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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155 Items found Print
Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
Accidents May Happen
by Charlotte Foltz Jones, illustrated by John O'Brien
from Delacorte Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself
by Maxine Anderson
from Nomad Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
America's Deserts
by Marianne D. Wallace
1st edition
for 4th-6th grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Avenging the Owl
by Melissa Hart
from Sky Pony Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Engineering
by Simon Basher, Tom Jackson
Reprint from Kingfisher
for 2nd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$8.49 $4.80 (1 in stock)
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)
$4.80 (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)
$4.80 (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)
$7.64 $5.03 (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)
$4.80 (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)
Bell and the Science of the Telephone
by Brian Williams
from Barron's
for 4th-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$2.80 (2 in stock)
Berries, Nuts and Seeds
Take-Along Guide
by Diane Burns
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$3.20 (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)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Birds, Nests and Eggs
Take-Along Guide
by Mel Boring
from Northword Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$6.76 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Blood and Guts
Brown Paper School Books
by Linda Allison
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Book of Insects - Student Text (old)
by Arabella Buckley & Julia McNair Wright
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$9.00 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Bugs
by Rosie Dickins
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Calcium (True Books: Elements)
by Antonia Cunningham
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?
by Melvin and Gilda Berger
from Scholastic Reference
for 2nd-6th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Carbon (True Books: Elements)
by Salvatore Tocci
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Champions of Invention
Champions of Discovery
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$5.09 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Chemistry for the Grammar Stage - Student Workbook (old)
by Paige Hudson
Updated Edition from Elemental Science
for 4th-6th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$14.00 (2 in stock)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 4 (old)
by Paul Lindstrom & Edward Shewan
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 4th grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Crime Busters
Dorling Kindersley Readers - Level 4 Proficient Readers
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Cut and Make Space Shuttles
by David Kawami
from Dover Publications
for 4th-9th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Human Body
DK Eyewitness Series
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Skeleton
DK Eyewitness Series
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Draw 50 Sharks, Whales, and Other Sea Creatures
by Lee Ames
from Broadway Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
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)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Dry Bones and Other Fossils
by Gary Parker
7th edition from Master Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Electricity and Magnetism
by Peter Adamczyk, Paul Francis law
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in Electricity & Magnetism (Location: SCI-PHY)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Nature
by DK Publishing
from DK Children
for 4th-7th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
Entertaining Science Experiments with Everyday Objects
by Martin Gardner
Dover ed from Dover Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework
by Anne Zeman & Kate Kelly
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$4.80 (2 in stock)
Eyes on Adventure: Exploring Natural Disasters
Eyes on Adventure
by Stella Sands
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
$1.60 (3 in stock)
Famous Ships
by Leon Baxter
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
First Book of Machines
by Walter Buehr
from Living Library Press
for 4th-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.50 (1 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 3rd-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$4.80 (2 in stock)
Fizz, Bubble & Flash!
by Anita Brandolini
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Forests
Our Planet
by David Lambert
from Troll Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Forests & Mountains (Location: SCI-FOREST)
$1.20 (1 in stock)
Genesis for Kids
by Doug Lambier & Robert Stevenson
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 3rd-8th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Geology Rocks!
