Answer by teachersupport on question scientific dictonaries
Answer reviewed 26 February 2023
Many of the commercially available ‘Science Dictionaries’ use technical language that is not necessarily accessible for all our students. However, many textbooks have suitable glossaries that reflect the level of science being taught and could therefore be more appropriate.
Free resources
- Griffith University has a free online science dictionary which seems to have reasonable definitions for junior students. https://www.dictionary.com/
- The ACARA website provides a free detailed glossary for the Science Curriculum. This could be printed for students or used as an online resource: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/glossary
- Science Directory is a Google search for science: https://www.thesciencedictionary.com/
- Vision Learning allows students to search for definitions of scientific terms and concepts: https://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary
Dictionaries for purchase
The Oxford Student’s Science Dictionary. Oxford University Press (OUP) is a well-renowned school resource. OUP has a primary and secondary science dictionary.
Primary dictionary: https://global.oup.com/education/product/9780192772466/?region=internati...
Secondary dictionary: https://global.oup.com/education/product/9780192776945/?region=internati...