Otter's Homeschool Science Curriculum Books
Click here to return to our main human body science curriculum page.
Click here to visit our Amazon A-store for more convenient book browsing (and a shopping cart), or you can just look at the titles below. The only items that are not in the Amazon store is the optional workbook: Human Body as well as the set of Kid's Discover magazines.
Otter's science curriculum makes use of lots of different types of books. Some of the books contain lots of activities or experiments and some are actually stories, like Follow My Leader, which tells about a boy who lost his sight. I've tried to include a pretty big variety to touch on all different learning styles and to keep things fun and interesting. As I said on the previous page, pick and choose what you want to use. You don't have to use it all! At the very least you should choose at least one main activity book (kind of like a spine) and one book from each main topic. To help save $$ you may want to see which books are available at your local library.
First, here are resources that are used over multiple topics:
The Body Book (Grades 3-6)
This books has lots of hands-on models to make. There is lots of coloring, cutting and pasting to do and information about the models made that help your learning "stick".
*Note:
Some of the models are kind of a pain to make (tape is your friend). Don't get this book if your child gets frustrated by these kinds of "crafts". You can also choose to only do some of the models instead of using the entire book.
Otter's rating: 3 stars
Blood and Guts
This fun book integrates lots of experiments and activities in with lots of information about the human body. Some of the activities are very simple and easy to do with a minimum of supplies, while others are more involved like dissections. I have listed all the necessary supplies (other than very common items like your kitchen table) in our supplies list. There are tons of activities so you can pick your favorites and skip the rest. Bear and Emily used this book years ago and really enjoyed it.
*This book does talk about evolution in one place has a few non detailed drawings that depict nudity. These items are easily fixed with a black marker if they bother you.
Otter's rating: 4 stars
Both Otter and I love the colorful illustrations, beautiful photographs and interesting text in this set of 11 magazines. Go to the Kid's Discover website and you can take a look at the magazines page by page. You don't HAVE to use these, but for $38 for the whole set, they are a good deal. You also get a lot of "bang for your buck" without an overwhelming amount of reading. They are good for families who'd like to keep science time short and sweet. We will also be using the Kid's Discover magazine on nutrition, which is not included in the set (it's optional). You cannot purchase these from Amazon.
Human Body (Grades 5-8)
This workbook is totally optional. You won't be missing out on much if you skip it.
I've only included it because we had it on hand already. We will NOT be using all of the pages, even though I scheduled them in. I will only be choosing a few from it to supplement The Body Book. You may wish to use this book if your student is older or would like more of a challenge. Most of the activities are labeling exercises with very clearly drawn black outline drawings. There are also a few cut out/paste models. A lot of it I consider "busy work". You have to purchase it from Sonlight.
Otter's rating: 3 stars
Crash Course: Gross Anatomy
*Optional
This book has built in game boards with playing pieces! I thought Otter would enjoy the games, so I ordered it and scheduled it in.
Otter's rating: 5 stars
Ouch!
*This book is also optional
It covers a variety of topics like sneezing, a bee sting, suntan, etc. and comes with a CD of movies that review the topics. The CD is pretty basic without many bells & whistles and no sound.
Otter's rating: 5 stars
Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit
This fun kit has all of the supplies you'll need for 7 weeks worth of experiments.
Otters rating: 5 stars
Another multiple week resource is BrainPop.com. A Brain Pop subscription is $99 a year for a family access (don't pay extra for the homeschool access unless multiple students will be logging on at the same time). This terrific resource has very easy to understand movies that illustrate all sorts of concepts with a sprinkle of humor. Our son LOVES this site. You can also use it for other curriculum areas like social studies, english, math and more. Check out the free trial and see if you are interested. I have scheduled BrainPop movies throughout the year. I've also scheduled BrainPop movies in our world geography program.
In addition to BrainPop, I've scheduled in Discovery Streaming PLUS movies, since we are using Discovery Streaming as a huge resource for our geography curriculum and WinterPromise Children Around the World extras. You have to have a subscription to get access to the movies. I've read that the PLUS version of Discovery Streaming was not available to homeschoolers (we are enrolled in a charter school), but it seems like recently they have added in an option to add a purchse of a PBS pack and so on to get access to ALL of the movies. You will need PLUS to get access to most of the movies I've scheduled in. If you can't get access to it (or the extra packs) then don't bother with Discovery Streaming just for this course.
Here are the rest of the books. Note: some of the books are used over multiple weeks, but not usually more than two. Click on the Amazon links to find out more information about each book, see some inside the book previews and read reviews, if you wish.
