Overview
This revamped, re-styled, and updated edition of the popular hands-on book of experiments for kids demonstrates that learning the fundamentals of science can be exciting and fun. Clear directions for scores of safe and easy-to-perform experiments teach kids principles of physics, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, geology, and the life sciences. A small sample of the book's experiments include--
- Testing various foods for their starch content, and in the process discovering a method for making invisible ink
- Understanding the physical properties of air by constructing a kite, a miniature windmill, and a paper airplane
- Forecasting the weather by constructing a home-made barometer from objects that are easy to find around the house
- Creating a perfectly safe electric current, using just a fresh lemon, a paperclip, and a piece of copper wire
These and many more experiments are presented with guidelines for budding scientists, safety rules to remember and follow, and simple advice on thinking and asking questions like a scientist. Brand-new and attractive full-color illustrations on most pages.
Includes over two hundred projects that enable young scientists to make secret formulas, blow bubbles of all sizes and colors, grow smart plants, make predictions, and more.
Synopsis
(back cover)
Science Wizardry for Kids Second Edition
Open this book and discover that physics and chemistry are fun . . . astronomy and meteorology are awesome. . . and geology and life science are spectacular! You'll find clear, easy-to-follow directions for performing fascinating and safe experiments in all of the sciences.
You'll find these and many more fun projects with safety rules to remember and follow plus simple advice on learning to think and ask questions like a scientist.
Hundreds of color illustrations
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-- These simple science activities are intriguing, with clear instructions that neatly tie the expected results in with the scientific principles they demonstrate. In many cases, readers are encouraged to pursue the concepts further on their own. Several experiments within one chapter often relate to one another, expanding the ideas of the initial activity. The text is informal and chatty, but does not oversimplify. Illustrations consist of a single cartoon for each activity; they are usually useless, but the clarity of the instructions compensates for their inadequacy. Mixed in among the straight experiments are informational tidbits (how hurricanes are named, mnemonics for memorizing the names of the planets) and more practical activities (building a bird feeder). While early chapters on chemistry and physics are mostly experiments, later sections, such as the one on astronomy, consist of more thought-provoking concepts. Some children will appreciate the variety of science-related material; others may be turned off by the unfocused and inconsistent approach. Nevertheless, this is a good resource for easy projects and for kids who are just plain curious; teachers and parents may find it especially useful. --Steven Engelfried, Alameda County Library, CA