Science Resources

Sometimes the best way to teach a subject is to lay some ground rules and then let students actually "do" what they're studying. This is especially true of science, a study predicated on activity, experimentation and the observation of physical properties. It's also one of the best ways to get kids interested in science in the first place.

If he hadn't stood atop the Tower of Pisa dropping things off the edge, Galileo would never have made his observation that objects of any weight fall at the same rate in a vacuum. Archimedes had to get in the tub to discover that it is volume that displaces water. And the only way Newton could discover calculus was by scribbling numbers on pieces of paper.

Your kid probably isn't the next Einstein, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't learn as much about science as possible, or that he should do so with his hands tied behind his back. The problem with a lot of science textbooks is that they emphasize book knowledge without taking into account the hands-on nature of science and science learning. Observation is often touted as an essential part of the science process, but rarely is it enforced in the typical school curriculum.

Science resources can change all that. There are plenty of fact-based books (particularly those from Usborne) that pair facts with vivid illustrations, and those are fun for rainy days—kids are a lot better at acquiring and retaining raw information than we often give them credit for. But those are just a place to start; the options are limitless.

One of the best sorts of science resource are books filled with experiments. Whether it's Explorabook from Klutz Press which focuses on fun activities and includes everything you need to complete them, or Vicki Cobb's Bet You Can! experiments using household items, or the more advanced Science for Every Kid books by Janice VanCleave, you aren't likely to run out of options.

Astronomy is more observation-oriented, and we offer plenty of books on that topic, too. The Stars by H.A. Rey is a now-classic guide to the night sky for beginners, while Starry Messenger explains some of the basic tenets of modern astronomy through the (detailed and beautifully illustrated) life of Galileo Galilei. Isaac Asimov has written a number of books on space science, as has Seymour Simon.

Just letting your kids outside with notebooks and maybe a magnifying glass is as good as any book for helping them develop a love of nature and nature study, though manuals to help them identify plants, animals, rocks, etc. is a good idea. One of our favorite such books is the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

Keeping a well-stocked chemistry lab is a good idea for older students. Many experiments require chemicals, ingredients and equipment you aren't likely to just have lying around, so you'll need to be intentional about keeping a lot of those things stocked. Field trips are always a good idea as well, whether to a local laboratory, observatory, zoo, factory, or anywhere else that strikes your kids' fancy and has educational potential.

