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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Active Filters: 11th grade (Ages 16-17)
101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
106 Days of Creation Studies
by Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 3rd-Adult
in Simply Charlotte Mason (Location: CUR-SCM)
123 Robotic Experiments for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
365 Starry Nights
by Chet Raymo
from Fireside Books
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51 High-Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
ACE Biology Labs - DVDs
from Accelerated Christian Education
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
Air Forces of the World
by Sue Butterworth, editor
from Chartwell Books
for 9th-Adult
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
All the Water Birds - Pacific Coast
by Jack Griggs
1st edition
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in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
American Ship Models and How to Build Them
by V. R. Grimwood, foreword by Howard I. Chapelle
from Bonanza Books
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in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Wild Life
1952nd edition from Wm. H. Wise & Co.
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific States
by Gayle Pickwell
from Stanford University Press
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Anatomy Coloring Book
by Lawrence M. Elson, Wynn Kapit
2nd edition
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Anatomy Coloring Book
by Wynn Kapit
4th edition from Pearson Education
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$29.99
Anatomy Flashcards
from QuickStudy
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$24.95
Ancient Astronomy
Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Apollo on the Moon
by Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
from Dial Press
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Apologia Chemistry Lab Supplies Kit
from Home Science Tools
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Apologia Marine Biology - SuperSet
by Sherri Seligson
from Apologia Educational Ministries
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Apologia Marine Biology Slide Kit
1st edition from Nature's Workshop Plus
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$35.00 (1 in stock)
Arts of the Sailor
by Hervey Garrett Smith
Reprint from Dover Publications
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in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Asteroids
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
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Astronomy
by Cheryl Evans, Stuart Atkinson
from Usborne
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$1.80 (1 in stock)
Astronomy Today
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
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Atlas of Natural Wonders
by Rupert O. Matthews
from Weekly Reader
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Audubon Society Field Guide to the Bald Eagle
by David G. Gordon
from Sasquatch Books
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Backyard Astronomer's Guide
by Terence Dickinson & Alan Dyer
Revised from Firefly Books
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in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle
from Chicago Review Press
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in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle
Second Edition from Chicago Review Press
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$16.95
Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible
by Sally Roth
from Rodale Press
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Barron's Anatomy Flashcards
from Barron's
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in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Beastly Behaviors
by Janine M. Benyus, illustrated by Juan Carlos Barberis
from Addison Wesley
for 9th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Biology
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 10th-12th grade
in CLP Science (Location: SCICUR-CLP)
$48.10
Biology - Kit
from Christian Liberty Press
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in CLP Science (Location: SCICUR-CLP)
$82.54
Biology 101
by Wes Olson
from 101 Series
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Biology Coloring Book
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Biology Coloring Workbook
by I. Edward Alcamo
from Princeton Review
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Biology Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
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Birds of America
by T. Gilbert Pearson (editor), illustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
from Doubleday & Company
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of Prey
A Grosset All-Color Guide
by Glenys and Derek Lloyd, Illustrated by Ken Lilly
from Grosset & Dunlap
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$7.00 (1 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
Birds of the Puget Sound Region
by Dennis Paulson
from R. W. Morse Company
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of the Willamette Valley Region
by Hall Opperman, Harry Nehls & Tom Aversa
1st edition
for 9th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
Birds of the World
by Alan Greensmith
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Birds' Eggs
by Michael Walters
1st edition
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Blow Ye Winds Westerly
by Elizabeth Gemming
1st edition from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
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in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Body By Design
by Alan Gillen
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$13.59
Body of Evidence DVD Set
from Answers in Genesis
for 9th grade-Adult
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Brendan Voyage
Modern Library Exploration
by Tim Severin
from Modern Library
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Building Blocks in Earth Science
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
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$12.79
