Explore Light and Optics!: With 25 Great Projects

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Imagine a world without light. What would it be like Dark, cold, and lifeless! In Explore Light and Optics! With 25 Great Projects, readers ages 7 through 10 find out why light is so important to our world. We use light to communicate. Because of light, there are natural phenomena such as rainbows and the auroras. And its light that provides living things with the energy they need to exist.
In Explore Light and Optics!, readers learn how light travels, how the eye works, and why we can see objects. They read about optical inventions that changed the world, including microscopes, telescopes, and cameras. Kids are introduced to modern inventions such as lasers, solar planes, and the hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber optics that make it possible to transmit data all over the world.
Through projects ranging from making a spectroscope and concocting invisible ink to creating a periscope and experimenting with lenses, children discover how light can be bent, bounced, and broken. Fun facts, jokes, cartoon illustrations and links to online primary sources spark an interest in the fascinating role light plays in our lives from the sun shining overhead to the cellphone in our back pocket.

Reviews

Praise for Explore Light and Optics! With 25 Great Projects School Library Connection "Science fans have a new fun resource for planning projects... Teachers at all levels can make use of this new book to infuse some action and excitement into science lessons on light and optics. Recommended" National Science Teachers Association RECOMMENDS "Students will be able to use this introductory text to understand and explore the field of light and optics... Activities immediately follow each chapter to reinforce key ideas. One activity in particular stands out for its uniqueness: using processed cheese slices and a microwave to measure the speed of light... With the wide variety of topics covered, students are able to see the interconnectedness of our technology and hobbies and contemplate the different careers that involve light and optics." Samuel L. Nerenberg, Doctoral Candidate of Optical Sciences " An excellent introductory text for children to the field of optics. It provides a balance between scientific concept and history presented at an appropriate level... " Praise for other books by Anita Yasuda: Astronomy: Cool Women in Space School Library Journal "... A treasure trove of discovery, this interactive series promises to influence the next generation of female science stars. Highly Recommended" Dr. Laura Trouille, Astronomer, the Adler Planetarium and Northwestern University "An engaging and inspirational addition to a genre in significant need of quality publications for young women and girls. I will be happily recommending this book to every aspiring astronomer who visits the Adler!" Catherine Piper Shelton, Director of Curriculum and Technology, U.S. Space & Rocket Center "I see this book sparking an interest in astronomy for any girl. It connects the science with careers, and the past with the present--and future." Victoria Obenchain, science teacher, instructor at Sally Ride Science Camp "This book is a testament to the fact that women are incredibly important to science and that their contributions to understanding the universe as it is known today are huge!" Explore Native American Cultures! School Library Journal "... A wide range of ages will be able to take something away from this entertaining and useful title. " Explore Natural Resources! National Science Teachers Association "This is the perfect activity book to instruct and demonstrate the immediate interconnectedness humans have with natural resources and the world." Explore the Wild West! 2012 Gold Moonbeam Award School Library Journal "Entertaining and informative. This is a useful and engaging introductory overview of the Wild West." Explore Simple Machines! Booklist "Yasuda writes in particularly clear, simple language, and intersperses her explanations with historical notes, jokes, and 25 easy projects or demonstrations constructed from common materials..." Explore Water! School Library Journal "It's impossible to read this book and not turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Children will come away with obscure facts and broad understandings about this vital resource ..." Explore the Solar System! National Science Teachers Association "The inviting cover of this science book will attract the attention of young readers right from the start. This is a great book to entice young readers to read more and learn a little science along the way. It would make an attractive addition to a school library" Explore Flight! 2013 Society of School Librarians International Honor Book Award

Author Bio

Anita Yasuda is the author of more than 100 books for children and adults, including Explore Simple Machines!, Explore Native American Cultures!, and Astronomy: Cool Women in Space for Nomad Press. She is a member of the Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP). Anita lives in Huntington Beach, California. Bryan Stone is a cartoonist and the illustrator of several books for Nomad Press including Explore Night Science!, Explore Flight!, Explore Rivers and Ponds!, Explore Rocks and Minerals!, Explore Electricity!, and Explore Honey Bees!. He lives in West Fairlee, Vermont.