[.ca] Science Project Helper (ISBN 0930324773)

science project helper:
"I want to build an avalanche!" "I want to build a volcano!" Mike Dickinson's book, Science Project Helper, offers concrete reasons why such project ideas fail as authentic science experiments. His book gives an easy to follow, step by step approach to choosing and executing a successful project that follows the scientific method. I wish this book would have been available years ago when I was first asked to sponsor the science fair for our school. Mr. Dickinson's book would have given me, my students, and their parents a single, comprhensive guide to follow through the entire process from start to finish. This book is a gem!

Lessons for a lifetime:
Mr. Dickinson's title could not be more appropriate. His book "Science Project Helper" is chock-full of extremely helpful ideas to guide young scientists through their first science project. One of the key strengths of this book is that it introduces students to the scientific method in such a clear and inviting manner. It beckons the students to pursue their curiosities while teaching them the process of inquiry and investigation. At each step of the way, the book provides important learning points, great anecdotes and useful examples, helpful checklists, tips and additional references. The most powerful aspect of this book is that it teaches lessons that will serve the students for the rest of their lives. I sincerely wish I had access to this book when I was participating in science projects in high school. Now that I am a parent, I fully intend to introduce my daughter to this book when she begins her first science project in a few short years. Frankly, I think some of my graduate students would benefit from the crystal clear way this book describes the process of starting with a topic of interest, then progressing to specific questions and hypotheses, on to the design and execution of an experiment, and culminating in the analysis and presentation of meaningful results. Mike Dickinson's book makes a substantial contribution to our greatest resource - the bright minds that will develop the most significant innovations in the decades to come. - Kevin P. Grant, Ph.D.