Reviewed by Geraldine (Gerry) Waller
Middle School Teacher
Science educators who have discovered previous books by Janice VanCleave will want to include Science Around the Year in their library of resources. The author's collections always feature a broad range of content relevant experiments, and her philosophy of making science more child-centered and less teacher-centered is evident once again in this newest publication.
The focus of this book is on the four seasons, although the 52 experiments (one for each week of the year) could be conducted at other times. Each section begins with an overview of characteristics of that season and a calendar of seasonal events, including birthdates of scientists. For each season, the book features 13 appropriate activities, such as “Big Pumpkins” for fall, “Snow Motion” for winter, “Wind Catchers” for spring, and “Sun Protector” for summer. At the beginning of each chapter, a section called “Did You Know?” lures readers into learning more about the concept specific to that experiment. For example, the claim that “City lights trick trees into keeping their leaves longer!” sets the scene for learning about why leaves fall from trees. Each chapter includes background information, the objective for the experiment, a materials list, the procedure, and expected results, as well as the reasons behind the results. A list of resources encourages further exploration, as do the “More Fun” activities.
From butterfly gliders to pine cone hygrometers to bird songs, Science Around the Year teaches basic concepts using unique approaches along with more traditional ones. The result is an exciting blend of hands-on strategies that actively engage upper elementary and middle school learners in the scientific process.
Review posted on 6/5/2001
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