How long do you spend deciding what curriculum to use with your students?
If you’re a home educator, you probably spend many hours searching for the best options for your children — researching online, talking to friends, and reading reviews. If you’re a teacher, it probably takes even longer — many schools have formal processes to evaluate curriculum choices involving several staff working for weeks or even months.
Either way, it’s not a decision any of us takes lightly. We all care about our children, and we therefore think long and hard about the educational materials we give them. Just think of the impact of making a wise choice — a great course can be a fantastic experience for a student, igniting a fire of curiosity and excitement that burns for the rest of their life.
There are no short cuts here. It’s not as simple as looking at a bunch of online reviews to find the “best” course, because different people are looking for different things. In the end, this is one decision that you need to make for yourself.
At Axiom Science, we want to help as you make this decision. Our goal is to show you exactly what you’re getting with an Axiom Science course before you buy, so that you can make the wisest and most informed choice about whether Axiom Science is for you.
The best way to learn what Axiom Science has to offer is to check out a free sample course. We won’t hassle you for your credit card details — just create a free account and see for yourself!
Start your free sample course — no credit card required
However, if you’re looking for a summary to help you make a decision, read on, and we’ll take you through the key features.
Modular structure
Our courses are built from several distinct modules. Our goal here is to make complex subjects more manageable, while at the same time drawing together the different parts of the subject into a single picture. Here's a breakdown of the High School Chemistry course:
Foundations of Chemistry
Atoms, elements and compounds, states of matter, kinetic theory, solubility and diffusion, separation methods, chromatography, atomic structure, isotopes, the Periodic Table.
Bonding and Structure
Inorganic Chemistry
Acids and bases, pH, indicators, titration, redox and oxides, gases and air composition, halogens, group 1 and 2 metals, extraction of metals, rusting and corrosion, chemical tests.
Organic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
(The UK IGCSE Chemistry course contains an additional module focusing on IGCSE revision and exam preparation.)
Comprehensive video lessons
These form the backbone of all Axiom Science courses. Our High School Chemistry course contains nearly 200 video lessons covering the whole curriculum, and all of these videos can be watched as many times as you like. We avoid a piecemeal approach, focusing instead on how the different concepts link together to create a coherent understanding of the whole subject.
Teaching
Our High School Chemistry course contains over 100 teaching videos, each 5 to 15 minutes long. Each one introduces a single key concept, with helpful recaps connecting new ideas to previous topics. These videos include comprehensive explanations, with diagrams, notes, worked examples, and video simulations, so that students get a clear understanding of the subject.
Worked examples
We don't just teach the concepts; we show students how to put them into practice with plenty of videos devoted to worked examples. Some focus on a single topic; others draw together material from a whole module or even the whole course so far. We take the students step by step through each example, so they're really able to grasp what's going on, and are ready to tackle further problems for themselves.
Summaries
There's little point in teaching new material unless we help students to remember what they've already learned. At Axiom Science, we approach this important task very methodically. In addition to the summaries contained in the teaching videos, we also include dedicated summary videos which draw together the themes explored in each module and integrate them with all the previous material.
Labs
Labs are an important part of a comprehensive science education. Axiom Chemistry contains 20 hands-on labs, each accompanied by an easy-to-follow video containing full instructions. Crucially, all our labs are integrated with the ongoing teaching, so that students understand exactly what they're doing and why. All Axiom Science labs can be done in the home using everyday supplies (with a few inexpensive specialist items that can be purchased at online retailers such as Amazon). We also include full health and safety guidelines, a complete list of materials, sample lab reports, and grading guidelines.
Questions students ask
Axiom Science is not just about checking the "High School Science" box or prepping for a test. We want to spark the imagination of students by going beyond the basics and helping them to make connections with their real world experiences. These additional videos answer the kinds of questions students frequently ask, and encourage them to ask more!
Quizzes and tests
Leading educational research confirms that quizzes and tests have a valuable role to play in helping students remember what they've learned and grasp the big picture of a subject. At the same time, it's important to avoid over-testing, as this can cause stress and discouragement, and it reduces the time available for teaching new material. At Axiom Science, we have designed a range of different types of test that reflect the best educational practice. Our goal is to help students learn, and enable parents and teachers to identify at an early stage if a student is struggling.
All the quizzes and tests are automatically graded, and students get their results instantly. Full worked answers are also provided, so that students can check any mistakes and review material they found tricky before moving on. Supervisors also get full access to their students’ results through the supervisor dashboard, allowing them to keep track of student progress.
Every quiz and test contributes to the overall score, encouraging the ongoing effort that is so important for deep and lasting understanding. This also means that every individual test only makes up a small part of the total score, so a student who is struggling has plenty of opportunity to review previous material and get back on track.
Regular quizzes
Our High School Chemistry course has over 30 short quizzes scattered throughout the course, designed to help students to check their understanding of what they've been taught in the previous few lessons. These tests encourage and reward ongoing effort from the students, and guard against the temptation to rely on cramming.
35% of total score
Module tests
Each module concludes with a module test, encouraging students to review all the material within the module. These come immediately after the summary videos and worked example videos (see above), which lead the students through the process of reviewing the material from the whole module.
20% of total score
Summary tests
The summary tests build on the module tests in modules 2, 3, and 4, encouraging students to draw together everything they've learned in both current and previous modules. Like the module tests, these are preceded by their own summary videos and worked example videos, helping students to review everything they've learned and really show what they're capable of.
20% of total score
Final tests
These draw together everything the student has learned throughout the course. Again, they are preceded by a comprehensive series of summary videos and worked examples designed to enable students to pull together everything they've learned throughout the course.
25% of total score
(The additional module in the UK IGCSE Chemistry course comprises 15% of the total score, with the result that the above percentages are reduced slightly.)
Additional features
Axiom Science courses contain numerous other tools and resources designed to enable students, teachers, and parents to thrive as they explore this exciting material. Here's a quick run-down of the main features:
Supervisor dashboard
A full supervisor dashboard, giving parents and teachers complete access to their entire course, all quizzes and tests, and all their students quiz and test results.
Course schedules
A range of different course schedules to help teachers, parents, and students plan their studies.
Distraction-free interface
Our custom interface is designed to minimize distractions, allowing students to focus entirely on their work. And we never show ads.
Full resources
We provide a carefully designed selection of other resources to help you and your children get the most our of Axiom Science, including:
- Periodic table of the elements
- Lab health and safety guide
- Lab materials list
- Lab grading guidelines
- Sample lab reports
- Math readiness quiz
There’s much more on offer in Axiom Science courses. Of course, the best way to find out is to look for yourself. That’s why we offer a free sample course, so whenever you’re ready, scroll down and register for free to get started!
