Real Science 4 Kids Review: Book 7

As part of the Timberdoodle Blog Team, I have received complimentary access to this product. I have not been compensated for my time reviewing the product and producing this review. I have not been influenced in any way and my opinions on this product are my own.

Searching for a 7th grade science curriculum for your homeschooler? The award-winning Real Science 4 Kids program deserves a spot on your list. Today, I’m sharing the highlights of the newly updated Book 7 in the Real Science 4 Kids series from Timberdoodle. Let’s get to it!

An Overview of Real Science 4 Kids: 7th Grade

The 7th grade Real Science 4 Kids, Book 7, secular full-year program is available from Timberdoodle in two options:

• as a standalone curriculum
• as part of Timberdoodle’s complete 7th grade curriculum kit

For this review, I received the hardcover textbook and digital access to the PDF student pages and teacher materials. By the end, you will have a clear, honest look at how this curriculum works in real life.

I like to know what I am getting before I buy. You too? I will walk you through what comes in Book 7, how the lessons feel, and what stood out to me. If you are building a 7th grade science plan, this review should give you a solid starting point.

Real Science 4 Kids Textbook: Book 7

Just like the Real Science 4 Kids Book 6, Book 7 has me reminiscing of my childhood days in public school…but in a good way. Do you remember covering your hardback textbooks with a paper bag cover, too? Not only did the bag serve as a way to protect the binding of the textbook, but it also allowed me to decorate the outside of my textbook with all sorts of doodles & such.

While this article is a Real Science 4 Kids review, I totally (TOTALLY) suggest letting your kids cover their textbook as well. That way, it’ll be protected for use by any siblings (or maybe resold at a book sale during a homeschool convention?) and they’ll get to have the quintessential 90s expressive art experience!

Anyways, let’s get on with the review of this 7th grade secular science curriculum, shall we?

Within the Real Science 4 Kids: Book 7, you’ll find heavy matte pages of paper with a clear table of contents, 22 solid chapters of learning, and a handy glossary and index. It feels built for daily study and stress-free reading.

Each chapter packs bright, full-color images and simple prompts for hands-on exploration, which keeps science approachable. You’ll find clear charts and infographics, often set beside a detailed photo or a playful comic strip, so new ideas feel natural, not heavy. I’m all for that mix, since it sparks curiosity and tends to encourage independent learning instead of educational overwhelm.

Instead of focusing on one scientific area for a full year, this 7th grade science curriculum covers the following topics:

• Introduction
  • Using Science
• Chemistry
  • Pure Substances & Mixtures
  • Organic Chemistry: The Chemistry of Carbon
  • What are Polymers?
  • What are Biological Polymers?
• Biology
  • What are Plants?
  • What is Photosynthesis?
  • Plant Structure & Growth
  • Plant Reproduction
• Physics
  • Chemical Energy
  • What is Electrostatics?
  • What is Electrodynamics?
  • What is Magnetism?

• Geology
  • The Hydrosphere
  • The Biosphere
  • The Magnetosphere
  • Earth as a System
• Astronomy
  • What are Galaxies?
  • Our Galaxy – The Milky Way
  • Other Galaxies
  • Exploding Stars & Other Stuff
• Conclusion
  • Putting it all Together

While I know there’s nothing quite like having the opportunity to flip through a physical copy of a textbook, Timberdoodle does offer a sample of the Real Science 4 Kids: Book 7 textbook on their site. Within the link, you’ll be able to view samples of 105 pages of the 417 page textbook allowing you to see how the chapters are set up and such. If you ask me, that’s quiet a generous sample size!

Real Science 4 Kids Lesson Plan PDFs

While the Real Science 4 Kids: Book 7 can be considered a full 7th grade science curriculum on it’s own, I love the fact that the textbook purchase from Timberdoodle comes complete with PDF lesson plans (and a student journal & assessments, but more on those later!) to help make the science curriculum even more in-depth & hands-on!