You can also visit our Amazon A-Store and browse the book titles without having to click back and forth from our site to Amazon.
Topic |
Books | |
Cells |
Enjoy Your Cells (Enjoy Your Cells, 1) Kid’s Discover Magazine: Cells (included in the Human Body set of magazines) Otter's rating: 4 stars |
The Enjoy Your Cells series of books is great for elementary students. The illustrations are fun, colorful, clear and the information is detailed, but still simple enough to digest and understand. There are some evolutionary references, but these can be taken care of with a black marker if this doesn't agree with your beliefs. I have made note of what parts you may want to skip in the schedule. |
Genes and DNA |
Have a Nice DNA (Enjoy Your Cells, 3)
Gene Machines (Enjoy Your Cells, 4)
|
Here are two more books in the Enjoy Your Cells series of books. Have a Nice DNA is the worst offender in the series, if you are a Christian parent opposed to evolution. |
Skeleton |
Kid’s Discover: Bones (included in the Human Body set of magazines)
Skulls And Skeletons: True-Life Stories of Bone Detectives (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes: Forensic Files) |
This book is totally optional. I have it scheduled in because I know Otter will enjoy it since it's non fiction and has to do with "police work" which he is currently interested in. The 24/7 series of books is actually pretty neat (at least we think so). The series is very "high interest" with lots of visual stuff (color, illustrations, diagrams, photographs) and each book has a glossary in the back, website links, a magazine style quiz ("Do you have what it takes to be a....") and so on. They are a great introduction to careers like an infectious disease doctor and so on. You may want to skip theses books if you have a student on the younger age of the spectrum. I don't think most younger children will find them interesting and/or some of the subject matter and images may be upsetting (removal of a Guinea worm, pictures of rashes and skin infections, etc). See if your local library has one and take a look. Amazon also has some previews. |
Muscles |
Kid’s Discover: Muscles (included in the Human Body set of magazines) |
|
Brain (and Nervous System) |
You Can't Use Your Brain if You're a Jellyfish *younger students
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head Kid’s Discover: Brain (included in the Human Body set of magazines) |
The Jellyfish book is for students on the younger spectrum of age, or just an easier reading selection. Otter is going to use it as a reader.
The Phineas Gage book is optional, but I thought it was a cool addition to our study of the brain. It is the real story of a man who lived in the 19th century with after a 13 pound rod shot through his brain.
This book is for older and more motivated students. I checked it out from the library and most of it was "beyond" Otter's level or just too much info for him to process. He did enjoy reading parts of it. WARNING: There is evolution mentioned. |
Sense of Sight and Illusions |
How to Really Fool Yourself: Illusions for All Your Senses Kid’s Discover: 5 Senses (included in the Human Body set of magazines) Kid’s Discover: Eyes (included in the Human Body set of magazines)
Follow My Leader or
Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog
|
How to Really Fool Yourself is an interesting book I think a lot of kids would really enjoy. It takes things that seem kind of magical (or amazing/interesting) and breaks them apart and explains why and how your senses were fooled. Of course you get to try all of the activites out for yourself first hand!
Follow My Leader is a fictional account of a boy who loses his sight and how he copes. It ties in perfectly into our study of eyesight. It is a little 1950'ish, but still a good story.
Morris and Buddy is a good substitute if you don't have time for Follow My Leader or if you have a younger student. |
Senses - Hearing |
She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses |
We've all heard of Helen Keller (right??), but I never heard of Laura Bridgman (until coming across this book). This is a true story of a woman who was both blind and deaf and how she learned to communicate and help change people's ideas about these disabilities.
Otter loves Magic School Bus books, so I scheduled this one in as a reader. |
Heart |
Kid’s Discover: Heart (included in the Human Body set of magazines) |
|
Blood |
Squirt!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read about Blood
Blood Suckers!: Deadly Mosquito Bites (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes) Kid’s Discover: Blood (included in the Human Body set of magazines) |
Squirt is a fun and colorful book with lots of interesting facts about blood and some simple, optional experiments.
Blood Suckers is just one in a series of books 24/7 Science Behind the Scenes. These books are "high interest" readers with lots of great illustrations and eye catching photography. They are also "cool" because they are about real cases. I also thought they would tie in nicely with learning about people around the world and some of the illnesses that are suffered. |
Lungs / Breathing, Sense of Smell |
Kid’s Discover: Lungs (included in the Human Body set of magazines) |
|
Digestion, Sense of Taste |
The Truth About Poop
The Quest to Digest |
Here is another 24/7 Science book. Most kids, especially boys, will be sucked in by the grossness factor.
