Matter, Energy, and Heat

April 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-These small-print, compact volumes, which assume a solid grasp of basic scientific knowledge, are jam-packed with information. The material is visually interesting with many sidebars, graphs, and diagrams highlighting or elucidating important concepts. Information within each title is divided into distinct, stand-alone sections for more targeted research, but students will benefit from reading the books cover to cover, as much of the material builds upon previous chapters. For example, Electricity and Electronics begins with the discovery of the atom and the electron and continues in chapters such as "Current and Stored Charge" and "Making Chips." Each chapter also defines important vocabulary and includes an accessible "Try This" activity.

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