101 Science Experiments: Basic Principles Made Clear by Simple Demonstrations

Ilia Podendorf is a science teacher who encourages children to work on their own and to investigate and solve problems as scientists do. Doing experiments, like the ones outlined in this book, not only helps children develop better concepts but, incidentally, improves reading skill and the capacity to follow directions intelligently. Thus children become equipped to explore the ever-expanding world of knowledge to which science leads.
By doing the experiments in this book, children see or hear or otherwise observe what happens in certain situations. When they learn what happens in a very small part of the universe they acquire knowledge that helps to explain events in a larger universe.
Doing these experiments is fun. This is a good reason to do them for children can learn while having fun. But there is a more basic reason. Through experiments children get first-hand knowledge that certain things do indeed take place. The knowledge gained through experimenting, supplemented by other types of learning, enables children to build concepts with which to interpret the world around them.
First published in Britain, in 1961. Reprinted in 1962.