Fizz, Bubble, & Flash (Williamson Kids Can!)

I bought this book to get ideas for a summer science camp at the public library that my sons and I are hosting. It is an excellent resource loaded with information and interesting experiments.I do not give it 5 stars, though, because the first experiment we tried -- crushing Iron-fortified cereal with a rolling pin and then using a magnet to separate out the iron -- did not work. Since I had used a generic brand of iron-fortified cereal, I thought maybe that was the problem and I purchased Total (the brand recommended in the book) and tried again. No dice. Another mother whose husband is a chemist said that you have to add water to the crushed cereal to fully separate the iron. IDK, I haven't tried that - but it is not what this book says you have to do.We will soon be trying other experiments in the book and hopefully they will work better!July 2014 update: Okay, we've now done three more experiments, and only one of the three worked (making a dollar bill "dance" by holding a Neodymium magnet next to it). Here are the two experiments which have not worked:Zirconium (p. 90): the experiment said to use aluminum foil over a glass or metal bowl filled with ice and water to produce the condensation necessary to show that the Zirconium in anti-perspirants absorbs moisture; we waited over 30 minutes and never got any condensation on the foil, plus the experiment did not explain why the bowl had to be glass or metal instead of plastic. We finally got this to work -- for a summer science camp at our local library -- by applying anti-perspirant to the sides of small plastic applesauce cups (cleaned first, of course) and omitting the aluminum foil entirely. Ice water in the cup caused condensation to form quickly everywhere except the area coated with anti-perspirant, and the experiment was a complete success only once the foil was ditched. My comment: even if the aluminum foil had worked, why waste it when the world abounds in small single use plastic containers destined for trash which can easily be used instead? Why instruct us to use glass or metal when plastic works just fine?Calcium (p. 26): stirring a small amount of Plaster of Paris into a 1/2 cup of water was supposed to create "hard" water, and the "hard" water was not supposed to produce as many bubbles as plain water when liquid hand soap was added to each. We tried this SO many different ways, and in each situation we could discern no difference between the amount of bubbles produced in each type of water . . . which left me with SO many questions, but this one primarily: is all Plaster of Paris powder made out of the same stuff? This book explains that plaster is calcium sulfate, and when it dissolves the calcium ions make the water "hard." Reading the ingredient list on our tub of Plaster of Paris, I discover ours is a mixture of Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate and Crystalline Silica. Is there anything in the Calcium Carbonate and Silica which could alter the results? If so, could the author of this book have made that clear?I may eventually have to downgrade the number of stars given this book to 3 instead of 4!

After searching high and low for a decent Chemistry curriculum for my 2nd Grader, I found this excellent book. It is perfectly organized for a year's curriculum. It starts with an overview of the Periodic Table and how it is organized, and then it devotes a section to each type of element: Alkali Metals, Alkaline Earths, Main-Group Metals, Metalloids, Nonmetals, Halogens, Noble Gases, Transition Metals, Lanthanides and Actinides.The best part about this book were the experiments. For each one, the science behind it was explained well enough for my 7-yr old to understand the concepts. Not only that, but the materials were easy to find (with the exception of non-galvanized nails). We did nearly all of the experiments in this book, some of them more than once, and it made for a fantastic year of science.If you are looking for a good hands-on chemistry spine for your younger elementary student, I highly recommend this book!

My 5th grade daughter and I just finished working our way through this book as part of her homeschool science curriculum, and we both loved it! Each day she would ask to do science first, because she couldn't wait. The book covers each family on the periodic table. There is also a brief introduction to the structure of atoms and why the periodic table is shaped the way it is. The book covers lots of scientific concepts, but is written in easy-to-understand language. There are a ton of experiments (we usually did 1-2 per day). We did almost every experiment and only needed to purchase a couple items, the rest used common items that we already had at home. Favorite experiments included making a homemade compass, separating water into hydrogen and oxygen, and electroplating a nail with copper. I highly recommend the book!

What an excellent resource to add to your child's collection! This is a great read to better understanding and learning about the periodic table whether your child needs a supplement to another textbook or learning program. It is easy to work up the lesson plans for a unit study on the periodic table for home school without having to add much of anything else to it! The easy to understand wording of the material captures the children and gets their attention along with the entertaining pictures. It was fun working through building a table of our own from reading the lessons.

This is such a fun way to teach and learn about the periodic table! It’s written in a way a child can understand, and has fun experiments throughout to bring it to life.

When my son's third-grade teacher said the students could get extra credit for doing science experiments in front of the class, I began a search for a great book that would not only give simple, interesting experiments, but that would provide information about the concepts behind the projects. This book fit the bill perfectly! We've done two or three of these in front of the class already -- the kids were interested, and my son was able to convey some interesting scientific principles. Great for teachers, home schoolers, or parents intent on getting their kids extra credit. :)

My daughter has been using it for her chemistry unit with Moving Beyond the Page and has loved this book. It has a lot of info and tons of experiments. Very hands on - and it makes learning fun !

A fun and fact filled romp through the periodic table!A great read for middle schoolers and adults too.It a shame its out of print

Bought thus book to use for a home education product and then it's great. Set out well, explains matters well and the suggested experiments are a good help