Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids [Hardcover]

Joe Rhatigan (Author), Rain Newcomb (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

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.

Editorial Reviews

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579904785
• ISBN-13: 978-1579904784
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joe Rhatigan is the author of more than fifteen titles for children and adults, including The Kids' Guide to Nature Adventures and Out-of-This-World Astronomy. He's the former editorial director of Lark Books' children's program, which he launched and ran for seven years. The program's biggest successes included 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!, The Boo Boo Book, and My Very Favorite Art Book: I Love to Draw. Joe lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife, three kids, and cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST book for Elementary School Science Fair Projects, January 6, 2009

By 

Andrea L. Polk (Southern Oregon) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids (Paperback)

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Science Book, January 7, 2008

By 

virginiaamazonmom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids (Paperback)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous science projects, October 8, 2009

By 

A Reader (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids (Paperback)

This book is great! It has a wide range of science projects from testing the accuracy of horoscopes to comparing the bacterial content of dog v. human mouths. All experiments can be done with inexpensive and readily available materials (some of them may need to be purchased, such as an agar plate for growing bacteria, but are available on Amazon.com ;-). The book has an excellent introductory section on how to design a good experiment and how to effectively present your experiment at a science fair.