Suggestions for science encyclopedia for middle schooler?

[StaceyE]

I'm looking for a good science encyclopedia that has up to date, accurate information in either one or multiple volumes. We are going to use Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding as a sort of outline and I want to add in an excellent reference book. DD is heading into 6th and I would like to use this through 8th, so I'm hoping to find something that has rich content with excellent illustrations/photographs. I wouldn't mind purchasing something that has multiple volumes if it fits our needs. Both Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book both have series that look excellent, but they are very pricey.

 

Any suggestions? I would also consider something on DVD or an online subscription if it were a really good source (I've looked at Discovery's subscriptions multiple times).

 

Basically, I want to follow the threads in the Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, and then add in a notebooking aspect where DD is doing a bit if independent reading or researching and then recording her findings in a science journal. I could check out books from the library, but I like having some sort of a spine at home that we can always grab off the shelf in case we go off on a tangent or don't make it to the library.

[desertflower]

In case you don't know, Dr. Nebel has a yahoo forum.  K5science i think.  Perhaps he'll have an idea?

 

Sorry in advance if you have already asked him. 

[prairiewindmomma]

We like Kingfisher.

[Mandylubug]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0753466880?cache=e6d70c33c7af34370c0431f534307a83&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1403458925&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

 

We like kingfisher Science Encyclopedia.

[Arcadia]

Both Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book both have series that look excellent, but they are very pricey.

My younger boy likes the World Book. What I found was that my library's copy of World Book 2013 in the children's section is used in library only but the copy in adult section is loanable. He borrowed Volume B home for birds.

 

The Kingfisher one is great and we use the library's copy in Children's Reference.

 

ETA:

My library has the DK one too.

[Mike in SA]

Wow.  We have a number of them, including Britannica, and I would have to say that none are quite good enough.  They're great for the younger set, but leave a lot to be desired for MS on up.

 

What we ended up doing was get top notch, previous editions of college texts.  Britannica makes for a good jumping off point, but for complete context, there's nothing like the real deal.  We have high school and college texts on biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physics, and some bargain bin astronomy and cosmology books.  You'd be surprised at how accessible freshman texts have become.

[WeeBeaks]

We too use Kingfisher, and also own the Usborne one.  It makes a good summary resource, but then we use it as a springboard for books more in detail on a specific topic or living books.  My oldest (7th grade) uses the encyclopedia for outlining and the more detailed books more for the notebooking or digging deeper.

[threedogfarm]

Wow.  We have a number of them, including Britannica, and I would have to say that none are quite good enough.  They're great for the younger set, but leave a lot to be desired for MS on up.

 

What we ended up doing was get top notch, previous editions of college texts.  Britannica makes for a good jumping off point, but for complete context, there's nothing like the real deal.  We have high school and college texts on biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physics, and some bargain bin astronomy and cosmology books.  You'd be surprised at how accessible freshman texts have become.

 

Could you suggest some of the college science texts that you find useful?  We are big on using the World Book encyclopedias here but since my oldest just finished 5th grade, we haven't needed anything more detailed YET.  I will say that he is beyond all the basic field guides, etc. and the "adult" ones are much more his speed.  So I know that soon the World Books will be just a jumping off point for certain subjects.  We are located in a college town so locating used texts won't be a problem. . .I would just love some suggestions.

[Mike in SA]

Could you suggest some of the college science texts that you find useful?  We are big on using the World Book encyclopedias here but since my oldest just finished 5th grade, we haven't needed anything more detailed YET.  I will say that he is beyond all the basic field guides, etc. and the "adult" ones are much more his speed.  So I know that soon the World Books will be just a jumping off point for certain subjects.  We are located in a college town so locating used texts won't be a problem. . .I would just love some suggestions.

 

Sure.  "Biology," Campbell-Reece (the best, but very advanced reading level), or "Asking About Life," Tobin and Dusheck.

"Conceptual Physics," Hewitt (for middle schoolers, no need for more).

"Anatomy and Physiology," Patton and Thibodeau (again, the best, and accessible)

"College Chemistry," Mcmurry and Fay (easy to read as chemistry texts go, and great images)

 

That isn't to say that there aren't decent all-in-one science encyclopediae, they just don't go deep enough to sate a MS or HS kid's needs.

