Testimonials
Our Newest Review!
Resource: The Teaching Tank
Produced by: American Educational Products, LLC.
Grade Level: All
Website: www.TeachingTank.com
Telephone: 1-800-289-9299
Item: The Starter Kit, which includes the Teaching Tank and Discovery Book vol. 1 (50 lessons)
Review by: Karen Matlock, D.V.M. for Home School Enrichment, Inc.
If you're looking for a self-contained tabletop science kit that will allow you to demonstrate nearly every branch of science as your children learn it, and can be used over and over, year after year, then you need the Teaching Tank!
The Teaching Tank is a new concept in science learning tools. You put it together in minutes using the Plexiglas sides, plastic tubing, and plastic screws tightened by hand. No tools are required. It sits securely in its stand, and then the fun begins! There are 150 lessons available in three Discovery Books, covering everything from biology and earth science to chemistry and physics. The lessons are designed in such a way that you can tailor the experience to your child, making it ideal for use with children of different ages.
What struck me about the Teaching Tank is how much easier it is to view experiments that I'd formerly conducted in drinking glasses! Obviously, any water-based experiment is easily viewed through the 12x12 inch panels, but you can also use the tank for soil experiments, growing plants, and even creating an ant farm! An expansion kit allows you to convert the tank from a thin viewing system to a thicker one that allows a wider range of experiments. Using this kit for a science fair or demonstration would be ideal.
Ordering from the website is fast and easy. They offer a wide selection of products, including a starter kit and sampler kit for the large tank. All three books can be purchased together or separately. A welcome addition is the Budding Scientist Kit, an 8x8 inch tank with the Discovery Book Sampler offering eight fully developed lessons. It allows you to experience the Teaching Tank at a lower cost.
Additional supplies are listed in the books along with suggestions on obtaining them. However, 90% of the supplies are normal household items. The comprehensive website contains product information, sample lessons and a curriculum guide identifying the scope of each lesson. The best thing about the Teaching Tank, though, is how much fun it is. After you get started with it, your children might not want to do anything else!
"I have been home schooling my son for four years and science was not the
easiest subject to teach. The Teaching Tank and book have been a tremendous
help. The lessons are concise and easy to follow. Its list of supplies
needed for each experiment, simple to follow steps, and expected results have
allowed us to get excited about science.
Other programs we have tried left me racing around trying to assemble items
needed but, with the complete list of supplies in the back of the book I was
able to plan ahead and have everything on hand that was necessary before we
started.
The lessons are designed to keep the child's / student's interest and also
opened ended to keep them thinking. We have had such fun and can't wait for
Book II.
Thank you so much."
- Charissa Hammond, Oakdale, Connecticut
"I had the opportunity to meet many of you homeschloolers at the
Boxborough conference in Boxborough, Massachussetts. I had a most enjoyable
time presenting workshops and working at my booth. After having done many
workshops throughout the northeast region for classroom teachers I was pleased
to show the many parents at the conference how to make science come alive
with little or no money. In fact one of my teacher workshops is called
'Teaching Science With Junk' and it has been very popular.
Therefore, I was very excited when I discovered The Teaching Tank
this past August while working on a science project in New Hampshire. This
was not junk and I knew that I had to have one. I have been using it
now for several months in my visits to schools, teacher workshops and with my
Royal Academy homeschool children. It is an outstanding invention and one
that can be used over and over again to teach many lessons that touch
upon all areas of the science curriculum. The Teaching Tank
reaches across all grade levels. Parents would find it both a valuable and
fun teaching tool."
- Gordon Corbett, Educational Consultant.
"I used The Teaching Tank for my seventh grade Science Fair Project. The Tank
allowed first hand observation of my experiment with plant root growth. It
made the project fun and exciting and a real learning expereince for me and
other students in the school."
- Hilary Jordan, Woodbury School
"As the Science Curriculum Facilitator in our school, I have ordered the Teaching
Tank for use in grades Readiness through 5. It is rewarding to watch students
of all ages and abilities become mesmerized as they observe science up close
through the transparent tanks."
- Marie Ross, Gr 5 Teacher, 1995 NH Elementary
Science Teacher of the Year.
"The Teaching Tank has allowed me to integrate various science concepts into
my thematic units, as well as extend activities from existing curriculums. If
you are looking for an easy way to spark interest, create dialogue, and enrich
comprehension, the Teaching Tank is for you!"
- Maria G. Clark, First Grade
Teacher, Londonderry, NH.
Read this Great Review from Bloom Report!
|
***Company Profile Of The Week***
Want to know more about the companies in our industry?
In this space we feature a different company profile each week...
|
|
Captivation, Inc. - Making a lasting mark on science education is the vision of many an educator and Paul Reinbold is no exception. Being a science educator for 30 plus years, and seeing the need to attract young children - girls as well as boys - into the many cutting-edge fields of science became the focus. Paul stated "we all need to realize that for years students in the USA only rank between 5th and 10th place in achievement in Science and Mathematics on a worldwide platform".
How can you get students excited about learning? How can you make science FUN for students and easier for teachers and home school educators? During a seven year tenure as a science coordinator, Paul's yearly budget allowed him to purchase a few large science items. He recalls two specific items, a $450 Van de Graaff generator and a $ 500 model of the Human Skeleton. Neither of these expensive items came with any lessons or explanations to educators. Over the next few years Paul continually asked himself, "Why isn't there a product out there that is as visual as a life size skeleton, the size of a computer screen, affordable, hands-on, Inquiry based, easy and FUN to use, expandable, stimulates creativity, that teaches across science disciplines, that comes with sets of lessons and activities to enhance learning, and that educators can use over and over again throughout the year using everyday materials?"
In 1992, Paul brought an idea (Imagine a 12" X 12" Test Tube) - called The TEACHING TANK® to his Patent attorney. Nine months later received a phone call saying that this has happened only twice in that attorney's career, that the Patent had been granted first time through. It was a happy day, but now Paul's work really began. He proceeded to seek assistance from friend and co-author Dr. David Burgess and together they published the first 50 science lessons in The Teaching Tank Discovery Book© Volume 1.
While an instructor for a summer science institute for teachers, Paul met Gordon Corbett, an experienced educator of some 30 plus years. Together David, Gordon, and Paul published the second Teaching Tank Discovery Book© Volume 2 and three years down the road published the third Teaching Tank Discovery Book© Volume 3. In 2002, the Teaching Tank Discovery Book© "Sampler" was written for a new product called The Budding Scientist Kit. They looked at this product as having "Educational Versatility". Many age groups can interact with the Teaching Tank® and the lessons on various cognitive levels. It is the company's intent to show that the Teaching Tank® is not a single activity, single concept, use it once and store it in the
closet product. The Teaching Tank and lessons can be used across disciplines: Earth Science, Physical Science, Life Science, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
The Teaching Tank® is made totally in the USA, their lessons directly correlate with state and national science standards, quality Plexiglas and resins are better quality than what comes from imports. Most important - is the fact that the three co-authors, can be reached by e-mail for additional support, explanations, etc. through their website.
Today, Captivation, Inc. has a family of Teaching Tank® materials including an Expansion Kit that allows one to turn the Teaching Tank into a small aquarium in about three minutes.
Paul has stated that he would like to talk to a progressive company that could bring this product line to the next level, and invites interested parties to contact him directly. |
|
American Educational Products
401 Hickory Street Ft. Collins, Colorado 80524
Crystal Salas - csalas@amep.com
Fax - 970-484-1198
Phone - 1-800-289-9299 |
|
|
| |
