Axiom Science High School Chemistry Product Review

Please Share:

I have homeschooled 8 children and am very picky about the Chemistry curriculum that I choose. Mostly because we do this at home and I don't want to deal with big chemical reactions or the mess in my home kitchen! I am always saying, “Be careful, I don't want to repaint the ceiling.” So this Axiom Science High School Chemistry course with 191 videos and 20 home-friendly lab experiments (that we can choose to watch on video) was something I was curious to try for a product review.

Disclosure: I received free product in exchange for my time writing this review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own or those of my family.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase.

What Is Axiom Science High School Chemistry?

Axiom Science High School Chemistry offers a complete self-paced high school chemistry course designed for Christian home-educators. In this online video-based course, your student can watch 191 videos. The lessons are short videos. The Lab videos are a little longer. I like the lab videos because Miranda can watch a video about the experiment, rather than do it herself in my kitchen. She does have the option to do it and I don't mind if she is creating a solution of salt and water, but I don't want to do the experiments with a flame, or something that gets too messy.

There are also 50 self-grading quizzes, 20 home-friendly lab experiments, and progress tracking tools. You get 12 months access to this course, which is great, in case you are having a baby, moving, taking a vacation or holiday, family emergency, death in the family or someone has health issues. With this curriculum, I don't have to be a science teacher or buy and store a textbook.

It has everything needed to give your student a full credit for a High School Chemistry course in the United States. I noticed there is another course offered if you live in the UK that covers everything you need there. The author and speaker in the videos, Ms. Jeffery, a Christian with a UK accent, which my daughter Miranda prefers to listen to and try to speak like. As a parent, I am just happy this keeps her interest. Plus, I can now understand what she is saying (as she was recently going through a mumbling phase).

How We Used It

In my dining room, I have a computer desk in the corner with a big monitor. I was able to work at my dining room table with my younger children on their workbooks while my high school student, Miranda, was at the computer working on her own. She usually has headphones on to not distract the other students. Some of this review was done in the summer when I was not teaching my other students, so she didn't need headphones at that time.

The curriculum is very easy to navigate with a bar on the side of what comes next. As you complete each portion, the empty circle has a green checked area.

teen girl wearing glasses learning chemistry on computer screen with axiom chemistry course — Miranda using Axiom Science Chemistry with bar on side to see what's next or what has been done.

There is also an area at the top of the screen that tells you the percentage that is complete and how many steps you have done out of the total steps in the course.

image of computer screen with axiom chemistry lesson on it — The top of the screen in Axiom Science Chemistry shows what percentage is complete and how many steps you have completed out of the total.

Miranda worked through the chemistry course by listening to the short videos with clear step-by-step explanations, then marking that section as complete by pressing a green button in the right lower corner. If we were to do a Lab, she would use the dining room table right next to the computer so she could pause the video and see what is next, as well as write her report using the example shown.

If you want to see a lesson that you haven't worked up to yet, you get an error message that says, “Please go back and complete the previous step.” So everything must be learned in order. Yet if you have already done a lesson, you can go back and watch it again. This is helpful if you are on a quiz question and you remember the answer was in that video. You could go re-watch it and answer the question correctly.

axiom chemistry error screen chemical formulae of ionic compounds please go back and complete the previous step — If you try to jump ahead and watch a lesson you haven't worked your way up to, there is an error message.

There are sometimes lessons that are called “Questions Students Ask” that come up once in a while. Miranda enjoyed listening to these and always learned something from it (I know because I would sometimes hear her tell her younger siblings, “Did you know…”).

There Is A Free Preview

If this is your first time hearing about Axiom Chemistry, you may want to read their About Page and their FAQ's page. And for sure, try their free course preview. No money is required to try it out.

We Don't Like The Way The Quizzes Currently Work but enjoy using it anyway

Once in a while, a Lab or Quiz would come next. At the time of doing this review (in writing reviews for 9 years now, I know that things change – sometimes because of mentioning a drawback in a review), it is not possible to skip the quiz. So, even if you are a homeschool teacher that doesn't like to have your students take quizzes and tests (like me), you must at least answer the questions to get on to the next part. Even if the quiz is failed, you can still move on to the next section afterward. You cannot go back and retake the quiz for any reason.

I know this is odd with our United States mentality and culture. We are used to having second chances. Both the public and private schools in our area always offer a “re-take” of quizzes and tests. Sometimes, they are offered more than once. Homeschool courses offered on a computer in the US market, like my favorite math course (which was created in Canada), usually allow the parent (with their password) to go in and make changes – either allowing a student to re-do individual problems or the entire quiz/test. I think excellence may be expected in the UK (where I think this may have been designed), so we have to understand it's part of the culture.

But in the free preview, we could take the quiz more than once…

Per Ms. Jeffery, “The sample quiz in the course preview has been designed to let parents see how the quizzes function, and they can complete it multiple times. However the quizzes in the course are designed so that each student has only one attempt to answer the questions. Students can prepare for as long as they like and take as long as they need to complete the questions.

Once students submit answers for grading, they gain access to all the worked solutions associated with that quiz. We therefore do not let students (or other users) delete or otherwise alter their answers after this point, because they could simply copy the correct answers and get everything right! It's clearly stated throughout the course that only one attempt is permitted per paid user per quiz.”

How and why we enjoy using it anyway

So here's the thing, after reviewing this Chemistry course, it is still worth it to me to put up with these minor inconveniences. Why? The reason I homeschool my children is because I want them to have everything they learn based on a Christian perspective. While the course is predicated on a Christian worldview, no religious content is included. Yet, I feel really good about using this program and not having to worry about them listening to something very “worldly and unbiblical”.

