Experiment with What a Plant Needs to Grow

April 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-For the most part, the plant-based projects in each of these collections range from badly designed to outright dangerous. In Living Environment, for example, testing the effects of heat on seeds requires labeling, moving, and then regularly topping off a jar of boiling water (though Higgins does advise adult supervision). Elsewhere, pinecones are labeled as "seeds," no advice is offered for digging up dandelions without damaging the roots, and children with pollen allergies are invited to "substitute the lily for a bowl filled with baking powder" rather than the other way around. Experiments with Pollination contains a nonsensical claim that "a seed will form only if pollen from the same types of flowers join." Each volume ends with an arbitrary piece of the scientific method. The closing lists of print and web resources are adequate. VERDICT Not recommended.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
Grades 1-3 Everything a plant needs to growlight, fertilizer, water, and airis covered in this short yet informative offering. Each of the four experiments starts with basic information about what a plant needs before heading into materials and clearly written instructions. The simple projects plainly illustrate how too much or too little light, water, fertilizer, or air can affect plant growth. Applying Vaseline to the top or bottom of a plant leaf, for instance, can show how limiting a plant's access to air will make leaves wither. All of the materials required, presented in labeled photos, are easily obtainable and inexpensive, though tips on where to find or how to grow seedlings would have been helpful. Full-color photographs demonstrate exactly what a budding young scientist needs to do to carry out the experiment and depict close-ups of plants, seeds, and roots. Helpful sidebars provide tips or further details on a subject. End material includes a chart on various types of measurements, a glossary, a guide to further reading, and links to additional online resources.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)