A Project Guide to the Solar System A Project Guide to Wind, Weather, and the Atmosphere A Project Guide to Earthquakes A Project Guide to Volcanoes

Gr 4—6—These books give readers hands-on experience with select scientific principles and phenomena. Each one includes a short introduction to the topic along with 14 varied projects and concluding lists of additional resources for background reading, supplies, and Internet sites. The projects include both original and recycled ideas and vary from building models to simulations to data collection and drawing inferences. The skill levels range from simple exercises such as producing static electricity (Wind) to far-more-involved projects like discovering the characteristics of an earthquake-resistant building (Earthquakes). Adult support is indicated throughout for safety concerns, but it will also be essential for deciphering directions and clarifying results since many projects end abruptly without discussion or extensions. The experiments' dense, numbered steps include an occasional snapshot-quality photo that often fails to clarify the directions. Other than in The Solar System, many diagrams and charts appear squeezed in and lack captions. These titles may provide ideas for science instruction, but their shelf appeal is limited.—Carol S. Surges, McKinley Elementary School, Wauwatosa, WI