Ferdinand Magellan: First Circumnavigator of the Earth (Spotlight on Explorers and Colonization)

�Time for science! Let�s go to the kitchen!� Those became regular words in our household during my daughter�s recent third grade year and Super Science Concoctions was part of the reason Subtitled �50 Mysterious Mixtures for Fabulous Fun � Super Science Concoctions is a wonderful �hands-on� supplement to elementary science curriculum especially introductory studies in chemistry (materials science) It provides fun experiments some of them artistic some of them culinary but all of them well connected to important conceptsOne thing I especially enjoyed about this book is how it provides clever titles for the various experiments and activities followed by a more basic title that helps both teacher and young scientist know what topic is being covered It�s a lot more fun to look at a page titled �Strange-but-True Brews� instead of just �Molecules and Solutions� But the book is filled with solid science facts and well-written and age-appropriate explanations of concepts and terms Your child may enjoy talking about �Sticky Creepy Water� but they will truly understand the concepts of surface tension and capillary action once they�ve completed an activity like �Capillary Dip �n� Dye�The book is of real value to visual learners as well Its colorful cartoon pictures complete with smiling molecules accompanies well designed pages that don�t overwhelm with information Good-sized type well-defined and numbered experiment steps and helpful sidebars with catchy titles (Science Speak Let�s Get Practical The Principle of the Thing Curious Kids Can etc) all make this book easy for teachers and students to follow and use Students will also get used to seeing occasional icons that let them know important information about some parts of experiments like when it�s OK to eat the results or when an experiment might require some extra adult assistance If you have a child who enjoys cooking Super Science Concoctions provides some great opportunities You�ll find recipes for Scientific Salad Dressings Two-Tone Tea Chocolate Meltdown Get-It-Together Mayonaise Push-It-Apart Butter and other yummy treats that will help children understand science concepts The introductory sections called �Think Science� and �Science Steps� are a great help in introducing the scientific method to elementary age children The book is arranged into sections on Molecules and Solutions Phase Changes Chemical Changes Liquids (viscosity density immiscibility) Water (surface tension capillary action) and Polymers (colloids gels and more) This makes it easy to look up experiments that may complement other curricula We used this book in conjunction with Adventures With Atoms and Molecules (Book 1) and found it dovetailed perfectly offering creative opportunities to expand on the learning of basic concepts explained in that book I think it would make an excellent hands-on supplement to many curricula or unit studies

Great book!! Lots of fun & educational activities to get kids really excited about science I use the book with my kids - 3rd grade & pre-k - and they both love it It's easy to adapt the activities so they're appropriate for the different ages Highly recommend!