Water: Green Science Projects for a Sustainable Planet

Children's Literature - Amy S. Hansen

Part of the "Team Green Science Projects" series, these demonstrations and suggestions for science fair projects are designed to get kids thinking past an immediate assignment and addressing bigger questions with a bit more depth than prompted by normal science fair books. Gardner provides short expository sections at the beginning of each chapter. His information is enough for the students to investigate meaningful questions, but not so much as to overwhelming. "Water is Earth's life-sustaining resource," he writes in the introduction. "Without this vital chemical compound, there would be no life. Water makes up two-thirds of the human body. It covers 70 percent of our planet." The demonstrations and experiments that follow offer different lenses for better look at this resource. Chapter one covers Earth's drinking water. Chapter two looks at the chemistry and physics of water. Chapter three is the water cycle. Chapter four addresses rivers, lakes, dams and wetlands. And Chapter five looks at water conservation. Backmatter includes an appendix listing science supply companies, a glossary, lists of books and Internet addresses for further reading, and an index. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen

School Library Journal

Gr 5–9—Gardner's in-depth exploration of green topics will inspire interested students to think outside of the book to discover dynamic science-fair projects and perhaps even pursue careers in the ever-expanding field of green science. Each title opens with a basic introduction to the topic, which is followed by a definition of the scientific method and a note about science fairs, letting students know that taking an experiment directly from a book will not impress the judges. In keeping with this advice, Gardner provides plenty of information, well-designed experiments, and demonstrations, and then shares brief science-fair ideas that range from simple variations and expansions to suggestions that readers fully design experiments. Experiments and demonstrations are presented with clear step-by-step instructions and occasional illustrations and represent a wide range of complexity. Supplies range from simple household items to specialized scientific equipment, making it easy for everyone to find something to try.