Whatever else you do, keep an open mind while guiding your kids' science education. The beauty of God's world and the excitement of learning about it should always be kept in view; whatever difficulty there is in physics, biology or chemistry should be met head on but not dwelt on or made cause for discouragement. Have fun, and don't restrict your science time to reading stuff—take time to actually do science, and you might find along with your children that it isn't such a bad thing to study after all.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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160 Items found Print
Active Filters: 9th grade (Ages 14-15), New Books & Materials
Accelerated Studies in Physics and Chemistry
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 9th-10th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$86.95
Accelerated Studies in Physics and Chemistry - Digital Resources
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 9th-10th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$57.95
Accelerated Studies in Physics and Chemistry - Solutions Manual
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 9th-10th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$17.95
Adventures with a Microscope
by Richard Headstrom
from Dover Publications
for 7th-10th grade
in Genetics & Microscopic Life (Location: SCI-GEN)
$12.95
Anatomy Coloring Book
by Wynn Kapit
4th edition from Pearson Education
for 9th-Adult
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$29.99
Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle
Second Edition from Chicago Review Press
for 7th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$16.95
Biology
by Joan Distasio
from Instructional Fair
for 6th-9th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$12.99 $8.50 (2 in stock)
Birds of the Pacific Northwest
by John Shewey & Tim Blount, edited by Hendrik Herlyn
from Timber Press, Inc.
for 5th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$27.95
Body By Design
by Alan Gillen
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$13.59
Building Blocks in Earth Science
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$12.79
Building Blocks in Life Science
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$12.79 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Cave Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by Emil Silvestru
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$15.19
Chemical History of a Candle
by Michael Faraday
from Living Book Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$8.99
Chemistry
by Carla Mooney
from Nomad Press
for 7th-9th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$17.95
Chemistry Experiments for High School at Home
by John D. Mays, Christina H. Swan
from Novare
for 9th-12th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$32.95
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Birds
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$16.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Earth and Sky
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$15.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$16.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Insects
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$18.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Introduction
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$11.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Mammals, Flowerless Plants
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$17.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Trees, Garden Flowers
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$17.99
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study – Wildflowers, Weeds, Crops
by Anna Botsford Comstock
from Living Book Press
for 6th-9th grade
$17.99
Countryside Rambles
by W.S. Furneaux
from Yesterday's Classics
for 7th-12th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$14.95
Creative Haven Beautiful Birds - Coloring Book
Creative Haven
by Dot Barlowe
First Edition, Fir from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$6.99
Discovering Design with Chemistry - Answer Key & Tests
from Berean Builders
for 9th-10th grade
in Berean Builders Science (Location: SCICUR-BER)
$10.00
Discovering Design with Chemistry - Audio Book
by Jay Wile
from Berean Builders
for 9th-10th grade
in Berean Builders Science (Location: SCICUR-BER)
$21.00
Discovering Design with Chemistry - Student Text
by Jay Wile
1st edition from Berean Builders
for 9th-10th grade
in Berean Builders Science (Location: SCICUR-BER)
$69.00
Discovering Design with Earth Science - Student Workbook
by Jay Wile
from Berean Builders
for 8th-9th grade
in Berean Builders Science (Location: SCICUR-BER)
$34.95
DIVE Integrated Chemistry & Physics
by David Shormann
from DIVE, LLC
for 9th-10th grade
in Saxon Tutorials (Location: MAT-SAX)
$20.00
DK Smithsonian Super Simple Biology
from DK Publishing
for 6th-10th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$21.99
Ecology Book
by Jean Lightner, Tom Hennigan
from Master Books
for 5th-10th grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$15.19
Ecology Book - Study Guide & Workbook
from New Leaf Press
for 5th-10th grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.99
Elements
by Theodore Gray
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$29.99
Elements
by Theodore Gray
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$19.99
Elements of Faith
by Richard Duncan
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$39.19
Engines
by Theodore Gray, photographs by Nick Mann
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 5th-12th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$32.00
Evolution Exposed
by Roger Patterson
from Answers in Genesis
for 9th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00
Evolution: The Grand Experiment
by Dr. Carl Werner
from New Leaf Press
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$34.99
Evolution: The Grand Experiment - DVD
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$15.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Evolution: The Grand Experiment - Presentation CD
by Dr. Carl Werner
from New Leaf Press
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$14.99
Evolution: The Grand Experiment - Teacher's Manual
by Dr. Carl Werner
from New Leaf Press
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$16.99 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Biology - Student Notebook
by Vicki Dincher
3rd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 9th-12th grade
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$37.60
Exploring Creation With Biology - Textbook
by Vicki Dincher
3rd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 9th-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$69.60 $45.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation with High School Astronomy
by Damian Ludwiczak
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 9th-12th grade
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$54.40
Exploring the World of Astronomy
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 5th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring the World of Astronomy - Supplemental Student Questions
