In Philadelphia, April means the Philadelphia Science Festival ! The week-long festival, hosted by the Franklin Institute, includes hundreds of free and low-cost programs across the city for children, families, and adults. The Free…
Three upcoming new books, coming out in three consecutive months, will focus on the subject of the workings of the human brain. Helen Thomson, a freelance science journalist, tells the stories of nine extraordinary people from…
If you are reading this on March 14 at 1:59 p.m., then it must be Pi Day (Pi at 5 decimal places = 3.14159, natch!) This annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (Pi), or in its easiest understood numeric equivalent, 3.14,…
Since Frankenstein & Dracula: Gothic Monsters, Modern Science opened on Friday the 13th of October, I’ve fielded a few questions from surprised visitors: Dracula , really? It’s not difficult to see the…
Get ready for a rare celestial happening in the universe (well, at least our known universe ), as a Solar Eclipse will be taking place throughout North American on August 21. But what exactly is a solar eclipse, why is it happening, and…
Even though school is out, we at the Free Library are committed to keeping children and teens learning all summer long. That’s why we plan the Summer of Wonder , which includes everything from LEGO building to mystery solving. But…
Registration for Science in the Summer began this past Friday, May 5 and to celebrate, the Franklin Institute visited the Ramonita G. de Rodriguez Library and provided a fun program for the students of Kearny Elementary…
The Philadelphia Science Festival is almost here! The city-wide celebration of science happens April 21-29. The Free Library is proud to partner with the festival to offer great programing for all ages! Check out all the…
Philadelphia was the place to be in July of 1976. Even Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain came to present the Bicentennial Bell , cast in the same foundry as our Liberty Bell. The 4,000+ members of the Pennsylvania chapter of the…
By Becky Friedman and Kadafi El-Kardah Science in the Summer has begun! On June 28th and 29th, kids at the Oak Lane Library enjoyed two full days of free programming focused on science and hands-on learning. Since this year’s…
The Free Library is excited to host several science-based children’s programs in 16 of its neighborhood libraries—as well as a number of kitchen-science programs at the Culinary Literacy Center at Parkway Central…
Beginning in September 2015, several Science Leadership Academy high school students studying film and photography worked on their Independent Learning Project at our Parkway Central Branch. The teens took on various tasks…
What better way to celebrate science than in your own backyard? Join the Philadelphia Science Festival at several of our neighborhood libraries after school for a celebration of science exploration! Scientists, engineers, and other…
An Exhibition in the Rare Book Department's William B. Dietrich Gallery (3rd floor) April 9 - September 15, 2018 The ecology of the Western Hemisphere has been shaped by human intervention. Landscapes and wildlife have been helped,…
Randi Hutter Epstein is the author of Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank , a “delightful—and sometimes disturbing” (NPR) romp through the history, fads, and science behind…
The Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a Professor of Vaccinology and Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Paul Offit is the co-inventor of the…
Each month, students will explore concepts of Science and do STEM activities. This is for preschool/kindergarten children ages 3 to 7. Groups must call to schedule a visit.
The former curator of the ornithological collections at London’s Natural History Museum, Katrina van Grouw is the author of The Unfeathered Bird . A sumptuous labor of love, this hybrid of art, science, and history features 385…
In the New York Times bestselling book The Tenth Parallel , immersive journalist Eliza Griswold spent seven years traversing the geographic and ideological fronts in Africa and Asia where Christianity and Islam…
We'll read stories, sing songs, and do simple hands-on science activities designed to introduce young children to basic science concepts. Come explore with us! For ages 4 to 6 years old.
Learn why bees and other animals are so important to the garden and the food we like to eat. We’ll taste some honey and design the perfect living machine to pollinate our flowers. For ages 12 and under.
Each month, students will explore concepts of Science and do STEM activities. This is for preschool/kindergarten children ages 3 to 7. Groups must call to schedule a visit.
