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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196 Items found Print
Active Filters: 9th grade (Ages 14-15), Used Books & Materials
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Science
by James Trefil
1st edition from Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
for 7th-10th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
123 Robotic Experiments for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
365 Starry Nights
by Chet Raymo
from Fireside Books
for 6th-Adult
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
51 High-Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Air Forces of the World
by Sue Butterworth, editor
from Chartwell Books
for 9th-Adult
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
All the Water Birds - Pacific Coast
by Jack Griggs
1st edition
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
American Ship Models and How to Build Them
by V. R. Grimwood, foreword by Howard I. Chapelle
from Bonanza Books
for 9th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Wild Life
1952nd edition from Wm. H. Wise & Co.
for 8th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Anatomy Coloring Book
by Lawrence M. Elson, Wynn Kapit
2nd edition
for 7th-12th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$10.00 (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)
Arts of the Sailor
by Hervey Garrett Smith
Reprint from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Astronomy
by Cheryl Evans, Stuart Atkinson
from Usborne
for 6th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$1.80 (1 in stock)
Atlas of Natural Wonders
by Rupert O. Matthews
from Weekly Reader
for 9th-Adult
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Audubon Society Field Guide to the Bald Eagle
by David G. Gordon
from Sasquatch Books
for 7th-Adult
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Backyard Astronomer's Guide
by Terence Dickinson & Alan Dyer
Revised from Firefly Books
for 9th-Adult
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible
by Sally Roth
from Rodale Press
for 5th-Adult
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Biology
by Joan Distasio
from Instructional Fair
for 6th-9th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$12.99 $8.50 (2 in stock)
Biology Middle/Upper Grades Reproducible Workbook
by Martha Schmitt
from McDonald
for 6th-9th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Biology, Middle/High School (old)
by Joan Distasio
from Instructional Fair
for 6th-9th grade
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$4.00 (3 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)
Birds of Prey
A Grosset All-Color Guide
by Glenys and Derek Lloyd, Illustrated by Ken Lilly
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 9th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of the Puget Sound Region
by Dennis Paulson
from R. W. Morse Company
for 3rd-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Birds of the World
by Alan Greensmith
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Birds' Eggs
by Michael Walters
1st edition
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Blow Ye Winds Westerly
by Elizabeth Gemming
1st edition from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 9th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Building Blocks in Life Science
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$12.79 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Cartoon Guide to Physics
by Larry Gonick
Reprint
for 7th-12th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Chemistry Demystified
by Linda Williams
1st edition from McGraw-Hill
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Chemistry Made Simple
by Fred C. Hess
from Doubleday & Company
for 9th-12th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$4.50 (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 Yourself Smart: Human Anatomy
by Wendy L. Leonard, illustrations by Philip Ferguson Jones
from Thunder Bay Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Compact Guide to Wildflowers of the Rockies
by C. Dana Bush
from Lone Pine Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Guide to North American Trees
by Carlton C. Curtis and S.C. Bausor
1971 printing from Collier Books
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Concerning the Nature of Things
by Sir William Bragg
from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Coronavirus Education Kit
from Home Science Tools
for 7th-Adult
in Science Manipulatives & Lab Supplies (Location: SCIREF-LAB)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Creation Astronomy
by Felice Gerwitz & Jill Whitlock
from Media Angels Science
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Stars & Constellations (Location: SCI-AST)
$9.00 (2 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)
Cyberterrorism
by Jacqueline Ching
from Rosen Central
for 5th-9th grade
in Clearance: General Interest (Location: ZCLE-GEN)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Design Line: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
by Chris Oxlade, Edited by Jenny Broom, Illustrated by Mike Lemanski
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$9.00 (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 (Location: NAT-GEN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
DK Handbooks: Insects, Spiders and Other Terrestrial Arthropods
by Randall Jarrell
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-Adult
1966 Newbery Honor Book
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
E=mc2 Picture Book of Relativity
by Gerald Kahan, illustrated by Charles Prodey
from Tab Books
for 9th-Adult
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$4.50 (1 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)
Earth, The
Exploring Our Universe
by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Helmut K. Wimmer
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 7th-10th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Electronic Sensors for the Evil Genius
from McGraw-Hill
for 7th-12th grade
in Electronics (Location: SCI-ELEC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Elemensus (game)
from Impossible Things Ltd.
for 6th-Adult
in Games & Toys (Location: FUN-GAME)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Elements of Faith Volume 1: Hydrogen to Tin (old)
by Richard Duncan
from Master Books
for 9th-Adult
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Animals
from Fog City Press
for 8th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Mammals
by Professor David Macdonald, editor
from Barnes & Noble
for 8th-Adult
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
by James Trefil
from Routledge
for 7th-Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of the Horse
by Elwyn Hartley Edwards, ed.
