Janice VanCleave's Ecology for Every Kid: Easy Activities that Make Learning Science Fun
Grade 3-6?A user-friendly approach to ecology activities, exceptionally well organized. Readers are guided through a logical learning progression with each of 25 topics, ranging from plant and animal food chains to the effect of plastics on the environment. Subjects are introduced in a "What You Need to Know" section that gives explanations of the scientific principles, plus plenty of everyday examples. A brief preparatory exercise follows, usually in the form of an imaginative game. Each activity includes a purpose statement, list of materials, step-by-step procedures with appropriate precautions, a discussion of the results, and solutions to the exercises. Particularly effective is the strong reinforcement of basic concepts between each of the chapter segments. The text is written in an energetic style; key and unfamiliar terms appear in bold type and are defined in the extensive glossary. Simple black-line drawings are crisp, uncluttered, and well placed. VanCleave stresses the importance of caring for the Earth through an ongoing discussion of the balance of relationships between humans, animals, plants, and natural resources. Solid information and a generous portion of fun are combined to elevate this selection above the standard collection of experiments. Although similar information may be found in Joy Berry's Every Kid's Guide to Saving the Earth (Forest House, 1992) or John Javna's 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth (Andrews and McNeel, 1990), both the scope and organization make VanCleave's title a unique addition.?Sarabeth Kalajian, Venice Public Library,Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.