Lively Plant Science Projects

Children's Literature - Amy S. Hansen

Part of the "Real Life Experiments" series, Benbow and Mably invite young investigators to learn what happens to plants with and without water. They also look at different types of roots. And they learn how water travels through plants. These experiments are solid and manageable for early elementary school students. While plant experiments may not have the energy of working with animals, they will appeal to students who want to get their hands dirty and do more than just watch the birds or bees. Explanations are provided on the pages after the experiment, followed by "Ideas for Science fairs," which entails a list of questions. These questions offer solid leads for students needing to work on their fair. However, since these are questions about plants, most of them cannot be answered with a last-minute experiment. Illustrations are engaging drawings of animals and young readers. Backmatter includes glossary, list of websites, and index. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen

School Library Journal

Gr 3–5—Each of the 10 standard-fare experiments in these books begins with a question such as "Do Plants Move Toward Light?" or "What Is in a Seed?" Readers are asked to formulate a hypothesis before beginning. Supplies are listed and step-by-step directions are given but not illustrated. The directions are mostly clear, but occasionally students may lack the vocabulary or background knowledge to answer the questions posed. Answers and additional information appear in an explanation section that follows each activity. A list of two or three science-fair ideas concludes each one. For the most part, these suggestions follow logically from the experiment but some will require extra effort. Fact boxes and small color photos and watercolor illustrations accompany the texts. The paintings are more decorative than informative and lack detail (stomata are not shown in a labeled painting of a leaf in Plant) and one in Seed has an error (cotyledons are mislabeled in an illustration of a corn seed). An introductory list of safety rules is included. For a slightly more advanced and enticing set of experiments, try Janice VanCleave's Plants: Mind-Boggling Experiments You Can Turn into Science Fair Projects (Wiley, 1996).—Carol S. Surges, McKinley Elementary School, Wauwatosa, WI