Faith-Based Online Homeschool Science – No Lesson Planning!
This post: Looking for online homeschool science? Let me tell you about the curriculum our family loves (hint: you’ll never lesson plan or grade tests again).
Teaching kids science isn’t my strong suit. I’m the mom who botched every science experiment we ever attempted. Eventually, I gave up on “hands-on” science and started searching for something better.
I wanted an online homeschool science program that worked for multiple ages, didn’t require lesson planning, and was actually fun. (Not boring. Not overpriced. Not overwhelming.)
And I found it.
It’s called Journey Homeschool Academy, and it’s been a game-changer for our family of five. Before I share the details, let me tell you how we got here…
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The People Behind the Program: Why I Trusted Journey Homeschool Academy
I’ve been homeschooling my kids ever since Noah built the Ark. (Or maybe it just feels that way?) About a decade ago, I came across Luke and Trisha Gilkerson—a super cool husband-and-wife team, parents of five boys (and a baby girl), passionate educators, and the creators of my all-time favorite Scripture copywork curriculum, Write Through the Bible.
Since I’d already used and loved their handwriting program, I knew their work was high-quality and solidly faith-based. So when I got an email announcing their new video-based homeschool courses—called Journey Homeschool Academy—my curiosity was instantly piqued.
Naturally, I previewed the online homeschool science courses and ended up enrolling all of my kids.
Bottom line: Subscribe to amazing bloggers and open their emails. You never know when the perfect homeschool solution will land right in your inbox. wink
At the time I’m writing this article, my kids have nearly completed Luke + Trisha’s online homeschool science course, Experience Astronomy. I’ll give you the full review in a minute, but first—here’s why this video-based homeschool science program has worked so well for our family.
Online Homeschool Science Curriculum for K-12th Grade
You really don’t have to be an expert (huge relief, right?). Luke teaches online homeschool science courses in Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry, and Earth Science—and Trisha offers a fantastic Bible curriculum as well.
Want to take a look? You can preview all the courses here.
Why We Think This is the Best Christian Homeschool Science Curriculum
If you’re like me and have kids in multiple grades, Journey Homeschool Academy is a lifesaver. Astronomy and Earth Science are available in three levels—elementary, middle school, and high school—so your whole family can study the same subject together, each at their own level.
The elementary courses (Astronomy, Biology, Earth Science) are great for younger students—yes, even kindergarteners! (See my tips for teaching younger siblings alongside older ones.)
Middle school science options include: Earth Science, Astronomy, Physical Science, Marine Biology, and World of Birds.
Just need high school classes? They’ve got you covered with Astronomy, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and New Testament Survey.
Absolutely No Lesson Planning, Ever
This is a huge perk for me—and probably for most homeschool moms. Journey Homeschool courses are completely pre-scheduled and ready to go. No lesson planning. Like, ever.
No Teaching
Yep, it keeps getting better! There’s no teaching required—unless you want to join in. (I recommend it.) Luke is an amazing science teacher who truly makes the content engaging and fun.
No Grading
Online quizzes and exams are auto-graded. All I have to do is glance at the worksheets now and then—and even those come with answer keys.
No Heavy Reading
Perfect if you’ve got younger kids, struggling readers, dyslexic learners, or (ahem) boys who don’t want to spend hours in a textbook. The weekly reading is thoughtful but manageable, and most of the learning happens through the video lessons.
Bottom line: Whether you’re juggling multiple ages, need something hands-off, or just want a science curriculum your kids actually enjoy—this online homeschool science program checks all the boxes.
Looking for free homeschool science curriculum options instead? I’ve rounded up our favorite free activities right here.
Now let’s take a peek at how the online courses are set up!
How It All Works
The first step is enrolling your student(s) in a Journey Academy course.
If you’re enrolling more than one student in the same family, be sure + take advantage of the sibling discount!
Next, you’ll set up your student’s profile on the site. Each of your students will have a separate login and will need their own email. From the student dashboard, kids can access video lessons, take quizes + tests, view memory work videos, watch tutorials for projects, and more.
You will have a parent login. From the dashboard, you can access your students’ grades, completed work, or contact customer support with questions or issues. (By the way, we’ve encountered zero issues with the video lessons + have had an excellent experience with customer support.)
If you enroll in a middle school or high school level, courses begin in late-August or mid-September. You’ll receive emails from Journey Academy with lots of prep ideas, books or workbooks to order, and links for helpful downloads.
Before the school year kicks off, you’ll want to order textbooks, workbooks, or memory cards for your students. These are very affordable + super helpful.
Once the course begins in the fall, your middle school or high school students will receive one new lesson per week for the duration of the school year. They will need to complete each week’s assigned lessons, reading, and quizzes before the next lesson is released. In other words, there’s accountability for both you + your student to stay on track (not hard to do), and the new lesson automatically “drips” each week.
Best Elementary Homeschool Science Curriculum
Elementary courses are a bit different. Instead of “dripping” on a preset schedule, the lessons are completely self-paced. Students have access to all of their video lessons right away.
Bottom line: Journey Homeschool Academy courses are uncomplicated, user-friendly, + engaging video-based courses that moms will love as much as their kids.
Our “Experience Astronomy” Review
This school year, we chose to study astronomy, so that’s what I’ll be reviewing in this post.
