Chemistry Prep for 2024-2025: Homeschooling Tips and Resources

Hey everyone, welcome back to Making Everyday Magic! My name is Shanna, and if you’re new here, we’re a homeschooling family of four entering our eighth year of homeschooling for the 2024-2025 school year. We will have a seventh grader and a third grader this year, and today, I’m excited to show you how we’re prepping for chemistry.

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Quick Recap

We like to combine our science lessons because it simplifies experiments and makes learning more engaging for both kids. This past year, we focused on middle school biology, and this coming year, we’re diving into middle school chemistry. Yes, that includes my third grader too! Although she will have different expectations compared to her older sibling, she will still participate in all the activities.

 

Program Details

After extensive research, I chose the American Chemistry Society’s middle school chemistry curriculum. This program is completely free, engaging, secular, and available online HERE. It’s perfect for our needs because everything is provided, making my prep work a lot easier.

 

Shopping List

I know many of you have been waiting for my shopping list, and I finally have it ready! I’ve created an Amazon shopping list HERE with all the items you need for the experiments in this curriculum. The list includes almost everything, but there are some items you likely already have at home, like sugar, an insulated cup, a sink, and a trash can.

Important Note: Do not buy everything on the list! Check your kitchen first to see what you already have. This list is meant to help you gather the necessary items easily, not to suggest you need to purchase every single thing.

 

 

Intent

We will be using this program on Mom and Me Mondays with both children. I plan to create a Google Classroom for our chemistry class, which I think is incredibly cool and tech-savvy. This setup will allow us to access all the materials digitally, but I also have the option to print them if needed.

Inside Look

Here’s a quick overview of how I set up our middle school chemistry class, but you can see the visual in the linked video below:

1. Google Classroom Setup:
   • Create a class in Google Classroom.
   • Add classwork, assignments, and customize the class as needed.
2. American Chemistry Society Curriculum:
   • Access the middle school chemistry course online.
   • Utilize the tools, material supply list, and download necessary resources.
   • Each lesson includes detailed instructions, student readings, tests, and activity sheets.
   • All resources are available in Google Docs, making it easy to add them to our Google Drive and share with the kids.
3. Assignments and Tests:
   • Create digital assignments and tests using Google Forms and Google Docs.
   • Share these resources with the kids through Google Classroom.
   • Decide whether to use digital or printed versions based on what works best for us.

 

Conclusion

I hope you found this post helpful and informative! If you did, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be an insider and to follow along with our days over on Instagram @makingeverydaymagic.

Remember, don’t buy everything on the shopping list—only get what you actually need. Happy homeschooling and happy chemistry prepping!