This exciting project manual for grades 4-7 is well-designed and includes a variety of fascinating projects that will engage the interest of a diverse population of students. It would be an excellent adjunct for the homeschooling parent who wished to augment the regular science curriculum for a particularly gifted or scientifically-inclined child.
Each project is clearly presented in lesson-plan form, with subject and skill breakdown, lists of needed materials, vocabulary, purpose and objectives, how the teacher should prepare for the lesson, how the lesson shoujld be presented, and suggestions for extending the lesson. Worksheets for photocopying are provided so that the teacher can duplicate them as needed for the students.
Among the projects are hammocks, zip lines, and paper airplanes, as well as more complex projects such as bridge and skyscraper building, assembling a hoist, and working with simple machines. In all, this book is an excellent introduction to the principles of engineering and how they can be found in everyday life. Students and teachers alike should find this book an excellent adjunct to the science curriculum.
(I received a review copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.)