Rybolt, Thomas R. & Robert C. Mebane. Environmental Science Fair Projects, Revised and Expanded Using Scientific Methods

Rybolt, Thomas R. & Robert C. Mebane. Environmental Science Fair Projects, Revised and Expanded Using Scientific Methods
Enslow 2010 160p 34.60 9780907660-3426-6
ms/jr VG-BNS Earth Science Projects Using the Scientific Method (Enslow)


Rybolt & Mebane create experiments for science fair projects which deal with air, water, soil, pollution and energy resources. Each chapter contains 5 experiments which showcase the basic steps of the scientific method. With world statistics on the study of science and mathematics showing that America is lagging behind, science teachers and parents need books like this one. Authors Rybolt and Mebane present all of the details about the experiments using the scientific method. The question, hypothesis, materials, procedure, and results & conclusions are delineated accurately, and children and adults are encouraged to perform the experiments because the authors did not give the results! Instead, they posed questions to make the young scientists think for themselves and then, they offered explanations which help the student see the way to explain his/her findings. The organization of this book is impeccable, with an introduction, a chart of abbreviations and symbols, an explanation of both the scientific method and instructions on how to write a report, and finally, a page or two which explains how judges judge at science fairs. The 5 chapters contain a brief description of the importance of each topic followed by 5 experiments, giving the student a wide variety of choices. In addition to providing 25 experiments, the authors include extra science fair ideas which are highlighted in blue. Experiments have an icon in the table of contents which indicates if they are acceptable for a student to perform. The support illustrations relate well to the text, and the layout makes the text easy to follow. At the end of the book, one finds a very helpful tool in the form of a list of suppliers for the scientific materials as well as a list of books and Internet addresses to consult for further information. Squaresky, Martha