[StaceyE]

Thank you for all the suggestions, I'll look into the college texts. Good to know that the Britannica volumes are geared for youngers, since my youngest is 11 it sounds like it wouldn't be worth the investment at this point. I signed up for the free trials on homeschool buyers coop for the discovery streaming lus and their science techbook. So far, I really like the looks of the science techbook. We're going to try some lessons out of it this afternoon and I'll report back on how they go.

[StaceyE]

A question about the college texts - are they conducive to opening them up and reading an article on a particular topic as you would in an encyclopedia or do you think they are best used in order. I ask because I like the flow BFoSU threads but want to add in sources for further readings for DD, so wouldn't be using them textbook style.

Thanks!

[Mike in SA]

A question about the college texts - are they conducive to opening them up and reading an article on a particular topic as you would in an encyclopedia or do you think they are best used in order. I ask because I like the flow BFoSU threads but want to add in sources for further readings for DD, so wouldn't be using them textbook style.

Thanks!

 

Of course, they were designed for sequential reading, but we skipped from topic to topic without much trouble.  Wikipedia covers the gaps fairly well.  Those texts were well written, and both DS7 and DS12 like leafing through them.  Just the pictures alone are worth the price of admission.

[Staceyshoe]

We collect science encyclopedias around here.  We have Kingfisher, Usborne, the one SparklyUnicorn linked (Definitive Visual Guide), and Illustrated Dictionary of Science.  Usborne is the least useful IMHO--at least for this age.  Kingfisher is a nice, topic-based encyclopedia.  The Definitive Visual Guide has wonderful information but is chronological rather than topical.  Ds told me that the most detailed information is in the Illustrated Dictionary of Science.  (This is also his most recent acquisition, so that may be why it's a current favorite.)  It is arranged topically, and he says it goes into more depth than Kingfisher.

[Ethel Mertz]

We collect science encyclopedias around here.  We have Kingfisher, Usborne, the one SparklyUnicorn linked (Definitive Visual Guide), and Illustrated Dictionary of Science.  Usborne is the least useful IMHO--at least for this age.  Kingfisher is a nice, topic-based encyclopedia.  The Definitive Visual Guide has wonderful information but is chronological rather than topical.  Ds told me that the most detailed information is in the Illustrated Dictionary of Science.  (This is also his most recent acquisition, so that may be why it's a current favorite.)  It is arranged topically, and he says it goes into more depth than Kingfisher.

 

Which Illustrated Dictionary of Science do you have? Usborne? Oxford? Something else?

[SilverMoon]

We have a Dorling Kindersly (DK) science encyclopedia that has proven useful countless times. We also have a few topical, middle school level textbooks that came in handy too. (CPO, etc.)

 

That said, I've had to resort to referencing high school materials for my rising 6th grader this year. He is very STEM minded, and kept wanting more detail than the previously mentioned resources could provide. Thanks to having two teenage siblings ahead of him we already had a physics book on the shelf that explained the various types of velocity. Prentice Hall's high school line is nice, and it has been easy to pull just the info we want. Bloomfield's Physics of Everyday Life has saved my bacon a few times too.

[Staceyshoe]

Which Illustrated Dictionary of Science do you have? Usborne? Oxford? Something else?

 

We have Usborne. 

 

Some of the self-teaching guides may be useful as well.  I just got this one from Paperbackswap and will request others--http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Concepts-Problems-Self-Teaching-Guide/dp/0471121207/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403882321&sr=1-1&keywords=self+teaching+guide+to+chemistry

[Kareni]

Also consider these books:

 

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay

and

 

The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[happypamama]

DD likes Kingfisher and asked to use it for her science this year.  If she develops a particular interest in a topic, we'll look for even more in-depth information, but Kingfisher will work for a good start for her.

[StaceyE]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. We did a week long trial subscription to discovery education science techbook and I might add that in for next year. It was arranged in a way that would be easy to use it with BFSU books. They have videos, reading passages, interactive stuff all arranged topically and DD likes anything that's on the computer. Also, I picked up DK's Science Encyclopedia for $1.99 at the local reasale. We do make weekly and sometimes bi-weekly trips to the library, so I can always add in-depth books whenever needed, but I wanted something on my shelves that we could grab for at least some basic information. I'll watch for Kingfisher and Usborne as well.