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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316 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), Hardcover
1001 Bugs to Spot
by Emma Helbrough
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
1001 Things to Spot in the Sea
by Katie Daynes
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
1001 Things to Spot in the Sea
by Katie Daynes
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
3D Snapshots: Puppies (with 3D glasses)
from Fog City Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
44 Animals of the Bible
by Nancy Johnson
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$9.59
Adventure with Olivia Owl
from Silver Dolphin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Look and Find Books (Location: PIC-LOOK)
All Around You
by Jeanne Bendick, foreword by Glenn O. Blough
from Whittlesey House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
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 do the Strangest Things
by Leonora & Arthur Hornblow, illustrated by Michael K. Frith
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step Up Books (Location: VIN-STEP)
Animals of the Bible
by Isaac Asimov, illustrated by Howard Berelson
from Doubleday & Company
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Answers Book for Kids Volume 1
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Answers Book for Kids Volume 2
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Answers Book for Kids Volume 3
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Answers Book for Kids Volume 4
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Answers Book for Kids Volume 5
by Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
Ants
Usborne Beginners
by Lucy Bowman
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
Aquatic Insects and How They Live
by Robert M. McClung
from William Morrow & Company
for 1st-4th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
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)
Atoms
Golden Books of Knowledge
by Jerry Korn
from Golden Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
Audubon's Birds of America
by John James Audubon
from Macmillan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
Awesome Facts About Animals
by Leanne Sarkisian and Karina Altman
from Answers in Genesis
for 1st-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Bag in the Wind
by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Barry Root
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Bald Eagle
by Gordon Morrison
from Walter Lorraine Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
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)
Be Nice to Spiders
by Margaret Bloy Graham
from Harper & Row
for 1st-3rd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Beach Before Breakfast
by Maxine W. Kumin, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Beacons of Light: Lighthouses
by Gail Gibbons
from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Beak Book
by Robin Page
from Beach Lane Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$18.99
Bees and Wasps
Usborne Beginners
by James Maclaine
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
Beetle Book
by Steve Jenkins
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$16.99
Big Book of Big Animals
Usborne Big Books
by Hazel Maskell
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Big Book of Big Bugs
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
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)
Big Tree
by Mary Buff, Conrad Buff
1st Edition from Viking Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
1947 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
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)
Black Bear Cub
Smithsonian Wild Heritage
by Alan Lind
from Soundprints
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Body in Action
Golden Books of Knowledge
by Mitchell Wilson, adapted by Ann Reit
from Golden Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
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)
Boy Who Drew Birds
by Jacqueline Davies
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.29
Breaking Through the Clouds
by Sandra Nickel; illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.99
Bufo
by Robert M. McClung
from William Morrow & Company
for Preschool-1st grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
Bugs
Usborne Beginners
by Lucy Bowman
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
Bugs Big & Small God Made Them All
by William Zinke
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$13.59
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$28.99
Burgess Flower Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$28.99
Butterflies and Moths
Golden Library of Knowledge
by Richard A. Martin
from Golden Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
Butterflies Come
by Leo Politi
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
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 Is Patient
by Dianna Hutts Aston
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$8.99
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)
Charlie and Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure
Green Notebook Series
by Ken Ham, Karen Hansel
from Master Books
for 1st-4th grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$14.39 $9.00 (1 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)
Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
by Michael Driscoll, illustrated by Meredith Hamilton
Revised and Updated from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 1st-5th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$21.99
Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Victoria Sherrow, illustrated by Allen Davis
First Edition from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Coral Reef Hideaway
Smithsonian Oceanic Collection
by Doe Boyle
1st edition from Soundprints
for 1st-4th grade
in Sharks & Fishes (Location: SCI-FISH)
Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats
by Jim Arnosky
from Simon and Schuster
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Dangerous Animals
Usborne Beginners
by Rebecca Gilpin
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
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)
Danny and the Dinosaur Go To Camp
An I Can Read Book
by Syd Hoff
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Daylight Starlight Wildlife
by Wendell Minor
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Daytime Nighttime All Through the Year
by Diane Lang, illustrated by Andrea Gabriel
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
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)
Dinosaurs for Little Kids
by Ken Ham, Illustrated by Bill Looney
from Master Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$11.19
Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
by Barbara Kerley
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd Grade
2002 Caldecott Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.99
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)
DK Eyewonder: Stars and Planets
DK Eyewonder
from DK Publishing
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$16.99
DK Eyewonder: Weather
by Lorrie Mack
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$10.99 $7.00 (2 in stock)
DK First Animal Encyclopedia
Revised from DK Children
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$17.99
DK First Human Body Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
DK First Human Body Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
DK First Nature Encyclopedia
by Caroline Bingham & Ben Morgan
from DK Children
for 1st-6th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
DK First Space Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
DK Nature Encyclopedia
by Caroline Bingham & Ben Morgan
from DK Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
Duck for President
by Doreen Cronin
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Ducks Don't Get Wet
by Augusta Goldin, illustrated by Leonard Kessler
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Early Automobiles
Golden Library of Knowledge
by Eugene Rachlis, illustrated by Jack Coggins
from Golden Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
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)
Edgar, the Super Dolphin
by Nathaniel Benchley, illustrated by Mamoru Funai
from Harper & Row
for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
Egg Is Quiet
by Dianna Hutts Aston
Library Binding from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
Elephants
Usborne Beginners
by James MacLaine
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
Elephants of Africa
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Elf Owl
by Mary & Conrad Buff
3rd Printing from Viking Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Everyone Poops
by Taro Gomi
from Kane Miller
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation with Earth Science
by Rachael Yunis
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Apologia Young Explorer (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$41.60
Fall Walk
by Virginia Brimhall Snow
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
First Book of Automobiles
by Jeanne Bendick
from Franklin Watts
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
First Book of Caves
by Elizabeth Hamilton
from Franklin Watts
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
First Book of Color
by Herbert P. Paschel
from Franklin Watts
for 1st-4th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
First Book of Pioneers
by Walter Havighurst; illustrated by Harve Stein
from Franklin Watts
for 1st-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
First Book of Tales of Ancient Araby
First Books
by Charles Mozley
from Franklin Watts
for 1st-4th grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
First Book of the Antarctic
by J.B. Icenhower
from Franklin Watts
for 1st-4th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
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