from Crescent Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$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)
Evolution: The Grand Experiment - DVD
by Carl Werner
from Master Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$15.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Evolution: The Grand Experiment - Teacher's Manual
by Dr. Carl Werner
from New Leaf Press
for 9th-Adult
in Evolution: The Grand Experiment (Location: SCICUR-EVO)
$16.99 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Experience with an Eel DVD
from Moody Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Biology - Textbook
by Vicki Dincher
3rd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 9th-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Exploring Creation (Location: SCICUR-AEM)
$69.60 $45.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Biology - Textbook (old)
by Jay Wile & Marilyn Durnell
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 9th-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$25.00 (2 in stock)
Exploring Creation With Physical Science - Textbook (really old)
by Jay Wile
2nd edition from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 8th-9th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Apologia Science (Old Versions only) (Location: OSCI-AEM)
$15.00 (4 in stock)
Exploring the World Around You
by Gary Parker
from Master Books
for 6th-10th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$5.00 (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)
Exploring the World of Astronomy - Supplemental Student Questions
by Cindy Davis
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$6.00 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Biology
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Biology - Supplemental Student Questions (old)
by Cooper Boldrick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Chemistry
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Physics
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
Non-fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Physics - Questions, Reviews, & Tests (old)
by Cooper Boldrick
from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$5.00 $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)
Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals
Peterson Field Guide Series
by Frederick H. Pough
3rd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 7th-12th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Flash! Bang! Pop! Fizz!
by Janet Parks Chahrour
from Barron's
for 5th-9th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$7.00 (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)
Focus on High School Chemistry - Laboratory Workbook
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for 9th-12th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (Location: SCICUR-RS4K)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Focus on High School Chemistry - Teacher's Manual
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for 9th-12th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (Location: SCICUR-RS4K)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Friendly Chemistry - Bundle
by Joey & Lisa Hajda
4th edition from Hideaway Ventures
for 9th-12th grade
in Miscellaneous Science Curriculum (Location: SCICUR-MISC)
$112.00 (1 in stock)
From Conception to Birth
by Alexander Tsiaras
1st edition from Doubleday & Company
in Pregnancy & Infant Care (Location: PRE-INF)
$18.00 (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)
General Science 1 - Teacher Guide
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$21.59 $17.50 (1 in stock)
Genesis: The Key to Reclaiming the Culture - DVD
by Ken Ham
from Answers in Genesis
for 9th-Adult
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Genetics
by Carla Mooney; illustrated by Samuel Carbaugh
from Nomad Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Genetics & Microscopic Life (Location: SCI-GEN)
$8.00 (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 of Wonders DVD
by Jim Tetlow
from Eternal Productions
for 8th-Adult
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Gray's Anatomy
by Henry Gray, edited by T. Pickering Pick and Robert Howden
1901 edition from Running Press
for 9th-Adult
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
for 1st-Adult
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Great Inventions
from Time Inc.
for 7th-10th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Halley: Comet 1986
by Franklyn M. Branley
from Lodestar Books
for 8th-10th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
History of US Book 10
History of US Book 10
by Joy Hakim
3rd Revised Edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
in History of US (Location: HISA-HAKIM)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
How Does it Work?
by Richard M. Koff
from Doubleday & Company
for 9th-12th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Hunters
by Dr. Philip Whitfield, illustrated by Richard Orr
from Simon and Schuster
for 8th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Icons of Evolution DVD
special_edition from ColdWater Media
for 9th-Adult
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Icons of Invention: American Patent Models
from Smithsonian Books
for 7th-Adult
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Illustrated Dictionary of Physics
by Chris Oxlade, Corinne Stockley, Jane Wertheim
from Usborne
for 5th-9th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.30 (2 in stock)
Illustrated History of Ships and Boats
by Lionel Casson
from Doubleday & Company
for 7th-Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Magnets
by Janice VanCleave
1st edition from Wiley-Interscience
for 6th-10th grade
in Electricity & Magnetism (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Keystone Battlewagon - U.S.S. Pennsylvania (BB-38)
Warship Series #2
by Myron J. Smith
1st edition
for 7th-10th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Kingdoms of Life: Fungi
by Gina Hamilton
from Milliken Publishing
for 9th-12th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Lefties
by Jack Fincher
1993 reprint from Barnes & Noble
for 9th-Adult
in Practical Home Schooling (Location: HSR-PRAC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Lift Up Your Eyes On High
by James Nickel
from Christian Liberty Press
for 9th-12th grade
in CLP Science (Location: SCICUR-CLP)
$21.85 $11.00 (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)
12