Natural Science Curriculum Recommendations
Upper Elementary Through Middle School
(With Some Primary)
Compiled by Jennie Rose
Astronomy
Couper, Heather and
Henbest, Nigel, Reader’s Digest How the Universe Works
(elementary and middle
school) Has great hands- on projects and experiments; excellent information and
nicely illustrated
The
Fracknoi, Andrew (ed.), The
Universe at Your Fingertips and More Universe at Your Fingertips, (middle
school) Published by Project Astro: Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Contains in-depth investigations, projects, and experiments; integrates other
diisciplines (language arts, math, etc.)
Homeschool Science
Adventures Astronomy Kit from Rainbow Resource (upper elementary) Comes with
materials to perform several experiments and worksheets related to topics
covered
Marson, Ron, TOPS
Learning Systems #41: The Planets and Stars (middle school)
Contains structured
in-depth activities using simple household objects; integrated with math
Milton, Simon and
Jacqueline, Young
Moeschl, Richard, Exploring
the Sky: Projects for Beginning Astronomers (upper elementary and middle
school) Excellent information and projects uising around- the -house items to
illustrate complex and advanced concepts
Ranger Rick’s Nature Scope:
Astronomy Adventures (upper
elementary and middle school) Lots of hands-on projects, provides ample
background information on the subjects covered
Van Cleave, Janice, Astronomy
for Every Kid (upper elementary) and JVC’s A+ Projects in Astronomy (middle
school) Both of these books provide excellent experiments to help students
explore the world of Astronomy
Geology
Alt, David, Roadside
Geology of Northern and Central California (middle school)
Very complete and
understandable descriptions of the geology of our region, lots of helpful
photos, maps, and diagrams
Cuff, Kevin, Lawrence
Hall of Science (LHS) Gems Curriculum Guide: Plate Tectonics (upper
elementary and middle school) and LHS Gems Stories in Stone (upper
elementary) These are both excellent resources for teaching geological
concepts; lots of hands-on activities
Farndon, John, Readers
Digest How the Earth Works- (upper elementary and middle school) Full of
hands-on projects and easy to understand facts about geological concepts and
processes, well- illustrated
Engaging text that explains
complex concepts clearly; lots of activities to reinforce concepts; nicely
illustrated
Oak Meadow Basic Earth
Science (upper elementary and
middle school)
This straightforward text
offers easy to understand information on Astronomy, Geology, Weather, and
Oceanography; includes lots of choices for hands on and artistic projects to
reinforce concepts; good for students strong in reading and writing
Van Cleave, Janice,
Janice Van Cleaves A+ Projects in Earth Science (upper elementary and
middle school) This step by step project book explores 30 different topics and
offers dozens of experiment ideas; also includes lots of charts, diagrams, and
illustrations
Young, Ruth, TCM
Hands-On Minds-On Science: Geology (upper elementary and middle school)
Explores topics in Geology through in-depth hands-on projects, such as making a
timeline of Earth’s history
Weather
Brotak, Ed, Wild About
Weather (upper elementary) Full of fun and engaging projects and
experiments; clear and concise information
The
Investigate essential
meteorological concepts with easy to implement hands on experiments,
activities, and games; very helpful background information
Herd, Tim, Discover
Nature in the Weather (upper elementary) Straightforward detailed
information, engaging activities and experiments, nicely illustrated
Mandell, Muriel, Simple Weather Experiments With Everyday
Materials (primary and upper elementary) Filled with easy to perform
experiments demonstrating weather-related comcepts; simple and straightforward information
and illustrations
Power of Science- Weather
Kit (upper elementary) Hands on activities and
experiments enable students
to learn basic weather concepts; comes with activity cards and all materials
needed
Rupp, Rebecca, Weather!
(upper elementary) Lots of fun experiments and activities, including how to
make your own weather station; excellent information and diagrams
Watt, Fiona, Usborne
Science and Experiments: Weather and Climate (upper elementary and middle
school) Practical and comprehensive introduction to meteorolgy; explains basic
principles with the use of clear text and detailed pictures; includes projects,
experiments, and activities to reinforce concepts
Evolution
Beals, Kevin, LHS GEMS:
Life Through Time- Evolutionary Activities for Grades 5-8
Covers the evolution of
life through the various time periods; includes hands on activities such as
creating a tree of life; clear and concise information
Baily, Jill, Young
Oxford Book of the Prehistoric World (upper elementary and middle school)
This would be a wonderful complement to Life Through Time; the
information is very comprehensive and can be easily understood by young
readers; the illustrations and diagrams are excellent
Lawson, Kristan, Darwin
and Evolution for Kids: His Life and Ideas With 21 Activities (upper
elementary and middle school) Engagingly written- will capture the reader’s
interest and hold it.; doesn’t shy away from the controversy surrounding
evolution, but handles it with care McCutcheon, Marc The Beast in You: A
Kaleidoscope Kids Book - Activities and Questions to Explore Evolution (upper
elementary and middle school)
This book, written for
students, teaches them about the theory of evolution with particular emphasis
on human evolution; witty and engaging writing style will hold student’s
interest; easy to perform experiements reinforce concepts
Morgan, Jennifer, Born
With A Bang, From Lava to Life, and Mammals Who Morph (upper elementary and
middle school) This amazing trilogy explores the history of the universe and
life on Earth, narrated by the Universe itself; told in a way that will engage
and educate the reader; helps children understand their place in the natural
world; translates complex technical information into language that can be
grasped by young readers; beautifully illustrated
Stein, Sara, The
