Reviews of Science Education Equipment Catalogs

Reviews of Science Education Equipment Catalogs

Jump to:NASCO
Flinn
PASCO
Carolina
Ward's
Educational Innovations Inc.
Comparisons

NASCO

I like this catalog because it was broken down into various sections within each subject. This made it easier to find an item without having to look through the entire book. If cost was not an issue, I would definitely want to purchase the Advanced Skeleton with Muscles for $634.45. This skeleotn would last a very long time and can be used by all classes. It is an excellent tool for the visual learner. The students would be able to manipulate it to see how the bones move, how the bones protect organs and the various sizes of the bones. Also, during an anatomy and physiology lesson, the students would be able to see the origin and insertion of the muscles. [reviewed by Marilena Carranza, fall 2005]

I looked through all of the specimens that this catalogue has available for dissection. The specimens that they have available range from a unit of 10, 6"-8" Earthworms, for $3.50 to $59.95 for a pregnant, skinned cat. The prices are reduced when they are purchased in bulk. So, depending on your budget, there are a wide array of specimens to choose from for dissecting activities in class. [reviewed by Mylissa Burns, fall 2005]

The 2005 Nasco catalog is very complete and broken down into specific content areas. There are sections on Biology, Earth Science, Space Science, Physical Science and General Science materials. Each of the main headings is then separated into detailed classroom materials. The setup is easy to use and packed with descriptions of each product. Each content area is complete and offers options to fit any curriculum and budget.

Nasco offers a large amount of student centered experiments and activities for the classroom and laboratory. The many multimedia offerings in each section can be used for all developmental levels. Most of the products contain a description and suggested usage. I feel the catalog could be extremely useful when planning lessons and laboratory experiments. It is an asset for any Science teacher.

Some examples from the astronomy, which I may buy for myself, are:

From the Weather Section [reviewed by Greg Hoffner, fall 2005]

Biological science is the first section and has many pages of supplies and materials. It also has an Earth, Space, Physical, and General Science section. It is well laid out and you can easily compare prices and quantities. Their section of live materials and preserved materials seems very extensive. The items are reasonably priced. I looked at items relating to cells. [reviewed by Julie Evans, fall 2005]

I liked the variety of Biolgy items they offer and I am sure I will use it in the future. The way the catalog is laid out is helpful to find particular concept materials. My Unit Resource packet is on Invertebrates and I would like to purchase the BioQuest Hands-On Preserved Vertebrate Study Set on pg.26. The cost is $45.95 and it provides specimens, study guides, activity sheets, and magnifying glasses. I found it interesting that you could buy animal specimens this easily, but I guess I never thought about where my teachers got them from. In addition, although I am not a physics major, I thought the selection of rockets was impressive. [reviewed by Megan Donovan, fall 2005]

This catalog has sections for Biological, Earth, Space, General and Physical Sciences. However, it did seem that the catalog caters to the Biology segment of the market.

I looked at kit listed in the Biology pages under Forensic Science. This kit is NEO / C.S.I investigations Lab.

The description says that the Lab explores criminal investigations. Students are provided with a scenario and crime scene from which they gather evidence and use that evidence to conduct various tests to analyze hairs, fibers, shoeprints, blood, chromosomes and DNA, tool marks, stomach contents. It includes everything needed to set up a variety of scenarios and crime scenes along with suggestions on how to effectively integrate the skills learned to the course curriculum. The kit includes materials for a class of 40 students and cost $69.95.

I thought that this kit could be used in a Biology and possibly a Chemistry course. I think that the students would enjoy the "real-world" application of the science that they had been learning. The link to the popular C.S.I. television program would promote student interest in the lab work.

I also found a visual aid for discussing the Bohr Model of the atom. It was a three dimensional model that came with a teacher's guide and inquiry-based lab activities, worksheets, assessment ides. The model was 19" x 13" x 3. I think that this representation of the atom will work well for students that cannot translate the two dimensional drawing from a text in at three dimensional model in their minds eye. This model was $53.95.

