Super Science Projects About Animals in Their Habitats

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Cobb presents six hands-on activities designed to help children observe animals, and to recognize their physical and behavioral adaptations to climate, habitat, and their place on the food chain. Simple experiments are suggested along with several extensions for further investigation. An attractive format, large-print type, and full-color photographs make the projects accessible to students. For most observations, experimenters are asked to construct simple equipment from readily available materials. One rather expensive activity involves setting up and equipping an aquarium. Scientific observation is emphasized and directions are given, including safety precautions about tools, heat, and even stinging bugs. In the first experiment, which explores insulation, the author directs readers to make a graph showing 10-minute time intervals as the x-axis and temperatures as the y-axis, but it is not illustrated. In another activity, youngsters are told to make a roof for a feeding tray, but it is not pictured. However, these omissions are not crucial to the science involved. This book fills a gap between Janice VanCleave's Play and Find Out about Nature (Wiley, 1997) and Charles E. Roth's The Amateur Naturalist (Watts, 1993; o.p.).-Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|