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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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)
American Fishermen
by Albert Cook Church (photography), text by James B. Connolly
from Bonanza Books
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
American Sailing Coasters of the North Atlantic
by Paul C. Morris, foreword by Edouard Stackpole
1979 Reprint from Bonanza Books
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$8.00 (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)
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific States
by Gayle Pickwell
from Stanford University Press
for 10th-Adult
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, Illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
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$15.20 (1 in stock)
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Katie Scott
UK Edition from Big Picture Press
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$15.20 (1 in stock)
Apollo on the Moon
by Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
from Dial Press
for 6th-Adult
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$4.00 (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)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Backyard Birds
by Dr. Janann V. Jenner
from MetroBooks
for Adult
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Beechcraft: Pursuit of Perfection
by Edward H. Phillips
from Flying Books
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in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Bird Families of the World
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Adult
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Blow Ye Winds Westerly
by Elizabeth Gemming
1st edition from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
Boatbuilding
by Howard I. Chapelle
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for Adult
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$15.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Birds Volumes I & II
by Gilbert Grosvenor & Alexander Wetmore (editors), illustrated by Major Allan Brooks
from National Geographic
for Adult
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$14.40 (1 in stock)
Chapman Piloting
by Elbert S. Maloney
57th edition from Hearst Marine Books
for Adult
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Clipper Ships
by David R. MacGregor
from Argus Books
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Deep-Water Sail
by Harold A. Underhill
from Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd.
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in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Destroyers for Great Britain
by Arnold Hague
Revised & Expanded from US Naval Institute Press
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$7.20 (1 in stock)
Disasters at Sea
by Milton H. Watson, foreword by Frank O. Braynard
from Patrick Stephens
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
DK Chemistry Book
from DK Publishing
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$9.60 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Universe
by Martin Rees, general editor
from DK Publishing
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$20.00 (1 in stock)
Echoes of the Whistle
by Gerald Rushton, introduction by Leonard G. McCann
from Douglas & McIntyre, Limited
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Einstein's Universe
by Nigel Calder
from Viking Press
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Animals
from Fog City Press
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Mammals
by Professor David Macdonald, editor
from Barnes & Noble
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$9.60 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
by James Trefil
from Routledge
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in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Experts' Book of Boating
by Ruth Brindze (editor), illustrated by Fred Wellbrock
from Prentice Hall
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Flying Combat Aircraft of the USAAF-USAF
by Robin Higham and Abigail Siddall, editors
from Iowa State University Press
for Adult
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
From Conception to Birth
by Alexander Tsiaras
1st edition from Doubleday & Company
in Pregnancy & Infant Care (Location: PRE-INF)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
Genesis Record
by Henry Morris
from Baker Books
for Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Getting There
by Suzanne Hilton
from Westminster Press
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in Things That Go (Location: SCI-TTGO)
$6.80 (1 in stock)
Grand Canyon
by Tom Vail
from Master Books
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$14.44 $8.00 (1 in stock)
High Flew the Falcons
by Herbert Molloy Mason, Jr.
1st edition from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for Adult
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
History of Invention
by Egon Larsen
Revised from J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.
for Adult
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
History of the American Sailing Navy
by Howard I. Chapelle
from Bonanza Books
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Hostile Skies
by James J. Hudson
1st edition from Syracuse University Press
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
How We Got to Now
by Steven Johnson
from Riverhead Books
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$5.60 (1 in stock)
Hunters
by Dr. Philip Whitfield, illustrated by Richard Orr
from Simon and Schuster
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Illustrated History of Ships and Boats
by Lionel Casson
from Doubleday & Company
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Last Grain Race
by Eric Newby
1st Printing from Houghton Mifflin
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$32.00 (1 in stock)
Liberty Ships
by John Gorley Bunker
from US Naval Institute Press
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Life Nature Library: The Desert
by A. Starker Leopold
from Time Inc.
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$3.20 (1 in stock)
Living Amphibians of the World
by Doris M. Cochran
from Doubleday & Company
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Living Fossils
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
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$23.99 $20.00 (1 in stock)
Manual of Celestial Navigation
by Arthur A. Ageton
from D. Van Nostrand Co.
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$18.00 (1 in stock)
Map That Changed the World
by Simon Winchester
1st edition from HarperCollins
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$10.00 (2 in stock)
Medley of Mast and Sail 2
by Alex A. Hurst
from US Naval Institute Press
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
More Perfect Heaven
by Dava Sobel
from Walker and Company
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Naming of Flowers
by Anne Halpin, illustrated by Rob Proctor
from Harper & Row
for 6th-Adult
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Nature Company Guides: Rocks & Fossils
by Arthur B. Busbey III, Robert R. Coenraads, Paul Willis, David Roots
from Nature Company
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Nature of Natural History
by Marston Bates
from Charles Scribner's Sons
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Of Yachts and Men
by William Atkin, illustrations by Charles G. Davis, introduction by Charles F. Chapman
from Sheridan House
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$15.00 (1 in stock)
Our Historic Desert
by Diana Elaine Lindsay
First Edition from Copley Books
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Pacific Lumber Ships
by Gordon Newell and Joe Williamson
1st edition from Superior Publishing Company
for Adult
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
People, Places, Things, Ideas - 4 Volume Set
from Hawthorn Books, Inc.
