Homeschool Health Curriculum Ages 10-11: Pre Biology 2023

It’s a live online homeschool health curriculum covering pre biology for homeschool kids. We focus on the human body, health, and wellness. For ages 10-11, the live course meets weekly on Zoom on Thursdays at 11:05 AM PST / 2:05 PM EST from Feb 2 – April 27, 2023.  See the Live Learning page for 2022-23 class times for Spring 2023 (Jan-May).

Homeschool Health Curriculum Overview

This homeschool health curriculum is a pre biology class about the human body for elementary level learners.

We’ll discuss how the human body works and the function of the major parts, from a pre biology perspective. The course will include some simple, hands-on movement and measurement exercises. We’ll also focus on learning healthy habits at a young age.

Older learners interested in the material can see the video course (pre-recorded) version of Hidden Universe.

"My son loved the pre biology homeschool course. As a parent, I appreciate the focus on developing healthy habits early." -- Pam G.

How to Join This Live Class?

Step 1. Check the Schedule

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Or see complete instructions to join a live class.

Homeschool Health Curriculum Data

Videos Included: The homeschool health curriculum focusing on pre bio has a companion video textbook with 125+ videos (about 12 hours total) including complete lessons and movement-based exercises designed to promote a hands-on approach to learning about the human body.

Materials Included:  The course has 9 hands-on, movement based exercises, one to go along with each lesson.

Time commitment: Learners typically spend 1-2 hours per week, which includes combined live in-class time and out-of-class time.

Course duration: Semester length (half school year) or summer session.

Instructor Support Included: Dr. Scott teaches the live class personally. He is also available for questions by email. There are grades and a certificate of completion at the end. 

Who It's For

– elementary aged learners with little biology or science experience
– older people who want to develop healthy habits (see the video course)
– parents who want their kids to form healthy habits
– teachers seeking a fresh perspective on human health

Pre Bio Learning Outcomes

Learners completing Hidden Universe will be able to:

  1. Know basic human body parts (anatomy)
  2. Know what the body parts do (physiology)
  3. Understand that some aspects of health can be measured
  4. Understand the importance of healthy habits
  5. Empower themselves to develop healthy habits
  6. Apply simple body awareness and mindfulness techniques
  7. Improve self confidence

Pre Biology for Homeschool Course Topics

Lesson 1: Bones & Skeletons

We’ll learn about the human skeleton and some major bones and how they affect your structure. We’ll explore how the body stands upright. We will NOT be memorizing long, boring lists of body parts. This traditional approach has limited value, because simply learning the names of body parts does not explain what they do.

Lesson 2: Limbs Branch Like Trees

We continue to explore the skeleton’s structure, noting how it branches, much like a tree. We’ll consider the relation between living things as vastly different as plants and animals. We’ll make some simple measurements of our bones.

Lesson 3: Muscles, Joints & Range of Motion

Muscles and joints work together to create motion. That’s what being human is all about. We will learn to appreciate the health benefits and dangers associated with having a full range of motion or not. We’ll learn about the importance of joint health, and we’ll make some range of motion (angle) measurements on our own skeletons.

Lesson 4: Ribs, Lungs, Breath, Heart… Lub Dub

We’ll learn how the ribs, lungs, breathing, and your heart help to circulate that important oxygen from the air deep down into all your cells. We’ll discuss the pumping mechanism inside the chest, which is a lot more than just the heart beating away. We will learn about red and white blood cells. We’ll learn about how the doctor is listening for the “Lub Dub” sound when they use the stethoscope, and we’ll count our heartrate.

Lesson 5: Your 22 Skull Bones Move Too

Your skull is not just a bone, it’s many bones that need to move slightly in order to maintain proper health. A big idea here is that there are MANY systems that pump fluids around the body, not just your heart.

Lesson 6: Digestions & Peristaltic Pumps

We will learn about how digestion works. We will talk about digestive organs and provide some basic information on digestive chemicals produced by your organs. These include stomach acid, saliva, and bile, to name a few. Importantly, we learn about another pumping mechanism called peristalsis, that, like swallowing, moves food through the body.

Lesson 7: The Pumpless Lymphatic System

Lymph is an important aspect of human health that perhaps people aren’t so aware of. We’ll discuss what lymph is, what it does, why we need it, and how it moves through the body.

Lesson 8: Posture, Health & Mindfulness

We will discuss how posture affects your health. We’ll discuss a few simple mindfulness techniques to clear your mind in a few minutes.

Lesson 9: Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the science of what makes you… you. We will discuss how modern science explains our ability to change. We can literally rewire our body chemistry, and in fact it happens every time we have a new experience.. We will learn a simple technique for applying the science to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. That is, we look at what modern science has to say about the power of positive thinking.

Meet Your Instructor

Hi, I’m Dr. Scott. I teach this live pre biology for homeschool course.

I’m a former college chemistry professor, fitness instructor, and mindfulness teacher with a bit of a grudge against the field of biology. Why all the pointless memorization that doesn’t explain things? Our kids need self confidence and the ability to change their bodies for the better, not long lists of boring facts.

I made this course specifically for advanced elementary aged learners. The course is, however, really about things that everybody should know about their own body. It’s based on some decades of my personal exploration of the boundary between science, fitness, and mindfulness as a means of self improvement.