Gangs exist in places all over the world. The United States, however, is believed to have more gangs than any other country in the world. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding gangs, including how and why young people are lured into gangs and the consequences of gang involvement. Firsthand accounts and current statistics provide an insightful look at this issue.
Technology has given us new ways to connect and converse with others like never before. In fact, by the time you finish reading this sentence more than 193,000 text messages will have been sent! This innovative book explores the often subtle differences between various forms of communication such as active listening, written, oral, nonverbal, and digital communication. Readers will learn about potential communication roadblocks and strategies to overcome them. Motivating activities and challenges, facts and statistics that have impact, and biographical snapshots show how building effective communication skills is essential in all facets of life in today’s complex and connected world.
This innovative title explores the ways that critical thinking can be applied to problem solving in school, work, and social settings. Real-world examples and opportunities for hands-on practice support readers as they learn how to frame, analyze, and synthesize information. Readers are also encouraged to ask questions to clarify points of view, and apply other core skills essential to making complex choices and determining sound solutions.
Creativity and innovation are central to success in the 21st century. This dynamic title provides a comprehensive look at creative processes in a variety of settings. Readers are introduced to various brainstorming techniques and will learn different approaches to help refine and evaluate their ideas. Real-world examples, motivating challenges, and case studies broaden readers’ understanding of this key skill set.
Collaboration skills, or the ability to effectively work with people, are in high demand in today’s connected world. The ability to work with diverse individuals across diverse platforms in our online world is essential in the 21st century. This title explores the skills and practices needed to be a successful collaborator in any situation covering topics such as establishing responsibilities, engineering plans, and becoming socially aware. With a focus on college and career readiness, the title encourages readers to be group members who use active listening, respect, self-direction, and focus to understand diverse perspectives and come to achieve common goals. Students will build collaboration skills for the future through projects, real-world examples of international collaborative achievements, and practicing tips for being effective collaborators in their own increasingly social and digital worlds.
A person will experience many changes throughout their lifetime. Adapting and surviving is the difficult part. This practical title addresses the concept of resilience and how to cope with personal and social changes.
Jobs in the media, media diversity, and identifying fake news are all explored in this unique look at the role of the media in our lives. A handy timeline makes it easy to track historical change and important innovations in media.
This timely book examines all types of relationships from parental, friendship, and carer, to teacher, doctor, and romantic partner. Sensitive discussions of the idea of consent, what makes a good and a bad secret are included along with activities that help readers understand personal boundaries and manipulation within relationships.
Rules are a fact of life. Knowing why they are useful can help children make the right choices. With a focus on safety, this title discusses freedom and the consequences of breaking rules, norms, and laws.
Everybody has the right to keep somethings private! This carefully crafted book helps children understand what things should be kept private and what shouldn’t to help keep them safe.
This intriguing title will help children learn the importance of earning, saving, raising, and spending money. They will gain an understanding of how money can make a difference in peoples’ lives.
This inspiring title discusses the benefits of getting involved in making the world a better place. Readers will learn the many ways people speak up as an activist or donate their time and labor as a volunteer to organizations and issues they believe in.
The online world is an environment full of opportunity - and risks. Social networks and online shopping sites encourage users to share personal information about themselves, but this can expose them to Identity spoofing and theft. Digital Data Security explores the many issues involved with cyber security, how companies combat hackers, and and how individuals must take charge of their own digital safety.
Gratitude is an attitude that helps change negative feelings to positive ones. It helps us appreciate everything in life, even the simple things. Through many fun activities, such as practicing mindfulness, starting a gratitude journal, volunteering in a school or community, young readers will experience the power of gratitude. They will also learn to express their gratitude to friends, parents, teachers, and community workers verbally and in writing.
This fascinating book introduces children to the “butterfly effect,” a theory that states that a small change in the present, such as the simple flapping of a butterfly’s wings, can cause big changes to happen in the future. Children will learn how even their small acts of gentleness, kindness, and compassion to family, friends, classmates, and community can have huge positive impacts where they live, around the world, and most importantly on themselves.
This instructive book looks at schools as safe places where children of all backgrounds and abilities can build strong social and emotional skills and improve attitudes about themselves and others. Showing kindness, accepting differences, learning to resolve conflicts, and expressing gratitude makes school a happy place for both students and teachers.
Our thoughts have a habit of wandering when we should be focusing on what we are doing. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to what is happening around you right now in the present. This helpful book offers mindfulness techniques to help young readers train themselves to be aware of their thoughts with an attitude of kindness and curiosity, not stress. With an emphasis on being more positive and less negative, children will be better able to handle difficult emotions. Activities in this book include breathing with awareness to feelings within the body, meditating, self-compassion talk, positive thinking, acts of kindness, keeping journals, art activities, observing nature, and ways to show gratitude.
This important book examines ways to meet the challenges facing Earth’s environment—one of the United Nation's sustainable development goals. From tackling ocean pollution to slowing climate change, readers will gain an understanding of how all the UN goals work together, and learn concrete strategies to inspire change. Profiles of youth-led movements and other collaborative efforts to help the environment will empower readers to get involved to restore and protect the health of environments.
This timely book examines the elimination of global poverty—one of the United Nation's sustainable development goals. From tackling hunger to creating fair work opportunities, readers will gain an understanding of how all the UN goals work together, and learn concrete strategies to inspire change. Profiles of youth-led movements and other collaborative efforts to end poverty will empower readers to get involved themselves and become change-makers.
This insightful book examines ways to reduce the global inequality of people—one of the United Nation's sustainable development goals. From tackling gender inequality to fighting for the right to a good education, readers will gain an understanding of how all the UN goals work together, and learn concrete strategies to inspire change. Profiles of youth-led movements and other collaborative efforts to fight inequality will empower readers to get involved to achieve equality for all global citizens.
This important book examines ways to reduce the negative impact of economic and urban growth on people and the environment—one of the United Nation's sustainable development goals. From reducing energy use to helping communities become safe and inclusive for all people, readers will gain an understanding of how all the UN goals work together, and learn concrete strategies to inspire change. Profiles of youth-led movements and other collaborative efforts to support responsible growth will empower readers to get involved in the movement to create a sustainable world.
Does bottled water do more harm than good? Should clear-cutting for agriculture be allowed? Every day, we hear arguments about environmental issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using relatable and accessible environment-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Is constant access to technology safe for children? Should driverless vehicles replace human-controlled cars? Every day, we hear arguments about technology issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible technology-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Should athletes who used performance-enhancing drugs be stripped of their medals? Can video games help build important skills? Every day, we hear arguments about issues in sports and entertainment in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Should an age restriction be placed on buying junk food? Are genetically modified foods safe to eat? Every day, we hear arguments about food issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible food-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