Otter checked this book out from the library and really enjoyed it. The illustrations are very fun and humorous and the info is fascinating. I've scheduled it in for our study of digestion. Sometimes kids are embarrassed to ask about things like this. Books like these help clear things up.
Here is another book we discovered at the library. The illustrations are really wacky and fun. The info is very easy to understand and retain. |
Nutrition |
It's Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts from Around the World and Throughout History
Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food
Why Shouldn't I Eat Junk Food?: Internet Referenced (What's Happening)
Janice VanCleave's Food and Nutrition for Every Kid: Easy Activities That Make Learning Science Fun
Kid’s Discover: Nutrition |
Otter loves this book so much that I ordered it for him and scheduled it into our science study.
We are not against fast food, but I've scheduled in Chew on This so we can have some interesting conversations about some of the things we eat and don't think much about. Maybe we should do a little less eating and a bit more thinking. You may want to skip it if you have a younger child as it may be uninteresting for the 2nd grade -4th grade age group. I recommend it as a read aloud for 5th grade +.
I decided to add in this Usborne title instead of the Chew on This book. Otter just wasn't ready for the other title. Why shouldn't I eat junk food? is much more age appropriate with fun, colorful pictures and an easy to understand text. It's easy enough to read alone, but I went ahead and read it out loud to Otter.
Janice VanCleave's books cover a lot of info with lots of easy to do activities that help cement what you are learning. I've scheduled this book for 6 weeks over several topics because of how long it is and because I didn't want to skip too many of the activities. If you have a student who is young, you may want to preview this book before purchasing. It has a fairly advanced vocabulary.
|
Urinary System |
Gee Whiz! It's all About Pee |
Gee Whiz is by the same author / illustrator team that did the Truth About Poop. This is a fun book with silly illustrations that most kids will really enjoy. |
| Endocrine System, Growth, Development and Reproduction |
or
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I haven't seen this book yet, so when I do I'll write a bit more about it.
Choose either one of these books depending on if you have a girl or boy.
Emily read this book a long time ago when she was just a kidlet. She's a big, almost grown up lady now so it's been awhile. This book is a gentle introduction to the changes going on in a girl's body during puberty.
|
Skin, Nails, Hair, the Sense of Touch |
Help! What's Eating My Flesh?: Runaway Staph and Strep Infections! (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes)
Kid’s Discover: Skin (included in the Human Body set of magazines)
|
Here's another 24/7 book - high interest, easy to read and has good pictures. It is most appropriate for an upper elementary to middle school age student.
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Germs |
Pasteur's Fight Against Microbes
Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs Kid’s Discover: Germs (included in the Human Body set of magazines)
Germs (Picture book) |
We've used this book over the years with Emily and Bear. It's a pleasant, historical read about the discovery of germs.
This is an easy to understand book with lots of experiments and kid friendly illustrations. WARNING: On page 42 there is a page on HIV and AIDS. It mentions that the virus is spread through s*xual content.
Germ Stories has rhyming poems that introduce children to a variety of baddies in a way that is engaging and fun. The pictures are silly too.
This picture book is totally optional. Otter is going to use it as a reader. The pictures are a hoot. It's more of a story book than a science book. |
Diseases & Parasites |
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
Epidemics and Plagues (Kingfisher Knowledge)
You Wouldn't Want to Be Sick in the 16th Century!
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An American Plague is the true story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Get a bit of history in and learn about germs and illness too. This book is also available as an audio book.
Epidemics and Plagues has nice pictures (mostly photographs) and easy to understand text. It covers both history and modern times with a variety of discussed diseases. It is best suited for upper elementary and middle school students.
This book is optional, but fun. Otter is going to use it as a reader. It covers a bit of history and a bit of science with a lot of humor thrown in. |
Fighting Disease |
Germ Zappers (Enjoy Your Cells, 2)
|
This is the last book we'll be using from the Enjoy Your Cells series of books.
I've included this book for those of you who want a gentle reader for a younger set of students. Otter will be using it as a reader. |
| Drugs and Your Body |
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I had a very hard time finding an appopriate book about drugs for elementary students. I'm still working on it, but for now, this is the book I'm scheduling in. Otter likes these Berenstain Bear chapter books, even though I think they are kind of cheesy. |
| First Aid and Survival |
Improve Your Survival Skills (Usborne Superskills)
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I have yet to see this book, but it's the only one I could find that was extensive and aimed at elementary students. We have used and enjoyed some of the other books in this series.
Emily and Bear used this book when they were younger. Both really enjoyed it. I thought a book on survival was a fun way to wrap up our human body studies and also go with our year's geography theme in our core studies. |