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$25.60 (1 in stock)
Peterson Field Guides: Western Birds
by Noble Proctor, Roger Tory Peterson
2nd edition from Houghton Mifflin
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Pictorial History of Outboard Motors
by W.J. Webb with Robert W. Carrick
from Renaissance Editions
for Adult
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$48.00 (1 in stock)
Piloting, Seamanship, and Small Boat Handling
by Charles F. Chapman
from Motor Boating
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Pioneer Aircraft 1903-14
by Kenneth Munson, illustrated by John W. Wood
from Macmillan
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$9.60 (1 in stock)
Planets, The
by Dava Sobel
from Viking Press
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Posted Missing
by Alan Villiers
from Charles Scribner's Sons
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Rand McNally Atlas of the Oceans
from Rand McNally
for Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Relativity
by Albert Einstein, translated by Robert W. Lawson
from Crown Publishers
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast
by R.C. Anderson
from Marine Research Society
for Adult
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$20.00 (1 in stock)
Sailing-Ship
by Romola & R. C. Anderson
from Bonanza Books
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$5.50 (1 in stock)
Scientific Illustration
by Phyllis Wood
from Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
for Adult
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$7.20 (1 in stock)
Sea and River Pilots
by Nancy Martin
from Terence Dalton Limited
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Sea Trip in Clipper Ship Days
by Mary Matthews Bray
from Gorham Press
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Ships
by Tom McCluskie
from Chartwell Books
for 10th-Adult
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Ships
Man in Motion
by C. Hamilton Ellis
from Peebles Press International
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Ships and Cargoes
by Joseph Leeming
1st edition from Doubleday, Page & Company
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Ships Through the Ages
by Douglas Lobley
from Octopus Books Limited
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Small Things Considered
by Henry Petroski
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 10th-Adult
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Steam and Sail in Britain and North America
by Rear Admiral P.W. Brock and Basil Greenhill
1st edition from Pyne Press
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Stories Behind Everyday Things
from Reader's Digest
for Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Tall Ships
by Maldwin Drummond, illustrated by Mike Willoughby, Foreword by H.R.H the Duke of Edinburgh
First American Edition from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for 10th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
The Arctic
by Sven-Olof Lindblad with Elizabeth Warner
from Rizzoli New York
for Adult
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$9.60 (1 in stock)
Tides
by Jonathan White
from Trinity University Press
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in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Timechart History of Aviation
from Lowe & B. Hould Publishers
for 6th-Adult
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Universe in a Nutshell
by Stephen Hawking
from Bantam Books
for Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation
by Dennis Petersen
2nd edition from Bridge-Logos
for All ages
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Victorian & Edwardian Sailing Ships
by Basil Greenhill & Ann Giffard
1981 Reprint from US Naval Institute Press
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Visual Dictionary of Everyday Things
DK Visual Dictionaries
from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Visual Dictionary of Physics
DK Visual Dictionaries
by Jack Challoner
from DK Publishing
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in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Visual Dictionary of the Universe
DK Visual Dictionaries
by Paul Docherty, ed.
from DK Publishing
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Visual Timeline of Inventions
by Richard Platt
from DK Publishing
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$9.60 (1 in stock)
Volcanoes
by Phillippe Bourseiller
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for 4th-Adult
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
West Coast Windjammers in Story and Pictures
by Jim Gibbs
from Superior Publishing Company
for 8th-Adult
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
What Darwin Got Wrong
by Jerry Fodor & Massimo Piatelli-Palmarni
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 10th-Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Wild Flowers
by Matthias Hermann, translated by Grace Jackman, illustrated by Redoute, Besler and several sartists
from Galahad Books
for Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Wild Life the World Over
by Frank Shay, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson
1953rd edition from Wm. H. Wise & Co.
for 8th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Wildlife Portfolio of the Western National Parks
by Joseph S. Dixon
from United States Government Printing Office
for 3rd-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
Wolves: Life in the Pack
from Barnes & Noble
for 5th-Adult
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Wright Brothers
by David McCullough
First American Condition from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.00 (2 in stock)
Your Guide to Yellowstone (True North)
by Dennis Bokovoy, John Hergenrather, Mike Oard, Tom Vail
Spi from Master Books
for 8th-Adult
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$15.19 $10.00 (1 in stock)