Within the Lesson Plan PDF, you’ll find:

• 22 Weekly Sheets
  • These printable sheets include weekly objectives, educational standards from the National Science Educational Standards (1996) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012) National Academies Press, a hands-on activity, and a variety of educational connections (History, Philosophy, Art/Music/Math, Technology, and Language). All of this info is especially helpful if you need to meet certain state homeschooling requirements.
• 1 Self-Review Sheet
  • Print one each week, and this page gives students room to share what they learned throughout the chapter.
• 1 Self-Test Sheet
  • Print one per week, this page acts as an open-ended testing opportunity

In addition to the Lesson Plan PDF set, this curriculum also includes some helpful (again, optional) assessment pages:

• Midterm #1: Covers chapters 1-11 in 30 questions
• Midterm #2: Covers chapters 12-22 in 30 questions
• Final Quiz: Covers chapters 1-22 in 40 questions

Real Science 4 Kids Student Study Notebook

Included as a PDF download with purchase of the Real Science 4 Kids 7th grade science curriculum is a super cool Study Notebook. While the 6th grade set includes a more fun “notebook” appropriate for upper elementary, the 7th grade Study Notebook is a great tool to get our middle-school students skilled in taking notes & organizing information (somewhat) on their own. Each chapter has a few pages each in the Study Notebook.

Of course, using the Study Notebook is completely optional (“yay” for the flexibility of homeschooling!), but…I honestly feel the Study Notebook adds an incredible amount of educational value.

Some of my favorite features of the 7th grade science Study Notebook are:

• use of “comfortable” fonts
  • within the Study Notebook, 2 fonts are used: a standard serif font and a handwritten font. The handwritten font gives the pages a relaxed feel and somehow make them feel more “grown up” than the Study Notebook pages in previous grades
• pre-existing doodles
  • doodles can be important, too! I love that the Study Notebook pages already have a few small doodles included, encouraging kids to express themselves with their own doodles
• plenty of room to write
  • while our kids may be skilled in all things technological, I still feel having legible handwriting (especially cursive!) is an important skill. My kids are still a work-in-progress in this area, so I appreciate that Real Science 4 Kids included plenty of room for kids to handwrite answers to the chapter writing prompts
• the “welcome to your study notebook” page
  • in the very beginning, there’s a “handwritten note” to the student that goes over the use and purpose of the Study Notebook. My favorite portion? “try not to get too worried about writing down the ‘right’ answers.” I all for low-pressure activities!

My Thoughts on Real Science 4 Kids Book 7

Honestly, I think Real Science 4 Kids has a super solid science curriculum! My kids absolutely love learning about science (and history!) and I can just picture them reading through the textbook as a “regular” book on the family room sofa. The way the science information is presented within the text is super approachable and not “scary” like so many other textbooks may be.

In addition, while I understand kids these days definitely need to be fluent in technology, I’m also one to appreciate some good old-fashioned screen-free learning. In the case of the Real Science 4 Kids 7th grade science curriculum, all of the information comes from a book, all of the assessments are completed with pencil (or pen!) and paper…the Study Notebook is even on paper. There’s just something about writing information by hand that helps it to “stick,” you know?

You know what else I love about this secular science curriculum? I love:

• The Value: Whether the curriculum is purchased by itself or as part of Timberdoodle’s 7th grade curriculum package, it really is a great value. Plus, time is money, so I definitely appreciate Timberdoodle taking the time to piece together a complete 7th grade curriculum that can be purchased as a set. SO much value!
• The Pages: This may seem silly, but I do love the weight of the pages of the textbook and I definitely love that the pages are matte and not shiny. A personal preference? Maybe? But they add to the quality of the text & I appreciate knowing that the pages aren’t flimsy and are likely to stand up to wear & tear.
• The Content: I remember going through public school and being stuck learning about one theme all year. Like, “Earth Science” one year, “Life Science” another, etc. A whole year spent on one theme can get super boring – I love that the Real Science 4 Kids 7th grade science curriculum allows the students to learn about a number of different science themes, keeping learning fresh & exciting all year long.

Happy Homeschooling!

So, what are your thought son the 7th grade Real Science 4 Kids curriculum after reading my review? Will you give it go with your child? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments so I can help out!

Until next time, stay safe & enjoy quality time with your family,