Environmental Detective: Investigating Nature

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

The Environmental Detective kit is a hard plastic case containing a
magnifying glass, marker and mailer card, pH paper, color scale, water
tester and tweezers, ruler, and a book describing over 40 planet-saving
activities. Although the book does include “environmental detective”
activities, most of the text is taken up with a description of
environmental problems.

Some of the activities require parental involvement, and most utilize
items that are not part of the kit. At the most simple level, children
are encouraged to observe such things as the pH of soil and to make
notes. (Litmus paper is supplied.) At the other end of the difficulty
scale, the book encourages children to make compost pits and brush piles
in the backyard and to engage in environmental activism. The text of a
letter protesting pollution from automobiles is included for children to
copy. Most of these activities would need parental involvement, if not
consent.

The kit is designed for long-term use by individuals, so it is not
appropriate for libraries. However, it would be suitable for families
wishing to give their children a good grounding in environmental issues,
for home schoolers, and for teachers looking for ideas to supplement the
science curriculum. Recommended.