BIG PICTURE SCIENCE LEARNING MATERIALS

You may purchase most Big Picture Science products directly from this site (processed through Evergreen Online Solutions). For orders placed on this site, shipping via media mail is FREE to all U.S. addresses . Purchases may also be made through Montessori Services (North America) and Montessori Downunder (New Zealand and Australia). See Ordering for more information.

• Biology Teaching Materials
• Physical Science Teaching Materials
• Downloadable e-Books and PDF Files
• in-print for children Materials

Biology Teaching Materials

Plant Lessons: Introducing Children to Plant Form and Function, Second Edition 2010

This printed edition of Plant Lessons includes all of the material included in the Part I and Part 2 PDF files in one bound volume. The first edition of this book came out in 2001 and quickly won praise from teachers for its clear, easy to follow lessons. This revised edition features the addition of beautiful color photos to illustrate the lessons. The book covers the whole plant, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Over two hundred color photos help both teacher and children see the subjects of the lessons. The leaf section has new lessons for describing leaves in a practical and useful manner. The flower chapter has improved terminology and includes basic and advanced flower lessons. The fruit chapter clarifies fruit types. Seed germination is covered more thoroughly in this edition than in the original edition. Included is a valuable resource list including printed materials and online sources to help teachers and students pursue more in-depth investigation of the world of plants. OUR PRICE: $39.95. Click Here to Order

NOTE: This book is available in cases of 12 at a substantial discount to the single-volume price. See our Ordering page for details.

Plant Lessons: Introducing Children to Plant Form and Function, Part 1 -- Downloadable e-Book

Revised 2010. The instantly downloadable e-Book (PDF file) version of Plant Lessons is divided into two parts for ease of electronic delivery. Part 1 covers the whole plant, roots, stems, and leaves. The leaf section has new lessons for describing leaves in a practical and useful manner. Over a hundred color photos help both teacher and children see the subjects of the lessons. Purchasers may print the book, including the photos, for their own use. 93 pages, letter sized.

OUR PRICE: $12.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: If your school or teacher training program purchases five or more copies of this e-Book Email Priscilla about getting a volume rebate.

Plant Lessons: Introducing Children to Plant Form and Function, Part 2 -- Downloadable e-Book

Revised 2010. The instantly downloadable e-Book (PDF file) version of Plant Lessons is divided into two parts for ease of electronic delivery. Part 2 addresses flowers, fruits, and seeds. It includes introductory material, as well as the resource list, so it can stand alone. The flower chapter has improved terminology and includes basic and advanced flower lessons. The fruit chapter clarifies fruit types. Seed germination is covered more thoroughly. Over 150 color photos, 106 pages, letter-sized.

OUR PRICE: $12.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: If your school or teacher training program purchases five or more copies of this e-Book Email Priscilla about getting a volume rebate.

Outline of Geologic Time and the History of Life

Published March 2010 and revised July 2010. This 30 page e-Book gives you the information to update your timeline of life and the "Clock of Eras." It is based on the current timescales from the United States Geologic Survey and the International Commission on Stratigraphy. The information includes an overview of paleogeography and paleoclimate. The descriptions of life include lineages and relationships. Information on mammals is extensive and will help you tell the story of Cenozoic life. There is an introduction that includes important basic concepts and a listing of books and websites for children and for adult background.

OUR PRICE: $4.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: For teacher education programs and large schools – e-mail Priscilla if you are interested in a license to reproduce this e-Book for your teaching albums or for your staff.

The Amaryllis -- An Example for Botany Studies

Description: This 12-page booklet shows the amaryllis bulb, and the developmental stages of its flower and fruit. The text on the booklet pages is for elementary children and serves as an example of the kind of information you can include in botany studies. Notes for the teacher with further information about the plant and how to grow it are on a separate page. You can print the booklet for your class. It is illustrated with color photographs.

OUR PRICE: $4.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

The Plant Kingdom

The Plant Kingdom – This file shows all the major groups of land plants, including bryophytes, lycophytes, the fern clade, and the spermatophytes (seed plants). It shows relationships and illustrates reproductive structures. The orders of conifers are illustrated, including those from the Southern Hemisphere. The angiosperm section shows the major lineages of flowering plants, the basal angiosperms, magnoliids, monocots, and eudicots. There are 53 PowerPoint slides that can be printed for use in your classroom. The teacher’s notes have further classification and other information to help you guide students.

