BookShark | Structured 4-day homeschool for flexible families

BookShark Science

BookShark marries the joy of reading with the excitement of hands-on projects to bring you this robust Science program.

BookShark Science covers the full spectrum of science studies, such as Earth, space, life, health, physical, and technological science. Students who use BookShark Science in their elementary and middle school years cover an incredible breadth of scientific subjects, circling back year after year in a spiral approach that makes the learning stick. Best of all, BookShark science builds on and fosters a child’s natural curiosity about how the world works to lay a firm foundation of scientific understanding.

BookShark is ...

literature-based

4-day

faith-neutral

structured curriculum for flexible families.

Like you!

SCIENCE A

for ages 5-7

SCIENCE B

for ages 6-8

SCIENCE C

for ages 7-9

SCIENCE D

for ages 8-11

SCIENCE E

for ages 9-12

SCIENCE F

for ages 10-13

SCIENCE G

for ages 11-13

SCIENCE H

for ages 12-14

SCIENCE I

for ages 13-15

BookShark Sparks a Love for Science

and makes it easy for you to teach

Each Science program includes three components:

an Instructor’s Guide
a collection of great books
hands-on experiments—both directions and supply kit

Science Instructor's Guide

The Instructor’s Guide (IG) provides the structure for your entire year of Science with everything clearly laid out in a 4-day schedule for 36 weeks. Here's a closer look at exactly what you find inside your Science IG.

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1. Complete, ready-to-use lesson plans

All your science books and experiments are fully scheduled for the entire year, for 36 weeks. No need to create your own plans. You can see at a glance exactly what books to read when, what experiments to do, and what supplies you'll need.

2. Detailed teaching notes

Weekly Notes help you get the most from your materials. They explain each assignment and activity, point out fun facts about your reading, and provide extra information about important topics.

3. Experiments and activities

Simple, engaging experiments coordinate with your reading and provide hands-on learning. BookShark’s Science kits provide the key supplies so you can actually do the experiments.

The experiments scheduled on day 4 are simple activities that build on the week's reading, such as exploring taste buds using basic ingredients like lemon juice and sugar. Again, no planning necessary!

Your kids will relish the discoveries they make throughout the year. (And you’ll love that they’re demonstrating concepts that make learning stick.)

SCIENCE KIT

4. Organizational tools to plan ahead

Each week includes a list of what science supplies you will need, both for the present week and the week to come. Know what supplies you’ll find in your BookShark Science kits and which household items you’ll want to have ready. Need to save a milk carton for next week? Now you know!

5. Interactive Activity Sheets

Instructor's Guides A-H also include student Activity Sheets. With hundreds of questions, illustrations, charts, and pictures, the Activity Sheets help students remember what they’ve learned. Activities progress with children’s abilities from cut-outs, matching, and circle-the-answer to fill-in puzzles and sequencing analysis.

Instead of Activity Sheets, at Levels I and J, students use lab sheets.

Prep time? Zero!

Educational value? Immense.

Note: We recommend purchasing an extra set of Activity Sheets if you plan to teach this course again with another student or if you are teaching more than one student. We do not sell older versions of Activity Sheets once new editions are released.

6. Complete Answer Keys

Separate Answer Keys mirror your Student Activity sheets for easy grading. You get continual insight into your children's comprehension. No testing necessary!

BookShark saved my homeschool! I started off with the Level B Science for my boys (then 6 and 8), and we had such a great year that I decided to go with BookShark for the rest of our curriculum.

The 4-day schedule is perfect for us, so we don't get burned out at the end of the week. My kids love it, and we're looking forward to using BookShark again next school year!

Kemi J.

a collection of great books

Just like our History programs, each of the Science programs includes some longer books that you read aloud for many weeks. Unlike our History programs, the additional, shorter books do not reinforce the same subject, but offer fascinating information on other topics.

This is the pattern for all our Science programs. Students learn about a wide range of topics, from immediate (such as tap water) to beyond-comprehension remote (such as the universe) through engaging, scientifically sound and beautifully illustrated books.

In addition, several levels include a scientist biography. In Science B, students read a brief, illustrated biography of Louis Pasteur. Other years feature such great scientists as Isaac Newton, Marie Curie, Nicola Tesla, and Hedy Lamarr.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF BOOKS INCLUDED IN EACH PACKAGE by clicking the What's Included tab of any science program linked below.

I spent a day at a homeschool convention, looking specifically for a good science curriculum, and BookShark stood out from the rest. All the others I looked at seemed to have either a weak science focus, biased undertones, or misinformation. Compared to the other choices, BookShark was the clear winner.

When I say strong science, I am mainly referring to the depth of material covered as well as the rigor of the questions asked on the Activity Sheets. The internet links give so much additional information which places extra emphasis on the lessons. We are also very hands-on and like to conduct the optional experiments as well.

My husband is a radiologist, and I am a laboratory technician—science is important to us! Our kids have learned so much with BookShark Science and actually enjoy it! That excitement about science is what is most important.

Marcy J.

hands-on experiments

There is no better way to delight your kids with the wonder of science than by experiencing it firsthand through hands-on activities. BookShark Science has it covered!

To reinforce the concepts learned in the Science books, we include a book of experiments and a Science Supplies Kit. Your Science Supplies Kit includes both consumable and non-consumable materials that you will need but that you may not have on hand. These kits include everything from marbles and powerful magnets to wire, thumbtacks, straws, mirrors, seeds, and paperclips.

By providing the needed planning and materials, you will be prepared for dozens of experiments each year, giving your children a hands-on application of the subject matter.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

BookShark Science experiments are designed with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in mind.

NGSS standards were created by states in conjunction with practicing scientists and science-based industries in a variety of fields. The goal was to enable America to continue innovating and leading in the sciences worldwide and to create science jobs for the future. Because we want your children to be those scientists and innovators of the future, we used the NGSS to inform our 2021 science curriculum updates.

NGSS strongly emphasizes the application of science. In fact, the doing of science is more important than focusing on the facts behind science. After all, facts are pretty easy to find in our digital age. What’s much harder is

knowing what questions to ask
learning how to process data and come to accurate conclusions
knowing how assimilate information across disciplines
grasping advanced processes
seeing how scientific principles apply to real-world situations
imagining the future of science

These thinking abilities—and a fascination with science itself—are our goals for your children. It’s not about rote memorization of the periodic table of elements or focusing on dates and definitions. While these things are included in BookShark science, we agree with the NGSS that learning is only complete when children can synthesize, draw conclusions, make educated guesses, and imagine innovative uses of technology yet to be developed.

The kids made terrariums today in their science unit. The BookShark curriculum we use had almost everything included.

I'm thankful because who wants to run around looking for charcoal and potting soil?

Rochelle C.

CHOOSE YOUR SCIENCE PROGRAM

BookShark Science programs span a range of ages so you can combine multiple children in a single program, stretching your homeschool budget while shortening your homeschool day.