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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1001 Animals to Spot
by Ruth Brocklehurst
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
106 Days of Creation Studies
by Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
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3-D Engineering
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
7 Continents: Antarctica
by Jo Ellen Moore
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Across America on an Emigrant Train
by Jim Murphy
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1994 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
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$10.95
Adventures of Bob White
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #23
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
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$5.00
Adventures of Munford: Munford Meets Robert Fulton
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Adventures with a Microscope
by Richard Headstrom
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$12.95
Air is All Around You
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
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Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarod
by Robert J. Blake
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Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity
Solutions: Profiles in Science for Young People
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Alexander Graham Bell
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All the Water Birds - Pacific Coast
by Jack Griggs
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Almost Gone
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by Steve Jenkins
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America's Deserts
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Anatomy Coloring Book
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Anatomy Coloring Book
by Wynn Kapit
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Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
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Another Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom-Seen Birds of North America
by Ben, Cathryn, and John Sill
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Ant Cities
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Arthur Dorros
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Antarctic Antics
by Judy Sierra
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Arts of the Sailor
by Hervey Garrett Smith
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Astronomy
by Cheryl Evans, Stuart Atkinson
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Astronomy Out of This World!
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Atoms (Simply Science series)
by Melissa Stewart
1st edition from Compass Point Books
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Avenging the Owl
by Melissa Hart
from Sky Pony Press
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Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle
from Chicago Review Press
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Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle
Second Edition from Chicago Review Press
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$16.95
Balto and the Great Race
Totally True Adventures
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
1st Printing from Random House Books for Young Readers
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$5.99
Basher Science: Astronomy
Basher Science
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Basher Science: Biology: Life as We Know It!
Basher Science
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Basher Science: Extreme Physics
Basher Science
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8.4.2013 from Kingfisher
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$9.99
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Basher Science
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$8.99
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Basher Science
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$9.99
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Basher Science
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Basher Science: Physics: Why Matter Matters
Basher Science
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First Edition from Kingfisher
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Basher Science: Planet Earth: What Planet Are You On?
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Basher Science
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Basher Science: The Periodic Table
Basher Science
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$8.99
Bats
by Lily Wood
from Scholastic Inc.
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bear Cub
All Aboard Reading - Station Stop 2
by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, illustrated by Neecy Twinem
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Bed for the Winter
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
1st edition from DK Children
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$4.99
Beekeeping
Storey's Guides
by Richard E. Bonney
from Storey Publishing
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Bell and the Science of the Telephone
by Brian Williams
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
from Dover Publications
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$15.99
Big Book
by Kathleen Ruckman
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Big Dinosaur Sticker Book
by Paul Nicholls
from Usborne
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Big Frank's Fire Truck
by Leslie McGuire
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Biology
Cliffs Quick Review
by I. Edward Alcamo
2nd edition from Cliffs Notes
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$4.50 (2 in stock)
Biology Coloring Workbook
by I. Edward Alcamo
from Princeton Review
for 10th-Adult
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Biology Experiments for Children
by Ethel Hanauer
from Dover Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$5.95
Bird Watching Answer Book
by Laura Erickson, Illustrated by Pedro Fernandes
from Storey Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
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' Eggs
by Michael Walters
1st edition
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Birds, Nests and Eggs
Take-Along Guide
by Mel Boring
from Northword Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines
by Caroline Arnold
from Charlesbridge
for 3rd-6th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$7.95
Bite-Sized Science
by John H. Falk, Kristi S. Rosenberg
1st edition from Chicago Review Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Kitchen & Edible Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$12.00
Blood and Guts
Brown Paper School Books
by Linda Allison
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$4.00 (3 in stock)
Blood and Guts
by Linda Allison
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bluebirds and Their Neighbors
by Wayne Northey
from Pacific Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Body By Design
by Alan Gillen
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$13.59
Book of Astronomy - Student Guide
by Shawn Wheatley, Paul O'Brien, Brenda Janke
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$16.75
Book of Birds
by Sarah Jo Davis & Kalee Miller
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$20.50
Book of Insects - Student Text
by Arabella Buckley & Julia McNair Wright
from Memoria Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$17.35
Book of Insects - Student Text (old)
by Arabella Buckley & Julia McNair Wright
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$10.50 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Old Ships
by Henry B. Culver, illustrated by Gordon Grant
from Dover Publications
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Trees
by Sean Brooks
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$17.35
Botany Coloring Book
by Paul Young
1st edition from Harper Perennial
for 5th-9th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
Brendan Voyage
Modern Library Exploration
by Tim Severin
from Modern Library
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
Bubbles, Rainbows & Worms
by Sam Ed Brown
from Gryphon House
for Preschool
in Preschool Science (Location: PRE-SCI)
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 2
by Jennifer Dussling
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
Bugs, Beetles, and Butterflies
Puffin Science Easy-to-Read Level 1
by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Lisa Flather
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Building an Igloo
by Ulli Steltzer
from Square Fish Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
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)
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.99
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.95
Burgess Seashore Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.95
Burgess Seashore Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess, illustrated by W.H. Southwick and George Sutton
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
Buried Alive
by Jack Cuozzo
1st edition from Master Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Buzztail and Leaper
by Robert M. McClung
from Purple House Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.99
Caboose Who Got Loose
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Personification Stories for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Calcium (True Books: Elements)
by Antonia Cunningham
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Camera
Inventions That Shaped the World
by Trudi Strain Trueit
from Franklin Watts
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?
by Melvin and Gilda Berger
from Scholastic Reference
for 2nd-6th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Carbon (True Books: Elements)
by Salvatore Tocci
from DK Children
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Cartoon Guide to Physics
by Larry Gonick
Reprint
for 7th-12th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Champions of Invention
Champions of Discovery
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$4.79 $3.50 (3 in stock)
Chasing Space for Young Readers
by Leland Melvin
from Amistad Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$7.99
Chemistry
Cliffs Quick Review
by Harold D. Nathan
from Cliffs Notes
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$4.50 (3 in stock)
Chemistry for the Logic Stage - Teacher Guide
by Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for 5th-8th grade
in Elemental Science (Location: SCICUR-ELE)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
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 Pre-Level I - Teacher's Manual (old)
by Dr. Rebecca W. Keller
Tch from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (old editions) (Location: OSCI-RS4K)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Kids Explore Biology
by Stephanie L. Redmond
from Bright Ideas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Christian Kids Explore (Location: SCICUR-CKE)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1
by Florence Bass & Julie McNair Wright
3rd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$13.35
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 4
by Paul Lindstrom & Edward Shewan
3rd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 4th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$13.35
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5
by Wendy Kramer
4th edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$13.35
Clouds
by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by John Wallace
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Colly's Barn
by Michael Morpurgo
New Ed from Mammoth
for 3rd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
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