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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162 Items found Print
Active Filters: 6th grade (Ages 11-12), Hardcover, Used Books & Materials
Africa's Vanishing Wildlife
by Chris & Tilde Stuart
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for 5th-10th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Amateur Naturalist
by Gerald Durrell
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$8.00 (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)
Animals Without Backbones: Invertebrates
Come Learn with Me
by Bridget Anderson
from Charlesbridge
for 4th-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.00 (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)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Apollo on the Moon
by Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
from Dial Press
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of America
by T. Gilbert Pearson (editor), illustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
from Doubleday & Company
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Bluebirds Seven
by R. Bruce Horsfall
1st edition
for 3rd-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Eagles
by Helen Roney Sattler, illustrated by Jean Day Zallinger
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$5.00 (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)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Breathtaking Respiratory System
God's Wondrous Machine
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Master Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$12.79 $11.00 (3 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)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Bug Dictionary
from Tangerine Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Careless Animal
by Ada & Frank Graham Jr.
from Doubleday & Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Chemistry Level I - Student Text (old)
Real Science-4-Kids
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (old editions) (Location: OSCI-RS4K)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Child's Introduction to Natural History
by Heather Alexander, illustrated by Meredith Hamilton
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Chipmunk Terrace
by John Oldrin, illustrated by Kurt Wiese
from Viking Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Colonization of the Moon
by D. S. Halacy, Jr.
from Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Color in Your Life
by Irving Adler, illustrated by Ruth Adler
from The John Day Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$7.00 (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 (1 in stock)
Dinotopia
by James Gurney
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Dinotopia: The World Beneath
by James Gurney
2012nd edition from Calla Editions
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.00 (1 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)
$12.00 (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)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Astronomy
by Kristen Lippincott
from DK Children
for 3rd-8th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Chemistry
DK Eyewitness Series
by Ann Newmark
from DK Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Earth
DK Eyewitness Series
by Susanna Van Rose
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Electricity
DK Eyewitness Series
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Electricity & Magnetism (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Energy
by Jack Challoner
from DK Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Energy, Forces & Motion (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Film
DK Eyewitness Series
by Richard Platt
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Horse
by Julie Clutton-Brock
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Horse
DK Eyewitness Series
by Juliet Clutton-Brock
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Life
DK Eyewitness Series
by David Burnie
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Science Reference for 4th-6th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Light
DK Eyewitness Series
by David Burnie
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Light & Sound (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Mammal
DK Eyewitness Series
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Pond & River
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Predator
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Seashore
DK Eyewitness Books
by Steve Parker
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Sience Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Seashore & Tidepools (Location: SCI-ECO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Train w/clip-art CD
by John Coiley
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Trains & Railroads (Location: TTG-TRAIN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewonder: Space
by Carole Stott
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
DK Super Cool Tech
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Dry Bones and Other Fossils
by Gary & Mary Parker
2nd edition from Master Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$11.19 $6.50 (3 in stock)
Earth for Sam
by W. Maxwell Reed, revised by Paul F. Brandwein
Revised edition from Harcourt, Brace & Company
for 6th-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Electronics
DK Eyewitness Series
by Roger Francis Bridgman and Jack Challoner
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Our Earth
from Shooting Star Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Encylopedia of Underwater Life
by Andrew Campbell and John Dawes
from Oxford University
for 5th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Exotic Invaders
by Jeanne M. Lesinski
from Walker Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Experiments in Sky Watching
by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Helmut K. Wimmer
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.00 (1 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)
$12.00 (2 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)
$12.00 (3 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Human Anatomy and Physiology
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright & Brooke Ryan, M.D.
