How to Teach Science Without a Curriculum
It’s every new teacher’s nightmare—you’re given a science class and… that’s it. No curriculum. No pacing guide. No materials. Just an empty classroom and a roster of students expecting magic. Don’t panic. Here’s how to start teaching without a science curriculum and still crush your year.
Even if your school hasn’t adopted NGSS, it’s your best blueprint. These performance expectations will give you structure without being overwhelming. Start by identifying a few core standards by grade level—then build from there.
📌 Pro Tip: Use a free NGSS planning guide to map out the year (especially useful for grades 5–8!).
You don’t need a yearlong plan on Day 1. Pick one high-interest unit (like weather, human body systems, or ecosystems) and focus there. Look for units that allow for hands-on exploration and crosscutting concepts. Plan to spend about a week or two here. Teaching without a science curriculum doesn’t have to be hard when you think of teaching one unit at a time. For the unit, think about the:
- vocabulary terms
- why is it important
- how does it work
- how can you make it hands on
🔎 Search Pinterest, TpT, and trusted teacher blogs (like this one) to find NGSS-aligned lessons to match that unit.
Step 3 – Go Hands-On Whenever Possible
Textbooks might not be an option when you’re trying to teach without a science curriculum, but engagement can be. Use simple
- science labs,
- task cards,
- simulations,
- interactive notebooks.
Start with labs that use common household supplies—you’d be surprised what vinegar and baking soda can teach.
Bonus: Hands-on = built-in differentiation.
If you don’t have leveled texts, make the ones you have work by pairing them with visuals, sentence frames, vocabulary cards, and CER scaffolds. This makes science accessible to your readers, strugglers, and ELLs.
Try free science reading comprehension passages written a grade or two below what you’re teaching. This can help students focus on the concept and not so much on understanding a reading passage. Of course, you need to ensure that even though the passage is written below grade level, it covers the standards you need to teach. Be sure to check out the free lessons in my store to find passages that will work in your classroom!
Step 5 – Use What’s Free and Ready-to-Go
You don’t have time to reinvent the wheel when you’re teaching without a science curriculum. Look for:
These types of resources are especially helpful because they give you structure and flexibility. A unit planner helps you map out your goals, while bell ringers and warmups get your students thinking like scientists the moment they enter the room. Anchor charts and visual aids are lifesavers when building background knowledge or reinforcing tricky concepts. And print-and-go activities mean you can stay afloat without spending every night reinventing lessons from scratch.
The best part? These materials are designed with differentiation in mind—so you can meet your learners where they are, even if they’re all over the map in terms of readiness.
CLICK THE LINKS ABOVE TO GRAB THOSE FREEBIES!
✅ Also, don’t miss my free science back to school starter pack!!
Teaching without a science curriculum doesn’t have to mean chaos. With a little strategy and a few ready-to-use resources, you’ll be just fine—and your students will still get quality science instruction.
👉 Download the Free NGSS Science Planning Guides and start building your own custom science curriculum today!
