This book encourages children to look more closely at the world and how it works. Text links each practical experiment - with the emphasis on the reader finding things out for themselves. The experiments can be done at home and in the garden, using everyday objects. All ages and levels of understanding are catered for - young children can learn through specific games, older children and adults can make their own volcanic eruptions using simple kitchen ingredients and predict the weather with their own barometer. The text exaplains the background to each of the major principles of Earth sciences and includes the history of scientific discoveries and achievements. Additional information on famous scientific pioneers and inventors gives the reader an insight into current thinking about the Earth, how scientists work in laboratories, use their equipment and make dicscoveries that have changed the world.