In The Magic School Bus by Chevat, various different types of science activities are explored. More so than the other books, this one focuses more on the way the science contained in the book can be applied to the classroom. As a child growing up with the Magic School bus, I can easily identify with the explorations that take place on that zany bus. I was encouraged, as a child to explore science on my own after watching an episode of the Magic School Bus on T.V. and my curiosity got the better of me. It is easy to identify with and therefore can have great powers of manipulation over students who do not know what fact or fiction is. That is why I greatly appreciate the last page of the book, where the author points out the validity of the information in the book while simultaneously pointing out the intentional fallacies that are invented to add animation to the illustrations. The author even goes as far as providing a true or false list for the student to complete
It has been my experience that students are far more intelligent that they accredit themselves with, therefore a book such as this would be applicable to most levels above 3rd grade. However, the cloud chart could be introduced to a 2nd grade level class without much hesitation. By and large, this book would be ideal for 3rd and 4th grade addressing questions that this group of students would more than likely ask. With such exercises as the bean experiment with the paper towel, students are encouraged to explore nature up close and gain a true understanding of how plants grow in addition to having their questions be answered before their eyes. This is a wonderful way to influence students to start asking their own scientific based questions.
Nearly every page is filled with wonderful lesson plans one could use for science lesson plans. For instance on page 23, there is an experiment which teaches students about the chemical reaction vinegar has to baking soda. This would be a great lesson plan to use with my class.