“The Experiment- How do environmental conditions affect the amount of biogas produced?” If you are homeschooling like I am, entering a science fair or simply looking for a fun way to teach your children about our impact on this planet then Save the Earth Science Experiments, Science Fair Projects for Eco-Kids by Elizabeth Snoke Harris is the book for you.
This fun book (which I purchased through a Scholastic flier) is filled with experiments to get you thinking (and by YOU I do mean parents as well as the kids). The book begins with an introduction on problems occurring in the world which impact our global well being. It is then followed by a section on how to put together an effective Science Fair Project and more than 20 experiments that are related to our current environmental concerns. Throughout the book, you will find short stories and facts which detail a concern or in “The High Price of Ethanol” points out that a solution (biofuels) we think is better, is actually just as damaging. [read the full article...]
William is Going Green, written by James Martin II and James Martin III, is the story of a garbage truck that loses his job, because he is too polluting. In search of a new job, William travels from town to town until he finds a green, clean city. He is told he could be hired as a recycling truck, if only he had a hybrid engine. Unfortunately, out-of-work William does not have the money for a new, cleaner engine, until he rescues a cat from a sewer. The cat Gage belongs to a mechanic, and William is given a hybrid engine and coat of green paint in reward for the rescue. The author explains, “My son James III and I created the William the Garbage Truck & Crew series to share what we learned about global warming and the benefits of conservation.”
My son, like many boys, adores trucks. He enjoyed William is Going Green when his sister read it to her, but there is one thing about the story I find a bit awkward. I do think that city garbage trucks should have hybrid motors, but as mentioned in the book, the cost to convert a truck is expensive and not readily available. William’s reward for rescuing a cat is not the solution for most city garbage trucks, and I think it is a little misleading to children who really want to see change. Perhaps there is another way William could have gotten a new hybrid motor from recycling proceeds, donations, gas taxes, etc. Maybe I am too much of a realist, but I like my green children’s fiction to address the realities of environmental change. This part of the story didn’t bother my children at all, and they really did like it. [read the full article...]
“The Experiment- How do environmental conditions affect the amount of biogas produced?” If you are homeschooling like I am, entering a science fair or simply looking for a fun way to teach your children about our impact on this planet then Save the Earth Science Experiments, Science Fair Projects for Eco-Kids by Elizabeth Snoke Harris is the book for you.