High School!!  Homeschooling during High School!! I can’t believe it.  I thought I was going to homeschool my child just during his 1st grade so he can “mature”, now here we are, 7 years later,  looking into High School curriculums.  

Now, to be totally honest, I’m a bit nervous about the sciences during the High School years.  Will it be rigorous enough? Will it be fun? Will he love it? Will he hate it? Can he complete it independently? How intensives are the labs? Will it set a solid foundation for college level classes?  Should we do Biology first or Physics first?  There are so many questions. But most of those questions can’t be answered until he starts working through the course. 

However, we should also consider our own level of participation with the curriculum.  I know my role , over the years, has gradually transformed from primary teacher to facilitator. In order for me to be a good facilitator for my kids, the curriculum has to also work for me as well.

So,  I was excited when I received the opportunity to partner with Berean Builders to review this homeschool high school physics curriculum.

Discovering Design with Physics Curriculum

The set up according to the publishers….A comprehensive homeschool curriculum, Discovering Design with Physics introduces students to the principles of physics through a biblical worldview. This engaging program blends scientific concepts with real-world applications, emphasizing design, purpose, and the Creator’s role in the laws of nature. Ideal high school students, it provides hands-on activities, critical thinking exercises, and an excellent foundation in the science of physics.

This laboratory-based high school physics course is the first physics course a college-bound student should take.  Requires geometry and knowledge of sine, cosine, and tangent.

Discovering Design with Physics

It should also be noted that this science provider teaches science from a biblical worldview. 

Questions I Was Asking Myself While Looking Over Discovering Design with Physics Curriculum

1. Is it affordable?
2. Can I easily schedule this out?
3. How intensive are the labs? Are the supplies easily accessible?
4. Are there any exams? Are there review questions and how is it built into the chapters?
5. Is there a step-by-step answer key?
6. Are there any additional resources that may be needed?

I’m happy to report that many of these questions, if not all, have positive answers.

Is it affordable?

Yes, it absolutely is. The Discovering Design with Physics Curriculum Set; textbook and answer key is priced only at $79, but shipping is not included. 

Can I easily schedule this out?

Absolutely! The schedule is located in the back of the student textbook. I’ve , also,  linked the suggested schedule for your convenience, if you want to print it and add it to their binder. Or, you can use an electronic planner, like I do, and buy lesson plans for Bereans Sciences.

The weekly workload is explicitly listed and easy to follow. 

How intensive are the labs? Are the supplies easily accessible?

I’m not sure, yet.  The level of intensity is in the opinion of the student.  However, from what I can tell, the labs may take a minimum of one hour to complete because they have to prove their work by solving higher level math problems with include unit conversions and/or write up a written response.

Please note: Your student must have at least completed Algebra 1, Geometry and have understanding of three basic Trigonometric Functions (sine, cosine, and tangent) to successfully attempt the lab questions. Truthfully, don’t even bother attempting this course if your student doesn’t have a solid math foundation. For real.

Supplies: The supplies seem to be very easy to purchase or you may already have them at home.  Here is the supplies list by chapters, so you can get a feel of the products needed or you can purchase the supplies kit with Homeschool Science Tools (not affiliated). Sharing because I love convenience. 

The labs are located in the textbook and in the green boxes.  The paragraphs after the labs explain what the student should have seen. (Self-Check!)

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Are there any exams? Are there review questions and how is it built into the chapters?

Ok, throughout each chapter there are comprehension check questions, averaging about 12-15 questions per chapter. Your student is supposed to practice these before attempting the review questions, which I think is the exam. Review questions are always at the end of each chapter.

Super Convenient Feature: All the comprehension and review questions are waiting for you to be printed and create a workbook for your kid for FREE, unless you want them spiral bound and that comes at an added cost. Thank you!

Is there a step-by-step answer key?

Yes!! There are step-by-step answers for both the comprehension and review questions with explanations.          

Are there any additional resources that may be needed?

1. The Discovering Design with Physics Audio Book MP3 Thumb Drive is available to purchase for the auditory learners for $21.
2. When you purchase the textbooks, a link is provided for added resources. There are videos demonstrating how to work the problems, detailed discussions of some of the topics within the chapters and extra practice questions.
3. They also provide online classes; pre-recorded or live. 

These are extremely useful resources. 

Overall, the affordable well-made textbook, with easy laid out schedule and supplies lists, explicit answer keys, and the additional online resources may really helps any parent that is not totally hands-off with the schooling, but need to stay involve for guidance and to lend a helping hand in time-management, organizing, planning and double-checking work. 

The Discovering Design series looks to be a really good option for highschool.