MamaSheep Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm specifically looking for "physical sciences" books (ie chem and physics), but would love to hear about really good science-related books in any field for late elementary and middle school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 We've loved Secrets of the Universe, Discovering the Universal Laws of Science by Paul Fleisher. It's out of print but can be purchased used via amazon. It's recommended by Ambleside for either year 6 or 7 for physical science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 For middle school I don't think you can beat the Discover Nature series. It's absolutely fantastic....great reading and nifty hands-on stuff. They are some of my absolute favorite books. Here's an applicable title for Feb: http://www.amazon.com/Discover-Nature-Winter-Things-Know/dp/081172719X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233956522&sr=8-2 While the series is mostly life science, there are several books that deal with earth science and astronomy. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm specifically looking for "physical sciences" books (ie chem and physics), but would love to hear about really good science-related books in any field for late elementary and middle school. The New Way Things Work Archimedes and the Door to Science Galen and the Gateway to Medicine The Usborne Internet Linked Science Encyclopedia I really like Beautiful Feet's History of Science. It is one of the few products that I have held onto for years. Before my oldest 2 hit high school it was what we pulled out whenever we needed a break from our science program. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Also, the Tiner books "Exploring the World of..." would qualify, I think, for maybe 5-7th grades or so. They are engaging and cover a lot of history and historical context for science discoveries, as well as some scientific principles. I don't think that they are adequate for standalone science, but they are great to amplify RS4K Level 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 Thanks! Keep 'em coming! I'm kind of turning over the idea of putting together a middle school level secular science curriculum using Prentice Hall Science Explorers books for spine material, but would like to also incorporate some other good "living" science books too. It sort of seems like there would be a market for such a thing. And I want a middle school physical science for ds this fall, so that's where I'd probably start if I do this. Stories might be good too...a book about a kid who gets a chemistry set, or someone who builds a contraption with lots of gears and levers and pulleys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I'm so hoping someone with a high-school kid has them read Uncle Tungsten: Memoir of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks, the famous neurologist and author. It was truly a living book. Actually, come to think of it, any of Oliver Sacks' books on the workings of the brain would make excellent science readings. I don't think anyone mentioned The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin D. Wiker. Very interesting short vignettes about the men and women who investigated the elements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 My ds is really enjoying "Aristotle Leads the Way". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 We are not particularly sciencey but my kids both really enjoyed Tiner's books, particularly the one about the History of Medicine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 More! More! I'm Amazoning as we speak... Y'all are great. Stories about famous scientists in the field(s) being studied would be fabulous. I was thumbing through my copy of "Mathematicians Are People Too" the other day pondering whether some of those would be good for this purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I just learned of a Yahoo group today that sounds like it may be of interest to you: LivingScience · A Secular Science List for Homeschoolers. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 Thanks Kareni, I'll check it out! Has anyone used either of these: The Periodic Table Physics: Why Matter Matters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 What about the Joy Hakim Story of Science books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 What about the Joy Hakim Story of Science books? Oh! I didn't know she had written one. I'll check into it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 (edited) The New Way Things Work This is a great book. Are you aware that the author has a new book out about the human body? It's The Way We Work by David Macaulay. Regards, Kareni Edited February 7, 2009 by Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Alfred Academy Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Here is a list from Paula's Archives...http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/sciencebooks.htm Lots of treasures in there! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Oh nice! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn&charles Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks Kareni, I'll check it out! Has anyone used either of these: The Periodic Table Physics: Why Matter Matters I just ordered the Periodic Table book from Barnes & Noble (as well as the biology book by the same author) for the science program I'm designing for Otter for next year. I can let you know more as soon as they get in. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 I just ordered the Periodic Table book from Barnes & Noble (as well as the biology book by the same author) for the science program I'm designing for Otter for next year. I can let you know more as soon as they get in. :001_smile: That would be great, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 More! More! I'm Amazoning as we speak... Y'all are great. Stories about famous scientists in the field(s) being studied would be fabulous. I was thumbing through my copy of "Mathematicians Are People Too" the other day pondering whether some of those would be good for this purpose. I have both volumes of "Mathematicians are People Too" and the writing isn't that good. They have their good points, but I wouldn't say they qualify as living books. But me, I had to have them anyway, and I've read a few of the biographies to the boys. On a scale of one to ten, with Oliver Sacks at 10, I'd give them a five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Life in a Bucket of Soil Life in a Drop of Water Both by Silverstein or something like that (sorry, it's been a long time) but they are available from Dover publications. Terrific books! All of my dc loved them and learned SO much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUJLBE Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Isaac Asimov has a number of books for young people that are out of print but may be available at your library or Amazon. One my son enjoyed: How Did We Find Out About Atoms I read about antibodies and the immune system in an Isaac Asimov science book in high school and it was the first time any author ever got me truly excited about biology. His writing is very clear. You just have to be careful as some out of date science books will be...out of date. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamnkats Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Also, the Tiner books "Exploring the World of..." would qualify, I think, for maybe 5-7th grades or so. They are engaging and cover a lot of history and historical context for science discoveries, as well as some scientific principles. I don't think that they are adequate for standalone science, but they are great to amplify RS4K Level 1. Amazon reports that the "Planet Earth" book is written from a Biblical perspective. Does anyone know if the Chemistry and Biology books are also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 here's a list... http://www.homeschooldiner.com/subjects/science/literature_based.html Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Amazon reports that the "Planet Earth" book is written from a Biblical perspective. Does anyone know if the Chemistry and Biology books are also? I would say that that one is Christian-friendly but not Christian. It mentions historical stuff like when, for instance, a chemist writes that he is studying the elements looking for order because he believes that God created an orderly world, and he can understand him better by understanding his world. To me, that is the kind of history that we tend to have written out of our secular history books that makes them less accurate. There wasn't anything about Young Earth vs. Old Earth creationism or any details like that. I would say, though, that you could reasonably infer from the text that the author believes in a creative God. Without him ever really saying so. It's not Providential, though. I hope that helps; it's a bit muddled, I know. I guess I should give you a calibration. I would not recommend Rod and Staff to non-Christians because I think it's too Christian. Same with Apologia, and with Quine. OTOH, there are a bunch of books written by Christians that I would recommend to non-Christians because they don't present Christianity as fact, or if they do, it's for such a brief little section that I think it's easily skipped without losing much. Those would include SOTW, AAH, RS4K, LLLOTR, and this particular Tiner series, from what I have seen. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) Amazon reports that the "Planet Earth" book is written from a Biblical perspective. Does anyone know if the Chemistry and Biology books are also? Amazon had a preview for the Physics book, which I looked at. It begins with a quote from Genesis in the first paragraph. It's also published by Master Books which, if I understand correctly, is an imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group, which produces materials for a Christian market. But I haven't read the actual book, so take this for what it's worth. ETA: I just used Amazon's "search inside" feature to search for terms like Bible, scripture, and God in the physics book. Each turned up several results from the book. One example is a comment that as a special creation of God, the eye is more sensitive than a camera. Edited February 9, 2009 by MamaSheep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamnkats Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks so much to both of you. I'm going to try the Medicine one and see how it goes. I really don't see the need for any religious mention in science books so I might be more sensitive than your run of the mill secular homeschooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn&charles Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 That would be great, thanks. I finally got my book in (The Periodic Table Elements with Style!) I really like it. The illustrations are cute and help to make each element memorable. The information is pretty easy to understand. The info is presented as if each element is talking about itself. Here is an example from p. 84: Phosphorus "I'm a jekyll and Mr. Hyde element - essential to life, yet wickedly dangerous at the same time - a chameleon that appears in black, red or white. I play a pivotal part in the DNA molecule and in the body, but I can be deadly. My white form ignites in air and even burns underwater! I can inflict terrible burns, and sadly I was used for that purpose in World War II." "...I am also used in many foods as phosphoric acid...You can find me in any bottle of cola..."etc. There is also info on the date of discovery, density, melting point, boiling point and other info in a quick to read format. It comes with a fold out poster in the back. I'm definitely going to use it in the next science program I'm designing for my youngest son. It makes the elements really accessible to a younger age. I also think it would be great for older students because the elements are presented in a way that I think is really memorable. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I'm specifically looking for "physical sciences" books (ie chem and physics), but would love to hear about really good science-related books in any field for late elementary and middle school. How about Chasing Lava? It is the story of a geologist who was stationed on Kilauea in the 70s. The chapters alternate between a historical view of the geology station there and some story about his experiences. I also liked the book Flu by Gina Kolata. It has the story of the 1918 influenza epidemic, the scientific quest for the cause and immunizations and then an account of what happened with the swine flu epidemic in the 1970s. It is a good book on science and how perception sways public health efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I love Mr. Thompkins. A layman falls asleep at a lecture about relativity and wakes to find himself in a world where the laws of physics are... well... different. It's fun and fascinating and though it was written for physicists, the rest of us generally like it too. It's aimed at grown ups, though. ETA - Duh, an author would help, wouldn't it? It's by George Ganow and is called The New World of Mr Thompkins. My eight-year-old recently read The Time and Space by Uncle Albert by Russell Stannard, a book that's supposed to be just like Mr Thompkins only for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I love Mr. Thompkins. A layman falls asleep at a lecture about relativity and wakes to find himself in a world where the laws of physics are... well... different. It's fun and fascinating and though it was written for physicists, the rest of us generally like it too. It's aimed at grown ups, though. ETA - Duh, an author would help, wouldn't it? It's by George Ganow and is called The New World of Mr Thompkins. I have a copy of Mr. Tompkins in Paperback (yes, that is the title!) by George Gamow for sale on the sale board. It contains two earlier books -- Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland and Mr. Tompkins Explores the Atom. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunkirst Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Here's a quote from Tiner's Exploring the World of Chemistry: "Like gold, silver is used for jewelry and money. The Old Testament tells how Joseph's brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver (Genesis 37:28). Later Joseph became governor of all Egypt. He concealed a silver cup, probably made in Egypt, in the grain sack belonging to his brother, Benjamin (Genesis 44: 4-12)." This is in a chapter about "money metals" along with much interesting scientific information. This is the way Tiner brings the Bible into this book. Most of the citations are simply letting the reader know that whatever substance is being discussed was mentioned in the Bible. There is no creation/evolution material that I've seen, and there doesn't seem to be any outward proselytizing. Rather he's writing to a assumed Christian audience, and thinks they might value knowing about Biblical references or the beliefs of a scientist. I would say that this book has a much more Christian "feel" than SOTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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