Energy Lab for Kids

July 3, 2017
Hawbaker, a curriculum director with the nonprofit National Energy Education Development Project, presents an approachable collection of energy-related experiments. Color photographs show children taking part in 40 activities involving household objects: readers can simulate drilling for oil using chocolate syrup and straws, create a “biomass bag” with leftover food and yeast, build a generator, and construct a solar cooker using a pizza box, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. Hawbaker clearly describes the implications of each activity, and sidebars lend perspective on how the labs relate to science (“In an endothermic reaction, the thermal energy goes in—it’s absorbed. An exothermic reaction is the opposite—thermal energy goes out. Which did you observe when you mixed baking soda and vinegar?”). It’s a straightforward guide to energy principles that encourages collaboration and active exploration. Ages 10–14.

May 15, 2017
An array of simple demonstrations designed to give budding eco-activists an understanding of how energy is stored, transferred, used responsibly, and recycled.Developed by the National Energy Education Development Project and demonstrated here by a cast of dozens of young children--roughly evenly split between girls and boys but the substantial majority presenting as white--the low-cost projects range from measuring shadows and charting temperature changes to constructing a solar cooker in a pizza box, creating an inventory of home-appliance energy needs, and competitively "mining" chocolate chips from cookies, then trying to reconstruct the cookies. Each entry comes with a materials list, clear, step-by-step directions with color photos, safety and potential-mess alerts, and difficulty ratings that range from "No Sweat!" (meaning doable by one person) to "Grab a Crew Member!"--for group activities, it's "All Hands On Deck!" Each concludes with a nontechnical explanation of the physical principles involved, and many feature suggestions for further tinkering with materials or variables. Fun and enlightenment for young experimenters working alone, with partners, or in groups. (glossary, index, websites) (Nonfiction. 6-10)

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September 15, 2017

Former science teacher and current curriculum director of the nonprofit National Energy Education Development project, Hawbaker leads elementary-aged youth through 40 experiments that effectively harness energy, from steam to solar to chemical reactions, illustrating its power, global impact, and importance for future leaders. Each lab clearly outlines the time investment, number of participants required, a "mess alert," safety concerns, and the materials needed (almost all readily available at home or with a quick stop at the hardware store). Kids will be enthralled with many of these experiments, such as "Fracturing Gelatin," which teaches about hydraulic fracturing, and heating up balloons to learn about thermal energy. VERDICT Gorgeously presented with full-color photos, sidebars, and helpful tips, this work is rounded out with a glossary and serves as an exciting and accessible STEM resource. Recommended for all public libraries.

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