Keep in mind that if you’re looking for an online homeschool biology class, life science homeschool curriculum, homeschool earth science curriculum, or an online homeschool chemistry course, Journey Homeschool Academy has got you covered! I plan to enroll in their other science courses in the future, but for now we’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three levels of Experience Astronomy.
I don’t remember anything about the solar system from my elementary years. I’m not even sure if I studied it in middle school or high school.
I’m pretty sure my kids are having a difference experience! I’ve learned so much alongside my kids this year with the Experience Astronomy courses. Here’s how that has looked for us in real life.
Faith-Based High School Homeschool Science Curriculum Review
My ninth grade daughter, Emily, really isn’t a science fan. In fact, she happens to prefer Broadway musicals and theatre over science, any day of the week. The good news? We’ve both been pleasantly surprised at how much she’s enjoyed this course.
Her weekly high school astronomy lessons include watching a “lecture” by Luke (typically about 20 minutes long); completing a reading assignment in this textbook; worksheet assignments; field guide activities; and a weekly quiz. At the end of each semester, there’s an exam, and one final exam at the end of the year.
Once she’s completed the full course in May, Emily will have earned one science credit for her high school transcript.
Preview Experience Astronomy for high school here.
Bottom line: The high school level of Experience Astronomy is engaging, interesting, and thorough, but leaves time for other passions (like theatre) for students who aren’t big into science. If you want a more hands on science experience, you can dig deeper with the Field Guide; there are lots of star gazing activities, charts, and other cool stuff for science kids to enjoy.
7th Grade Homeschool Science Curriculum
My 13-year old son, Keith, is a bit more interested in science than his sister. He has thoroughly enjoyed the middle school Experience Astronomy course. This kid is a social learner, so I watch his weekly lectures (which are the same as the high school course lectures) with him whenever I can. When I miss a video, he voluntarily talks about what he’s learning- a big indication of how much he engages with the content.
Keith, who is in 7th grade, has a similar learning path as his high school sister: a weekly lecture + online quiz, textbook reading (but not too much), worksheets to answer, and an optional field guide assignment. The middle school astronomy also has semester exams, and one final exam at the end of the year.
Because the middle school level has fewer assignment than the high school course, it doesn’t count as a high school credit.
Bottom line: The middle school Experience Astronomy course is ideal for a 7th or 8th grader who learns best with a visual/audio teaching style. My kiddo is proof that it works for dyslexic boys. xo Enough said!
7th grade homeschool science curriculum
Preview Experience Astronomy for middle school here.
Elementary Astronomy
My two youngest kids, Colton (fifth grade) and Caleb (third grade) are taking elementary Experience Astronomy together. These boys look forward to their weekly science videos and, yes, I watch them too. Together, we’ve learned so much about the solar system, and typically our science conversations continue throughout the week.
As I already mentioned, the elementary videos are available on demand and the course is self-paced. There are 30 video lessons for the school year, and each lesson has a corresponding lesson in the workbook. My boys watch one or two science videos each week; the videos are different from the middle school and high school level lectures (shorter, less details, super engaging for kids).
Preview Experience Astronomy for elementary here.
Teaching a Younger Sibling Along with an Older Student
It’s been absolutely seamless to combine my fifth and third grade boys’ learning experience with this science course. Here’s how we do it:
Tailor the work. Colton, who is in fifth grade, does the workbook assignments several days a week. The worksheets include a weekly quiz, plus Scripture handwriting practice. Caleb, the third grader, only watches the video lessons. Since he isn’t a strong reader or writer yet, I didn’t order a workbook for him.
Buy the memory cards + use them. Along with the astronomy Workbooks, Journey Academy offers pre-made memory cards that go along with each of the 30 lessons in the course. I highly recommend these! The memory cards are a fun + easy way to review what you’re learning, and it’s easy to include younger siblings.
Implement the recommended picture books. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the recommended picture books that correspond with the online video lessons. This is another simple + fun way to engage a younger child who’s learning alongside an older student. I prefer to buy books instead of borrowing them, but that can get a bit pricey. I look for the recommended science books at our local library… and order the ones I really like from Amazon. xo
If you’re interested in honest Journey Homeschool Academy reviews, let me summarize with this statement: What sold me on this online homeschool science is the fact that my kids cannot get enough of it. They talk about science throughout the day, all week long. The younger boys love wearing their science tee shirts, and I often find them “playing astronauts” throughout the day. Caleb, who will turn nine next week, asked if he could watch two of Mr. Luke’s science videos for his birthday. So there you go!
Experience Astronomy has made science come alive for all of us this year. I whole-heartedly recommend this astronomy homeschool curriculum, and fully believe that each of the other science courses will be equally professional and engaging.
Well done, Luke + Trisha!
FAQs about Online Homeschool Science
Is Journey Homeschool Academy a Christian curriculum?
Yes! Journey Homeschool Academy offers a faith-based approach to science that weaves Scripture and worldview into its lessons—perfect for Christian homeschoolers.
Are there free homeschool science curriculum options?
Absolutely. Check out my list of 30+ FREE science activities and resources for homeschoolers.
What grades are the online homeschool science courses for?
There are online homeschool science courses available from Kindergarten through high school, with age-appropriate levels in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and more.
Is this a good online homeschool science program for dyslexic learners?
Yes! With video-based instruction, minimal heavy reading, and auditory/visual elements, this online homeschool science program is ideal for kids who learn differently—especially boys or students with dyslexia.
Homeschooling in Texas? Here’s the online science curriculum families love—simple, faith-based, and fun for K–12.
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