For $58.85 you could also purchase an Atom building kit. The kit comes with pieces that the students can see, touch and use to "build" atoms. There are magnetic protons, neutrons and electrons that can be placed on a magnetic board to build atoms up to an atomic number of 10. I felt that this model was a wonderful idea, however, I could probably make one on my own for a fraction of the cost. [reviewed by Michele Fogarty, fall 2005]

I found that the equipment found in the catalog was very basic and didn't offer any "nice" stuff. I feel like the catalog is very geared towards elementary and middle applications, with the exception of their dissection animals section. I found that to be appropriate for a high school level. Volumetric flasks and such ran anywhere from $20.85-42.45 for each flask. Glass graduated cylinders run anywhere from $11.35-$57.00. [reviewed by Lauren Ricci, fall 2005]

The catalog is organized in a manor that makes it very easy to locate items. It is divided into different sciences which offers additional resources for that specific science. The descriptions for each item are complete and also provides information about the pricing if the item is ordered in bulk. I think that this is extremely helpful when attempting to plan a unit while under the restrictions of a tight budget. One can also collaborate with other teachers within the department or with another school (i.e., Liberty and Freedom) to increase the order and decrease the cost. Nasco offers a wide variety of materials that one can use for the classroom and also offers lab subjects for dissection. One item of interest that I found to be most interesting is the dissection videos that the catalog offers. I thought that offering an alternate to dissection is a good move on the company as well as a good selling point to the school. The video would not provide the hands on experience, but would allow for students who are opposed to the killing of animals to still learn the lessons that dissection provides. In addition, over time the video would be a cheaper then purchasing lab animals on a yearly basis. Overall, the catalog is an excellent resource to help teachers plan a unit and to add resources to any unit or lesson plan. [reviewed by Chris Erdo, Fall 2005]

For the Earth and Space sections, I thought there were some nice selections and ways to order individual rocks and minerals if one were missing from a set. The astronomy items such as the planetarium models ranged in price from $89.95 to $665.00. This is nice for low to high budget schools. [reviewed by Kathy Youshock, Fall 2005]

I enjoyed this book because it had a large variety of biology items. The dissection specimens were fairly priced and there were several supplements to accompany each dissection. I also thought that the models are a good visual source. They were not outrageously priced and there were several to choose from for each one. For my unit, I could use the animal and plant cell models on pg. 107 at $69.95 each. Later in the unit, I could also utilize the visualizing mitosis poster for $19.95. [reviewed by Jen LaBar, Fall 2005]

I think that this book provides a lot of material that a new biology teacher could use to enhance the learning experience in the classroom. Though I focused in on the materials that were offered for biology they also offered materials that could be used in may other science classes, such as chemistry, physics, earth and space, etc. In this book they offered tools that were basic and simple, where with the time and money one could put together from scratch like a mushroom farm ($21.25 pg 54) and terrariums (around $30.00 pg 58) The also offer more technically advanced equipment like a Berlese apparatus which gathers nematodes and micro arthropods from soil ($59.95 pg 55).

I found just about anything I could possibly want in this catalog. More importantly reviewing this catalogs and others like it have given me new insight about what to include in my lessons. Although I may not necessarily buy the materials for my lessons from here I may include concepts that I found in my lessons by using different means. [reviewed by Pete Peterson, Fall 2005]

Flinn

The catalog is very good for chemistry supplies. There are simple, inexpensive kits for demonstrations that I believe would be very useful. For example, there is an "Identifying Chemical Reactions Demonstration Kit" for $59.61 that allows you to demonstrate 5 different reaction types 7 times each. (That is less than $2 per reaction demo.) The kit also comes with notes for the teacher and worksheets for the students.

There is also a 189-page book with Daily Warm-ups in Chemistry for $20.25. Other items include good model sets, demonstration books and videos, safety posters, safety equipment, and good Flinn ChemTopic Labs for $13.95 each.

The literature on the topics and safety is what is most impressive about this catalog, and this company for that matter. After reading some of this material, I believe that Flinn would be a supply company to me, but they would be a resource. They seem to know what they sell. [reviewed by Lou Pacchioli, fall 2005]

PASCO

PASCO is probably the premiere source of physics equipment, though I have found them to be quite pricey. With a little bit of know-how, you can sometimes build your or equipment from commercially available components. For example, PASCO offers a resistance-capacitance circuit board (SE-9791, pg 346) with one resistor and one capacitor for $35. For and extra $45 they will sell you a basic digital multimeter (Radio Shack has comparable meters for a lot less). With that same $35, I can go to Radio Shack and get a breadboard and a whole bunch of components plus a nice plastic box in which to put the kit. I now have a circuits kit that allows me to do all kinds of experiments, not just an RC circuit. In addition, since the breadboard is not already pre-wired like the PASCO circuit, the students have to figure it out themselves, thus driving the learning to a much deeper level. Of course, you can't always make your own. It those instances, PASCO is a great choice because you get high quality equipment and a selection that few other supply houses offer. But be prepared to pay for it! [reviewed by Eric Overholt, fall 2005]

Carolina

It’s amazing that evolution can be one of the most important themes in biology, yet have such poor representation in terms of teaching products. Very few catalogs even mention evolution or natural selection, and most of the products are probably not worth the money. Videos and computer programs seem to be the most common products associated with evolution, and I personally would not expect to find any of them useful. Admittedly however, I have neither tested nor reviewed these products.

