Astronomy Experiments

Gr 5–8—The experiments in this series, originally published in larger books in 1999, are classic foolproof science demonstrations, appropriate for classroom, club, or home. In addition to demonstrating science principles, the text-heavy instructions (only one illustration per experiment) model excellent process writing: detailed enough to leave nothing to chance, devoid of surplus observations. Each experiment also models good presentation structure, with a stated purpose, list of materials, two to eight steps, expected results, and an explanation. The single illustration, drawn in a friendly simplified realistic style, shows an overview of the experiment, sometimes with a diagram or detail inset. The experiments themselves are no longer new and have been reproduced or adapted in countless other books, but the sheer number of them, and their flawless presentation, makes these books school library workhorses.