Recipe For Educational Fun: The Electric Pickle by Joey Green

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Chicago Review Press via Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.


electric pickle cover

50 Experiments from the Periodic Table, from Aluminum to Zinc



Synopsis:

Why does a pickle light up when you plug it into a wall socket? Can iron burn? Are Cheerios magnetic? Explore these strange questions and more in The Electric Pickle, an indispensible collection of 50 madcap experiments based on the periodic table. 

Each project demonstrates an element’s unique properties using easy-to-follow instructions. Experiments include:

Hexed Helium Balloon

Green Tornado Fire
Black Light Jell-O
Gonzo Pickle Batteries
Totally Tricky Thermometer
Ludicrous Lead-Pencil Lightbulb

The Electric Pickle is also sprinkled with mind-bending scientific facts and entertaining sidebars about historic experiments and less common, often dangerous, elements.



Review:

Most schools nowadays have REALLY cut down on the amoutn of experiments and 'fun stuff' that kids can do, as they are too busy 'teaching the tests'. It's such a BAD idea, as the fun stuff is how kids REMEBER the concepts LONG after the tests are over! Homeschooling has allowed us to really expand and create so MANY experiments PER week. So when I find a great resource book that can work for all kids, I HAVE to share it with you, and this is one of those books!



electric pickle sample 1

Aimed at kids ages 9-12, even teens will have fun with this book! As you can see, each experiment starts with a photo with everything you need, as well as a list. As a parent, I was thrilled to see that sfety equipment was listed right along with ingredients!

electric pickle sample 2

As you can see, the experiments include plenty of pictures, to help kids run the experiments by themselves, though I would caution to read through first, and see which ones you need to earmark for parental supervision! Then after each experiment, there is a lesson overview, stating WHY the experiment happened, and teaching kids! This is the part that I use as a teaching area for me to go over with Miss Grace after she has done an experiment, to see if she understands why it worked, and if not, go over with her. It also really helps to cement the concepts! Overall the experiments in the book are all a FUN way for kids to learn about chemistry, in a hands on way, and maybe astound their friends a bit too!

This book really gets your kids THINKING about chemistry, and as it makes learning exciting, your kids will remember the concepts they are learning too, and we highly recommend it!


About the Author:

Joey Green is the author of more than 50 books, including Last-Minute Survival SecretsLast-Minute Travel Secrets, and Vacation on Location: Midwest.

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