The Kids' Book of Simple Machines: Cool Projects & Activities that Make Science Fun!

by Kelly Doudna

Overview

Wheel and axle, wedge, and screw. Lever and pulley and inclined plane, too! Learning about the six simple machines has never been more fun! Through exciting science projects and activities kids can easily do at home or school, tomorrow’s scientists and engineers will have a blast learning about simple machines and how they make daily life easier. This book is the perfect STEM companion for curious minds at home or in the classroom.

Book includes: biographical spotlights on famous scientists and inventors; introduction to each simple machine, including real-world examples & history; materials & tools list; infographics; step-by-step instructions and photos; safety information; timeline; glossary; and index

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938063596
Publisher:	Mighty Media, Inc.
Publication date:	08/25/2015
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Kelly Doudna has always had an interest in science. She was a member of her junior high school school science club, but turned her focus to English and writing in college. She attempted the study of meteorology in graduate school, but was kicked out of the program after she flunked calculus twice. That led her to pursue a commercial art degree, and today she combines all of these interests as a graphic designer and in-house writer at Mighty Media, Inc. Kelly has authored over 250 educational books for children on topics ranging from the alphabet to baby animals to the weather. In her free time, Kelly enthusiastically pursues bicycling, photography, cooking, and the craft beer scene, and documents it all in her blog.

Editorial Reviews

Gold Award Winner for the 2015 Parents' Choice Award

Selected as a 2016 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, Ages Nine to Twelve

Midwest Book Award Winner for Children's Nonfiction

Foreword Review's IndieFab Book of the Year Award Finalist in Children's: Juvenile Nonfiction

"Every so often, something happens that opens a child's perceptual portals to the wonderful world of science ... This compact, astute book could be that 'something' for early-elementary students who don't yet know how to embrace science in real-world terms. And for those who do, it will only fuel their fascination. ... For junior engineers, this is a great book; for any curious child, it could be an 'aha' moment."—Parents' Choice

"With this fun activity book, kids will learn about six simple machines: wheel and axle, wedge, screw, lever, pulley, and inclined plane. They’ll discover how these basic machines make life easier and how to make their own by following step-by-step instructions."—Today's Parent, "18 STEM books your kids will love"

"The layout is clean and organized. The illustrations consist mostly of full-color photographs, which are beautifully done, showing each step of the project close-up and in high-contrasting colors. The best part of the book is how the author points out machines people are likely to see every day: seesaws, window blinds, front teeth (they are wedges!), scissors and so on." —Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC)

"Simple machines are all around, and this encourages young readers to spot them and, even more, to systematically record and explore the complexities of how they work. … An excellent introduction to basic physics and machines as well as to the scientific method and what it means to think in a systematic and empirical way."—Booklist

"Finding ways to pique interest, explore ideas, and create demonstrable lessons in science can be daunting for any caregiver or teacher. This book makes it easy. Full of fascinating activities and interesting facts, each section offers a fun opportunity to learn something new. The layout is clean and simple and the images clearly illustrate the ideas being discussed. Children will dive into this book full of curiosity and emerge as budding scientists and engineers. Ages 5-10."—Foreword Reviews

"I was in a play about science superheroes and we used simple machines to solve problems. So it was fun to see some of the simple machines I learned about in this book. It is great that this book includes history as well as experiments..."—Kids' BookBuzz; Susan, Age 7

"...packed with information, projects and activities. ... The content-specific vocabulary is woven into the text in a way that makes it very accessible to kids and the photos are used in a variety of ways so that readers can make sense of the content. Overall, a great book..."—A Year of Reading

"... the perfect hands-on science book for early elementary-aged children. It has concise explanations of the science of simple machines, clear step-by-step instructions, and enticing colorful photographs of the projects. In addition, the background information in the different sections introduces children to famous scientists and inventors, from Archimedes to the Wright brothers."—Growing with Science and STEM Friday

"Fun illustrations and information abound in this collection of simple machines. ... Fantastic science introduction to simple machines for children. My favorite were the 'think like a scientist' extensions connected to the lessons in addition to all the pictures that accompanied the projects and ideas. Highly recommended for those teaching about simple machines. I know this will be quite useful."—The Styling Librarian

"... not only should a school’s library have one of these books, each classroom will benefit from this terrific resource. It's a book both entertaining and educational!"—Teacher Dance

Reviews and Awards for Kelly Doudna's Kid's Book of Simple Everyday Science:

The Kid's Book of Simple Everyday Science is a Learning Magazine 2015 Teachers' Choice Awards for the Family winner

"It’s true that anyone can think like a scientist, and this title strikes a nice balance between being simple and engaging." —Booklist

"The projects are easy to understand and can be, mostly, done with everyday household items. Designed to easily stir the kids' imaginations to delve 'scientifically' into their everyday surroundings." —Reader's Haven Reviews

"Kelly Doudna’s wonderful book is a delight for the eyes and for developing brains. ...Kids will have so much fun doing these activities, they won’t even notice there is a whole lot of learning going on." —San Francisco City Book Review, 5 Stars

From the Publisher

A combination of projects and science explanations, this book uses chapters to six different simple machines, with four projects related to the machine in each chapter. The introduction defines the six machines, including pictures. For example, for a lever, Doudna shows kids playing on a seesaw. For her first example of an inclined plane, she offers a cereal box. While it is true that the box becomes an inclined plane when tilted sideways (and the cereal comes out), this could be confusing for readers since a cereal box is not always an inclined plane. Perhaps Doudna could have offered an example of a ramp or slide instead. However, each simple machine is addressed in more detail with many more pictures and captions in the following chapters. For example, the chapter about inclined planes includes a short article about a pinball machine’s basic use of the tilted board. Not surprisingly, one of the projects for the chapter on inclined planes is a tabletop pinball machine using cardboard, a glue gun, and a ping pong ball. Doudna’s step-by-step instructions for the projects are clear and easy to read. Her writing in the science sections is still clear, but overly enthusiastic with multiple exclamation points per paragraph. Back matter includes a glossary and index. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen; Ages 6 to 10.

Children's Literature - Amy S. Hansen