The videos are short and interesting and keep my daughter's interest, even when she doesn't feel like doing school. And, another bonus is that the quizzes are automatically graded. You as the homeschool teacher don't have to do it. The way I see it, there are two ways you can get over this problem of not being able to re-take a quiz:

Tell your student in advance how this works and that there will only be one chance, and just have them do their best to answer the questions so they can move on to the next part. Yet also, assure them that they are not a failure and let them know how it works in the U.S. culture.
As you come upon the quizzes, have your child stop and take a break. You as the homeschool parent, go through and click answers to the questions, even if they are wrong. When your student comes back from their break and tries to click on it, it just says, “You have already taken this quiz 1 time(s) and may not take it again.” This would allow your student to move on and they can't even see the questions. I think it only works this way because we have not submitted answers for grading. Once you submit answers for grading, per Ms. Jeffery, “they (students) gain access to all the worked solutions associated with that quiz.”

axiom chemistry error message quiz introducting chemistry particles you have already taken this quiz — If you go back into a previously taken quiz, you get this message.

What a Chemistry Lab Is Like With Axiom Science

I already have four high school graduates, and I have already mentioned that I don't like to do Labs. In the past, I have used a physical Chemistry textbooks and I would read aloud about the experiment to my student, often the physical textbook would have visuals. Since my oldest homeschooled child just graduated from college this year with a minor in Biology (in which she had to pass Chemistry 2) and I was the same way with her, I am completely at peace with not doing all the experiments.

At some points in the course, a Lab will come up. Before it begins, a list of what is needed is offered, so that you can gather your equipment. Most of these items can already be found in your home kitchen, but you may need to get a few basic chemistry items like beakers, for example. I just had Miranda watch the Labs for the review, rather than do them. We still have Labs left in the course that she will pick up again in the Fall, so maybe I will have her do some of those at that time. Safety guides and sample lab reports make each lab easy to complete.

I really like that the Labs are explained on the video with visuals, rather than me trying to show it in a physical textbook – and I am a lady who does love to read books and use textbooks. But, for Chemistry Labs, this is great!

The teacher tells us to name our report, like “Diffusion of Food Coloring in Water” and shows an example of our report with a goal and the method we will use and that we should add a drawing of what will be going on in the experiment.

axiom chemistry lab report notes diffustion of food coloring in water — sample of a lab in Axiom Chemistry

Next, we are told what will happen in the experiment with some visuals so you know what will be happening.

axiom chemistry experimental set up for lab with three glasses of water and food coloring — sample of a lab visual in Axiom Chemistry

Now we talk about what to write in the lab report and to include a photo or drawing.

axiom chemistry lab results notes regarding food coloring diffusing in water — a lab report example in Axiom Chemistry

The teacher gives you further investigations you could do.

axiom chemistry optional further investigations will food coloring diffuse in very cold water and more — optional further investigations are offered in Axiom Chemistry

If you choose to do one of the further investigations, you are reminded to write this in your report and a visual is shown of what could happen with one of them.

axiom chemistry lab optional further investigations with glass that has blue and red food coloring and a glass of purple liquid — visual of what would happen in a “further investigations” with Axiom Chemistry

Sometimes an experiment has you wait for 60 to 90 minutes before you can write down your observations. During this time, your student can complete more videos and possibly take a quiz. You can tell if this will happen if you scroll down in your course outline on the left and see that there is a Lab (part 2) coming up. When we see this, we know we can advance in the program while we wait.

I feel “Chemistry Freedom” in that we get to be the boss and decide. If we want to do a lab, we can watch the video first, then gather materials (see the lab materials list here, most are common household products you can find in a grocery store), finally, we can back the lab video up and watch it again while doing it and push pause at any time while we do things or take notes.

AI Is Not Used

This is a total “Pro” to me personally. I am trying to avoid AI and AI-generated content as much as possible. In every computer/phone related application that I use, I purposely avoid it and do not hit the buttons to use it in any way, shape or form. At least not on purpose, for sure! I confirmed with the owner that AI has not been used in creating this course. It's made by a human and I don't see anything in the course that uses AI. I am quoting Nicole Jeffery in saying, “I have written and produced all 191 high school chemistry videos myself, written the quiz questions for all 50 quizzes (plus full worked solutions), and personally developed the home-friendly lab series.”

teen girl with ponytail looking at her chemistry course on the computer screen about solubility — Miranda watching a lesson in Axiom Chemistry

Homeschool Co-op Use

Miranda attends a local homeschool co-op and they don't currently offer Chemistry, but I thought it would be nice to see how this would work in a Co-op. I reached out to the owner and she has already addressed this in an article on her website, in case you would like to read it.

Per Ms. Jeffery, “It is the exact same course — though of course group supervisors can use it how they think works best in their group. For example they could watch the videos and complete the labs together, but set quizzes for home study time. Each student would of course need to register for their own account so they can take the quizzes and keep a record of their own scores.”

Money Back Guarantee

A common question I get in emails from my readers is, “Is there a money back guarantee if I try this?” and I have already checked for you. Yes, you can try the full course risk-free with their 7-day money back guarantee.

student looking at computer monitor with saturated solutions and a beaker with liquid for her chemistry course — Miranda using the Axiom Chemistry course

Conclusion

We enjoy using the Axiom Chemistry course. Miranda prefers to watch videos rather that read a textbook or have me read it to her. She likes that the lessons are short and are easy to understand rather than long and complicated. I like that I can have her work independently nearby while I am working with her three younger siblings. I highly recommend that you check out Axiom Chemistry today.

See all that Axiom Science has to offer here.

Related

Subscribe so you never miss a post.

If you find my tips useful, feel free to buy me a coffee. Thank you in advance!

Want to remember this? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest Board!

Join the newsletter