About the Book
For a kid, watching a solid turn into a liquid or a liquid into a gas is nothing short of magic. In "Explore Solids and Liquids! With 25 Great Projects" kids experience the wonder of different states of matter. They'll learn what matter is made of, how it can change, and how these interactions really work in our universe. With plenty of activities and projects, young readers gain a solid understanding of the matter they touch, see, feel, and experience every single day. As young readers discover the basic concepts and vocabulary of chemistry, they will experiment with household objects to discover how solids, liquids, and gases occupy space. Kids will dissolve solids into liquids and bring them back again, use salt and pepper to demonstrate water's surface tension, and fly helium-filled balloons to see what happens to molecules at different temperatures. Illustrated with cartoon illustrations and filled with fun facts, "Explore Solids and Liquids!" makes science entertaining and exciting. "Explore Solids and Liquids!" meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Matter Really Matters Chapter 1: Solids Chapter 2: Liquids Chapter 3: Gases Chapter 4: The Changing States of Matter Chapter 5: More Matter! Chapter 6: Mixtures and Compounds Glossary Resources Index
About the Author :
Kathleen Reilly has written several books for Nomad Press, including Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself; The Human Body: 25 Fantastic Projects Illuminate How the Body Works; Explore Weather and Climate! with 25 Projects; and Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects. She is an award-winning author of several other science books for kids and is a contributor to dozens of publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, Family Fun, National Geographic Kids, and Parents. Kate lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Bryan Stone is a cartoonist and the illustrator of several books for Nomad Press including Explore Night Science!, Explore Flight!, Explore Rivers and Ponds!, Explore Rocks and Minerals!, and Explore Electricity!. He lives in Hartland, Vermont.
Review :
Praise for Explore Solids and Liquids! With 25 Great Projects Library Media Connections This introduction to basic chemistry investigates solids, liquids, and gases and how these forms of matter change and transform. With a frog-like creature with Albert Einstein's face as the guide, each chapter provides background material leading the reader to a series of well-constructed hands-on activities... This is an attractive presentation, easy to navigate, that encourages young readers to learn through text and experimentation." Recommended Booklist "... The accessible text takes a friendly tone, providing ample background information and easily recognizable everyday examples. Cartoon illustrations, inset boxes with facts, and occasional jokes help keep readers engaged. Experimenters are asked to make predictions, try multiple variations, and record observations... This should provide inspiration and insights into scientific exploration for students, teachers, and budding mad scientists." National Science Teachers Association Recommends "Need something new to spice up your explorations? Twenty--five easy to do investigations, easy to find materials, and excellent explanations will help any teacher to make the study of matter more exciting for classes filled with eager students. The book, Explore Solids and Liquids, includes everything necessary to quickly get students learning. Separated into six chapters, covering all states of matter as well as mixtures and compounds, the book is colorful and easy to use. "Did You Know?" circles filled with science--based factoids, are prominent throughout this resource along with real--world connected historical information that make the experiments more meaningful. Indeed this book has also got some great extras, like Matter Mad Libs and science jokes in the form of Laugh It Up circles. The ease with which these experiments can be done is the real appeal for both teachers and students. The chapters include narratives that help connect these experiments to STEM applications as well! This book is a must--have for any teacher's personal library!" Christine Burillo-Kirch, Ph.D "Thoughtful, engaging explanations coupled with fun experiments and endearing illustrations that demystify difficult scientific concepts. A generation of future scientists will be inspired to go into the kitchen and get to the crux of the matter of 'matter'!" Jennifer Schulze, MSEd, Reading Specialist Instructor, Western Oregon University "This versatile book can be used by a classroom teacher or homeschool parent, inquisitive or struggling student. It's interesting, easy to read, and spot on where matter is concerned." Dr. Christopher Gorman, Professor of Chemistry, North Carolina State University "Fun activities that illustrate how matter behaves in its different forms. Just the sort of thing to pique a budding, young scientist's curiosity!" Dr. Todd F. Hoover,? Early Childhood & Adolescent Education,? University of Pennsylvania "An engaging book both visually and in content, using classic activities and discrepant events, as well as new and exciting ones! A good book to help children go 'hands-on' to learn about solids and liquids." Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself National Science Teachers Association "This delightful and informative guide to the natural world is sure to captivate the attention of young readers." Booklist "Both comprehensive and approachable, this title combines explanations of science concepts and environmental issues with hands-on projects. Extensive further readings and an eye-catching design filled with drawings complete a title that while educating kids about the environment steers them past despair with the reminder that every individual action helps." Parent's Choice Foundation Recommended Energy: Investigate Why We Need Power and How We Get It National Science Teachers Association "I highly recommend this wonderfully informative book for any middle school science classroom. It allows teachers to teach about energy resources in a fun, engaging, and easy way." 2009 Moonbeam Children's Book Award
