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Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges That Don't Cost a Thing (3) (Junk Drawer Science)
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About Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges
Review “The compilation and suggested modifications for youngsters with different backgrounds and skill sets make this particularly welcome for science teachers as well as young learners... Hours of fun for STEM-inclined kids, parents, caregivers, and teachers.” —Kirkus Reviews"...this is a solid collection of STEM activities for tweens. Science teachers will want to investigate." —School Library Journal“A fun, hands-on resource for anyone who wants to inspire STEM-minded kids.” —Publishers Weekly"Recommendations for adapting each project for children of different ages and skill levels round out this educational and entertaining repository! Highly recommended." —Midwest Book Review"It's perfect for kids to learn and let their creative side show.”—Test Try Results“It’s educational and fun. I think this book would be good in schools and home-schools. There’s a science explanation at the end of each experiment.”—Kids' BookBuzz“Teachers and librarians with small or nonexistent budgets looking for STEM projects will find this book a very useful resource.” —School Library Connection Product Description There’s no need for expensive, high-tech materials to test your engineering skills—you probably have all you need in your home junk drawer. Each hands-on project in this book will challenge you to come up with a unique solution to a specific design problem. Construct a Pasta Bridge strong enough to support a heavy load, using only dry linguini and glue. Build a Marble Roller Coaster from recycled cardboard tubes, in which the marble “car” jumps a track to land safely at its final destination. Or design an Egg Catch device to safely capture a free-falling egg. Test yourself or use them for friendly competitions—who can come up with the best solution?These 25 open-ended design challenges can be performed for just pennies . . . or less. Each project has a suggested materials list, step-by-step instructions with illustrations for one possible solution, and suggestions on how to adapt each challenge for different ages and skill levels. Educators and parents will find this title a handy resource to teach children problem-solving skills and applied physics, all while having a lot of fun. From School Library Journal Gr 4–8—As the title suggests, most of the tasks described in this volume require readily available or recycled materials. The projects range in complexity from old-fashioned cup-and-string phones to "secret computer monitors" that demonstrate polarized light. They are divided into three general categories: energy (which features a variety of roller-coaster challenges), structures (buildings designed to hold a certain amount of weight), and waves (experiments with light and sound). Each project is presented with step-by-step instructions and illustrated with black-and-white photos, followed by an explanation of the science involved and ways to adapt the activity for different age groups. The strength of the text lies in the simple but clear descriptions of the science behind each challenge. Tips on how to extend or simplify each project for different ages are interesting and useful, too, although the author often proposes having middle and high school students "do the math" or calculate the forces involved, sometimes without providing much additional assistance. Readers without a background in physics may need to consult other sources. In addition, the projects are presented one after the other, with new ones often starting in the middle of a page, which makes the book harder to browse. VERDICT Aside from some minor formatting issues, this is a solid collection of STEM activities for tweens. Science teachers will want to investigate.—Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA About the Author Bobby Mercer has been sharing the fun of science for more than two decades as a high school physics teacher. He is the author of Junk Drawer Physics, Junk Drawer Chemistry, and The Flying Machine Book.
