Great Science Adventures is a series of science books written for students in grades K-8. There are 10 books in the series including: Discovering the Ocean, Discovering Earth's Landforms and Surface Features,The World of Space, The World of Insects and Arachnids, Discovering the Body and Human Senses, The World of Plants, The World of Invertebrates, Discovering Atoms and Molecules, The World of Light and Sound, and the World of Technology and Tools. Each paperback book contains all of the teaching information, instructions, material lists, Lots of Science Books, and Graphic Organizer pages for 24 lessons. It is recommended that 2-3 lessons be completed per week and to complete one book from the Earth, Physical, and Life Science categories per year for a complete science course. Extra purchases necessary for these books include a variety of supplies for the labs, and storage bags and a notebook or notebook rings to store materials in. Each lesson teaches new vocabulary words, has a new Lots of Science book to read, paper handouts to read and complete, and Experiences, Investigations, and Research Activities to choose from. Hands on labs are also included. Activities are labeled with one pencil icon for non-reading or early reading students, two pencils for 2^nd and 3^rd grade students, and 3 pencils for 4^th-8^th grade students so the teacher can easily see at a glance what activities will be appropriate for their students. You can purchase each book in the Great Science Adventures series for $24 or choose an ebook option for $17.00. An ebook materials packet is also available for $8 if you choose a hard copy book and do not want to photocopy the book.

In The World of Insects and Arachnids, students will focus on topics such as: What Are Insects, Who Studies Insects, Where Do They Live, How do Their Systems Function, What is Metamorphosis, Do They Migrate, Are Insects Helpful or Harmful, What Are Arachnids? What Are Spiders?, and many more. Using the graphic organizers, students will work on animal classification, a paper insect collection, an All About Insects Graphic Organizer, Insect Systems Graphic Organizer, Metamorphosis Graphic Organizer, Habitats, Insect Defenses, Types of Honeybees, Types of Ants, Butterfly or Moth, Arachnid and Insects, Paper Arachnid Collection, Arachnid and Insect Bound Book, and Tick Graphic Organizer. Labs include: making an insect trap, making a pond, catching flying insects, insect net, compound eyes, insect noises, tracking a scent, insect's heart, honeybee syrup, beetle trails, lay a trail, and non-sticky spider feet. There are also many suggestions and instructions for making a real insect collection, observing real insects, and completing other insect activities. Students will have to do some internet research in order to complete some of the activities.

I love that The World of Insects and Arachnids can be used with such a wide variety of ages and that the activities for each age group are clearly marked. The teacher's instructions are very clear and to the point. I love all of the hands on activities! Through reading the Lots of Science books, making the graphic organizers, completing the labs, and choosing activities from the Experiences, Investigations, and Research section all types of learners will be able to learn about the topic being covered, and have fun doing it! Labs are always one of our favorite things to do and there is a good amount of labs in the course. The Graphic Organizers will give students a wonderful visual reminder of what they learned in the course. There is no specific schedule that has to be followed, the course is very flexible and can be adjusted depending on the teacher's needs and the course contains a large number of activities to choose from to best fit the teacher's schedule. The copyright allows photocopying for your students which is a great cost savings for families with multiple students. There is a lot of opportunity to learn about insects by catching and observing insects around you. What child doesn't like to play with bugs?

One thing to keep in mind while using The World of Insects and Arachnids is timing. Many of the activities require looking at insects so plan on completing the course when you will find insects easily in your area. You can purchase many insects for observation if you would rather or if live in an area that makes catching them difficult. Some families that like to use products that contain an exact schedule showing what they are supposed to do when will not like the lack of a schedule in this book. While there is a materials list within each lesson, I think it would be handy to also have one in the beginning of the book or in the appendix showing what is needed for each lab to make planning ahead and gathering supplies easier on the teacher. The teacher will have to spend a good amount of time printing the necessary papers and the cost of ink will have to be factored in as well although the pages that need to be copied are black and white which is much less expensive than color. Also, the book is hard to photocopy. The binding on the book does not make copying easy nor are the pages perforated to enable the teacher to tear them out and place them in a binder. I think that if the book had spiral binding, it would make it possible to copy easily without ruining the binding. They do offer a materials pack in an ebook format which would be easier than copying but would also be an added expense.

Overall I think that The World of Insects and Arachnids is a great science curriculum and I look forward to using other books in this series with my family.

- Product Review by Lisa Trombley, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October, 2015