Fun Experiments with Matter

November 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-Clear diagrams guide readers through the nine to 12 projects found in each of these books. A good mix of old favorites (cornstarch slime and a homopolar motor) are featured along with some neat new tricks (a lens made of ice and coffee filter chromatography). Occasional inconsistent language use (joss stick vs. incense stick in Forces and thumbtack vs. drawing pin in Electricity) reflects the series's British origin and could lead to confusion. The series is better for the simpler experiments, as the instructions sometimes miss a beat-the origami airplane in Forces is extremely complicated to make, so much so that even the photo of the finished plane looks bunchy and uneven. Best for classroom or club use, as students will need to tinker and adjust to achieve success with some of these projects. VERDICT For schools and libraries with a large budget for STEM activity book series.

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