BM Science

After purchasing countless science kits throughout the years for use in my homeschool, I found most to be lacking in some way. Many failed to actually teach anything. Not so with this book. For high school level students I found it an excellent way to incorporate labs which were not only fun and captivating, but educational. Granted this book is written for group purposes, but I did not have much trouble using it with only one or two students. I particularly liked the fact that I could purchase the supplies I needed online in the amount that I needed, and was not paying a fortune for a premade kit which contained 30 of everything, far more than I was ever going to need.

Do note that I purchased this book online [...] where every supply needed for this entire book was stated and available for purchase…something I greatly appreciated. Even with having some of the supplies already on hand, like a microscope, labs like this cost money. It was nice however to have everything I needed, with no suprises, and know that this book would not end up on the back of some shelf because I did not have “the common items found in most household kitchens” which is what most science experiement books state. You will not find everything you need for this book in your kitchen!

For the Forensic Science fan it is a blast! Students, while learning, really do get to solve mysteries. There were times when I set up entire crime scenes, complete with crime scene tape, dead bodies (not real ones of course), and many needed-to-find clues. As a homeschooler I even added a trial to one lab which was not something stated in the book. My “scientist” used his diagram and findings as testimony. It was quite a unique and memorable experience.

The book is divided into 4 Sections with 7 to 9 labs in each section, many that take 2 or 3 days to complete. The beginning of the book, Section 1, has to do with Critical Thinking and contains labs having to do with Forgery, Tire Track Evaluation, etc…. Section 2 covers Physical Science with Glass Fractures, Fingerprinting, Blood-drop Analysis, etc…. Section 3 is Life Sciences. The books gets more fun as it moves along and requires more hands-on lab work. Section 3 contains Urinalysis, Dental Forensics, DNA, Hair Identification, etc…. The last section, Section 4, covers Earth Science, Archaeology, and Anthropology. That’s when you learn about Preserving Flesh, Identifying Missing Bones, Dating-Radioactive Style, etc…. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

I could see this book becoming a source of frustration if you tried to determine and locate every supply needed for every lab. However, if you manage to find the site I did, or one similar, who can provide you with everything you need, this can be an excellent way to incorporate labs at home, have fun, and learn all at the same time.
Rating: 5 / 5

I teach 6th grade science and this book has lots of practical hands-on ideas for classroom use. The labs are fairly easy to implement and they are engaging for the students. This book is especailly good for a summer school program or enrichment work. Perfect for middle school level. I don’t think it would work well for much beyond middle school.
Rating: 4 / 5

A great teachers resource, most of the labs require very little set-up a few are a little impractical. All in all, I’d say I got my monies worth.


Rating: 5 / 5