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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190 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Hardcover, Used Books & Materials
100 Things You Should Know about Mammals
by Jinny Johnson
from Barnes & Noble
for 2nd-5th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
1000 Facts About Space
by Dean Regas
from National Geographic
for 2nd-6th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials
by E. Richard Churchill, et al.
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 2nd-8th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About Bible Animals
by Simona Piscioneri
from Good Book Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
All About Dinosaurs
All About Books #1
by Roy Chapman Andrews
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About Engines and Power
All About Books #45
by Sam & Beryl Epstein
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
All About Famous Inventors and Their Inventions
All About Books #18
by Fletcher Pratt
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About Prehistoric Cave Men
All About Books #30
by Sam & Beryl Epstein
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About Radio and Television
All About Books #2
by Jack Gould
2nd edition from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About Rockets and Space Flight
All About Books #50
by Harold Goodwin
from Random House
for 3rd-8th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
All About Strange Beasts of the Past
All About Books #17
by Robert S. Lemmon
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About the Universe
All About Books #55
by David Dietz, illustrated by John Polgreen
from Random House
for 3rd-8th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Behavior
Life Nature Library
by Niko Tinbergen
from Time-Life Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Animal Behavior
Life Nature Library
by Niko Tinbergen
1970 printing from Time-Life Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, Illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$15.20 (1 in stock)
Apes and Monkeys
by Deborah Dennard, illustrated by John F. McGee
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$6.40 (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)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Awesome Facts About Animals
by Leanne Sarkisian and Karina Altman
from Answers in Genesis
for 1st-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Bacteria Book
by Steve Mould
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Genetics & Microscopic Life (Location: SCI-GEN)
$6.00 (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)
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)
Bones
from Scholastic Reference
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Book of Small Mammals
by Ted S. Pettit, illustrated by G. Don Ray
from Garden City Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
Bringing Back the Wolves
by Jude Isabella; illustrated by Kim Smith
from Kids Can Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Bug Dictionary
from Tangerine Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Butterfly Is Patient
by Dianna Hutts Aston
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$14.44 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Caterpillars and Butterflies
Usborne Beginners
by Stephanie Turnbull
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.40 (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)
Complex Circulatory System
God's Wondrous Machine
by Lainna Callentine, M.Ed., M.D.
from Master Books
for 3rd-7th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$12.79 $11.00 (2 in stock)
Dirt Track Danger
by Robert Bowen, illustrated by William Blair
from Doubleday & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Discovering Science on Your Own
by Illa Podendorf, illustrated by Robert Borja
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Disguises and Surprises
Supersmarts
by Claire Llewellyn
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
DK Encyclopedia of the Human Body
1st edition from DK Children
for 2nd-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
DK Eye Wonder: Plant
by Fleur Star
from DK Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$4.80 (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 Eyewitness: Cat
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Cat Books (Location: SCI-MAMCAT)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Rocks & Minerals w/clip art CD
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$7.00 (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: Weather
by Lorrie Mack
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$9.34 $5.60 (2 in stock)
DK First Human Body Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
DK First Human Body Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$15.29 $7.20 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Human Body!
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Ocean
by John Woodward
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Rock & Gem Book
Our World in Pictures
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
DK Smithsonian Trees, Leaves, Flowers & Seeds
by Dr. Sarah Jose, consultant Dr. Chris Clennett
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
DK Super Cool Tech
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Dorling Kindersley Picturepedia: Birds
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$4.80 (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)
Electrifying Nervous System
God's Wondrous Machine
by Lainna Callentine
from Master Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Our Earth
from Shooting Star Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Everyday Mysteries
by Jerome Wexler
from Dutton Children's Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Astronomy
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright
2nd ed. from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Young Explorer (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$41.60 $32.00 (6 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Astronomy (old)
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Botany
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Young Explorer (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$44.00 $28.00 (4 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Botany (old)
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$9.00 (3 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Zoology 1 (old)
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$18.00 $12.00 (4 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Zoology 3
by Jeannie Fulbright
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$36.40 $28.00 (1 in stock)
Eyewitness: Arctic & Antarctic
by Barbara Taylor
for 3rd-6th grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Fact and Fancy in American Wildlife
by Manuel Milan and William Keane, illustrated by Manuel Milan
First Printing from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Fantastic Flying Journey
by Gerald Durrell, illustrated by Graham Percy
from Simon and Schuster
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
First Book of Swimming
by Don Schiffer, illustrated by Julio Granda
from Franklin Watts
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Usborne
for 2nd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$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)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Galileo
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Macmillan
for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Glow in the Dark Constellations
by C.E. Thompson
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$2.00 (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)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Golden Picture Book of Knowledge
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$12.80 (1 in stock)
Great Animal Search
by Caroline Young
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Have You Ever Heard of a Kangaroo Bird?
by Barbara Brenner, illustrated by Irene Brady
from Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
How and Why Wonder Book of Rocks and Minerals
by Nelson W. Hyler
1973 Printing from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
How and Why Wonder Book of Rocks and Minerals
by Nelson W. Hyler
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
How Flowers Grow
Usborne Beginners
by Emma Helbrough
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$4.24 $2.40 (1 in stock)
How Hot is Lava? And Other Questions About Volcanoes
Good Question!
by Kelly Smith
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 2nd-5th grade
$5.20 (1 in stock)
If I Were an Atom
by Noel Wilson, illustrated by Raymond Smith
from Hutchinson of Australia
for 1st-3rd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
In the Days of Noah
by Gloria Clanin
from Master Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Into the Forest
by Christiane Dorion, illustrated by Jane McGuinness
from Bloomsbury Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$11.20 (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)
It's Raining Cats and Dogs
by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by True Kelley
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Joey
from Tambourine Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Journey to the Stars
by Stuart Clark
from Barnes & Noble
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Flight
by Ian Graham
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Space
by Martin Redfern
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-8th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Kitchen Science
by Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Kitchen & Edible Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Kiya the Gull
by Fen H. Lasell
from Addison Wesley
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Kolea: The Story of the Pacific Golden Plover
by Marion Coste, illustrated by Fred E. Salmon, Jr.
from University of Hawaii Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Learn to Draw: Insects
by Diana Fisher
from Walter Foster
for 1st-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Light and Radiation
Random House Science Library
by Ira M Freeman
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$24.00 (1 in stock)
Linda Carlton's Island Adventure
Linda Carlton #3 of 5
by Edith Lavell
from Saalfield Publishing Co.
Female Airplane Pilot Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Series (Location: VIN-SER)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Lion Family Book
by Angelika Hofer, Gunter Ziesler, Translated by Patricia Crampton
from Picture Book Studio
for 2nd-4th grade
in Cat Books (Location: SCI-MAMCAT)
$4.00 (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)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Lone Muskrat
by Glen Rounds
from Holiday House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Magic and Mystery of Trees
by Jen Green, illustrated by Claire McElfatrick
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$6.80 (1 in stock)
Magnetism
Golden Library of Knowledge
by Raymond Holden, illustrated by Weimer Pursell
from Golden Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
Make it Work! Weather
by Andrew Haslam & Barbara Taylor
from World Book
for 3rd-6th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Marvels of the Earth
Golden Library of Knowledge
by Jerome Wyckoff, illustrated by William Sayles and Harry McNaught
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Meadows in the Sea
by Alida Sims Malkus, illustrated by Margaret Cosgrove
from World Publishing Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Mists of Eden
by Erica Sherman
from Landmark Editions
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Mushroom Fan Club
by Elise Gravel
from Drawn & Quarterly
for 2nd-4th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$5.60 (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)
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