DK Smithsonian Science Year by Year

DK Smithsonian Science Year by Year
Published at DK

About the book

Packed with fascinating discoveries and facts, this visual reference takes kids on a fantastic journey through time, from stone tools and simple machines to space travel and robots.

Easy-to-follow illustrated timelines of pivotal scientific developments explore the ideas, experiments, and technologies that have shaped our daily lives over the past 3 million years. With more than 1,200 images, in-depth explanations of key inventors and innovations, quotes from groundbreaking scientists like Marie Curie, and stunning "moment in time" images of key events such as the first human landing on the moon, kids are sure to be amazed on every page. Young readers can learn about the early understanding of gravity, the discovery of dinosaur fossils, the first open heart surgery in human history, and much more.

Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, Science Year by Year will fascinate kids as they go on an amazing journey through time, tracing key moments in the history of science and technology along the way.

My Thoughts

Once again I am amazed at the quality of books that DK produces.  This book contains information about  science through the ages and it can be a fabulous companion to either your science lessons or your history lessons.

The table of contents is divide in eras:

• 3 MYA – 800 CE Before Science Began
• 800 - 1545 New Ideas
• 1545 – 1790 The age of discovery
• 1790 – 1895 Revolutions
• 1895 – 1945 The atomic age
• 1945 – present day Modern Science

Through the pages of this book, you will follow a timeline which highlights the scientific discoveries or inventions made as time goes by.   This timeline is strategically located approximately at the middle of the pages.  From this timeline, a line will either go upward or downward  and will highlight a scientific development from the time period where you are located in the book.

Also you will find some pages that will give you more detail on a specific subject like ancient architecture, Aristotle, anatomy, Medieval medicine, Leonardo da Vince,measuring things, travelling the world, studying fossils, calculating machine, periodic table, space race and robotics – to name only a few of them.  In these pages you will be able to glean much information on the subject covered.  For example, in the healing people pages, you can see an otoscope which was used for looking inside the ear back in 1890.  A specific timeline is also included that gives me the various physicians who helped improving the care of patients through history.

The pages of this book does not only contain text.  You will find numerous photos, images, drawing, and so on to help you better visualize the information that you are reading.   For example, as I was exploring the book, I stumble on a discovery made in 1781 called the leap frog.  Apparently an Italian scientist Luigi Galvani connected the exposed nerves of a dead frog to a metal wire during a thunderstorm.  The legs twitched with every flash of lightning…  This experiment became a key step in understanding electricity, and inspired the novel Frankenstein.  Images illustrate the experiment and I find it interesting how this scientist came to this discovery.  

At the end of the book, you will also find some interesting reference pages on biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, space and who’s who.  It is always useful to have quick reference cheat pages at the tip of your fingers.

The book is definitively a great resources to have at home.  It could help the kids (and the parents) to learn a few things during the summer when the weather is not so great to spend time outdoors or to keep them busy with practicing their reading on a subject or era of time during the school year.  

DK Smithsonian Science Year by Year is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote these books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.