by Cindy Davis
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$6.00 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Astronomy - Teacher Key & Tests
by Cindy Davis
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$8.95
Exploring the World of Biology
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Biology - Supplemental Student Questions
by Cooper Boldrick
3rd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$6.20
Exploring the World of Biology - Teacher Key and Tests
by Cooper Boldrick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$9.25
Exploring the World of Chemistry
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Chemistry - Supplemental Student Questions
by Cooper Boldrick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$6.00
Exploring the World of Chemistry - Teacher Key & Tests
by Cooper Boldrick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$8.95
Exploring the World of Physics
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
Non-fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Physics - Questions, Reviews, & Tests (old)
by Cooper Boldrick
from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$5.00 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Physics - Supplemental Student Questions
by Cooper Boldrick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$6.00
Exploring the World of Physics - Teacher Key & Tests
by Cooper Boldrick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$8.95
Field and Hedgerow
by Richard Jefferies
from Living Book Press
for 6th-Adult
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$11.99
First Studies of Plant Life
by George F. Atkinson
from Yesterday's Classics
for 6th-9th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$14.95
Flood by Design
by Michael Oard
from Master Books
for 8th-12th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$13.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Flood of Noah
by Bodie Hodge, Laura Welch
from Master Books
for 5th-10th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$15.99
For the Love of Physics
from Free Press
for 7th-Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$18.00
Forager's Harvest
by Samuel Thayer
from Forager's Harvest
for 9th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$27.95
Fossil Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by Gary & Mary Parker
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$15.19
From the Earth to the Moon
by Jules Verne, Translated by Louis Mercer & Eleanor King
Illustrated 1874 from SeaWolf Press
for 9th-Adult
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$11.95
General Science 1 - Teacher Guide
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$21.59 $17.50 (1 in stock)
General Science 2 - Teacher's Manual
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$19.99
Geology Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by John D. Morris
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$15.19
Geology By Design
by Carl R. Froede, Jr.
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$13.59
Grand Canyon
by Tom Vail
from Master Books
for 5th-Adult
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$13.59
Gray's Anatomy Coloring Book
by Freddy & Henry Gray
from Running Press
for 4th-10th grade
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$12.95
Great Physicists from Galileo to Einstein
by George Gamow
from Dover Publications
Biography for 9th-Adult
in History of Science & Mathematics (Location: SCI-HIS)
$16.95
History of US Book 10
History of US Book 10
by Joy Hakim
4th edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
in History of US (Location: HISA-HAKIM)
$15.95
Human Anatomy in Full Color
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 4th-12th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$9.95
Human Brain Coloring Book
by Lawrence M. Elson
from Harper Perennial
for 9th-Adult
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$22.00
Instincts by Design
by E. Howard Callahan
from Master Books
for 8th-Adult
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$19.99
It Couldn't Just Happen
by Lawrence O. Richards
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 9th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$16.99
Junk Drawer Ecology
by Bobby Mercer
from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-Adult
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$16.99
Kaplan Anatomy Coloring Book
by Eric Wise, Stephanie Mccann
7th edition from Kaplan
for 9th-Adult
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$24.99
Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
3rd edition from Kingfisher
for 4th-10th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$34.99
Lay of the Land
by Dallas Lore Sharp
from Living Book Press
for 6th-10th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$8.99
Life of Fred: Chemistry
by Stanley F. Schmidt
from Polka Dot Publishing
for 9th-12th grade
in Life of Fred Math (Location: MAT-FRED)
$39.00
Life of the Fields
by Richard Jefferies
from Living Book Press
for 6th-Adult
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$9.99
Lift Up Your Eyes On High
by James Nickel
from Christian Liberty Press
for 9th-12th grade
in CLP Science (Location: SCICUR-CLP)
$21.85 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Living Fossils
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$23.99
Living Fossils - DVD
by Dr. Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$15.99
Living Fossils - Presentation CD
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$11.99
Living Fossils - Teacher's Manual
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$13.59
Marine Biology Coloring Book
2nd edition from Collins
for 4th-9th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$24.99 $13.00 (1 in stock)
Master's Class High School Biology - Student Text
from Master Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$37.59 $30.00 (2 in stock)
Master's Class High School Biology - Teacher Guide
by Dr. Dennis Englin
from Master Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$28.79
Mineral Book
by David McQueen
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$15.19
Moby-Dick
Signet Classics
by Herman Melville
from Signet Classics
Realistic Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$5.95
Moby-Dick
Everyman's Library
by Herman Melville
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Realistic Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$35.00
Moby-Dick
by Herman Melville
from Penguin Putnam
Realistic Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$16.00
Molecules
by Theodore Gray
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$29.99
Molecules
by Theodore Gray
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$19.99
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest
by Joe Ammirati, Steve Trudell
1st edition from Timber Press, Inc.
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$29.99
Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd
Landmark #122
by A.B.C. Whipple
from Purple House Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Pirates (Location: HISV-PIRATE)
$14.99
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