Weather Projects for Young Scientists: Experiments and Science Fair Ideas - Softcover

Carson, Mary Kay

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1556526296 ISBN 13: 9781556526299

Publisher: Chicago Review Press, 2007

Synopsis

From the everyday phenomena of wind and clouds to the awesome, destructive power of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes, children can explore weather in detail with this fascinating science activity book. Throughout the text instructions for building weather-measuring tools—barometers, psychrometers, anemometers, wind vanes, rain gauges, and thermometers—allow the reader to assemble them into a working weather station. More than 40 weather projects are included, such as building a model of the water cycle, creating a tornado in a bottle, calculating dew point, and reading a weather map. Most of the experiments also include ideas for expanding them into full-fledged science fair projects. Weather-related environmental issues are also addressed, such as global climate change, ozone depletion, and acid rain, as well as profiles of scientists working in the field of meteorology.

About this title

About the Author

Mary Kay Carson has written more than 15 nonfiction books for children, including Exploring the Solar System, The Underground Railroad for Kids, and The Wright Brothers for Kids.

Reviews

Although this title is not part of a series, it's similar to books in the publisher's For Kids series, which includes Carson's The Underground Railroad for Kids (2005). Her approach here is conversational yet exhaustive, covering fundamentals about the water cycle and seasons as well as more sophisticated topics, such as pressure systems, greenhouse gases, and forecasting. The information alternates with more than 40 activities, often accompanied by variations appropriate for science fairs, and there are several career profiles. Visual learners may long for more diagrams and design pizzazz, and occasionally the focus on upper-elementary students slips (a suggestion to write a poem about regional winds seems more appropriate for a younger audience, while older readers seem to be the target of an activity in which incense is lit to create smoke). What warrants consideration is the quantity of accessible projects about a topic that may particularly excite kids' interest, given recent headlines about wild weather and climate change in the news. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1556526296
• ISBN 13: 9781556526299
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144