Janice VanCleave's A+ Projects in Earth Science: Winning Experiments for Science Fairs and Extra Credit
Grade 7 UpThis entry in a popular series includes topics such as rocks and minerals, the solar system, earthquakes, oceans, and weather. Each project begins with a brief introduction and then outlines the purpose, materials needed, step-by-step procedures, expected results, and an explanation of the principles involved. Guidelines for designing additional experiments and a list of resources for further research follow each activity. Students will appreciate the clear, organized instructions and the fact that most of the projects use such ordinary household items as soda bottles, kitchen utensils, rulers, and string. Robert L. Bonnet and Daniel Keens Earth Science: 49 Science Fair Projects (McGraw-Hill, 1989) is similar in scope, but VanCleaves title is much more detailed and has a more advanced vocabulary. Like the authors previous books, this one teaches young people that science is learned not by reading textbooks but through systematic, hands-on experimentation. It makes a rock-solid addition to library collections.Dawn Amsberry, formerly at Oakland Public Library, CACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.