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: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), Trade Paperback
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)
Air is All Around You
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
from HarperTrophy
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarod
by Robert J. Blake
Reprint from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
All Aboard!
by Monica Kulling; illustrated by Bill Slavin
from Tundra Books (NY)
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$8.99
Alligator at Saw Grass Hill
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Lori Anzalone
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
Almost Gone
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Steve Jenkins
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
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)
Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
Revised from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Ant Cities
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Arthur Dorros
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$8.99
Antarctic Antics
by Judy Sierra
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
Ants
National Geographic Kids Level 1
by Melissa Stewart
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
Atoms (Simply Science series)
by Melissa Stewart
1st edition from Compass Point Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Balto and the Great Race
Totally True Adventures
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
1st Printing from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.94 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Biology: Life as We Know It!
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
Pap/Pstr from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Planet Earth: What Planet Are You On?
by Simon Basher, Dan Gilpin
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Bats
by Lily Wood
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bed for the Winter
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
1st edition from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.24
Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$15.99
Big Book
by Kathleen Ruckman
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Big Dinosaur Sticker Book
by Paul Nicholls
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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
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)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Building an Igloo
by Ulli Steltzer
from Square Fish Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
Bumblebee at Apple Tree Lane
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Laura Gates Galvin, illustrated by Kristin Kest
Paperback Book from Soundprints
for 1st-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
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)
$8.49
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)
Canada Goose at Cattail Lane
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Daniel Stegos
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
Caterpillar to Butterfly
National Geographic Kids Level 1: Starting to Read
by Laura Marsh
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
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 1 (old)
by Florence Bass
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Clouds
by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by John Wallace
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Creepy Beetles!
Scholastic Reader Level 2
by Fay Robinson, illustrated by Jean Cassels
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats
by Jim Arnosky
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
Deadly Animals
Usborne Discovery
by Henry Brook
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
Desert Is Theirs
by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
1976 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
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)
Dinosaur Activity Book
by Earl & Bonita Snellenberger
2015 Printing from Master Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$7.99
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 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)
Dolphins!
A Step into Reading Book Level 3
by Sharon Bokoske and Margaret Davidson
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.99
Drop Around the World
by Barbara Shaw McKinney, Illustrated by Michael S. Maydak
from Dawn Publications
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Elephants of Africa
by Gail Gibbons
Reprint from Holiday House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Emperor Penguins
by Roberta Edwards
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Eureka! It's an Airplane
by Jeanne Bendick
from Millbrook Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
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)
Firefly at Stonybrook Farm
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Wendy Pfeffer
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
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 Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$3.00 (1 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)
Forever Forest
by Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini, Rachel Crandell
from Dawn Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.60 (4 in stock)
From Caterpillar to Butterfly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science Stage 1
by Deborah Heiligman
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$6.99
Garden Friends
DK Readers Pre-Level 1
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-1st grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
Geology Rocks!
by Cindy Blobaum
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 1st-7th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Gizmos & Gadgets
by Jill Frankel Hauser
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 1st-8th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
Good and Beautiful Animal Guide: Ducks
Good and the Beautiful Library Level 2B
by Desiree Vorel & Jessica Parks, illustrated by Zoe Damoulakis
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Good and Beautiful Animal Guide: Hummingbirds
Good and the Beautiful Library Level 2B
by Brooke Hodson Davies, illustrated by Zoe Damoulakis
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Good and Beautiful Animal Guide: Rabbits
Good and the Beautiful Library Level 2B
by Brooke Hodson Davies, illustrated by Zoe Damoulakis
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Good and Beautiful Animal Guide: Turtles
Good and the Beautiful Library Level 2B
by Miranda Olexa & Jessica Parks, illustrated by Zoe Damoulakis
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Great Kapok Tree
by Lynne Cherry
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Greatest Gymnast of All
by Stuart J. Murphy
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Groundhog at Evergreen Road
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Susan Korman
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for 1st-6th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Grow: Secrets of Our DNA
by Nicola Davies; illustrated by Emily Sutton
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Genetics & Microscopic Life (Location: SCI-GEN)
$8.99
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 a Seed Grows
by Helene J. Jordan
Revised from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
How Do Bats See in the Dark?
by Melvin, Berger
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
How Do Birds Find Their Way?
by Roma Gans
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
How We Use Plastic (Using Materials)
by Chris Oxlade
from Heinemann Educational Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
I Love Guinea Pigs
by Dick King-Smith
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
If You're Not from the Prairie . . .
by David Bouchard
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Illustrated Elementary Science Dictionary
by Lisa Jane Gillespie, Sarah Khan
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
Insects
by Daniel J. Bickel
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Journey with Jonah
by Madeleine L'Engle
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 1st-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals
by Camilla Reid
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals
by Camilla Reid
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Ladybug at Orchard Avenue
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
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 and Times of the Ant
by Charles Micucci
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
Life and Times of the Honeybee
by Charles Micucci
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$8.99
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 Glass Lake: Turtles
Book 2, Level 2B
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-3rd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$5.00 (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 Inside Cross-Sections Bulldozers
by Moira Butterfield
from DK Publishing
for 1st-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Made By God: Forest Friends
I Can Read Level 2
by Mary Hassinger
from Zondervan
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
Made By God: Poisonous, Smelly, and Amazing Plants
I Can Read Level 2
from Zonderkidz
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Made By God: Sea Creatures
I Can Read Level 2
by Mary Hassinger
from Zonderkidz
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
Magic School Bus at the Waterworks
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$7.64 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$7.64
Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$7.64 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$7.64 $3.60 (2 in stock)
Magic School Bus Presents Planet Earth
Magic School Bus Presents
by Tom Jackson, Illustrated by Carolyn Bracken
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
Me and My Place in Space
by Joan Sweeney, Illustrated by Annette Cable
from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Mixed-Up Chameleon
by Eric Carle
from HarperTrophy
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Mixed-Up Chameleon
by Eric Carle
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Monarch Butterfly
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
123