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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95 Animals of the Bible
by Nancy P. Johnson
from Master Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
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 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 Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself
by Maxine Anderson
from Nomad Press
for 4th-6th grade
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America's Deserts
by Marianne D. Wallace
1st edition
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Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
Revised from HarperCollins
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in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Another Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom-Seen Birds of North America
by Ben, Cathryn, and John Sill
from Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Arts of the Sailor
by Hervey Garrett Smith
Reprint from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$6.00 (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)
Avenging the Owl
by Melissa Hart
from Sky Pony Press
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Balto and the Great Race
Totally True Adventures
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
1st Printing from Random House Books for Young Readers
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Basher Science: Biology: Life as We Know It!
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
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Basher Science: Engineering
by Simon Basher, Tom Jackson
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Basher Science: Physics: Why Matter Matters
Basher Science
by Dan Green, Simon Basher
First Edition from Kingfisher
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Basher Science: Planet Earth: What Planet Are You On?
by Simon Basher, Dan Gilpin
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Basher Science: Technology
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
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Basher Science: The Periodic Table
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Adrian Dingle
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Basher: Algebra & Geometry
1st edition from Kingfisher
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$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Bats
by Lily Wood
from Scholastic Inc.
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bell and the Science of the Telephone
by Brian Williams
from Barron's
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$3.50 (2 in stock)
Berries, Nuts and Seeds
Take-Along Guide
by Diane Burns
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
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$4.00 (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
Cliffs Quick Review
by I. Edward Alcamo
2nd edition from Cliffs Notes
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Biology Coloring Workbook
by I. Edward Alcamo
from Princeton Review
for 10th-Adult
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$12.00 (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)
Birds, Nests and Eggs
Take-Along Guide
by Mel Boring
from Northword Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
$7.95 $5.00 (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)
$4.00 (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)
Botany Coloring Book
by Paul Young
1st edition from Harper Perennial
for 5th-9th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Bugs
by Rosie Dickins
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Bugs!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shira Evans
from National Geographic
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bugs, Beetles, and Butterflies
Puffin Science Easy-to-Read Level 1
by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Lisa Flather
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Buried Alive
by Jack Cuozzo
1st edition from Master Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Buzz, Bee!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Jennifer Szymanski
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Cactus Hotel
by Brenda Z. Guiberson
1st edition from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Calcium (True Books: Elements)
by Antonia Cunningham
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
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$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?
by Melvin and Gilda Berger
from Scholastic Reference
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Carbon (True Books: Elements)
by Salvatore Tocci
from Children's Press
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Champions of Invention
Champions of Discovery
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
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$4.79 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Chemistry
Cliffs Quick Review
by Harold D. Nathan
from Cliffs Notes
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$4.50 (3 in stock)
Chemistry for the Grammar Stage - Student Workbook (old)
by Paige Hudson
Updated Edition from Elemental Science
for 4th-6th grade
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Chemistry for the Logic Stage - Teacher Guide
by Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
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$18.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1 (old)
by Florence Bass
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$4.00 (1 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)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5
by Wendy Kramer
4th edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
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$13.35 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5 (old)
by Worthington Hooker
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Clouds
by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by John Wallace
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Creation and Change
by Douglas Kelly
from Mentor Books
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Creepy Beetles!
Scholastic Reader Level 2
by Fay Robinson, illustrated by Jean Cassels
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.60 (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)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Danger in the Desert
by Roger Cohen
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 5th-9th grade
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Darwin Strikes Back
by Thomas Woodward
from Baker Books
for 11th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Darwin's Black Box
by Michael J. Behe
from Free Press
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds
by Phillip E. Johnson
from InterVarsity Press
for 11th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$19.99 $13.00 (1 in stock)
Diary of a Wombat
by Jackie French
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Digging Up Dinosaurs
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Disappearing Spoon
by Sam Kean
from Back Bay Books
for Adult
in History of Science & Mathematics (Location: SCI-HIS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Discover Nature in Water & Wetlands
by Elizabeth P. Lawlor, illustrated by Pat Archer
from Stackpole Books
for 9th-Adult
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Explorers: Insects
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (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)
$7.00 (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)
DK Readers: Diving Dolphin
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (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)
$5.00 (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)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Einstein's Theory of Relativity
by Max Born with the collaboration of Gunther Leibfried and Walter Biem
2022 Reprint from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Electricity and Magnetism
by Peter Adamczyk, Paul Francis law
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in Electricity & Magnetism (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor Penguins
by Roberta Edwards
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Nature
by DK Publishing
from DK Children
for 4th-7th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$14.00 (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)
Eureka! It's Television!
by Jeanne Bendick
from Millbrook Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Everything Rock and Minerals (National Geographic Kids)
by Steve Tomecek
from National Geographic
for 6th-10th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$6.50 (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)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Insects with Uncle Paul
Copper Lodge Library
by Jean Henri Fabre, edited by Stephanie B. Meter
from Classical Conversations
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$17.80 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring the Heavens with Uncle Paul
Copper Lodge Library
by Jean Henri Fabre, edited by Stephanie B. Meter
from Classical Conversations
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$17.80 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Astronomy
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 5th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Eyes on Adventure: Exploring Natural Disasters
Eyes on Adventure
by Stella Sands
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
$2.00 (3 in stock)
Fabric of the Cosmos
by Brian Greene
from Vintage Books
for Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Failure to Connect
by Jane M. Healy
1st edition from Simon and Schuster
for Adult
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$16.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Ships
by Leon Baxter
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Field Guide to Bacteria
by Betsey Dexter Dyer
from Cornell University Press
for 9th-Adult
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$9.00 (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 Animals
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Paul Dowswell
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (2 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 Preschool-3rd Grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Fizz, Bubble & Flash!
by Anita Brandolini
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Flood by Design
by Michael Oard
from Master Books
for 8th-12th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$13.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Flutter, Butterfly!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shelby Alinsky
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Forests
Our Planet
by David Lambert
from Troll Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Forests & Mountains (Location: SCI-FOREST)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Forever Forest
by Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini, Rachel Crandell
from Dawn Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.60 (4 in stock)
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Frog Alphabet Book
by Jerry Pallotta
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Galen and the Gateway to Medicine
by Jeanne Bendick
from Bethlehem Books
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.71 $7.60 (3 in stock)
Geek Dad Book for Aspiring Mad Scientists
by Ken Denmead
from Gotham Books
for Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$9.50 (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)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Girls Think of Everything
by Catherine Thimmesh
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-4th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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