OUR PRICE: $7.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

Flowering Plant Families

Flowering Plant Families – The flowering plant families are a vital part of botany studies. The twenty families illustrated here represent all the major lineages as they are defined by the current botany community. The characteristics of each family and a representative sample of its members are shown. This PowerPoint presentation is also useful for teacher education and background. It has 50 slides and extra notes for the teacher.

OUR PRICE: $7.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

Plant Form and Function

Plant Form and Function – The 68 slides of this presentation show the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds and tell about their parts and functions. The illustrations can be printed to accompany live specimens for your plant lessons. There are arrows and annotations to help you observe the parts. This collection can be used at many levels, from elementary to teacher education.

OUR PRICE: $8.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

Kingdoms of Life Connected: A Teacher’s Guide to the Tree of Life

2nd Printing - 2009. A 198-page book that helps teachers present the Tree-of-Life view of life’s diversity to elementary and middle school students. The content includes “Coming of the Kingdoms” lessons and learning activities for all kingdoms plus the viruses. There are listings of book resources and Internet sites for each kingdom. This book includes black and white photo cards for charts that show the Tree of Life. The charts themselves are described in the book, and the files for printing them are available for download below. Email Priscilla to learn more about this book.

OUR PRICE: $29.95 Free shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

NOTE: Kingdoms of Life Connected is available in cartons of 12 copies at a discount. Email Priscilla for more information.

Kingdoms of Life Connected: A Teacher’s Guide to the Tree of Life is also available as an instantly downloadable pdf file. This option allows you to store the book on your computer and print selected pages from it. The digital download version is also cheaper and saves trees and shipping fuel! Our digital download price: $17.95. Click Here to Order

Tree of Life Charts (Companion to Kingdoms of Life Connected (above))

These charts are available for free.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

You may view the following files to use as a pattern to make your own charts. If you wish to have these charts printed, right click on the image and save the file to your computer, or simply open them directly. Copy the files to a memory stick or CD to transport them to a printing business that has a wide-format color printer. The cost of all five charts, printed in color and laminated, should be about $120. There are black and white photos that children can place on each of the colored rectangles. These photo cards are in the appendix of the book, Kingdoms of Life Connected. The photos are printed on card stock. They can be removed from the book and cut up for use on the charts. The text on the back of each photo tells where it belongs on the charts and has other information about the organism.

• A composite of all five charts shows how they fit together. This image is 38 inches X 71 inches when it is printed full size.
• The prokaryote chart is abbreviated for elementary children.
• The protist chart has the major lineages of eukaryotes.
• The fungus chart includes the newest phylum, Glomeromycota.
• The animal chart has major phyla.
• The plant chart shows major lineages.

If you need further information or have questions, please email Priscilla.

Photo Cards for the Tree of Life Charts

These cards are a reprint of the appendix to the book, Kingdoms of Life Connected: A Teacher’s Guide to the Tree of Life. They are black and white photo cards for the Tree of Life Charts, done on the same heavy cardstock as they are in the book. There are 9 pages of cards with text, including classification, on the back of each. The chart name and the label for the box where the card fits is in boldface, so children will have a built-in guide for placing the cards on the charts. A tenth page shows the Tree of Life charts and how they fit together.

OUR PRICE: $7.99. Free shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

A Tour of the Flowering Plants Based on the Classification System of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group

An excellent research reference for the elementary and middle school classroom. Focusing on the flowering plants of North America, with hundreds of gorgeous photographs illustrating the classification of plants in the angiosperm phylogeny group. Printed on high quality, glossy paper. Includes an excellent index, bibliography and glossary. A must-have addition to every teacher's reference materials, and a beautiful book sure to attract the attention of students. Email Priscilla for more information about this book.

OUR PRICE: $24.99. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Back issues of Big Picture Science Newsletter

Selected back issues of Big Picture Science Newsletter from 1999-2002 are posted here as pdf files. Click here to reach them.

OUR PRICE: These files can be downloaded and printed free of charge.

