Product Description

From thinking of a unique science fair experiment to putting fabulous finishing touches on the display, this cool collection of 50 smart and illustrated projects gives budding scientists everything they need to put together a winner—and have fun doing it, too. Kids have seen all the tricks, and they’re tired of science fair books that show them (yawn) how to make the “been there, done that” volcano or a boring model of the solar system. Here are experiments they really want to do, on subjects such as slime, magic sand, video games, mummies, dog germs, horoscopes, bicycles, and more. The whole science fair experience is broken down into small, manageable steps, so youngsters won’t feel overwhelmed. All safety precautions are taken, with notes on parental supervision, when necessary.
The author lives in Asheville, NC.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1868519 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 - Fifty experiments in biology, the physical sciences, and chemistry are presented in an attractive and easy-to-follow format and illustrated with sharp photographs of children and of the materials needed. One of the book's strengths is the first chapter about choosing and doing a project. Ideas include checking out the validity of horoscopes, mummifying fish, testing the effectiveness of sunscreens, and testing spray-on water repellents. Students are shown how to create their own equipment whenever possible, although some of the experiments require purchase of materials. Adult assistance is indicated when necessary. Extensions of experiments are suggested in sections titled "What Else You Can Do." Each project includes an open-ended question, a list of supplies, and step-by-step instructions. The spacious format is several cuts above average for this kind of book. This title adds to Rhatigan and Heather Smith's Sure-to-Win Science Fair Projects (Lark, 2001) and may even entice reluctant students to try more challenging projects. - Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. The authors approach the often-humdrum topic of science fair projects with energy, enthusiasm, and even humor. If even one of those qualities is infectious, students will be off to a good start. The excellent introduction offers advice and encouragement as well as structure for choosing a topic and using the scientific method. Divided into sections on biology, physical science, and chemistry, the dozens of projects help kids answer such questions as "How does being on a cell phone affect motor skills and reaction time?" (tested with a car-driving video game) and "Which cereals have the most iron?" Clear, colorful drawings, diagrams, and photos illustrate the text. Safety warnings are usually present: children are advised to ask for an adult's assistance with using a drill to make holes in a metal can, but not for using a craft knife to cut a slit in a plastic bottle. Libraries looking for child-friendly project books will find this one of the most upbeat, engaging, and practical collections of middle-school science fair projects available. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Joe Rhatigan has taught middle and high school, and was a copywriter and marketing manager for a major book publisher. He currently lives and works in Asheville, North Carolina, as the Children's Book Editor for Lark Books.

Customer Reviews

Fun Science Book
As soon as this book arrived from Amazon, my fifth grade son started reading it just for fun and telling me about the "cool" experiments he could do for this year's school science fair. The book is full of kid-engaging ideas e.g., whether dog saliva or human saliva has more germs; how talking on a cell phone affects performance on a car driving video game. It's also got lots of colorful photos and clear kid-friendly descriptions of the necessary materials and procedures.

The BEST book for Elementary School Science Fair Projects
I stumbled upon this book in a local store and got the chance to look it over before I bought it. It took me less than 20 seconds to decide: "This is a GREAT book!" and buy it.

Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids is a wonderful resource for elementary school (4th/5th grade students) science fair projects because the book is fun and engaging. Project names like "Bow-Wow Blood Pressure" and "Yeast Feast" catch your child's eye and then grab their attention. That spark of interest catches fire and you're off to the Science Fair with a great project that was fun to do.

The first part of the book talks about science fairs. What the judges are looking for, how to be successful with your project, an 8-week checklist, what is a 'scientific method' of research, how to turn a topic into a question and how to write a good report. Graphs and tables are discussed, and examples of each are shown. LOTS of good, clear information for both students and their advisors.

The next part of the book is all about the 52 projects in the book.

-Biology (20 projects)with titles such as "Moldy Slices of Life" and "Pooch Smooch".

-Physical Science (18 projects) with titles including "Parachute Power" and "Popcorn Fever".

-Chemistry (15 projects) including "Shake It Up Baby!" and "Yeast Feast".

Each project clearly outlines the problem or question to be answered by the experiment, experiment summary, what you need for the experiment, experimental procedure, how to formulate your conclusion, display tips and thought-provoking questions for varying the experiment. Fun photographs and drawings accompany the information which is laid out in way that's easy to read and understand.

I highly recommend buying this book for any child who is interested in doing a Science Fair project or wants to simply have fun learning about simple science.

Fun With Science Fair Projects
My 5th grader was very excited about most of the projects in this book and settled on the one that required a friendly dog since we have three of those. The instructions are easy and the projects are not run of the mill. I would recommend.