Everything You Need To Know About Science Homework

Children's Literature

Targeted to students in fourth to sixth grades, this book is a comprehensive review of science topics most commonly covered in school. At first glance, this book might look like a workbook, but the information presented inside is detailed and educational. This title will be beneficial for students that may not fully grasp the material when it is presented in a classroom setting. Visual learners will find this book to be especially useful as the chapters are full of diagrams, maps, illustrations, and charts. The pages are busy and colorful, with bolded text for important new words. There is an index at the back, but the book is missing a glossary. Bolded words are defined within the text, but students may have to reference another book if they need a more explicit definition. Seven topics are covered in this book ranging from earth and the physical world, to the plant and animal kingdoms, to ecology and outer space. Students will also learn new and interesting facts and statistics that may not be discussed in class such as the longest rivers in miles, the largest volcanic eruptions by number of deaths, and the deepest underwater trenches in meters. Not only is this book a great reference book for completing science homework, it will also encourage students to learn more on topics presented in the classroom. 2005, Scholastic, Ages 9 to 12.
—Erin Teagan

Children's Literature - Judy Katsh

The book is supposedly written in collaboration with the United Federation of Teachers who sponsor Dial-a-teacher-a phone line connecting students with homework questions to teachers who can give them assistance. The Dial-a-Teacher program sounds like a great idea-a live teacher giving specific help regarding a specific issue. The problems with the book are profound. Basic concepts are either not addressed or they are so briefly covered as to be totally unhelpful (It's an MTV approach to science-little sound-bytes of information that are meaningless by themselves). It is written at too high a level for 4 to 6th graders (or their parents!) to easily understand and while some of the graphics are clear-many others are not and several graphics accompany passages about totally different topics! It presupposes that kids' homework is of the fill-in-the-blank variety. The text is mostly comprised of brief definitions and lists. And, it's poorly written. If parents really want to help their kids with science homework, they would grab a copy of anything written by Janice VanCleave. What a gift she has of making the complex understandable!-or they can pick up a Magic School Bus book-Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen are masterful in they way they marry text and illustration, fact and humor.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6As their titles indicate, these books are written specifically to help children complete their homework assignments. Therefore, they are best used as circulating materials and not as reference books. None of the material is presented in-depth and the books aren't meant to be used for reports, but in terms of answering specific questions, introducing concepts, or providing simple explanations they are competently done. All three volumes have thorough tables of contents that are easy to use; large print size and lots of white space; numerous charts, maps, and graphs; and color-coded sound bites of information. Each page has a handy sidebar that indicates what can be found and thus provides a shortcut for someone leafing through in search of an answer. The indexes are also complete. American History is enriched with colorful graphics and archival photos. Answers to the most commonly asked homework questions abound, and they are easily accessible and clearly stated.Suzanne Hawley, Laurel Oak Elementary School, Naples, FL