The Carolina Biological Supply Company’s 2002 Science and Math catalog (procured from a Gessner 2nd Floor bookshelf) contains a mix of products for the biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and space science classrooms. The catalog’s 1,194 pages contain thousands and thousands of products– 8 of these (products, not pages) are indexed under evolution.

Luckily evolution covers a broad area, and a number of the products associated with genetics and geology can be applied to a unit on evolution. I was most attracted to a 2-dimensional model of Pangea that uses movable continents to represent continental drift. The model can also be used with an overhead projector and includes a teacher’s guide and world map for reference. At $49.95, the model compares favorably with an actual globe ($299.00) that has movable plates to demonstrate the position of the continents at different periods in Earth’s history.

It should be noted that neither the Pitsco nor the Nasco catalogs had any comparable product. I was not able to review a Flinn Scientific catalog, and the website for Flinn does not allow for an easy search of the catalog, so Carolina was the only place I found this product.

In addition to its broad and general coverage of the sciences, I would recommend the Carolina company as a general reference tool. The catalog provides many ideas for lessons and/or projects, and the web site for Carolina includes a number of resources for teachers. [reviewed by Ross Ruschman, fall 2005]

Carolina Biological Supply Company boasts one of the most wide-spanning, complete science catalogs that I have seen thus far. The 2003-4 catalog is segmented into different disciplines within the realm of science, which makes for easy location of desired materials. There are many different interesting live organisms that a science teacher could purchase through this company, something that I personally look forward to when I have my own classroom. Beyond that, there are models and materials that span the range of basic middle school science needs to university laborat ory tools. I am amazed with the sheer volume of things to buy; a science classroom has the possibility to have a wonderful demonstration or model to go with every lesson. That is, if the district has the money. As I am teaching the skeletal system, I know a skeletal model could serve as an excellent teaching tool. The basic skeleton ranges in costs from approximately $500 to $1,000. A large investment, but worth the money as long as it is durable. [reviewed by Amanda Popielski, fall 2005]

This is a wonderful catalog, especially for biology. There are lots of products for learning about live as well as preserved specimens. There are also great lab kits that can be purchased and aid in the study of all the kingdoms. You can find just about any lab equipment and materials imaginable in the Carolina catalog. The prices are usually fairly reasonable as well. I have used this supply company before to order materials for making insect collections (collection boxes, pins, etc.) and they are always very reliable and ship promptly. For my unit resource packet, I will be doing a unit on evolution. I found several ideas in the catalog that could be incorporated into my unit. One idea was a hominid and great ape skull replica set. This would be very useful in doing a lab activity comparing various features of early hominids and taking measurements with calipers. The set includes seven replicas and costs $489. This is a bit costly, but the set would be a great tool for all the science/social science classes in a school to utilize and share. Another idea for the evolution unit would be an Alcohol Tolerance Drosophila Kit that costs $69.50. Flies with and without the gene for the enzyme ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase) are provided. Students can conduct a lab that demonstrates adaptations and natural selection by introducing alcohol to the two groups. Overall, Carolina Biological is a GREAT catalog!! [reviewed by Megan Morgan, fall 2005]

I looked at the carolina catalogue online. The site was fairly easy to browse and had sections for all of the major sciences taught in secondary schools. Upon closer evaluation however I noticed that to browse this site I would need to know exactly what I was looking for and how they categorized it because each section link took me to a new page where there were more categories until I reached the end where it would display a few products.

Being a biologist I of course looked for the animals for dissection or even an easy to use model of an animal and found them broken down into groups. They sold a kit for keeping live animals (as well as the animals themselves) in the classroom which could be a means of teaching behavior but could also prove a great distraction. I also found a number of displays that covered a number of concepts in biology. The cheapest one was around $70.

Once I figured out how to browse the catalogue it was easier to find things but it took around 20 minutes to get the entire thing figured out. [reviewed by Steven Clay, Fall 2005]

Ward's

I reviewed the Wards Natural Science Online Catalog. This catalog contains resources for biology, chemistry, physical science, earth science, environmental science, and AP science. It has a wide range of materials including dissection kits, text books, microscopes, charts and posters, models, fossil specimens, minerals, meteorology equipment, and water/air/soil testing kits. I really liked the online catalog because it was easy to navigate, had up to date prices, a wide range of products, and offered some specials only available online.

