Homeschool Physics Curriculum

My children are sad to be done with your Introductory Science course. So am I! It made science so easy this year!

Mrs. L.

It is absolutely no wonder to me that you received this award. I have found your high school biology amazing.

Sami W. and Children

Just wanted to drop a quick note and say how much we are enjoying the Life Science curriculum. Hands down, it is the best program out there.

Ellen K.

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Key Features

Complete homeschool physics curriculum for middle school or introductory high school.
Allows for independent study.
On-demand video lessons available.
Workbook to guide students through each video lesson.
Full-color Textbook with chapter review questions.
Answer Key & Parent Companion with chapter summaries and key teaching points.
Test Booklet with 5 tests.
Hands-on activity/lab book available.
Recommended 35-week schedule provided.
Ready for homeschool co-ops and traditional schools.
Fully developed by a homeschool family.

Fundamentals of Physics Curriculum Overview

Science Shepherd's Fundamentals of Physics is a high school preparatory curriculum with a straightforward, easy-to-understand presentation. Written by Science Shepherd author and physician Scott Hardin, MD, the comprehensive homeschool physics curriculum integrates the class textbook, lesson videos and activities/labs to prepare students for more advanced study. Fundamentals of Physics is parent-friendly and encourages independent study.

The Fundamentals of Physics Textbook presents concepts in a concise, conversational manner and includes chapter review questions. Areas of study include scientific measurement, the three states of matter, Newton’s Laws, radioactive physics, and more. A critical discussion of physics within a biblical framework is also included. The Fundamentals of Physics Test Booklet contains 5 tests for thorough review of course concepts, and the Answer Key & Parent Companion helps parents support their students without needing a background in physics themselves.

The available Fundamentals of Physics Video Course is an optional supplement with over 90 video lessons and 10+ hours of content. In each lesson video, Dr. Hardin presents a comprehensive, section-by-section teaching from the Fundamentals of Physics Textbook to aid students in understanding the course material. A corresponding student Workbook is available as an additional, optional aid to guide students through the Video Course, and the Fundamentals of Physics Lab Manual is available for students who would like additional hands-on learning.

Fundamentals of Physics Video Course: 90+ lessons, 10+ hours, 6:10 average lesson time.

Age/Grade Recommendations

Recommended for middle school grade 8 (ages 13-14) or for 9th grade as an introductory high school course (ages 14+).
May also be used as a "non-college prep" high school course.

Grade/age recommendations are flexible and meant only as guidelines. The free course preview and curriculum samples can help you determine if Fundamentals of Physics is right for your students (see below).

Lab Supplies

The labs and activities included in the Fundamentals of Physics Lab Manual require mostly household items, but a few specialty items are needed, which can be easily acquired from a local science/educational supply store or an online retailer. A full list of needed supplies is available here.

Award-Winning Homeschool Curriculum

Science Shepherd for middle school is one of Cathy Duffy's 103 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, is a 2022-2025 Homeschool.com Educational Website Awards Winner, and receives rave reviews from families. You can be confident that our Fundamentals of Physics homeschool curriculum will provide an excellent educational experience to your student.

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Fundamentals of Physics Free Preview

Watch a sample lesson video below, or enroll in a free preview of our homeschool physics curriculum through our student learning portal. The preview includes 3 complete lessons, a corresponding section of the Textbook and Workbook, and a full chapter of online review questions.

Ready to explore physics? Save 10% with our complete homeschool physics bundle.

Additional Information

: The short answer is that the materials included with the video series can stand alone (especially when using the optional Workbook), but the optimal learning experience will not be attained without the textbook; however, there are nuances to that answer that deserve explaining. I have no doubt that if the video alone is utilized, your student will receive a most excellent learning experience, equal to/better than that of the other video-only based middle school physics programs out there. The nuance in the answer is that it depends upon what you and your student’s goal is for learning physics. If the goal is to ensure a solid experience for someone who struggles with science and isn’t going to pursue too much further learning in the biological or physical sciences, then the video only approach will absolutely achieve that goal. On the other hand, if the student is highly interested in biological/physical science and/or wants to pursue it further after this class, then, while the video itself is “complete” in that all of the material in the text is presented in the video, the video alone will not provide adequate ability for the student or teacher to assess the completeness of understanding of the material. I think the ideal way to learn this material is to both read and hear it (students who are challenged with text-based learning often do quite well with the text after watching the information first presented visually), with the text ultimately serving as a ready reference should a question arise (in which case trying to find the relevant material on one of more than 80 video clips amassed over more than 7 hours of video will be quite challenging). In addition, the end of chapter questions in the book are designed to test complete mastery of the subject matter (and they are ideally set up for both text-based learners and auditory learners) since they are true-false and short answer questions. This is, by far, the most thorough way to assess your student’s understanding of the material (as opposed to multiple choice or fill in the blank). If the video series is used alone, this valuable knowledge testing resource will be lost. Now, it is true that I have developed multiple choice questions that are integrated into the video series and learning platform but, again, they are really designed as a supplement for, rather than a substitute of, the questions in the text itself.
: Since these are science courses that were written by a Christian, probably the most common question I am asked is, “What about evolution and creation?” The answer really starts and ends with the Bible. It is the unerring Word of God and, as such, provides the framework upon which everything is understandable, including science. As such, all Science Shepherd material is presented from a literal understanding of Genesis, teaching that God created the universe and everything in it in 6 literal, 24-hour days, about 6,000 years ago. Now, why evolution in Christian-based courses? It is important to cover evolution and some basic principles because our children will be constantly bombarded with it throughout their lives.

Additional FAQs . . .

What Comes Next?

Looking to plan a few years in advance and have your next topic selected? Students who have completed our middle school line-up should be ready to move to our homeschool Biology curriculum. You can also read our recommended homeschool science progression blog post for a broad overview of utilizing Science Shepherd curriculum in your homeschool.