order.
Additional Options
If these 6th grade homeschool science curriculum options don’t seem quite right for your student, our Recommended Course Progression blog post is another resource you can review to get additional insight into which grade level(s) each Science Shepherd course is best suited for.
We hope this overview has been helpful to you in choosing a Science Shepherd homeschool curriculum for 6th grade. If you have any questions about the right material for your family, please contact us and we’d be happy to assist.
Until next time,
Science Shepherd
