Apologia Science is an award-winning, Christian homeschool science curriculum that integrates a biblical worldview with rigorous academic content, covering preschool through high school subjects including biology, chemistry, and physics.
What is Apologia Science?
Apologia Science is published by Apologia Educational Ministries, a company founded in 1994 specifically to serve homeschooling families. The curriculum has earned more than 75 #1 awards from homeschool parents and media, making it the most recognized creation-based science program in the homeschool market. What distinguishes Apologia is its conversational teaching style—textbooks talk *to* students rather than *at* them, making complex scientific concepts accessible without dumbing down the content. The curriculum spans preschool through advanced high school courses, with each level designed specifically for homeschool environments rather than adapted from classroom materials.
Key Takeaways
- Covers preschool through advanced high school with subjects including biology, chemistry, physics, and marine biology
- Written from a young-earth creationist perspective, integrating faith throughout scientific content
- Elementary courses (K-6) designed for multi-age family learning using Charlotte Mason-inspired methodology
- High school courses are college-preparatory with self-directed textbooks requiring minimal parent involvement
Elementary Science (Young Explorer Series)
The Young Explorer Series covers grades K-6 with subjects like Botany, Zoology (three levels), Astronomy, Human Anatomy, and Chemistry and Physics. These courses are designed for multi-age teaching—parents can instruct all elementary children together using the same textbook while students complete age-appropriate activities in separate Notebooking Journals. The Junior Notebooking Journal suits K-3 students still developing writing skills, while the regular Notebooking Journal challenges grades 3-6 with more advanced activities. This approach means one preparation session serves your entire elementary group.
Middle and High School Science
Starting in 7th grade, Apologia shifts to a more independent learning model. Students read directly from conversational textbooks, complete 'On Your Own' review questions, and conduct hands-on experiments using mostly household materials. The high school lineup includes General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, plus specialized courses like Marine Biology and Forensics. Advanced courses (Advanced Biology, Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Physics) provide college-prep rigor. The textbook effectively serves as the teacher, making these courses manageable for parents without science backgrounds.
Multiple Learning Formats
Apologia offers flexibility in how students engage with the material. Beyond traditional textbooks, families can add audiobooks for students who learn better by listening, video lessons that bring instruction and experiments into your home, or Apologia Live Classes—dynamic virtual classrooms with instructor-led sessions and no parent grading required. This multi-format approach accommodates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners within the same family.
The Bottom Line
Apologia Science has earned its reputation through two decades of consistent results. Families return to the curriculum year after year because it delivers on two fronts: academic rigor that prepares students for college-level science, and faith integration that helps students see God's design throughout the natural world. The self-teaching high school courses particularly benefit busy homeschool parents, while the multi-age elementary approach maximizes efficiency for families with multiple children. For homeschoolers committed to a creation-based worldview, Apologia remains the standard against which other science curricula are measured.