The World Beneath Our Feet Lab Activity costs $49.95. This lab kit allows students to use gram staining techniques to identify microorganisms in the soil. It includes enough materials for ten lab groups and a teacher's guide. Another lab in this catalog that looks really interesting is called "Crime Scene 1: The Case of Lois McArthur". This lab kit costs $74.00 and allows students to use fingerprinting, blood, hair, fiber, and handwriting analysis. [reviewed by Kristina Carone, fall 2005]

Educational Innovations Inc.

It bills itself as teacher owned and operated (must be better than teaching I guess!) and it certainly seems to be a hoot of a catalog. The regular “science” stuff is not in here, while edible “flavored larva treats” (in BBQ, Cheddar, and Mexican spice flavors, $25 for a box of 36), James D. Watson bobble head dolls ($20), and fuel cell car kits are ($133). As a biologist, I looked for specific curricular applications for my classroom and found it lacking. A model DNA kit is intended to be a permanent fixture ($60) and is not for student manipulation. There is a confusing array of topics (new one for each page) and there are products repeated depending on the classification. I’ll assume the reader is supposed to start from the beginning and go till the end, a sort of “just browsing” quality because there is no rhyme or reason to the Table of Contents. The website is much better at sorting out the whole thing. www.teachersource.com. [reviewed by Chris Briggs, Fall 2005]

Comparisons

I have looked through many catalogs in the past. Most have the same kind of stuff at different costs. Some have more and many have less things to purchase. I like the Flinn Scientific catalog because of the bountiful amount of things they offer. I also liked a catalog I have ordered from called“PITSCO”. Though a bit pricey, this catalog had some of the better quality items. Right now I am reviewing the NASCO 2005 catalog that we received in class. It is very comparable in price and in quality to the Flinn catalog, but with much less offered. A couple of products caught my eye. First is a set of 2 books (different products, but same idea). They are 150 captivating chemistry experiments using household substances and the sequel called 150 more captivating chemistry experiments using household substances. Students need real world connection. They also like to know that they too can perform a really cool demo. By using common household things, students can impress friends and family and become more driven in the sciences and especially chemistry. I love it, as a teacher, when I can use chemicals from a commercial container rather than from a chemical warehouse bottle. It lets student know that chemistry isn’t a foreign language and only used in far east nations.

Another book that caught my eye was one entitled “40 low waste, low risk chemistry labs”. In an litigious society as we have today, sometimes I am afraid of the chemicals my students are using. If anything happens, I could be held liable. Often I use water instead of hydrochloric acid if I know that no reaction is supposed to happen. It just keeps things safer. Low risk experiments would keep my fears at bay. Coming from a low socio-economic area, cost was a huge concern. I hated using too much chemicals because I know I wouldn’t see them again for 5 years. Low waste means that I probably wouldn’t be using a large quantity of material.

The first two books are $18.95 apiece and the third book is $22.50. One thing I don’t like about this catalog was that it was hard to find the chemistry stuff. I only found it because I like toys and I was searching through the earth science stuff to see what I could find. I was shocked to come across chemistry there in the earth science. I believe Flinn gives it its own section as do many other catalogs. [reviewed by Jeffrey Wisnoski, fall 2005]

I have reviewed three catalogs
  1. Nasco 2005
  2. Flinn Catalog 2005
  3. SK Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories 2005
Before I begin comparing products, I want to describe the thickness of Flinn and SK catalogs. Flinn is approximately 2.5 inches thick, where SK is approximately 2 inches thick. Fortunately, both catalogs come with a CD-ROM.

The first product I compared was an electronic balance with the following properties: Capacity 500g, Readability 0.1 g

  1. Nasco $132.15 (Adapter Included)
  2. Flinn $ 119. 90 (Adapter not Included) Adapter $9.95 = $119.00
  3. SK $$ 165. 00 (Adapter Included)
The second product I compared was a general phenolphthalein solution 1%
  1. Nasco 100 mL $6.45; 500 mL $10.80
  2. Flinn 100 mL $ 3.85; 500 mL $ 5.80
  3. SK 100 mL $3.95; 500 mL $ 5.70
The third product I compared were goggles
  1. Nasco Chemical Splash Goggles $ 3.15/ pair or $2.73 (purchase 5)
  2. Flinn Chemical Splash Goggles $ 3.20
  3. SK $ 4.95
After comparing the three catalogs, I have found that prices can be comparable between the three. Overall, I found Flinn to be the best catalog. First, the prices tend to be lower. Also, the company is well-known and the CD-Rom is user-friendly. [reviewed by Natasha Chromey, fall 2005]

Last updated: October, 2005.
rcohen@po-box.esu.edu