Celebrate science in 2017!
Title: Maker Lab: 28 Super Cool Projects
by: Smithsonian Institution
DK/Penguin Random House 2016, 160 pages
Suitable for ages: 8-12
Like all DK books, this one is gorgeous. Just flipping through the pages will entice you to play with science. Some experiments are classics, like paper airplanes, slime, and an erupting volcano. Others invite exploration of current issues, like water filtration and wind power. And plenty delight the senses, like kaleidoscopes, rubber band planets, a dancing snake, and baked Alaska.
Just to give you the flavor of what’s inside this book, here are some “teasers” from the four sections. “Food for Thought” finds science in the kitchen with edibles, electric fruit, and secret messages. “Around the Home” employs everyday objects to experiment with light, sound, DNA, and jet power. “Water World” explores density, power, filtration, and stalactites. “The Great Outdoors” features plants, fossils, and wind.
Each experiment is clearly laid out with a photo of materials needed and step by step instructions which include photographs. My favorite features are the extras that follow the experiment. “How it Works” uses diagrams and text to explain the science. Also the “Real World Science” adds an example kids will connect to and allows them to see the concept in action. Many of the experiments also have a “Take it Further” feature to extend experimentation.
They really are “super cool” projects!
Beth Anderson, Children's Writer 