Photocards for Botany

Photocard Set 1, Major Groups of the Plant Kingdom, has been revised to conform with botanists’ recent classification changes. The third edition gives major lineages of the plant kingdom, including bryophytes, lycophytes, monilophytes, and seed plants. This classification is the family-tree (phylogenetic) type that botanists currently use. This 40-card set has upgraded digital photos and shows the features of each plant lineage clearly. Email Priscilla to learn more about this set.

OUR PRICE: $29.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order




Photocard Set 2, Introduction to the Flowering Plant Families. This set has 48 color photo cards, each of which is 4 ¼ X 5 ½. This set shows 14 families that represent the major lineages of angiosperms. Email Priscilla to learn more about this set.

OUR PRICE: $33.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order




Photocard Set 3, 48 Flower Cards for Study and Sorting. This set of 48 color photo cards opens the door for explorations of flower structures. After children have had an introduction to flowers, they need to practice observing various structures, and live specimens are not always available. The background information includes a table that shows which cards to use for 17 different lessons, from learning names to advanced flower structures. Adults can learn from these cards as well. Set contents: 48 color photo cards, 48 text cards that describe the flowers and tell what can be seen in the photos, and instructions for how to use the set.

OUR PRICE: $27.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order




Also available: Flowers: Stamens and Pistils. This set of letter-sized images shows close-ups of 12 flowers and has text for lower and upper elementary students and background information for their teachers. Email Priscilla to learn more about this set.

OUR PRICE: $24.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Poinsettia Book for Children

The Story of Poinsettias at TaTonka Farms shows how poinsettias are grown and tells about the botany of the plant. You can print this electronic download for your classroom. Choose "landscape orientation" and "fit to printer margins" to print it on letter-sized paper. 12 pages. OUR PRICE: $6.95. Go to our ordering page to order this downloadable PDF file (e-Book).

Plants We Eat

Produced by in-print for children. Learn about food plants and their edible parts. This set classifies 18 plant foods into six groups: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Includes plant description cards and replicards. Our price $54.95.Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Leaf Characteristics

Produced by in-print for children. This card set introduces simple vocabulary to describe the physical features of 40 North American tree, garden, and house plant leaves. Our price $29.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Biosphere to Atoms Poster Set

These thirteen posters show the organization of the living world, an important framework idea for understanding the living world. The original black and white posters have been water-colored and enlarged to 11” X 14”. The levels illustrated are: biosphere, biomes, ecosystems, communities, populations, organisms, organ systems, organs and tissues, cells, subcellular structures and organelles, macromolecules, small molecules, and atoms. The set includes study questions and further information for teachers. Our price $28.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order










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Physical Science Teaching Materials

Elements Around Us

Produced by in-print for children. These picture cards show 20 subjects with text that identifies the chemical elements in each. Background information and lesson suggestions are included for the teacher. Set includes picture cards and black line replicards. Our price $41.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Element Knowledge

Produced by in-print for children. This set challenges children to learn element names, atomic symbols, and atomic numbers. Background information and lesson suggestions are included for the teacher. Set includes picture cards and black line replicards. Our price $39.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Physical and Chemical Changes

Produced by in-print for children. Teach children to distinguish between physical and chemical changes. This set of 12 picture cards shows everyday objects before and after a physical or chemical change, such as an egg raw and then cooked or a glass whole and then broken. Our price $12.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Matter and Energy Card Set

Produced by in-print for children. 5 exercises help children solidify their knowledge of energy and matter, presenting concepts related to matter and energy, states of matter, changes in states of matter, energy, and heat transfer. Our price $20.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Parts of an Atom Diagram

Produced by in-print for children. This diagram illustrates and defines an atom and its five significant parts. Set includes two duplicate diagrams so one can be cut apart for matching work. Our price $9.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Outline of Geologic Time and the History of Life

Published March 2010 and revised July 2010. This 30 page e-Book gives you the information to update your timeline of life and the "Clock of Eras." It is based on the current timescales from the United States Geologic Survey and the International Commission on Stratigraphy. The information includes an overview of paleogeography and paleoclimate. The descriptions of life include lineages and relationships. Information on mammals is extensive and will help you tell the story of Cenozoic life. There is an introduction that includes important basic concepts and a listing of books and websites for children and for adult background.

