The Art and Science of Lecture Demonstration

Book excerpt: As a means of conveying the excitement of science from one generation to the next, the lecture demonstration is one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of the modern science teacher. The interest of the young aspiring scientist is aroused not by dull textbook recitation, but by the enthusiastic lecturer with a range of demonstrations that illustrate the importance of science in the real world. In this lucid and entertaining book, Professor Taylor explores the origins of lecture demonstration and its development to the present day, emphasizing the underlying principles and the lessons to be learned. Set alongside the work of the most eminent of his predecessors, Michael Faraday and Lawrence Bragg, Taylor's book should find a worthy place among the literature of popular science. The Art and Science of Lecture Demonstration will be useful to all those with a serious amateur or professional interest in the teaching of science, from primary school to university and beyond.