Step By Step 50 Nature Projects For Kids

Teaches children how to explore and respect the natural world, and includes activities such as keeping a nature notebook and setting up a saltwater aquarium

Grade 3-6?Fitzsimons invites children to explore the natural world in five outdoor settings and concludes with some indoor activities. She emphasizes safety, nature conservation, and the importance of respecting property rights when exploring. She does not, however, offer information on avoiding poison ivy and ticks. Most projects focus on scientific inquiry, but some are more arts-and-crafts oriented. Children are encouraged to keep a nature notebook and to use field guides to identify the plants and animals they encounter. Many of these activities require adult help in obtaining equipment and in following some procedures. Large, clear, full-color photographs illustrate each project. A display of the needed materials is followed by numbered pictures demonstrating each of the steps. With a few exceptions, instructions for activities involving living creatures advise youngsters to capture, observe, and then release them. One of the exceptions is "Making a Saltwater Aquarium," in which readers are told how to set one up but are given no information on the continued care and feeding of the animals inside. A list of environmental organizations in the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Australia is appended. An attractive additional purchase.?Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ
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