Evolution Book (upper elementary and middle school) Fascinating exploration
of the evolution of life on Earth; engagingly written with lots of fun
activities to reinforce concepts; explains complex concepts clearly
Van Cleave, Janice, Dinosaurs
for Every Kid (upper elementary) Full of engaging and simple hands on
activities and experiments; great background information
Organisms
Caduto, Michael, Keepers
of the Animals and Keepers of Life: Native American Stories and Wildlife
Activities for Children (upper elementary through middle school)
These wonderful curriculum
guides help children to understand their interdependence with all living
things; they teach the importance of wildlife in the Native American traditions
through the use of stories; excellent scientific information and diagrams; lots
of hands on activities that connect natural history with environmental issues
The
Roth, Charles, Plants
Alive! Revealing Plants Through Guided Nature Journaling (upper elementary
and middle school) Useful for guiding students into real life science
activities in their local environments; a course in botany with hands on
experiments and activites
Ranger Ricks Nature Scope
(all): Birds, Birds, Birds, Amazing Mammals 1 and 2, Incredible Insects, Trees Are Terrific,
Diving Into Oceans, etc. (primary
through middle school) Contain lots of games, crafts, puzzles, indoor and
outdoor hands on activities and projects, reproducible pages; great background
information
Van Cleave, Janice, Spectacular
Science Projects: Plants, Animals, Insects and Spiders, etc. (all) (upper
elementary) All of these books contain engaging experiments with easy to find
materials, easy prep and clean up
Ecology/ Environmental Ed/ Ecosystems
Antunez, Kay,
Investigating the Oak Community (upper elementary/ middle school)
Project- and activity-
based curriculum using problem solving, meaningful tasks, and experiments to
learn about the oak woodland community
Burnie, David, Readers
Digest: How Nature Works (upper elementary and middle school) Full of
hands-on activities and experiments to explore ecological concepts and Earth’s
organisms; nicely illustrated; great information in an easy to understand
format
Cornell, Joseph, Sharing
Nature With Children 1 and 2 (primary and upper elementary) Both of these
books help children to develop nature awareness through games and activities
Hogan, Kathleen, Eco-Inquiry:
A Guide to Ecological Learning Experiences for the Upper Elementary and Middle
Grades Embeds hands-on science within thematic, multi-dimensional learning
experiences; students carry out in depth investigations of their local
environments in order to learn about ecological concepts
The
Lawlor, Elizabeth, Discover
Nature at the Seashore (upper elementary and middle school) Although this
book describes East Coast marine organisms, the hands-on observations,
exploratory activities, and simple experiments can be easily modified for West
Coast organisms
Leslie, Clare Walker, Keeping
a Nature Journal (upper elementary through high school) Provides concrete
ways for students to connect with their natural places by creating their own
journals
LHS GEMS: Ocean Currents (upper elementary through middle school) Covers various topics in
oceanography (currents, salinity, temperature, density, etc.) using hands- on
activities
LHS GEMS: On
Ingram, Mrill, Bottle
Biology (upper elementary/ middle school) Students explore natural
environments by creating ecosystems in plastic bottles
MACS Field Guide to
Mitchell, Andrew, An Usborne Guide: The Young Naturalist (upper
elementary)
Introduction to nature
study for beginners; teaches students how to collect, observe, and perform
experiments in the natural world through activities and projects; nicely
illustrated
Oak Meadow Environmental
Science (upper elementary) Simple
and straightforward approach; easy to read and understand; gives lots of choice
in terms of actvities, projects, and experiements, particularly good for
artistic students
Olmstead, Adrienne, My
Nature Journal: A Personal Nature Guide for Young People
Contains guided activities
and plenty of space for students to write about and draw their observations and
experiences in a variety of environments
Roa, Michael, Redwood
Ed: A Guide to the Coast Redwoods for Teachers and Learners (upper elemtary
and middle school) This comprehensive and integraded curriculum can be ordered
through the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods; includes natural history, human
history, field trip suggestions and activities, and experiments
Silver, Donald, One
Small Square: Seashore (primary through upper elementary)
This beautifully
illustrated book provides information in an accessible way for younger students
and contains motivating experiments and activities; designed to be used in the
field
Snively, Gloria, Once
Upon a Seashore (primary through upper elementary) and
Beach Explorations (upper elementary through high school)
These exhaustive curriculum
guides are the best I’ve found for teaching marine ecology; beautifully
illustrated, excellent detailed background information, provide a variety of
engaging activities, use observation and inquiry with living organisms in the
field to teach basic marine ecology concepts, integrate art, writing, math, and
social studies. To supplement student learning, you can also order Animal Clue
Cards (elementary) and/or Ocean Animal Clue Cards (elementary through high
school)
Well-illistrated, provide
information on several West Coast marine organisms (plants and animals), can be
used in many ways- games, food chains and webs, etc.
Van Cleave, Janice, Ecology
for Every Kid (primary and upper elementary)
Students explore ecological
concepts through simple activities and experiments that can be performed easily
with materials from home; great background information
Kits
Science in a Nutshell Kits
- from Delta Education (upper elementary)
Contain all materials
needed to perform several experiments and a science journal for the student to
fill in
NeoSci Kits from Nasco
(advanced middle school)
Several of these kits
pertain to Earth and Life Science related subjects; contain all materials
needed to perform several experiments