Building Blocks in Life Science
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
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Buried Alive
by Jack Cuozzo
1st edition from Master Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Cartoon Guide to Physics
by Larry Gonick
Reprint
for 7th-12th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Chemical History of a Candle
by Michael Faraday
from Living Book Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$8.99
Chemistry - BJU Subject Kit
5th edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 11th grade
in BJU Subject Kits (Location: WH-BJUK)
$215.85
Chemistry - BJU Subject Kit (old)
4th edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 11th grade
in BJU Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OBJU-SCI)
$79.00 (1 in stock)
Chemistry 101
by Wes Olson
from 101 Series
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
Chemistry Demystified
by Linda Williams
1st edition from McGraw-Hill
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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
Chemistry Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
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Chemistry for Accelerated Students
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 10th-11th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$121.95
Chemistry for Accelerated Students - Digital Resources
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 10th-11th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$57.95
Chemistry for Accelerated Students - Solutions Manual
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 10th-11th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$32.95
Chemistry Made Simple
by Fred C. Hess
from Doubleday & Company
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Chemistry: Precision and Design - Student Text
3rd edition from A Beka Books
for 11th grade
in A Beka Science (Location: SCICUR-ABK)
$48.00 (1 in stock)
City of the Bees DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
Colonizing the Planets and Stars
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
Color Yourself Smart: Human Anatomy
by Wendy L. Leonard, illustrations by Philip Ferguson Jones
from Thunder Bay Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Comets and Meteors
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Compact Guide to Wildflowers of the Rockies
by C. Dana Bush
from Lone Pine Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Guide to North American Trees
by Carlton C. Curtis and S.C. Bausor
1971 printing from Collier Books
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Idiot's Guide to Physics
by Johnnie T. Dennis and Gary Moring
for 9th-Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
Concerning the Nature of Things
by Sir William Bragg
from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Coronavirus Education Kit
from Home Science Tools
for 7th-Adult
in Science Manipulatives & Lab Supplies (Location: SCIREF-LAB)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
by Edith Holden
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 5th-Adult
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
Countryside Rambles
by W.S. Furneaux
from Yesterday's Classics
for 7th-12th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$14.95
Creation and Change
by Douglas Kelly
from Mentor Books
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$17.99
Creation Astronomy
by Felice Gerwitz & Jill Whitlock
from Media Angels Science
for Kindergarten-12th grade
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$9.00 (2 in stock)
Creation: Facts of Life
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$8.00
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
Darwin Strikes Back
by Thomas Woodward
from Baker Books
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Darwin's Black Box
by Michael J. Behe
10th edition from Free Press
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$18.99
Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds
by Phillip E. Johnson
from InterVarsity Press
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$18.00
Design Line: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
by Chris Oxlade, Edited by Jenny Broom, Illustrated by Mike Lemanski
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Did Comets Kill the Dinosaurs?
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Different Shade of Green
by Gordon Wilson
from Canon Press
for 11th-Adult
in Environment & Conservation (Location: SCI-ENV)
$15.95
Discover Nature in Water & Wetlands
by Elizabeth P. Lawlor, illustrated by Pat Archer
from Stackpole Books
for 9th-Adult
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Discovering Design with Chemistry - Student Workbook
from Berean Builders
for 10th-11th grade
in Berean Builders Science (Location: SCICUR-BER)
$34.95
Discovery of Design
by Donald DeYoung
from Master Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
DK Handbooks: Insects, Spiders and Other Terrestrial Arthropods
by Randall Jarrell
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-Adult
1966 Newbery Honor Book
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Dragonfly Beetle Butterfly Bee
by Maryjo Koch
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-Adult
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
Dust or Destiny DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
E=mc2 Picture Book of Relativity
by Gerald Kahan, illustrated by Charles Prodey
from Tab Books
for 9th-Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Early Oregon Days
by Edwin D. Culp
1St Edition from Caxton Press
for 6th-Adult
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
Earth for Sam
by W. Maxwell Reed, revised by Paul F. Brandwein
Revised edition from Harcourt, Brace & Company
for 6th-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Earth's Moon
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Earth: Our Home Base
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Electronic Sensors for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Elemensus (game)
from Impossible Things Ltd.
for 6th-Adult
in Games & Toys (Location: FUN-GAME)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
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)
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