It’s time for Liftoff!! Embark on a trip to space with the Franklin Institute. Explore the scientific and engineering challenges of getting into space, living and working in orbit, and safely returning to earth. Generously paid…
A fellow of the American Meteorological Society and director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center, geographer Mark C. Serreze is one of the world’s foremost experts on the planet’s cryosphere—Earth’s snow and…
We'll read stories, sing songs, and do simple hands-on science activities designed to introduce young children to basic science concepts. Come explore with us! For ages 4 to 6 years old.
The principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto, a planetary scientist, and an aerospace executive and consultant, Dr. Alan Stern has participated in a mind-blowing 29 space missions and has served in the loftiest strata…
Hosted by Temple University’s Education Honor Society, this after school event will help families and children of all ages engage with science literacy through grade appropriate books. The whole event will feature a story time,…
Science comes to your neighborhood as the city's most engaging experts visit your library to lead free STEM programs after school.
Spark your student’s passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning when local engineers, scientists, and other experts visit your neighborhood library to lead FREE after-school programs. Take part in…
Spark your student’s passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning when local engineers, scientists, and other experts visit your neighborhood library to lead FREE after-school programs. Take part in…
Spark your child’s passion for STEM learning when local engineers, scientists, and other experts visit your neighborhood library to lead FREE after-school programs. Take part in these exciting experiments, animal encounters, and…
Spark your student’s passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning when local engineers, scientists, and other experts visit your neighborhood library to lead FREE after-school programs. Take part in…
Be a part of the Philadelphia Science Festival! Join us for Science After School have fun participating in exciting experiments and fun hands-on activities and meeting a scientist!
Suggested books for students in the field of science.
Suggested books for students in the field of engineering.
Learn more about The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.
From global warming and carbon footprints to new weather forecasting technologies and more frequent natural disasters like volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, tornadoes, typhoons, hurricanes, and more.
Read these biographies of astronauts and the planets and galaxies they have explored.
GreenFILE offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution,…
Find your favourite animals, where and how they live, the latest news about them and who's filming them right now.
One stop for all kinds of weather links, just for kids! For grades 3 and up.
From NASA. Images of our planet that can be searched by satellite, region, state, and more. For grades 4 and up.
List of programs and research with STEM emphasis.
From the Weather Channel. Includes your local forecast, stormwatches, ski conditions, flu outbreaks, and more. For 4th grade and up.
Games, projects, amazing facts, and more brought to you from NASA. For grades 3 and up.
Program that serves a select group of Philadelphia-area students in grades 9-12 who are passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects.
STEM Philly's goal is to stimulate students’ interest in STEM subjects and enhance their learning so they will become part of the STEM workforce in the Philadelphia area. With the help of volunteers and partners organizations, Explore…
Raises awareness in Congress, the Administration, and other organizations about the critical role that STEM education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century.
A kids' page from NASA. Build your own models, submit pictures for the art gallery, watch videos and more. For 2nd grade and up.
The Philadelphia Science Festival is a nine-day, community-wide celebration of science that takes place annually in April, featuring lectures, debates, hands-on activities, special exhibitions and a variety of other informal science…
Just like the Savage Earth series. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes, and more. For grades 4 and up.
Lots of STEM-related content and lesson plans on this free digital media content library site that builds on the strength of public media and is the destination for relevant educational resources for PreK-12 teachers.
In every place humans live, the possibility of a natural disaster exists. From National Geographic. Grades 4 and up.
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Includes advisories, all kinds of forecasts, and text message signup. For grades 5 and up.
Coloring books that you can print about weather! For Kindergarten and up. Children may need help with printing.
A history of astronauts and their biographies from NASA. For grades 4 and up.
Do something about global warming. The best things to do to prevent global warming. For grades 2 and up.
From the National Air and Space Museum. Explore comets, compare planets, take a trip on the Voyager and more! For grades 4 and up.
A website for kids from the European Space Academy. Includes information about space, earth, and other cool facts about our universe. For grades 4 and up.
From the Environmental Protection Agency, for kids. Climate change, the greenhouse effect, games and more. For grades 3 and up.