Physical Science (A.C.E.)

The curriculum explicitly rejects key scientific concepts like evolution and the Big Bang that are foundational to NGSS standards. This represents a significant departure from mainstream science education standards.

Reviews note the curriculum 'takes a Young Earth Creationist approach to science' and 'rejects evolutionary theory, the Big Bang, and man-made climate change'

The curriculum relies on self-instructional workbooks with optional video instruction. This approach may lack the explicit teacher-led instruction research shows is most effective for initial learning.

Described as 'self-instructional PACE workbooks' with videos that 'provide instruction,' suggesting independent learning rather than direct teacher instruction

The curriculum provides demonstration videos rather than actual hands-on lab experiences. Students watch experiments and complete lab records but do not perform physical lab work.

Reviews state 'students complete separate lab records as they watch experiments and demonstrations, although they do not actually do lab work themselves'

The curriculum covers challenging content including technical chemistry topics like chemical bonds and valence structures. However, reviews suggest instructional gaps that require supplementation for student mastery.

Cathy Duffy notes 'content is challenging' with chemistry getting 'fairly technically into chemical bonds and valence structures,' but PACE Success identifies 'rough spots' requiring supplemental instruction

The curriculum is designed for independent student learning with minimal teacher involvement. While this suits busy homeschools, it provides limited pedagogical support for teachers.

Reviews describe it as 'particularly helpful for busy homeschools where parents have limited time for direct teaching and oversight' but requires 'pre-existing student ability to study independently'

The mastery-based PACE format likely includes built-in review, but specific retrieval practice strategies are not detailed in available reviews.

Curriculum described as 'mastery-based learning' through 'sequential self-paced packets' but specific review mechanisms not described

Scientific vocabulary instruction is not specifically addressed in available reviews. The technical chemistry content suggests vocabulary is covered, but explicit teaching methods are unclear.

Reviews mention technical chemistry terminology like 'chemical bonds and valence structures' but don't detail vocabulary instruction approaches