Christian Homeschool Science: Berean Builders’ Science in the Ancient World
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I love studying and learning about our beautiful world. I thoroughly enjoy talking with my children about what they see when they watch the seasons change, or when they try to make the perfect paper airplane, or why we can see a rainbow in the mist around Niagara Falls.
Science has always fascinated me, but as I began homeschooling my children, I found myself struggling to find a science curriculum that would engage my very curious and observant children with both content AND hands-on activities worth the time and effort in preparation and execution.
We have tried so many different science curricula, and while many are well-meaning and good options for some families, I always felt like there was so much more we should be getting out of our studies.
I began to think that what I was looking for didn’t exist. But, praise God, I’m here to tell you that I found it!
I’m so happy to be able to tell you about why I love Berean Builders science above all the others.
How Science in the Ancient World fit our homeschool needs 🧫
A little background on how we do things in our homeschool:
I do not claim any one type of homeschool style. I’d like to say I’m a delicious mixture of many schools of thought.
If forced, though, I’d most certainly say my heart for teaching and learning has roots that deeply match Charlotte Mason’s “feast of knowledge” approach. That being said, I believe whatever camp you are in, this science is hands down the best!
My children absolutely LOVE Berean Builders science curriculum, which would be enough for me to tell everyone I know to check it out; but, the fact that *I* love learning and teaching with this Christian homeschool science curriculum brings me great joy.
It’s wonderful to be able to sit with my 4, 8, and 11 year old boys and marvel at how curious “the old science people” (as my four year old likes to call them) were as we watch a concept come to life through well-planned experiments and activities and thoughtfully written lessons.
I really appreciate the writing style in this curriculum. It honestly reminds me a bit of when I would watch Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.
Mr. Rogers was always wondering and considering the world around him, and I get the sense that Dr. Wile takes the same approach in life. He often shares his thoughts in ways that pull us into the topics. My kids have many times said, “I’ve wondered the same thing!” and then we move into the lesson ready to learn something new.
What Science in the Ancient World offers 🔬
As we studied Science in the Ancient World, it was interesting to see what the “big thinkers” were wondering about.
As humans, we have learned so much over the years, but it was fascinating to watch ideas unfold through the eyes of the “natural philosophers” in ancient times.
As a family, we loved traveling through science with history, chronologically, because we were able to observe how and what people were thinking back when all the answers weren’t just a google search away (there is much to be learned still, of course!).
We really enjoyed moving from studying math concepts to understanding anatomy, physics, classification, astronomy. For my family, learning this way holds our interest more than other topically based science curriculum we’ve done.
Some benefits of using Science in the Ancient World:
What do the kids think? 🥼
One of the other beautiful things about Berean Builders Science is that it’s written to be able to include kids of multiple ages and grades.
Science in the Ancient World (along with their other options) is for Kindergarten through 6th grade, but even my preschooler enjoys lessons with us!
If you have a variety of ages in your homeschool, I definitely recommend having an older middle school student teach the lessons to the younger students, and still have this be a family science study. I don’t think the information is watered down too much to make it useless for older students by any means.
Here are a few thoughts from the kids:
“I love how the experiments help me understand what we read in the lessons,” Aiden, 6th grade.
“We saw some rainbow clouds one day this summer, and I was able to explain to my friend what was happening after we talked about Dietrich von Frieberg,” Colin, 3rd grade.
“I liked measuring my shadow,” Eli, preschool.
Who should use this curriculum:
What do the lessons look like?
Science in the Ancient World is organized into six sections, each with 15 lessons.
Twelve of the fifteen lessons are considered “normal”. Final three are “challenge” lessons (indicated in red type) and can be skipped if needed/wanted.
Each lesson contains a few pages of reading and a hands-on activity or experiment to further explain the concept in the lesson.
Review questions at the end of each lesson are broken into three categories to help you differentiate: Youngest, Older, Oldest students.
There are also some tests available in the “Helps & Hints” book that accompanies the textbook. The answers to the questions asked at the end of the lessons are provided here. You’ll want to have this, as it gives a concise answer that you are looking for in your “older” and “oldest” student’s work.
If this is the second book in the series, do I have to start at the beginning? 🧬
My answer to this is, no, and if you check the Berean Builders FAQ section on their website, they would agree.
This homeschool science curriculum series is wonderful because it covers a wide range of ages. It is for elementary students in that it does not require testing of concepts outside of the lesson and experiment itself. The concepts are deep and rich, but as the students get older these rich ideas will be unpacked further.
If there are topics that your kids want to study, then choose the book in the series that is most interesting to them (or you), and then let the learning begin!
Extra Add-Ons I Recommend
While you do not need to buy the Lab Kit for this curriculum because everything you would need for each experiment is listed at the beginning of the book, I found that knowing that I had nearly everything I needed in one box, clearly labeled, with an excellent and handy sheet that listed out each lesson and what bag I would find the supplies in was an invaluable time saver in my life.
These can be printed for free on Berean Builders website or bought printed and spiral bound from Christianbook.com.
There is an “Older Student” and an “Oldest Student” option. If you like notebooking and/or like having your kids draw and write to learn, this is a great option.
I have used artist sketchbooks for notebooking in the past and this worked well too. This is the recommended option from Berean Builders
Exceptional. Thorough. Engaging.
I cannot tell enough people how much I appreciate Dr. Wile and Berean Builders for Science Through HIStory series.
It goes beyond simply liking science and loving how much my kids have loved the science we’ve done so far; the source of my delight comes from the obvious care, thought, and knowledge poured into every lesson and experiment.
This science curriculum is set apart from others like it in how it challenges students from a young age to observe this beautiful world God created and to think critically about what they see.
As they engage in the lessons, they are learning how science changed over the course of history, and how new observations and findings today help us to know our heavenly Father more and more with each new discovery.
Head over to Berean Builders today to check out Science in the Ancient World and these other curricula in the series for elementary (they’ve also got great Junior and Senior High options):
- Science in the Beginning (see a flip-through video here!)
- Science in the Scientific Revolution
- Science in the Age of Reason
- Science in the Industrial Age
About the Author
Nicholle Douglas
Hi friends! I’m Nicholle. I love Jesus, my handsome hubby, and my three lively boys. As a former middle school English teacher turned homeschool mama, I delight in the freedom homeschooling offers my family. Life is a beautiful adventure! Thanks for stopping by to explore and learn with us.
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