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Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Step-by-Step Science Experiments in BiologyAuthor: VanCleave, Janice PrattPublisher: Rosen Pub GroupPublication Date: 2012/08/10Number of Pages: 80Binding Type: LIBRARYLibrary of Congress: 2012007943



About the Author

Janice Pratt VanCleave

Q and A about Janice VanCleave 1. Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born in Houston, Texas and grew up there. Our home was about 10 miles from downtown and at the time was very unpopulated. There were dirt roads and lots of trees. I lived in a forest and there were many animals, including turtles. Once I collected turtles and kept them in a large tub. The turtles made their great escape the day I decided they needed exercise. Knowing that turtles move very slowly, I placed the turtles in the grass and expected them to only wander a short distance. But, when I returned the turtles were no where to be found. Since I had written names on their backs with red fingernail polish, I periodically saw the turtles, but decided they were happier in the wild. Since turtles have a very small average velocity, it wasn't the rate of motion that allowed them to escape. Instead, it was that I got interested in something else and lost track of time. With enough elapse time the displacement of even slow moving turtles was great enough for them to escape. 2. How did your parents motivate you? Neither of my parents nor any close adult family member finished high school and most had not been educated past junior high. But all were very supportive when I decided to attend college. Actually, I disliked school and asked my dad if I could quit high school and be a cosmetologist like my mom. My sweet dad was not very strict with me. His answer, which was in a tone that made me sit up and pay attention, was "You may choose any profession that you wish, but YOU WILL FIRST finish high school if I have to go to class with you every day!" Yikes! That was loud, clear, and shocking. I did graduate from high school, but in less time than most. Since I was not involved in much of anything at school it wasn't fun to be there. So I attended summer classes in order to graduate early. I was 15 when I entered my senior year and was 16 the following year when I entered college. I loved college. I enjoyed going to one to three classes a day, then having free time. I felt so grown up and was very attentive to my studies. I'd been a volunteer worker at a local hospital and had plans to be a medical lab technician. Soon after entering college I married and changed my major to education. It was a good choice, and I taught science for 27 years. As a science teacher, I was never satisfied with just doing the lessons in the textbook. I was always researching in an effort to make my lessons fun with maybe even a touch of magic. Bizarre was also ok as long as it led to kids understanding the science behind it. Teaching turned out to be research for my present day writing career. While my parents loved to read, neither was particularly interested in science. My dad's primary occupation was truck driving, but he was also an entrepreneur. Some of his business adventures included selling cars or any bargain items he happened across. As a teen, I found



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