Science Books with Engaging Articles- Ages 9-12

Yesterday, I mentioned a couple of science books that I bought out to see if they’d be a good fit for our homeschool.  I purchased the Physical Science Daybook first. I thumbed through the articles and read some with the kids.  I was really impressed by them. They have articles on various topics that are truly interesting and engaging.

Yesterday, I shared about the Frog Antifreeze — frogs who freeze solid and survive! Each topic has a two to four page spread including a short reading, thoughtful questions, and a suggested activity. Other topics include “Robots in the Dairy Barn” about how dairy farms are exploring robotic milking technology; bad vibrations about a professor who did visual demonstrations to explain sound waves (shattering wine glasses); underground lightning (the lightning strike reached 16 feet underground).

The other book we got was the Life Science Daybook. It had a similar format with a short reading, thought provoking questions to explore the topic and some activities.  For example, one topic was “More Bacteria for Your Buck” about dirty money when researchers looked at the cracks and crevices of your cash.  The thought-provoking questions  included “Name three other objects in your home that have tiny crevices where bacteria could grow” and “Would the three objects you named also provide moisture for bacteria? If not, name three other objects in your home that would provide a moist environment for bacteria.” The activity was to design a new type of money to replace dollar bills.

I find these books very unique compared to the science curriculum I’ve seen out there. They are the type of books/topics that really draw me/us in.  I had my daughter (7 – almost 8) read one of the sections. She said she understood it, but it was “a bit hard.” I suspect I would read this aloud with her. My son (almost 10) really loved it and said it wasn’t hard at all.  These books were designed for middle schoolers (grades 6-8) and are put out by the Houghton Mifflin Company.

Since we do unit studies, I’m not quite sure how we’ll fit these into our homeschool. At the very least they’ll hang out on the kitchen table for the kids to read while eating.  Anyway, I definitely thought they were worth mentioning.