Why do you see lightning before you hear thunder? What keeps the planets orbiting around the sun? What metal is a liquid at room temperature? Science affects everything -- yet so many of us wish we understood it better. Using an accessible question-and-answer approach, key concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, earth and general science are explored and demystified in this award-winning book. An engaging and fun way to better your understanding of how science surrounds us every day.
 
Best Book Award Finalist!
 
From the Publisher
I searched long and hard to find a fun science summer camp for my 14-year-old daughter, Kaely. Though we live in a major metropolitan area, there were not many choices. In the end, we flew her 1,000 miles to attend a camp at Northern Illinois University. In contrast, her little sister attended soccer camp a few blocks from home, and her brother went to musical theater camp just down the road. Sports camps are abundant. Drama camps are plentiful. Science camps are another story - there are far fewer of them. Because many people consider science too difficult and too tangential to normal life, it is often seen as a specialty field of study reserved for just 'the really nerdy kids.' I don't think Kaely will become a professional scientist. That is precisely why it is so important for me to make sure that she and her siblings have regular exposure to science topics. She may not even take any science classes beyond her school requirements, so the necessity for additional learning is clear - not being a scientist does not excuse you from understanding science. How disappointed I would be if my children couldn't figure out a restaurant tip, didn't appreciate the works of William Shakespeare, couldn't figure out how to find Timbuktu on a map, or had no understanding of why the United Nations was formed. By the same token, I expect them to know how hurricanes are forecast, what pasteurization means, why a circuit works, when the pH scale is useful, and what a controlled study is. Do you know enough about science? Scientists, educators and public policy experts agree that there is a general lack of public understanding about science. Science is one of the methods we use to attempt to understand the world around us. It helps us think about, respond to, and manipulate our world - hopefully for the better! Understanding science can make the difference between clarity and confusion when it comes to thinking about important issues like cancer risk, space exploration, and genetically modified foods. We reap the benefits of this understanding in the technology created to generate the fuels we use to run our cars, the cleaners we use to destroy deadly microbes in our water supply, and the medical tests that may save our lives. We see the consequences of our misunderstanding in the ecological problems caused by inappropriate chemical use, the evolution of drug-resistant pathogens as a result of overuse of antibiotics, and the effect of urbanization on the earth's declining biodiversity. Science knowledge is not as simple as memorizing a list of facts. It is, more fundamentally, the process of seeking and analyzing data in order to ask questions, producing coherent explanations or theories about how things happen, and then making rational decisions. Being able to form critical, scientific questions means that we can be involved in all kinds of active learning, from collecting and sorting to measuring, observing, analyzing, and discussing. In this age of such rapid technological advances, understanding science gives us the tools we need to keep up with and manage change...This book began as a tool for children. It expanded to become a tool for everyone - no matter what their age. It is not a trivia game or a science textbook, nor does it explain everything about science. It does not replace classroom learning, hands-on experimentation, lessons learned at home, or life experience. It can be used as a fun game for adults, a guessing game for family entertainment, a springboard for a school project, or an assessment tool for science interest and literacy. Understanding science helps us to become more involved in the world around us. It helps us live better lives, ask better questions, and be better world citizens. Imagine a society where talking about science is as natural as talking about sports, movies, or current events Imagine a world where people discuss science as readily over the dinner table as they discuss politics...To care about science literacy is to care about ourselves, our communities, and our planet. Scientific literacy enables us all to make a positive difference in our world.
 
Review
101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science employs a completely user-friendly Q & A format to introduce readers to key concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, earth and general science. An ideal addition to home schooling curricula and particularly recommended for school and community libraries. This compendium of diverse, fun facts is as entertaining and engaging as it is informed and informative! (Midwest Book Review)

This is a fantastic book for quizzing students during the last 10 minutes of class or as a transition activity. The resource section at the back of the book offers fabulous ideas and resources for budding scientists, and the index is very helpful. It can be used for a review after a unit of study, to supplement a unit of study, or to extend a unit of study. Overall, it would be a great addition to any classroom library! (Tracy Alley, Teacher & Coordinator of Gifted Programs Madeira City Schools & Adjunct Professor, University of Cincinnati)

Michels and Levy have created a book that could be called "How to Learn Science without Really Trying!" With over 100 questions on things we've all wondered about, they provide answers in a succinct, cleverly written and understandable format. An authoritative overview of science, this book fills an empty niche and should be on everyone's book shelf! (Katrina L. Kelner, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of Life Sciences Science)

In 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science, children and adults alike find clear and engaging explanations of complex phenomena. Michels and Levy's book not only provides us with answers, but more importantly, also gives us the tools to ask the next question, and the next, and the next... 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science encourages a lifetime of curiosity about the world around us! (Julie Edmonds, Ph.D., Associate Director, Carnegie Academy for Science Education)
Age Range: 9 - 12 years
Grade Level: 4 - 7
Series: 101 Things Everyone Should Know
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Science, Naturally! (March 4, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0967802059
ISBN-13: 978-0967802053
Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.4 x 8.6 inches