Experimenting with Plants

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up Ideas for science fair projects using plants are presented by a high-school science teacher and science project judge. He presents ideas through questions to excite students' curiosity, but his overuse of the exclamation point to generate excitement is annoying. The text is illustrated with clear, understandable graphs and drawings, but the black-and-white photographs are of poor quality and add little. However, much of the text is useful. For example, students interested in acid rain could use the index to quickly find six pages of definitions, safety precautions, a detailed plan for discovering the effect of acid rain upon root growth and seven ideas for other projects, plus how to make and record observations about acid rain in their own communities. This book has flaws, but it will help students with specific project ideas and plans. Frances E. Millhouser, Arlington County Libs . , Va.