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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978 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), In-Stock Books & Materials
$25,000 Flight
Stepping Stone: Totally True Adventures!
by Lori Haskins Houran
from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
100 Science Experiments
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Georgina Andrews & Kate Knighton
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (3 in stock)
100 Things You Should Know about Mammals
by Jinny Johnson
from Barnes & Noble
for 2nd-5th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
1000 Facts About Space
by Dean Regas
from National Geographic
for 2nd-6th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
101 Questions About Volcanoes
by John Calderazzo
from Western National Parks Assoc.
for 3rd-6th grade
$3.00 (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)
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
50 Science Things to Make & Do
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Usborne Science Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
A Closer Look at Plant Life
Closer Look books
by Bernard Stonehouse, illustrated by Richard Orr, Philip Weare, Gary Hincks
from Gloucester Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
About Paper
by Anabel Dean, illustrated by Bob O'Malley
from Melmont Publishers
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Adventures of Bob White
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #23
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.25
Adventures of Munford: Munford Meets Robert Fulton
by Jamie Aramini
Fir from Geography Matters
for 2nd-4th grade
in Geography Matters products (Location: GEO-GEOM)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Aerospace Engineering and the Principles of Flight
Engineering in Action
by Anne Rooney
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Flight & Aerodynamics (Location: SCI-PHYFA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Airplanes of the Second World War - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Carlo Demand
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$5.09
Airplanes of World War I - Coloring Book
by Carlo Demand
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
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$5.09
Alaskan Wildlife - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Jan Sovak
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Animal Habitat Coloring Books (Location: COL-HAB)
$3.39
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
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
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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
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
All About Light
by Melvin Berger, illustrated by Blanche Sims
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Light & Sound (Location: SCI-PHY)
$2.00 (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
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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)
All About the Weather - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Nature / Geography Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAT)
$4.24
All in a Drop
by Lori Alexander; illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger
from Clarion Books
for 2nd-7th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.19
All the Year Round
by Alice Gall, illustrated by Fleming Crew
Second Printing from Oxford University
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$25.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Amazing Impossible Erie Canal
by Cheryl Harness
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Historical Non-Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$7.99
Amazing Pop-Up Pull-Out Space Shuttle
by David Hawcock
from DK Publishing
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$15.00 (1 in stock)
Amazing Thing Called Memory
by Kelley Williams
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd-5th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Muscle Cars - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$5.09
American Prairie Chicken
by Mary Adrian, illustrated by Genevieve Vaughan-Jackson
from Hastings House
for 3rd-6th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
American Sailing Ships - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$5.09
American Wild Flowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Paul Kennedy
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.09
Anatomicum Activity Book
Welcome to the Museum
by Katy Wiedemann and Jennifer Z. Paxton
from Big Picture Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Architects
by W. Wright Robinson
from Blackbirch Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$4.00 (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)
$4.00 (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)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Lives - 8 Book Set
by Sally Morgan
from QEB Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Lives: Snakes
by Sally Morgan
from Teacher Created Resources
for 2nd-4th grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Travels
by Bertha Morris Parker, Thomas Park, illustrated by Olive Earle, cover by James Teason
1960 printing from Row, Peterson and Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$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)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Animals and Their Travels - Deluxe Edition
by Richard A. Martin, series editor Herbert S. Zim
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Animals Born Alive and Well
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$2.50 (2 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)
Animals on the Move
by Ann and Myron Sutton, illustrated by Paula Hutchison
1968 First Cadmus Edition from Hale-Cadmus
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Animals Up Close
by Igor Siwanowicz
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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 5
by Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$6.39
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
Antarctica
by Helen Cowcher
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Antique Airplanes - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$5.09
Antique Automobiles - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Clarence P. Hornung
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$5.09
Antique Locomotives - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Tre Tryckare Company
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$4.24
Apes and Monkeys
by Deborah Dennard, illustrated by John F. McGee
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Arctic and Antarctic Life - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ruth Soffer
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Animal Habitat Coloring Books (Location: COL-HAB)
$5.09
Armstrong
by Torben Kuhlmann, Translated by David Henry Wilson
from NorthSouth
for 2nd-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.66
Atlantic Fish - Coloring Book
Educational Read & Color Books
by Peter & Linda Spizzirri
from Spizzirri Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Water Life Coloring Books (Location: COL-WAT)
$3.36
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 (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)
Audubon's Birds of America - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Paul Kennedy
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Bird Coloring Books (Location: COL-BIRD)
$5.09
Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids
by Christina Herkert Schul
from Rockridge Press
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$6.00 (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)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Baby Animals
Extraordinary Animals
by Andrew Brown
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Backyard Nature - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Dot Barlowe
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Animal Habitat Coloring Books (Location: COL-HAB)
$5.09
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)
Barn Owls
by Wolfgang Epple, photographs by Manfred Rogl
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Astronomy
from Kingfisher
for 2nd-7th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$9.99 $5.00 (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: Chemistry
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Engineering
by Simon Basher, Tom Jackson
Reprint from Kingfisher
for 2nd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Extreme Physics
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
8.4.2013 from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$9.99
Basher Science: Human Body
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
Pap/Pstr from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$8.99
Basher Science: Microbiology
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
Pap/Pstr from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$9.99
Basher Science: Physics: Why Matter Matters
Basher Science
by Dan Green, Simon Basher
First Edition from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$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)
Basher Science: Technology
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
Pap/Pstr from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$8.99 $6.29 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: The Periodic Table
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Adrian Dingle
Pap/Pstr from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher: Algebra & Geometry
1st edition from Kingfisher
for 3rd-8th grade
in Math Reference & Teaching Aids (Location: MATR-TA)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Basics of Cell Life with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
Max Axiom, Super Scientist
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.00 (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)
Beacons of Light: Lighthouses
by Gail Gibbons
from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (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
Beetle Is Shy
by Dianna Hutts Aston
from Chronicle Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$16.99
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
Berries, Nuts and Seeds
Take-Along Guide
by Diane Burns
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Big and Small, Short and Tall
by Ron Roy, illustrated by Lynne Cherry
from Clarion Books
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Big Book
by Kathleen Ruckman
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Biology of Bananas
Curious World of Kitchen Science
by Katie Steckles
from Kane Miller
for 3rd-6th grade
in Kitchen & Edible Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Bird Watchers and Bird Feeders
by Glenn O. Blough, illustrated by Jeanne Bendick
2022nd edition from Purple House Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.99
Birdie's Lighthouse
by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Kimberly Root
2000 Paperback from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Birds and their Nests
by Olive L. Earle
from Purple House Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$9.99
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)
Birds In Your Backyard
by Barbara Herkert
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of Prey - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Bird Coloring Books (Location: COL-BIRD)
$5.09
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