OUR PRICE: $4.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: For teacher education programs and large schools – e-mail Priscilla if you are interested in a license to reproduce this e-Book for your teaching albums or for your staff.




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Downloadable e-Books and PDF Files

Plant Lessons: Introducing Children to Plant Form and Function, Part 1 -- Downloadable e-Book

Revised 2010. The instantly downloadable e-Book (PDF file) version of Plant Lessons is divided into two parts for ease of electronic delivery. Part 1 covers the whole plant, roots, stems, and leaves. The leaf section has new lessons for describing leaves in a practical and useful manner. Over a hundred color photos help both teacher and children see the subjects of the lessons. Purchasers may print the book, including the photos, for their own use. 93 pages, letter sized.

OUR PRICE: $12.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: If your school or teacher training program purchases five or more copies of this e-Book Email Priscilla about getting a volume rebate.

Plant Lessons: Introducing Children to Plant Form and Function, Part 2 -- Downloadable e-Book

Revised 2010. The instantly downloadable e-Book (PDF file) version of Plant Lessons is divided into two parts for ease of electronic delivery. Part 2 addresses flowers, fruits, and seeds. It includes introductory material, as well as the resource list, so it can stand alone. The flower chapter has improved terminology and includes basic and advanced flower lessons. The fruit chapter clarifies fruit types. Seed germination is covered more thoroughly. Over 150 color photos, 106 pages, letter-sized.

OUR PRICE: $12.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: If your school or teacher training program purchases five or more copies of this e-Book Email Priscilla about getting a volume rebate.

Outline of Geologic Time and the History of Life

Published March 2010 and revised July 2010. This 30 page e-Book gives you the information to update your timeline of life and the "Clock of Eras." It is based on the current timescales from the United States Geologic Survey and the International Commission on Stratigraphy. The information includes an overview of paleogeography and paleoclimate. The descriptions of life include lineages and relationships. Information on mammals is extensive and will help you tell the story of Cenozoic life. There is an introduction that includes important basic concepts and a listing of books and websites for children and for adult background.

OUR PRICE: $4.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

NOTE: For teacher education programs and large schools – e-mail Priscilla if you are interested in a license to reproduce this e-Book for your teaching albums or for your staff.

The Amaryllis -- An Example for Botany Studies

Description: This 12-page booklet shows the amaryllis bulb, and the developmental stages of its flower and fruit. The text on the booklet pages is for elementary children and serves as an example of the kind of information you can include in botany studies. Notes for the teacher with further information about the plant and how to grow it are on a separate page. You can print the booklet for your class. It is illustrated with color photographs.

OUR PRICE: $4.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

The Plant Kingdom

The Plant Kingdom – This file shows all the major groups of land plants, including bryophytes, lycophytes, the fern clade, and the spermatophytes (seed plants). It shows relationships and illustrates reproductive structures. The orders of conifers are illustrated, including those from the Southern Hemisphere. The angiosperm section shows the major lineages of flowering plants, the basal angiosperms, magnoliids, monocots, and eudicots. There are 53 PowerPoint slides that can be printed for use in your classroom. The teacher’s notes have further classification and other information to help you guide students.

OUR PRICE: $7.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

Flowering Plant Families

Flowering Plant Families – The flowering plant families are a vital part of botany studies. The twenty families illustrated here represent all the major lineages as they are defined by the current botany community. The characteristics of each family and a representative sample of its members are shown. This PowerPoint presentation is also useful for teacher education and background. It has 50 slides and extra notes for the teacher.

OUR PRICE: $7.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

Plant Form and Function

Plant Form and Function – The 68 slides of this presentation show the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds and tell about their parts and functions. The illustrations can be printed to accompany live specimens for your plant lessons. There are arrows and annotations to help you observe the parts. This collection can be used at many levels, from elementary to teacher education.

OUR PRICE: $8.95. This is a downloadable PDF file (e-Book). Click Here to Order.

