It’s Day Four of Science Book Week and our spotlight is on Glass Squid and Other Spectacular Squid (Creatures of the Deep) by Casey Rand.
Do you know the differences between an octopus and a squid? What is a colossal squid? How do squid survive in the extreme pressures of the deep ocean? This book contains the answers to all these questions and many more, such as where squid live, what they eat and what eats them.
In addition to brilliant color photographs of underwater creatures, the book also has illustrations to clarify key concepts. One illustration shows the zones of the ocean. Another shows the size of a sperm whale and different species of squid compared to a semi-trailer truck.
If you aren’t sure how interesting squid can be, take a look at this video (particularly good for relaxing on a stressful day). Notice the fins on the sides of their bodies. The presence of a fin is one way to tell a squid from an octopus.
Glass Squid and Other Spectacular Squid is a wonderful nonfiction picture book for learning more about squid, curious creatures from deep in the water that we know very little about.
Our book today, Doable Renewables:Â 16 Alternative Energy Projects for Young Scientists by Mike Rigsby, is full of creative new ideas and information. Do you remember in our post about smart materials (the materials that respond to the environment), we were looking for a source of nitinol (nickel-titanium alloy) wire? This book not only lists a source, but also uses nitinol springs in projects.
Mike Rigsby is a professional electrical engineer and he has a noble cause for writing this book. He has come up with projects to investigate various forms of renewable energy in the hope at least one of them will spark a young person to discover something that will change the world. His projects include making engines that use heat as a source of energy (including one with nitinol springs), solar energy, wind energy and wave energy. Each project is explained clearly, with a detailed list of supplies and numerous black and white photographs showing the assembly, as well as the finished project.
Before we get too excited, though, let’s do the reality check. Safety is one concern. Some of these projects have steps that could potentially cause injuries, especially those that involve cutting. Unlike many of the activities found in children’s science books, some of these projects are not made from items lying around the house. Many will require the purchase of specialized pieces of equipment or supplies from science and technology suppliers. For example, the nitinol springs are available from Jameco Electronics, part number 357835. As of today, they cost $45.95 for a 4 pack. The bottom line is that this book is for serious older children or young adults who enjoy engineering and inventing, and who preferably have an experienced adult mentor.
That said, do you have a science fair coming up soon? Doable Renewables: 16 Alternative Energy Projects for Young Scientists is a wonderful resource sure to generate innovative science fair projects.
In fact, the book inspired us to do some of our own investigations:
1. Stirling tin can engine
In chapter 4, Mike Rigsby suggests purchasing a Stirling engine to explore this technology investigated by Reverend Dr. Robert Stirling way back in 1816 (see our Amazon suggestions below). The Stirling engine uses heat to do work, and is known to be very quiet in comparison to the internal combustion engine.
Rigsby also mentions that there are instructions for building your own on the Internet, so of course we had to look. We found quite a few examples of Stirling engines you can make at home plus numerous videos of the engines in action. Here is one example of a fan Stirling engine (note: there is a pop-up ad).
We already had a radiometer, so we dusted it off and tried it out. A radiometer is a glass bulb that looks like a light bulb. Inside are 4 tabs suspended from wires. Those tabs are reflective on one side and black on the other. When placed in sunlight, the tabs rotate like crazy.
The Crookes radiometer caused quite a stir in its time, because no one was quite sure how it worked. Several hypotheses were proposed and shot down. Eventually the idea of thermal transpiration was found to be the one most generally accepted. It involves the movement of gases from the warmer side of the tab (the black side) to the cooler, reflective side. In any case, the only energy supplied is that from the sun.
If you are looking for some books that aren’t the usual fare, why not try some science/nature themed poetry? Here are a few that deserve to be a part of every home library.
If Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky and Ted Rand (Illustrator)
A friend of mine recently showed me this book, written all in haiku. Although that might sound about as exciting as bread molding, this is an incredible book. The vocabulary is stimulating, and the illustrations are superb. I would say this book would be acceptable as a read aloud for younger children and definitely would be a book your children would return to again and again. Although the cat is the title, most of the poems involve creatures from nature.
insectlopedia by Douglas Florian
My son’s first grade teacher gave a copy of this book to my son and he still cherishes it. I love the fact it is accurate and insightful, as well as creatively fun. And yes, the title is supposed to be in lower case.
mammalabilia by Douglas Florian
Douglas Florian actually has a whole series of poetry books, so if your child isn’t interested in insects, try some of the others.
in the swim by Douglas Florian
The Amazon.com review of this book says: “Even the most educated marine biologist could learn something from this whimsical, beautifully illustrated collection of 21 poems about sea life.â€
Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices by Theoni Pappas
Although not a science book, per se, if you like poems for two voices, this is another fun one.
Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out by Ralph Fletcher
This book is a great resource for older children (and even adults) who are interested in writing poetry. If every school used this book to teach poetry, I am positive that poetry would be everyone’s favorite subject.
Finally, if you want to learn more about nature/science poetry, try The Miss Rumphius Effect website.
