Life Science at Home for Charlotte Kids in Grades 3–7
Life Science at Home for Charlotte Kids in Grades 3–7
For Charlotte families who want science practice at home for Grades 3–7, the Elementary Life Science Bundle is a printable set of eight units on forests, meadows and pollination, the skeleton, birds, frogs and growing cress. It costs $79.99 and works after school for a CMS student or as the life science part of a homeschool year, with a parent reading along.
See the life science unitsThe Elementary Life Science Bundle costs $79.99 and holds eight resources: Explore a Forest Ecosystem; Meadows, Flowers & Pollination; The Skeleton in Motion; three bird units; Frogs in the Ecosystem; and Cress in the Classroom. It suits Charlotte parents adding science at home and homeschool families teaching living things. It covers life science only, contains nothing specific to North Carolina and includes no seeds, kits or supplies.
The resources
Elementary Life Science Bundle, Grades 3–7
8 resources in one download: $79.99 instead of $134.65 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Life Science Bundle | Ecosystems, Pollination, Skeleton, Birds, Frogs & Plants | Grades 3–7
Elementary Science Curriculum | Life, Earth & Physical Science | 11 Units | Grades 3–5
Elementary Physical Science Bundle | Circuits, Forces, Light, Levers & Pulleys | Grades 3–7
Environmental Science Units Bundle | Climate Change, Climate Data, Ecosystems, Resources & Climate Ethics | 5 Units | Grades 8–12
The real problem
Science at home when screens are the question
Screen time has become one of the bigger conversations in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In June 2026 the board renewed its i-Ready contract for one year instead of two and promised to monitor the impact. In August, parents with Schools Beyond Screens asked the district for their Essential Six changes, including making i-Ready a teacher's choice and blocking YouTube on student devices. State law already bars students from having wireless devices on during instructional time under House Bill 959. Many families make the same call at home and practice on paper. Science is often the subject that gets squeezed, because reading and math come first. For homeschool families, North Carolina's rules point the same way. You file a notice of intent with the Division of Non-Public Education at least five business days before you start, keep attendance and immunization records, run a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months and give a nationally standardized test each year in English grammar, reading, spelling and mathematics. Science is not one of the tested areas, and families choose their own curriculum, so it is easy to let it drift. This is a summary, not legal advice; check current requirements with DNPE or a homeschool legal resource.
Why it fits
What your child works on
The eight units stay with living things, so your child builds one connected picture.
- Explore a Forest Ecosystem and Meadows, Flowers & Pollination look at how plants and animals depend on each other.
- The Skeleton in Motion turns the body into a science topic your child can feel and test.
- Three bird units cover traits and beaks, nests and migration, and habitats and conservation.
- Frogs in the Ecosystem follows the frog life cycle, a topic that works well with outdoor observation.
- Cress in the Classroom includes growing experiments; you buy seeds and soil yourself.
- Grade range 3–7 lets siblings in elementary and middle school share one topic at different depths.
Getting started
A home science routine that lasts
This is a suggested rhythm for one unit at a time. Slow it down or speed it up to suit your child.
- Start with the cress unitPlants take time to grow, so begin Cress in the Classroom first and let it run in the background. Your child checks the growth on a windowsill while you work through other units.
- One unit, two short sessions a weekTwo sessions of about thirty minutes are enough for many families. Read the text together, do the worksheet and stop before attention runs out. Weekends can hold the longer tasks.
- Take it outside in Mecklenburg CountyThe forest, meadow, bird and frog units all connect to things you can look for in your own yard or a local park. A short walk after the worksheet makes the reading stick.
- Pair siblings on the same topicA third grader and a sixth grader can study the same bird unit. Let the younger one focus on the core reading and the older one take the longer writing and research tasks.
- Keep the finished pagesHomeschool families can file completed worksheets with attendance records. For CMS families, bring a few pages to a conference so the teacher knows what your child is doing at home.
What to buy
Choosing the right science bundle
The Elementary Life Science Bundle at $79.99 (parts separately $134.65) is the pick if you want depth on living things for Grades 3–7. If you want a full year with life, earth and physical science for Grades 3–5, the Elementary Science Curriculum at $109.99 has eleven units, several of them also in this bundle. Kids who prefer circuits and forces can start with the Elementary Physical Science Bundle at $64.99. For an older middle schooler interested in climate and ecosystems, the Environmental Science Units Bundle at $69.99 is written for Grades 8–12.
Honest limits
Limits you should know
This bundle covers life science only, so earth and physical science need another source. It is not written for North Carolina and does not follow the 2023 K-12 Science Standards, so if you want to match your child's grade, check it against those standards yourself. No seeds, soil, magnifiers or other supplies are included. A homeschool family still needs reading, grammar, spelling and math for the yearly test. It is licensed for your own family. If it does not fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match North Carolina science standards?
No. It is not aligned to the North Carolina 2023 K-12 Science Standards and is not approved by the state or CMS. It is general life science for Grades 3–7. If matching the state standards matters to you, compare the unit topics with the standards for your child's grade and fill any gaps yourself.
Can I use it as our homeschool science curriculum?
North Carolina leaves curriculum choices to homeschool families, and science is not part of the yearly test. Many families could use this for life science, but it does not cover earth or physical science. Check current requirements with the Division of Non-Public Education or a homeschool legal resource, since this is not legal advice.
Does my child need a tablet or computer?
No. The units print at home, and your child works on paper with a pencil and a clipboard. That suits families who want home practice away from screens, and it means a sibling can use the family computer while another child does science at the kitchen table.
Is anything physical included for the cress experiments?
No. The bundle is a digital download only. For Cress in the Classroom you supply cress seeds, a shallow container and some soil or cotton to grow them in. For the outdoor units, a notebook and a pencil for observations are enough to get started on a first walk.
My kids are in Grade 3 and Grade 6. Will it work for both?
That is one of the better uses. The bundle is written for Grades 3–7, so both children can study the same topic, with the older one doing more of the reading and writing tasks. You prepare once, talk about one topic at dinner and teach two.
What if we try it and it does not work for us?
Within 7 days of purchase you can exchange it for store credit of equal value. There is no cash refund. Look at the product page first, where each of the eight parts is linked, so you know what every unit covers and which grades it suits.
Paper, a pencil and a window for the cress
Open the product page to see all eight units before you plan your first week.
See the life science units