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?
95 Items found Print
Active Filters: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6), Hardcover, Used Books & Materials
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)
Astronauts on the Moon - Hallmark Pop-Up Book
by Al Muenchen and Stanley Hendricks
from Hallmark Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$12.80 (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 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)
Biography of a Rhino
by Alice L. Hopf; illustrated by Kiyo Komoda
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$44.00 (1 in stock)
Birds
by Jane Werner Watson, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin
from Merrigold Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.00 (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)
Bombus Finds a Friend
by Elsie Larson, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Bones
from Scholastic Reference
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Butterfly Is Patient
by Dianna Hutts Aston
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$16.99 $10.00 (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)
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)
Child's Book of Sea Shells
Maxton Books for Young People
by William M. Hutchinson
from Maxton Publishers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$10.00 (1 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)
Dedan Saves the Day
Take A Walk on the Wild Side
by Thea Feldman
from Meredith Corporation
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$3.00 (1 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)
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 Eyewonder: Sharks
DK Eyewonder
by Fleur Star
from DK Publishing
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Sharks & Fishes (Location: SCI-FISH)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Duck for President
by Doreen Cronin
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.20 (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)
Everyone Poops
by Taro Gomi
from Kane Miller
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Focus on Elementary Chemistry - Student Textbook
by Rebecca W. Keller
3rd edition from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (Location: SCICUR-RS4K)
$29.00 (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)
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)
Is a Camel a Mammal?
Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
by Tish Rabe
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Let's Get Turtles
by Millicent Selsam, illustrated by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.00 (1 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 Kids First Big Book of Why
by Amy Shields
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$7.00 (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)
Little Whale
by Ann McGovern, illustrated by John Hamberger
from Four Winds Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Whales & Dolphins (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$6.00 (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)
Look at Me!
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.00 (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)
Miles and Miles of Reptiles
by Tish Rabe
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Mists of Eden
by Erica Sherman
from Landmark Editions
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$6.00 (1 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)
My Brothers' Flying Machine
by Jane Yolen
from Little, Brown & Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oversized Biographies (Location: BIO-OVER)
$3.20 (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)
Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?
by Tish Rabe
from Random House
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$3.60 (3 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)
Out of Sight Till Tonight!
Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$3.60 (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)
Prairie Dog Town
Smithsonian Wild Heritage Collection
by Bettye Rogers, illustrated by Deborah Howland
from Trudy Corporation
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Rare Treasure
by Don Brown
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.80 (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)
Rosie Revere, Engineer
by Andrea Beaty
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Sailing the Unknown
by Michael Rosen, Illustrated by Maria Cristina Pritelli
from Creative Editions
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Seashore
by Sue Unstead
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Seashore & Tidepools (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Secrets of the Forest
by Alicia Klepeis, illustrated by Kristen Adam
from Neon Squid
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Human Body
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Rachael Saunders
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: On the Space Station
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Illustrated by Bee Johnson
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of Animal Camouflage
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Illustrated by Wesley Robins
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of Our Earth
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Illustrated by Wesley Robins
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of the Seashore
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown & Alyssa Nassner
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Seashore & Tidepools (Location: SCI-ECO)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
Swordfish Returns
Smithsonian Oceanic Collection
by Susan Korman, illustrated by Daniel J. Stegos
from Soundprints
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Things That Float and Things That Don't
from Holiday House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Thomas the Really Useful Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
by Rev. W. Awdry (original stories), illustrated by Tommy Stubbs
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Tiger Trail
by Kay Winters, illustrated by Laura Regan
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Turtles
by Bertie A. Stewart and Gordon E. Burks; illustrated by William Hutchinson
from Golden Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Big Book of Rockets and Spacecraft
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Book of Science Activities Volume 1
by H. Edom, K. Woodward
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Book of the Seasons
by Angela Wilkes
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Starting Point Science - Volume 1
by Susan Mayes
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Water
by Andrienne Soutter-Perrot, illustrated by Etienne Delessert
from Creative Education
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Water Cycle (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
We Are Branches
by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
We Dig Worms!
Toon Level 1: Giggle and Learn
by Kevin McCloskey
from Toon Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Weather
by David Lambert
from Franklin Watts
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Welcome to the River of Grass
by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Laura Regan
Stated First Impression from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Preschool-2nd grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Whales
by Jane Werner Watson, illustrated by Rod Ruth
from Golden Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?
by John Morris & Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
What's Inside? Boats
What's Inside?
from DK Publishing
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Why Do Birds Build Nests?
Miracle of Creation
by Susan Horner
from Moody Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Why Do Plants Grow?
Miracles of Creation
by Susan Horner, illustrated by Nancy Munger
from Moody Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Why Do Sunflowers Face the Sun?
by Terry Martin
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-1st grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry?
Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Wonder Book of Trees
by Cynthia Iliff Koehler, illustrated by Alvin Koehler
1974 printing from Wonder Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Would You Rather Be a Pollywog?
Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
by Bonnie Worth, illustrated by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$3.60 (1 in stock)