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 4th-6th grade
in Apologia Young Explorer (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$39.20 $28.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Zoology 2
Young Explorer Series
by Jeannie Fulbright
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$34.30 $18.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Zoology 3
by Jeannie Fulbright
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 3rd-6th grade
in Apologia Young Explorer (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$39.20 $28.00 (3 in stock)
Eyes on Nature: Cats
Eyes on Nature
by Janr P. Resnick
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 1st-6th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$3.00 (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)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
First Book of the Earth
by O. Irene Sevrey, illustrated by Mildred Waltrip
from Franklin Watts
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$12.00 (2 in stock)
First Book of the Earth
by O. Irene Sevrey, illustrated by Mildred Waltrip
from Franklin Watts
for 6th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Freshwater Life
Science Nature Guides
by Susan McKeever
from Silver Dolphin
for 4th-6th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Galaxies
by Seymour Simon
from Morrow Junior Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon
by Dhan Gopal Mukerji
from Dutton Juvenile
for 4th-9th grade
1928 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$14.00 (2 in stock)
Gems and Jewelry
The Odyssey Library
by Ned Seidler
from Odyssey Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Getting There
by Suzanne Hilton
from Westminster Press
for 5th-Adult
in Things That Go (Location: SCI-TTGO)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
God's Big Book of Animals
by Shirley Rash
from Master Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$30.39 $24.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Guide: Weather
by Paul E. Lehr, R. Will Burnett, Herbert S. Zim
from Golden Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Picture Book of Knowledge
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Great Animal Search
by Caroline Young
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.30 (1 in stock)
Great Discoveries and Amazing Adventures
by Claire Llewellyn
from Kingfisher
for 4th-8th grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$6.00 (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)
$15.00 (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 Bodies Work: Animal Physiology
Come Learn With Me
by Bridget Anderson
from Charlesbridge
for 4th-8th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
How They Were Built
from Barnes & Noble
for 3rd-6th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
How to Think Like a Scientist
by Stephen P. Kramer
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 4th-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$16.89 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Human Body
by Robert J. Fabiny
from Random House
for 4th-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Ideas That Changed the World: Transportation
by Philip Wilkinson and Michael Pollard, Illustrated by Robert Ingpen
from Chelsea House Publishing
for 4th-7th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Insects Do the Strangest Things
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Step Up Books (Location: VIN-STEP)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Journey Into Africa
by Tim Knight
from Oxford University
for 4th-6th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Junior Book of Insects
by Edwin Way Teale
1962 Printing from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Kingdoms of Life: Classification
Come Learn With Me
by Bridget Anderson
from Charlesbridge
for 4th-6th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Flight
by Ian Graham
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Flight & Aerodynamics (Location: SCI-PHYFA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animals
by Michael Chinery, ed.
from Kingfisher
for 4th-8th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
by Charles Taylor, ed.
from Kingfisher
for 4th-7th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$12.00 (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)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Let's Experiment
by Martin L. Keen
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Living Amphibians of the World
by Doris M. Cochran
from Doubleday & Company
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Lone Muskrat
by Glen Rounds
from Holiday House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.00 (1 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)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon
by Bea Uusma Schyffert
from Chronicle Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$7.00 (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)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Medical Technology: Inventing the Instruments
by Robert Mulcahy
from The Oliver Press, Inc.
for 4th-7th grade
in History of Medicine (Location: SCI-HIS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Men of Science and Invention
by Michael Blow
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 5th-8th grade
in American Heritage Junior Library (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Men-of-War
Seafarers
by David Howarth
1st edition from Time-Life Books
for 6th-12th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
My Hobby is Bird Watching
by Mary P. Pettit
1958 Printing from Hart Publishing Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$24.00 (1 in stock)
Naming Living Things
by Sarah R. Riedman, illustrated by Jerome P. Connolly
1st edition from Hale-Cadmus
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Weather
by Jonathan D. W. Kahl
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Nature's Champions
by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein, Illustrated by Jean Zallinger
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Nature's Clean-Up Crew: The Burying Beetles
by Lorus J. Milne and Margery Milne
from Dodd, Mead & Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
New Ocean Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by Frank Sherwin
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$15.19 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Next Wave
Scientists in the Field
by Elizabeth Rusch
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for 3rd-6th grade
in Energy, Forces & Motion (Location: SCI-PHY)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Nibbling on Einstein's Brain
by Diane Swanson
from Annick Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Now Try This
A Second "Let's Find Out" Picture Science Book
by Herman & Nina Schneider, illustrated by Bill Ballantine
from E.M. Hale and Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
12