8th Grade Homeschool Science Curriculum
8th Grade Science for Homeschool
This is it! Only 8th grade remains and your student is off to high school! Whether you will continue to homeschool your student through high school (we hope you do!) or will be moving on to a different route, we want to help make the science portion of that transition a smooth one. This post will walk you through the available 8th grade homeschool science curriculum options from Science Shepherd. We hope it will make choosing what science to use for 8th grade a bit easier!
What about 7th grade? If you're not ready to start 8th grade, you can review our 7th grade homeschool science options here.
We've never really done science before. Where do we start? We totally understand! That is probably a more frequent occurrence than you realize. If science just hasn't been your 8th grade student's "thing" - maybe doing some unit studies, living books, or other informal resources and not a lot of formal study - our Introductory Science on an accelerated pace is a good place to start for a broad overview of many fields of study, even if it is "technically" recommended up to only 5th grade. If your student picks up concepts quickly or is up for "jumping in", learn more about our Physical Science next.
Physical Science in 8th Grade
Even though our Physical Science is typically recommended up to 6th grade, it can be a helpful option for an 8th grade student who has not studied a lot of science yet, particularly in chemistry and physics - key subjects heading into high school. In addition to sections dedicated to those two fields, a section of astronomy is also included. Physical Science is a video-based course, with corresponding workbook to help reinforce key concepts. The workbook also includes hands-on activities and experiments. The student workbook is available in Level A and Level B, to help tailor the depth of content to each student, with Level B being slightly more challenging (including some basic algebra). Because the Level A and B workbooks utilize the same lesson material, students in both Levels can complete the class together. Level A is written for grades 3-5 (ages 8 to 11), and Level B for grades 4-6 (ages 9 to 12). For 8th grade, the Level B workbook will typically be best. At 8th grade, it can be completed at an accelerated pace so a student can continue on to a more "grade appropriate" course, if desired.
Ready to get started? Save 10% with the Level B Physical Science bundle for 8th grade!
Unearthing the Bible in 8th Grade
Unearthing the Bible is another course available for 8th grade. It introduces students to various archaeological discoveries, such as Solomon's gate, the Pilate Dedication Stone, the Ebla tablets, 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. The workbook includes “For Advanced Study” sections for older students, rather than a Level A/B format. 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 8th grade today!
Astronomy in 8th Grade
Another curriculum option for 8th grade homeschool science is Astronomy: God's Universe. It features a video with workbook format like Physical Science, with topics ranging from the sun, planets and moons of our solar system, to stars, nebula, dark matter and energy, and more. Plus, students will learn how astronomical observations support and confirm a literal understanding of the creation account in Genesis. Astronomy: God's Universe uses a Level A/B structure, but differs in that the Level A video lessons serve as the "core" content, with added videos and corresponding workbook pages in Level B for deeper study in select areas. Level A is best suited for grades 5-7 (ages 10-13), and Level B for grades 7-9 (ages 12-15). Students in both Levels can still complete the core lessons together. A student in Level B will just have an extra video or two each week (on average) to complete. For 8th grade, Level B will generally be the best option.
Ready to get started? Save 10% on a Level A Christian astronomy curriculum bundle for 8th grade!
Life Science in 8th Grade
Life Science is our first course, by grade progression, to include a textbook in the course material, and is a great option for 8th grade science as it serves as an introduction to our high school Biology. While it is primarily a text-based course with daily reading assignments, a corresponding video course and workbook are also available to help reinforce the textbook. Topics covered in Life Science include the scientific method, characteristics of life, cells, 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.
Ready to get started? Save 10% on a Life Science Complete Bundle for 8th grade!
Chemistry in 8th Grade
Fundamentals of Chemistry is another course to consider in 8th grade. It is also a text-based course with daily reading assignments, with video teaching and workbook available to help reinforce the textbook material. Topics covered in Fundamentals of Chemistry include scientific measurement, atoms and molecules, chemical equations, nuclear decay, and more. A test booklet, lab manual and detailed parent companion are also available. Fundamentals of Chemistry is generally recommended for grades 7 or 8, with some application into high school as an introductory course.
Ready to get started? Save 10% on a Fundamentals of Chemistry Complete Bundle for 8th grade!
Physics in 8th Grade
A final course to consider in 8th grade is Fundamentals of Physics. Like Life Science and Fundamentals of Chemistry, it is a text-based course with video teaching and a workbook available to reinforce the textbook. Topics covered in Fundamentals of Physics include the states of matter, Newton's laws, sound, 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. Fundamentals of Physics is generally recommended for 8th grade, with some application into high school as an introductory course.
Ready to get started? Save 10% on a Fundamentals of Physics Complete Bundle for 8th 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 Life Science and Fundamentals of Physics can be completed in either order.
Additional Options
If the 8th grade homeschool science curriculum options reviewed here don’t seem like a good fit for your student, our Recommended Course Progression blog post is another resource you can reference 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 8th 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
