The book started out with story about kids deciding they should build a mesh cage around their cucumber plants to keep the dog out of them – but it would also keep out the pollinating insects off the plants, so they would be unable to produce. And just like that, my kids were hooked. We read about spinning eggs to decide if they were hard-boiled or raw, why water encourages the presence of mosquitoes, and, well, 62 other short stories that show the science facts – not just plain, less than interesting science facts. Can we call this ‘Applied Science’?
We read these a few at a time each day until we finished the book – some days, we read until my voice gave up. Everyone crowded around, and I would stop reading to see if the kids could figure out the answer of “why” before we finished the story. The stories are simple to understand, and although I’m certain my four year old didn’t understand every explanation, she hung on every word right along with the older kids. They all loved to try to guess the answer to the mystery on the first page and then moved on to the next page see if they were right. My two older girls, 8 and 9, read these on their own ahead. This made the guessing a bit of a cheat – but I was glad to see that they remembered the stories and answers to the mysteries! Learning at it’s best, I’m convinced, is when they are interested and engaged and it’s not “work”. One Minute Mysteries certainly did that for my kids. We all loved it.This One Minute Mysteries book is $9.95 and available here. The complete list of Science, Naturally! books available is here.
To read what others on the Review Crew thought about One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science!, check out the Old Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog.
