Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less [Paperback]

Jean Potter (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Make lightning in your room! Keep paper dry under water! Lose weight by going upstairs! See colors that aren't there! Experience the magic of science with these quick, easy experiments and activities from Jean Potter. You can complete each activity in ten fun-filled minutes or less. Clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations help you get it right every time. The projects help you learn about everything from why eggs aren't round to how submarines surface and submerge. You will find most of the required materials already in your home, backyard, or neighborhood, and you can perform the experiments practically anywhere. The 108 activities in this book cover twelve different subject areas, including air, animals, energy, gravity, magnetism, light, the human body, and much more. You'll make a rainbow right on your floor, pop a balloon with a magnifying glass, make a coffee can roll back to you after you've pushed it away, and bend water as it streams from your faucet--all with the help of a leading educator. Children Ages 8-12

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?A collection of quick, simple projects that use materials most kids will have around the house. Grouped into such subject areas as gravity, water, and light, most have just a few steps to follow. Instructions, illustrated by black-and-white drawings, are easy to understand and always note when adult help is needed. Each procedure is followed by an explanation of what should have happened and why. At times these explanations involve concepts that children might not easily grasp from the experiment alone. A description of light rays and focal points, for instance, is hard to follow without elaboration or diagrams. In another case, molecules are introduced as "...the smallest particles of a substance that can exist on their own," which is accurate, but not the clearest way to describe them. Some activities are so predictable that reading about them can substitute for performing them. Other projects are more intriguing, such as using oil, water, and sunshine to make a rainbow, or creating a simple sand clock. The book is not terrifically exciting; its strength is that youngsters will be able to use it successfully on their own, and in many cases will learn a bit about science in the process.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Library, OR
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

A nationally respected educator, Jean Potter draws on her vast experience to offer children an excellent opportunity to learn basic science quickly and have a great time doing it. The over 100 fast and simple experiments are organized by major themes of the science curriculum including air, colors, energy and the environment. Scores of illustrations make directions easy to follow.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471044563
• ISBN-13: 978-0471044567
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Experiments & Projects
  • #98 in Books > Science & Math > Technology

More About the Author

Jean Potter is an experience early childhood consultant and the award-winning author of ten activity books that focus on art and science. Jean believes in making learning fun! Her career includes:
- classroom teacher
- director of West Virginia state ECE program
- Deputy Assistant & Acting Assistant Secretary of Education for the US Dept. of Education, Washington DC.

Jean Potter is a published author of children's activity books. Some of the published credits of Jean Potter include Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less, Nature in a Nutshell for Kids: Over 100 Activities You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less, Science Arts: Discovering Science Through Art Experiences (Bright Ring Publishing) with MaryAnn F. Kohl, and Snacktivities!: 50 Edible Activities for Parents and Children (Robins Lane Press) with MaryAnn F. Kohl, Storybook Art (Bright Ring Publishing) with MaryAnn F. Kohl, Global Art (Gryphon House) with MaryAnn F. Kohl, and Cooking Art (Gryphon House, Inc.) with MaryAnn F. Kohl.

Jean lives in Charleston, WV with her husband and their triplets. She enjoys gardening, skiing, and playing at the beach.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FUN BOOK FOR KIDS!!!, June 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less (Paperback)

My children loved this book becasue they had fun with experiments. But my husband and I loved this book because it taught our children science conepts that we could never teach. We used this book until it got raggedy and torn and then my kids insisted on getting another copy!
We highly recommend this book.

Karen and Fred

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science in Seconds for Kids, March 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less (Paperback)

My children and I have used this book until it has become tattered and torn. Not only are the science activities easy to understand, they are easy to do and don't require any special equipment. I would highly recommend this book...I loved it so much, that I now have a collection of all of this author's books.

24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I like it!!!!, November 29, 2005

By 

mykidsrbusy! "umateacher" (pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less (Paperback)

I disagree with Dixie who had written the previous review! The book was not written for 3 year olds! A good parent reviews the info and suggested age levels in the review section before buying. We have been very happy with these books. After buying one other, we bought this one and love it just as much. These experiments are simple to read and study. But the teach important science concepts so I am as happy as a mom can be...but again...I read the age level before buying the book! Someday I hope to make a list of recommended books...this will be one!