Space and Astronomy Experiments

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—This series title briefly describes 20 experiments that could be done in astronomy or science classes. Each chapter opens with the concepts covered, the time needed, the materials required, and a numbered list of steps and includes one or two demonstrations that could be performed in approximately 45 to 60 minutes. For some of the more complicated activities (building a cross-staff, simple telescope, or spectroscope, for example), the directions suffer from insufficient illustration to clarify the text. Additionally, sometimes the illustrations are separated by more than one page from the directions describing them, so the experimenter must do a lot of page-flipping in order to follow them. What the book really lacks, however, is the sense of enthusiasm or excitement that these experiments could generate. It contains safety instructions and back matter that includes a glossary, periodic table, brief answers to study questions, and lists of websites for further research.—Denise Schmidt, San Francisco Public Library, CA