Super Smart: Science
Super Smart Sciencecontains science challenges, based on the National Science Standards and centered on the areas of the nature of science, life science, and earth science. This book consists of 180 challenges aimed at fifth through eighth grade students and is meant to correspond with a typical 180-day school year. Each day has three components: "Thought for the Day," a quote related to the field of science, "Cool Fact," information or trivia usually related to the activity or teaser, and "Activity or Teaser," a short experiment, brain-teaser, or critical thinking puzzle to spur student thinking. Every teaser or puzzle also has a solution for the teacher's reference. The activities and teasers can be single day challenges, or they may require a few minutes on consecutive days. Colleen Kessler is a gifted intervention specialist for students in grades 2 and 3 in Ohio. Kessler received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Cleveland State University and holds a master's degree in gifted education from Kent State University. Kessler has created a book meant to challenge fifth through eighth students. Her background in gifted education shines through in the teasers and activities which are written in a way that evoke critical thinking and analyses of scientific information.Overall,Super Smart Scienceis valuable resource for science teachers of grades 5–9 advanced learners. The variety of warm-up activities and experiments in this book help students connect science to their lives in a format that is both interesting and challenging. Once you make Kessler's book your own, it will generate interest and enthusiasm, while fostering high-level, creative thinking opportunities for your science students. --Catherine Macaulay,Roeper Review, September 2007