The Science Reflector - NCSTA Newsletter

The following book reviews were written by NCSTA members and teachers. We hope to make this an ongoing feature in The Science Reflector. If you are an author who has a book you would like reviewed or a teacher who would like to write a review, please contact Beth Harris.

The Man Who Named the Clouds by Julie Hannah and Joan Holub, illustrated by Paige Billiln-Frye, published by Albert Whitman, September 2006, ISBN 0807549746 or 9780807549742
Author's Web Site

This book is predominately a science biography written for 7-11 year-olds about Luke Howard, the man who proposed the classification system for the clouds. Its format is mixed: picture book, science journal and reference book on clouds.

Luke Howard was born in 1772 in England. Luke’s fascination with weather began as a child. The book describes his schooling and the weather journal that he began at age 10 and kept throughout his life until his death at age 91. While Howard was a chemist by profession, he maintained his weather hobby. He made observations of the clouds and painted cloud studies, several of which are included in the book. Luke belonged to the Askesian Society, a science organization, where in 1802 he described 3 main cloud shapes and gave them Latin names. His essay called “The Modification of Clouds” described other cloud types resulting from combinations of the three main types. Howard’s cloud classification system was met with enthusiasm and found favor over the proposed system of Lamarck. Throughout the remainder of his life Howard continued to write about weather and gave lectures on his classification system. The biographical portion of this book is well written for elementary students and beautifully illustrated with watercolors. The story illustrates several of the NC strands in science education – science as a process and science as inquiry.

The book has three other components. The first is a modern day weather journal by Grace, a present-day elementary student. The journal includes simple weather observations, basic weather information, experiments that can be done, and corny weather jokes. This journal is interspersed within the biography and is a little disruptive to that story. The second part is a picture gallery and description of the 10 basic cloud types used today. This portion too occurs in the midst of the biographical story and would have worked better as an Appendix. Finally there is a selective bibliography that includes titles for both the teacher and the student. All of these components are good for the elementary student, although the format of presentation may be confusing to the student.

The Man Who Named the Clouds works well as a supplemental resource book for fifth grade science. It directly addressed NC Competency goal 3 on “building an understanding of weather and climate” and even more specifically sub-goal 3.03. “Describe and analyze the formation of various types of clouds and discuss their relation to weather systems.”

C. Anne Wallen, Ph.D.
7th grade Science Teacher
Mineral Springs Middle School
Winston-Salem, NC

First Place Science Fair Projects for Inquisitive Kids by Elizabeth Snoke Harris, published by Lark Books, 2005,127 pp. ISBN 1579904939 or 978-1579904937
Author's Web Site

First Place Science fair Projects for Inquisitive Kids is written to reveal the secrets to a successful science fair project. The author’s goal is to provide the reader with the basic knowledge needed to select a topic, design a procedure, collect their data, develop a conclusion, and present their findings. The book goal as stated on the inside cover is make it unnecessary for the reader to go to the library and read numerous books, or have exceptional abilities in science.

First Place Science fair Projects for Inquisitive Kids begins with an encouragement for any student reading the book by reassuring him/her that they possess all the qualities and abilities to perform a prize winning science fair project. It then provides the reader with an eight-week schedule checklist, form for writing science questions, key to scientific method, common errors, safety hints, checklist for display board, types of graphs and tips for talking to the judges. The book concludes with 50 projects from the disciplines of Biology, Physical Science, and Chemistry.

First Place Science fair Projects for Inquisitive Kids is a colorful and exciting publication with cleverly placed color pictures and graphs, which will capture the attention of any reader. It does an exceptional job including all the necessary instruction and identifying trouble areas that many students experience. The book is written at a level comparable for the middle school students (students in grades 5-8). The author defines important terms and explains clearly how the terms are related to science fair projects using examples and questions. The project section at the end of the book makes it very easy to implement the knowledge obtained in the first sections. Science fair questions, procedure steps, and leading question to develop the conclusion are all included. The large number of projects offers ideas that will interest most students. First Place Science fair Projects for Inquisitive Kids is the one book that I will recommend to any parent or teacher to assist student that lack confident, or understanding of what a science fair project requires.

Donald Rouse
Eastern Wayne Middle School
7th grade Science Teacher
Goldsboro, NC

Science Laboratory Safety Manual by Linda M. Stroud, published by Safety and Science Consulting, 2006, ISBN 978-0-9788796-0-0 or 0-9788796-0
Author's Web Site

I worked in chemical laboratories for almost twenty years before making a career move to teaching. Each lab had a specific system for the handling and storage of chemicals. When I began teaching I wasn’t sure which method was the “correct” one! Linda Stroud has provided a reference with the information I need to set up an efficient and safe lab.

“Science Laboratory Safety Manual” opens with legal issues of Laboratory safety. As teachers, we carry the responsibility of keeping our students safe. In the science classroom this responsibility is complicated by hands-on activities that are potentially harmful. One item in this book that is excellent is a thorough Student Safety Contract which can be modified for use in any science class (SCOS: Biology Goal 1.04, Chemistry Goal 1.03, Earth and Environmental Science Goal 1.04, Physics Goal 1.04 and Physical Science Goal 1.04).

This book contains good advice on the use and care of animals (both live and preserved) as well as precautions to take when using microwave radiation, lasers and poisonous plants in the classroom. The book has a section that can be used to instruct the students in reading and understanding Material Safety Data Sheets (SCOS: Chemistry Goal 1.03, Physical Science Goal 1.04). The book deals with chemical spill control and is filled with helpful lists such as Title III SARA Hazardous Substances – categorized by their hazard weighed against their usefulness in the science classroom.

For anyone with input into the design of a new facility – there is a section that will be very helpful. Ms. Stroud has defined the needs for each grade (K – 8 and High School Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and has example floor plans for each. She has also included North Carolina §GS 115C-301 information on class size requirements, class space requirements, and more.

Most of us are concerned about accidents in the science classroom. In “Science Laboratory Safety Manual” you will find a section on First Aid that tells you what should be in a first aid kit… and what should not be in a first aid kit. And, it gives a few first aid procedures that can be used until assistance comes. Ms. Stroud has included North Carolina §GS 115C-307(c) Duties of Teachers to provide some medical care to students, a table with phone numbers and addresses of North Carolina Poison Control Centers and some helpful internet addresses.

Laboratory Glassware and Equipment is addressed along with Personal Protective Equipment. In these sections Ms. Stroud gives advice on how to know when to use (or discard) certain glassware of equipment. She also gives Regulations and Standards governing Personal Protective Equipment. There are some good pictures showing why certain protective eyewear is not appropriate for use with wet investigations involving fluids.

In conclusion, I recommend “Science Laboratory Safety Manual” for all science classroom teachers. It is a well-organized reference that will be used often.

Nita F. Wilson
High School Chemistry Teacher
Lincolnton High School
Lincolnton, NC