annieb123
Written on Jan 1, 2020
Real Science Experiments is a journal and tutorial guide for STEAM exploration by Jess Harris. Released 24th Dec 2019 by Callisto on their Rockridge Press imprint, it's 140 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I have been talking about STE(A)M education and books since the very earliest days of this blog. It's vitally important to expose kids to the concepts as soon as possible. They're the ones who are going to be making our future. They're the innovators, creators, inventors, discoverers of tomorrow's world. The more our kids are engaging with the world around them, the better. Critical thinking skills are more vitally important now than ever before. We're bombarded with messaging and media spin from the moment we're born and learning to differentiate the truth is a vital survival skill. That's where STE(A)M comes in. Finding fun ways to keep their interest is key.
This is a well designed fun and interactive tutorial for doing precisely that. There are 40 fun experiments arranged around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. (Hence the acronym). There's also a synergistic final chapter with hints and tips for further exploration, a glossary, links and references.
I wish the book had had more photographs. The tutorial chapters are adequately photographed, but there are a number of them which don't have any photographs or illustrations at all. The exercises themselves are safe, well written, and can be done with easily sourced tools and supplies. I just wish there were more illustrations.
This would be a superlative book for classroom activities, library activity days, makers groups, homeschooling, or just a cool gift for a young person.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.