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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146 Items found Print
Active Filters: Preschool (Ages 4-5), Used Books & Materials
95 Animals of the Bible
by Nancy P. Johnson
from Master Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
All About Time
Scholastic First Discovery Books
by Andre Verdet, Celine Bour-Chollet, Daniel Mognot
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic First Discovery Books (Location: SCIREF-1ST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Amazing Birds
by Dorling Kindersley Ltd
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Ancient Ones
by Barbara Bash
from Sierra Club Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Babies in Grasslands
from Kingfisher
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Animal-Go-Round
by Johnny Morris
from DK Publishing
for Nursery-1st grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Animals Born Alive and Well
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
Revised from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Antarctica
by Helen Cowcher
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Atlas of Countries
First Discovery Book
by Gallimard Jeunesse
from Scholastic Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Bambi's Forest
by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by David Pacheco and Jesse Clay
1st edition from Disney Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Forests & Mountains (Location: SCI-FOREST)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Beacons of Light: Lighthouses
by Gail Gibbons
from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Big Dipper
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
by Franklyn Mansfield Branley, illustrated by Molly Coxe
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Stars & Constellations (Location: SCI-AST)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Big Red Kangaroo
by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Birds
The Good and the Beautiful Board Books
by Maggie Taylor, illustrated by Robin Fight
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Birds Do the Strangest Things
by Leonora and Arthur Hornblow, illustrated by Michael K. Frith
from Random House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Step Up Books (Location: VIN-STEP)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Birds In Your Backyard
by Barbara Herkert
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bubbles Rainbows & Worms
by Sam Ed Brown
from Gryphon House
for Preschool
in Preschool Science (Location: PRE-SCI)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Bugs for Lunch
by Margery Facklam, illustrated by Sylvia Long
from Charlesbridge
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Bugs!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shira Evans
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
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)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle
Smithsonian's Backyard Collection
by Deborah Dennard, illustrated by Kristin Kest
from Soundprints
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Butterfly! A Story of Magic
Whitman Tell-A-Tale #2559
by Eileen Daly, illustrated by Florence Sarah Winship
from Western Publishing
for Preschool-1st grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Buzz, Bee!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Jennifer Szymanski
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Cactus Hotel
by Brenda Z. Guiberson
1st edition from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Caterpillars and Butterflies
Usborne Beginners
by Stephanie Turnbull
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Danny and the Dinosaur
An I Can Read Book Level 1
by Syd Hoff
from Sandy Creek
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Daylight Starlight Wildlife
by Wendell Minor
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Diary of a Wombat
by Jackie French
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Digging Up Dinosaurs
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Dinosaurs
by Jane Werner Watson
1975 Printing from Golden Press
for Nursery-1st grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Dirt Movers
by Bobbie Kalman and Petrina Gentile
from Crabtree Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Things That Go (Location: SCI-TTGO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eye Wonder: Rain Forest
by Helen Sharman
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Explorers: Insects
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
DK Mighty Machines: Tractor
by Claire Llewellyn
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Things That Go (Location: SCI-TTGO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
DK Readers: Diving Dolphin
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Dooryard Stories
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$8.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Earthworm
by Andrienne Soutter-Perrot, illustrated by Etienne Delessert
from Creative Education
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Elephants of Africa
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Everybody Has a Body
by Robert E. Rockwell, et al.
from Gryphon House
for Nursery-1st grade
in Preschool Science (Location: PRE-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Everyone Poops
by Taro Gomi
from Kane Miller
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Exploring the Heavens with Uncle Paul
Copper Lodge Library
by Jean Henri Fabre, edited by Stephanie B. Meter
from Classical Conversations
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$17.80 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Feathers: Not Just for Flying
by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
from Charlesbridge
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Finding Out About Things that Fly
Usborne Explainers
by A. Thomas, Karen A. Little
from Usborne
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Animals
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Paul Dowswell
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Flutter, Butterfly!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shelby Alinsky
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Forest
The Good and the Beautiful Board Books
by Maggie Taylor, illustrated by Robin Fight
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Frog Alphabet Book
by Jerry Pallotta
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Fungus is Among Us!
