Detective Science: 40 Crime-Solving, Case-Breaking, Crook-Catching Activities for Kids

by Jim Wiese

Overview

Children/Science

Become a super science sleuth with . . .

Detective Science

40 Crime-Solving, Case-Breaking, Crook-Catching Activitiesfor Kids

Search for evidence, gather clues, and discover how science canhelp solve a mystery. From dusting for fingerprints to analyzinghandwriting, these easy, fun-filled activities give you a firsthandlook at how detectives and forensic scientists use science to solvereal-life crimes.

Make a plaster cast of a shoe. Identify lip prints left on aglass. Examine hair and clothing fibers. Practice chemistry toidentify mystery substances, and much more.

In no time at all, you'll be thinking like a detective andperforming experiments like a real forensic scientist!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471119807
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	02/20/1996
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	670,866
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

JIM WIESE (British Columbia, Canada) is a science teacher and an educational coordinator for nonprofit organizations. He is the author of the popular kids' science-activities books Roller Coaster Science and Rocket Science, both from Wiley.

Table of Contents

Elementary, My Dear Watson: Using Observation and Creative Thinkingto Investigate Crimes.

Excuse Me, But Does This Belong to You?: Investigating What's Leftat the Scene of the Crime.

Mixing It Up: Using Chemistry to Analyze Evidence.

Living Proof: Using Biology to Learn More About a Crime.

Paper Trail: Analyzing Documents to Solve Crimes.

Glossary.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

An elementary introduction to such concepts as forensics, voice-prints and DNA testing, Detective Science: 40 Crime-Solving, Case-Breaking, Crook-Catching Activities for Kids by Jim Wiese shows how detectives and forensic experts use science to do their jobs. Through a variety of easy, at-home experiments, readers learn how to take and analyze fingerprints, identify blood and detect counterfeit bills. With black-and-white illustrations by Ed Shems. (Wiley, $12.95 paper 128p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-471-11980-6 Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 4-7Wiese offers readers the opportunity to delve into the world of crime detection and forensic science. Through 40 projects and experiments, youngsters are encouraged to develop their skills of observation and creative thinking; investigate the scene of a crime; analyze evidence by means of chemistry; use biology to learn more about a crime; and analyze documents to solve it. Each project includes an introduction, a materials list, step-by-step procedures, questions, and an explanation. For many of the projects there is also a "More Fun Stuff to Do" section for extending the investigation. Notes on the need for adult help and safety cautions appear in bold print. Scattered throughout the text are "Detective Science in Action" inserts that relate the science principles behind an activity to its use in solving real-life crimes. Robert Sheely's Police Lab (Silver Moon, 1993) and Robert Gardner's Crime Lab 101 (Walker, 1992) also explore crime-detection methods, but the range of projects and Wiese's clear, lively writing make his book a particularly fine choice for this audience. It will be a valuable addition to collections where science activities are in demand, especially where Wiese's Roller Coaster Science (1994) and Rocket Science (1995, both Wiley) are popular.Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA

School Library Journal