Model It!

by Robin Johnson

This engaging and accessible book explains how scientists use models to help them understand systems in the natural world. Readers learn about different kinds of models and discover the similarities and differences between models and the real objects and processes they represent. Readers are given several opportunities to create their own models.

24 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2015

Reviews

[John Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to what models in science are and how they can be used to understand things. For example dinosaurs are extinct, but fossils and bones that have been found, allow scientists to create scale models or even computer images to help us understand how they looked and function. The book expands upon this to show how modeling allows us to predict weather, changes in animal and insect populations as well as help students understand how the human body works. Each section includes questions to stimulate young readers so they can understand better how scientific modeling can help them learn. The content is solid and not too complex for lower grades and includes directions for building a diorama as well as links to websites that offer more in depth information and examples of modeling. This is a book worthy of consideration for schools and libraries where such material is outdated or lacking.