by Joy Keller, illustrated by Erica Salcedo
from The Innovation Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Giraffe: A Living Tower
by Christine and Michel Denis-Huot
from Reader's Digest Young Families
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Book of Space Exploration
by Dinah L. Moche
from Golden Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Gravity at Work and Play
by Sune Engelbrektson, illustrated by Eric Carle
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Hello, Penguin!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Kathryn Williams
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
How a Seed Grows
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
by Helene J. Jordan
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
How Flowers Grow
Usborne Beginners
by Emma Helbrough
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
I Wonder What a Rainforest Is
by Annabelle Donati, Sharron O'Neil
from Golden Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Icky Bug Shapes
by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Shennen Bersani
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Insects
The Good and the Beautiful Board Books
by Maggie Taylor, illustrated by Robin Fight
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Learning About the Way Things Move
by Heidi Gold-Dworkin & Robert K. Ullman
1st edition from McGraw-Hill
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Life Cycle of a Bird
by Bobbie Kalman and Kathryn Smithyman
from Crabtree Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Life in an Ocean
Living in a Biome
by Carol K. Lindeen
Revised from Capstone Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Little Cloud
by Eric Carle
from Philomel Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper, Cristina Ong (Illustrator)
1st edition from Philomel Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper, illustrated by Dan Santat
Imagination Library Edition from Platt and Munk Publishers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea
by Sheridan Cain, illustrated by Norma Burgin
from Crocodile Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Living Fossils
by Caroline Arnold, illustrated by Andrew Plant
from Charlesbridge
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Lizards for Lunch
by Conrad J. Storad
from Bobolink Media Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Look to the North
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Lucia Washburn
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Mammals
The Good and the Beautiful Board Books
by Maggie Taylor, illustrated by Robin Fight
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Mesmerized
by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mixed-Up Chameleon
by Eric Carle
from HarperTrophy
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
More Mudpies to Magnets
by Elizabeth Sherwood, Robert Williams & Robert Rockwell
from Gryphon House
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Preschool Science (Location: PRE-SCI)
$16.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Mousetronaut Goes to Mars
by Mark Kelly, illustrated by C. F. Payne
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Mr. Little's Noisy Car
by Richard Fowler
from EDC Publishing
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
Mudpies to Magnets
by Elizabeth Sherwood, Robert Williams & Robert Rockwell
Fir from Gryphon House
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Preschool Science (Location: PRE-SCI)
$16.95 $11.00 (1 in stock)
My Five Senses
by Aliki
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
My Five Senses
Level 1
by Aliki
from Harper
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World / I Saw the Sea Come In
by Becky Reyher, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett; Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1946 Caldecott Honor Book
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
My Very First Body Book
by Matthew Oldham and Tony Neal
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My Very First Seas and Oceans Book
by Matthew Oldham, illustrated by Jane Newland
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My, Oh My—a Butterfly!
by Tish Rabe
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Nest Full of Eggs
by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Noah's Ark, Noah's Flood
by John D. Morris
from Master Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Now and Ben
by Gene Barretta
from Square Fish Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Oil Spill!
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by written by Melvin Berger; illustrated by Paul Mirocha
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Environment & Conservation (Location: SCI-ENV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
On the Go
by Ann Morris, photos by Ken Heyman
from Mulberry Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
On the Moon
Usborne First Reading Level 1
by Anna Milbourne, illustrated by Benji Davies
from Usborne
for Preschool-1st grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Original Backyard Scientist
Backyard Scientist
by Jane Hoffman
from Backyard Scientist Publications
for Preschool-6th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Over and Under the Canyon
by Kate Messner
from Chronicle Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Over and Under the Rainforest
by Kate Messner
from Chronicle Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Patrick's Dinosaurs
by Carol Carrick, illustrated by Donald Carrick
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Plenty of Penguins
Hello Reader! Level 1
by Sonia Black
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Rare Treasure
by Don Brown
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.80 (1 in stock)
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
by Joy Cowley, Photographs by Nic Bishop
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Reptiles at Your Fingertips
by Judy Nayer, illustrated by Grace Goldberg
from McClanahan Book Company
for Preschool-1st grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
River Ran Wild
by Lynne Cherry
from Harcourt
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Sand to Stone and Back Again
by Nancy Bo Flood, photography by Tony Kuyper
from Fulcrum Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Skeleton Inside You
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Philip Balestrino
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Snakes
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
12