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.

 

Did you find this review helpful?
204 Items found Print
Active Filters: 11th grade (Ages 16-17), Used Books & Materials
101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
123 Robotic Experiments for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
365 Starry Nights
by Chet Raymo
from Fireside Books
for 6th-Adult
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
51 High-Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Air Forces of the World
by Sue Butterworth, editor
from Chartwell Books
for 9th-Adult
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
All the Water Birds - Pacific Coast
by Jack Griggs
1st edition
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
American Eagle: A Photographic Portrait
by John Pezzenti
from Viking Studio Books
for 6th-12th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
American Ship Models and How to Build Them
by V. R. Grimwood, foreword by Howard I. Chapelle
from Bonanza Books
for 9th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Wild Life
1952nd edition from Wm. H. Wise & Co.
for 8th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific States
by Gayle Pickwell
from Stanford University Press
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Anatomy Coloring Book (old)
by Lawrence M. Elson, Wynn Kapit
2nd edition from HarperCollins
for 7th-12th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Katie Scott
UK Edition from Big Picture Press
for 4th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Apollo on the Moon
by Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
from Dial Press
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Arts of the Sailor
by Hervey Garrett Smith
Reprint from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Atlas of Natural Wonders
by Rupert O. Matthews
from Weekly Reader
for 9th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Backyard Astronomer's Guide
by Terence Dickinson & Alan Dyer
Revised from Firefly Books
for 9th-Adult
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle
from Chicago Review Press
for 7th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible
by Sally Roth
from Rodale Press
for 5th-Adult
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: The Periodic Table
by Adrian Dingle, Simon Basher
from Kingfisher
for 7th-12th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Biology 101
by Wes Olson
from 101 Series
for 9th-12th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$45.00 (1 in stock)
Biology Coloring Book
by Robert Griffin
from HarperCollins
for 10th-Adult
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$26.99 $14.00 (2 in stock)
Biology Coloring Workbook
by I. Edward Alcamo
from Princeton Review
for 10th-Adult
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of Oregon
by Roger Burrows & Jeff Gilligan
from Lone Pine Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of Prey
A Grosset All-Color Guide
by Glenys and Derek Lloyd, Illustrated by Ken Lilly
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 9th-Adult
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$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: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$29.99 $18.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of the Puget Sound Region
by Dennis Paulson
from R. W. Morse Company
for 3rd-Adult
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Blow Ye Winds Westerly
by Elizabeth Gemming
1st edition from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 9th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Book of the Earthworm
by Sally Coulthard
from Head of Zeus
for 8th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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)
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 for Accelerated Students
by John D. Mays
from Novare
for 10th-11th grade
in Novare Science & Math (Location: SCICUR-NOV)
$121.95 $75.00 (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: 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)
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 (1 in stock)
Compact Guide to Wildflowers of the Rockies
by C. Dana Bush
from Lone Pine Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
$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)
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)
Creation and Change
by Douglas Kelly
from Mentor Books
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Creation Astronomy
by Felice Gerwitz & Jill Whitlock
from Media Angels Science
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Stars & Constellations (Location: SCI-AST)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Darwin Strikes Back
by Thomas Woodward
from Baker Books
for 11th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Darwin's Black Box
by Michael J. Behe
from Free Press
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Discover Nature in Water & Wetlands
by Elizabeth P. Lawlor, illustrated by Pat Archer
from Stackpole Books
for 9th-Adult
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Discovery of Design
by Donald DeYoung
from Master Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Universe
by Martin Rees, general editor
from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$25.00 (1 in stock)
Drawing Cute Birds in Colored Pencil
by Ai Akikusa
from Quarry Books
for 6th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Drawing Trees
by Victor Perard
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Dust or Destiny DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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)
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)
Einstein's Theory of Relativity
by Max Born with the collaboration of Gunther Leibfried and Walter Biem
2022 Reprint from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Electronic Sensors for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Elements
by Theodore Gray
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$19.99 $14.00 (1 in stock)
Elements of Faith Volume 1: Hydrogen to Tin (old)
by Richard Duncan
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Animals
from Fog City Press
for 8th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Mammals
by Professor David Macdonald, editor
from Barnes & Noble
for 8th-Adult
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
by James Trefil
from Routledge
for 7th-Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of the Horse
by Elwyn Hartley Edwards, ed.
from Crescent Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
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)
Experience with an Eel DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation with Advanced Biology - Textbook
by Marilyn Shannon & Rachael Yunis
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 10th-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$45.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Chemistry - MP3 CD Audio Book
by Kristy Plourde & Rusty Hughes
3rd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 10th-11th grade
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$24.00 $16.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Chemistry - Textbook
by Kristy Plourde & Rusty Hughes
3rd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 10th-11th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$71.20 $45.00 (1 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)
$52.00 $42.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Physics - Textbook
by Jay Wile
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 11th-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$45.00 (3 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Physics - Textbook
by Jay Wile
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 11th-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$71.20 $45.00 (2 in stock)
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 (1 in stock)
Field Guide to Bacteria
by Betsey Dexter Dyer
from Cornell University Press
for 9th-Adult
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals
Peterson Field Guide Series
by Frederick H. Pough
3rd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 7th-12th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Focus on High School Chemistry - Laboratory Workbook
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for 9th-12th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (Location: SCICUR-RS4K)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Focus on High School Chemistry - Teacher's Manual
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for 9th-12th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (Location: SCICUR-RS4K)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
From Conception to Birth
by Alexander Tsiaras
1st edition from Doubleday & Company
in Pregnancy & Infant Care (Location: PRE-INF)
$10.80 (1 in stock)
Gems and Jewelry
The Odyssey Library
by Ned Seidler
from Odyssey Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
General Science 1 - Teacher Guide
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$17.50 (1 in stock)
Getting There
by Suzanne Hilton
from Westminster Press
for 5th-Adult
in Things That Go (Location: SCI-TTGO)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
God of Wonders DVD
by Jim Tetlow
from Eternal Productions
for 8th-Adult
in Creation Science videos (Location: SCI-DVD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved!
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
for 1st-Adult
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Gregor Mendel
by Simon Mawer
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for 11th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Hidden Treasures DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Horse Anatomy Coloring Book
from Anatomy Academy
for 6th-Adult
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
How Does it Work?
by Richard M. Koff
from Doubleday & Company
for 9th-12th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Hunters
by Dr. Philip Whitfield, illustrated by Richard Orr
from Simon and Schuster
for 8th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Icons of Evolution DVD
special_edition from ColdWater Media
for 9th-Adult
in Creation Science videos (Location: SCI-DVD)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Icons of Invention: American Patent Models
from Smithsonian Books
for 7th-Adult
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Illustrated History of Ships and Boats
by Lionel Casson
from Doubleday & Company
for 7th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
In a Sea of Dreams
by Christopher Newbert & Birgitte Wilms
from Fourth Day Press
for 6th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Jack Nastyface
by William Robinson
from US Naval Institute Press
for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Journey of Life DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Kingdoms of Life: Fungi
by Gina Hamilton
from Milliken Publishing
for 9th-12th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Lab Science: The How, Why, What, Who, 'n' Where Book
by Barb Edtl Shelton
from Homeschool Seminars and Publications
for 7th-12th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Life Nature Library: The Desert
by A. Starker Leopold
from Time Inc.
for 8th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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 Amphibians of the World
by Doris M. Cochran
from Doubleday & Company
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Living Fossils
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$23.99 $20.00 (1 in stock)
Living Fossils - Teacher's Manual
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$13.59 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Making of a Pilot
by Ed Richter
from Westminster Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
123