by Cindy Blobaum
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 1st-7th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Girls Think of Everything
by Catherine Thimmesh
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-4th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Great Wheel
by Robert Lawson
from Walker and Company
Realistic fiction for 4th-8th grade
1958 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.49 $4.80 (2 in stock)
Help Your Kids with Computer Coding
from DK Publishing
for 4th-Adult
in Computer Literacy (Location: SCIREF-COMP)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
by Faith McNulty
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $3.60 (2 in stock)
How to Draw Horses
by Lucy Smith
from Usborne
for 4th-7th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
How? More Experiments for the Young Scientist
by Dave Prochnow
from McGraw-Hill
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Human Body
Usborne Young Scientist
by Susan Meredith, Ann Goldman, Tom Lissauer
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$1.20 (1 in stock)
Hydrogen and the Noble Gases (True Books: Elements)
by Marcia Williams
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
I Can Draw Cars & Trucks
I Can Draw
by Terry Longhurst
from Parragon Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Illustrated Dictionary of Science
Revised from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$19.20 (1 in stock)
Industrial Revolution
by Carla Mooney
from Nomad Press
for 2nd-8th grade
in Industrialization & Organized Labor (Location: HISA-19IND)
$13.56 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Insects
by Daniel J. Bickel
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Inventor's Times
by Dan Driscoll, James Zigarelli
from Tangerine Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Inventors
by Martin W. Sandler
from HarperCollins
for 4th-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Jack's Insects
by Edmund Selous
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 4th-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$8.80 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's 200 Gooey, Slippery, Slimy, Weird and Fun Experiments
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's 202 Oozing, Bubbling, Dripping & Bouncing
by Janice VanCleave
from Wiley-Interscience
for 4th-7th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Astronomy for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$17.00 $9.60 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Biology for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$12.71 $7.20 (4 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Chemistry for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$14.95 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Earth Science for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
1st edition from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Engineering for Every Kid
by Janice VanCleave
from Jossey-Bass
for 3rd-6th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Guide to More of the Best Science Fair Projects
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Human Body for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$14.45 $7.20 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Microscopes & Magnifying Lenses
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Oceans for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$13.60 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Physics for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Rocks and Minerals
by Janice VanCleave
1st edition from Wiley-Interscience
for 4th-6th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Science Around the World
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Science Around the Year
by Janice Pratt VanCleave
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Volcanoes
Janice VanCleave's Science
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
$5.20 (2 in stock)
Junk Drawer Ecology
by Bobby Mercer
from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-Adult
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$14.44 $6.80 (1 in stock)
Kids Book of Weather Forecasting
by Mark Breen & Kathleen Friestad
from Ideals Children's Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Oceans
by David Lambert
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Life Cycles of Butterflies
by Judy Burris, Wayne Richards
from Storey Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$14.41 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Life in the Deserts
by Lucy Baker
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$1.60 (2 in stock)
Life in the Polar Lands
by Monica Byles
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Make Your Own Space Station
by Claire Edwards
from Paragon Publishers
for 4th-8th grade
in Paper Cut-Out Models (Location: ELEART-ORI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mammals of Small Pond
Level 4
by Phoebe Erickson
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$3.40 (1 in stock)
Marine Biology Coloring Book
2nd edition from Collins
for 4th-9th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$21.24 $10.40 (1 in stock)
Minn of the Mississippi
by Holling Clancy Holling
Reprint from Trumpet Club
for 3rd-8th grade
in BFB Holling Geography (Location: HISCUR-BFG)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Mistakes That Worked
by Charlotte Foltz Jones
from Delacorte Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Mystery On Everest
by Audrey Salkeld
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Amphibians
by Brian Cassie
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Field Guides: Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: NAT-FG06)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Official Sassafras SciDat Logbook 2
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
2nd edition from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Official Sassafras SciDat Logbook 6
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Oxygen (True Books: Elements)
by Salvatore Tocci
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$5.91 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Periodic Table (True Books: Elements)
by Salvatore Tocci
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Peterson First Guide to Clouds and Weather
by Roger Tory Peterson, Vincent J. Schaefer
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-4th grade
in Field Guides: Weather & Astronomy (Location: NAT-FG10)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Peterson First Guide to Mammals of North America
by Peter Alden
3rd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Field Guides: Mammals (Location: NAT-FG05)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Physics Experiments for Children
by Muriel Mandell
from Dover Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.76 $3.20 (2 in stock)
Planets, Moons and Stars
Take-Along Guide
by Laura Evert, Illustrated by Linda Garrow
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Field Guides: Weather & Astronomy (Location: NAT-FG10)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Play and Find Out About the Human Body
by Janice Pratt VanCleave
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo
Scientists in the Field Series
by Sy Montgomery
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 4th-7th grade
2007 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, 2007 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$8.49 $4.80 (1 in stock)
Railroad
Inventions That Shaped the World
by John Matthews
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-9th grade
in History of Railroads (Location: HISA-19TRR)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Real Thief
by William Steig
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
12