Kingdoms of Life Connected: A Teacher’s Guide to the Tree of Life

2nd Printing - 2009. Digital download PDF file version (e-Book). A 198-page book that helps teachers present the Tree-of-Life view of life’s diversity to elementary and middle school students. The content includes “Coming of the Kingdoms” lessons and learning activities for all kingdoms plus the viruses. There are listings of book resources and Internet sites for each kingdom. This book includes black and white photo cards for charts that show the Tree of Life. The charts themselves are described in the book, and the files for printing them are available for download below. Email Priscilla to learn more about this book.

OUR PRICE: $17.95. Click Here to Order.

Tree of Life Charts (Companion to Kingdoms of Life Connected (above))

These charts are available for free.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

You may view the following files to use as a pattern to make your own charts. If you wish to have these charts printed, right click on the image and save the file to your computer, or simply open them directly. Copy the files to a memory stick or CD to transport them to a printing business that has a wide-format color printer. The cost of all five charts, printed in color and laminated, should be about $120. There are black and white photos that children can place on each of the colored rectangles. These photo cards are in the appendix of the book, Kingdoms of Life Connected. The photos are printed on card stock. They can be removed from the book and cut up for use on the charts. The text on the back of each photo tells where it belongs on the charts and has other information about the organism.

• A composite of all five charts shows how they fit together. This image is 38 inches X 71 inches when it is printed full size.
• The prokaryote chart is abbreviated for elementary children.
• The protist chart has the major lineages of eukaryotes.
• The fungus chart includes the newest phylum, Glomeromycota.
• The animal chart has major phyla.
• The plant chart shows major lineages.

If you need further information or have questions, please email Priscilla.

Poinsettia Book for Children

The Story of Poinsettias at TaTonka Farms shows how poinsettias are grown and tells about the botany of the plant. You can print this electronic download for your classroom. Choose "landscape orientation" and "fit to printer margins" to print it on letter-sized paper. 12 pages. OUR PRICE: $6.95. Go to our ordering page to order this downloadable PDF file (e-Book).

Back issues of Big Picture Science Newsletter

Selected back issues of Big Picture Science Newsletter from 1999-2002 are posted here as pdf files. Click here to reach them.

OUR PRICE: These files can be downloaded and printed free of charge.



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in-print for children Materials

New learning materials for Introducing Matter and Atoms

Priscilla has worked with in-print for children on several new charts and card sets. There are materials for learning the parts of an atom, element names and symbols, the difference between physical and chemical changes, and the classification of matter. Priscilla wrote the background information and lesson suggestions for teachers for each of the materials.

Elements Around Us

Produced by in-print for children. These picture cards show 20 subjects with text that identifies the chemical elements in each. Background information and lesson suggestions are included for the teacher. Set includes picture cards and black line replicards. Our price $41.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Element Knowledge

Produced by in-print for children. This set challenges children to learn element names, atomic symbols, and atomic numbers. Background information and lesson suggestions are included for the teacher. Set includes picture cards and black line replicards. Our price $39.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Physical and Chemical Changes

Produced by in-print for children. Teach children to distinguish between physical and chemical changes. This set of 12 picture cards shows everyday objects before and after a physical or chemical change, such as an egg raw and then cooked or a glass whole and then broken. Our price $12.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Matter and Energy Card Set

Produced by in-print for children. 5 exercises help children solidify their knowledge of energy and matter, presenting concepts related to matter and energy, states of matter, changes in states of matter, energy, and heat transfer. Our price $20.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Parts of an Atom Diagram

Produced by in-print for children. This diagram illustrates and defines an atom and its five significant parts. Set includes two duplicate diagrams so one can be cut apart for matching work. Our price $9.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Plants We Eat

Produced by in-print for children. Learn about food plants and their edible parts. This set classifies 18 plant foods into six groups: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Includes plant description cards and replicards. Our price $54.95.Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order

Leaf Characteristics

Produced by in-print for children. This card set introduces simple vocabulary to describe the physical features of 40 North American tree, garden, and house plant leaves. Our price $29.95. Price includes shipping inside US via media mail. International shipping and faster domestic shipping extra.
Click Here to Order




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Available Through Montessori Services

Priscilla has another book which is currently available only through Montessori Services. It is:

From the Biosphere to Atoms: A Teacher's Guide to the Organization of the Living World

Click Montessori Services Store for more information and to order this book.