Step onto an islandland surrounded by water, a habitat for land-living organisms as well as creatures that visit from their ocean homes. Peel back the corners of the island to discover the incredible organisms that live in this ecosystem, from lizards and birds to possums and bats. Discover how each organism functions within its island home, and the fight for survival that takes place when these delicate ecosystems are threatened. Learn, too, where in the world islands are found and what you can do to help protect these beautiful and precious places.
From sunlit surface water that teems with life to the deepest, darkest depths filled with some of Earth's most unusual creatures, oceans are home to a wide array of life. Peel back the corners of the ocean to find out what fascinating life exists within this ecosystem, from Earth's biggest animal, the blue whale, to tiny organisms, such as kelp. Discover where the world's oceans are and what you can do to help protect our planets rich waters.
Step into the desert - a dry, dusty place with little water and vegetation. What could live in this hostile environment? Peel back the corners of the desert to discover the incredible organisms that survive in this ecosystem, from scorpions and cacti to musk oxen and seals. Find out how deserts work as a system, carving out an existence in one of the most extreme biomes on Earth. Learn, too, how deserts are found all around the world and what you can do to help protect these amazing wildernesses.
Huge, far-reaching landscapes of swaying grass or shrubs, grasslands support a whole host of organisms and are one of the most important biomes for people, too. Peel back the corners of the grassland to find out how many different organisms rely upon this ecosystem for survival, from elephants and gazelles to prairie dogs and horses. Discover how each organism functions within its grassland ecosystem, and learn about the daily fight for survival that takes place in these huge hunting grounds. Explore grasslands all over the world and find out what you can do to help protect these rich and varied landscapes.
Let's climb a mountain - a towering, sky-scraping world that reaches high above Earths surface. What can live so high up where it is harder to breathe and the hillsides are steep? A whole ecosystem of life! Peel back the corners of a mountain to discover the incredible organisms that live in this ecosystem, from wolves and birds to frogs and goats. Find out how they work as a system, carving out an existence in one of the most remote biomes on Earth. Learn, too, where mountains are found all around the world and what you can do to help protect these amazing wildernesses.
By the time Superstorm Sandy had hit New York City on October 22, 2012, it had left a trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard of the United States. Affecting 24 U.S. states, Sandy is the second-costliest superstorm in United States history. This informative book follows the timeline of the superstorm and features personal accounts by those who experienced the destruction in many New York City and New Jersey neighborhoods. Topics include how Superstorm Sandy developed, the response by state and federal relief agencies, the effects on air travel, subway transit, electricity, and the New York Stock Exchange, and the recovery and rebuilding.
Maps can show more than just cities - they can also show you what the landscape looks like in different areas. Physical maps use colors and symbols to identify landscape features like forests, plains, valleys, deserts, mountains, and bodies of water. Full-color maps and accessible text help readers understand the specific features of physical maps.
Take a globe for spin or explore the pages in an atlas these resources can provide a wealth of information about our world. This appealing title takes a visual approach to geographical inquiry. Readers learn about the history of globes and atlases and how they are created. Practical, hands-on activities help readers learn to use these important resources.
Do you want to know what the weather is like in different parts of the world? Climate maps can help. In this book, readers will learn to read climate maps to discover different climate zones, microclimates, and the average temperature and precipitation levels of places around the world. They will also identify the features that characterize climate maps and how these maps can be used to track climate change.
Metal ores are one of the Earth's most common minerals. Metals are useful in all types of industry because they last a long time, are conductors of electricity, and can be easily shaped. Since the first metal alloy was created more than 6,000 years ago during the Bronze Age, people have recognized the potential of extracting metallic elements from rock. Metals traces the history, uses, methods of extraction, and future of one of our most versatile resources. Topics include: early use of metals during the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Copper Age which countries have the most deposits of metal ores, and how much metal different countries use extracting metals from ores by use of smelting, flotation, and leaching the equipment that geologists use to locate metal deposits in ore the lives of miners, including their working conditions, the equipment they use, and the dangers that they encounter working in open-pit and underground mines the role that recycling plays in saving our environment and how metals are recycled
The United States of America is a big, beautiful country. United States the Land celebrates the third-largest country in the world. Part of North America, the United States is bordered by Canada, Mexico, and two oceans. Young readers will learn about the history of the United States, as well as about the climate, agriculture, and natural landforms across the country's various regions.
Dramatic photographs of spewing and flowing lava will capture the attention of any child. In this fantastic book, children will be excited to learn what a volcano is and what makes it erupt. Simple explanations describe the different kinds of volcanoes, including cinder, cone-shaped, shield, and composite as well as the different kinds of lava and the land formations they create on land and under the ocean. Other topics include the reason volcanoes often erupt during earthquakes, why giant tsunami waves are sometimes created by underwater earthquakes, and how volcanoes are studied in order to predict and prepare for eruptions. Children will also enjoy making their own volcano out of household materials.
This magnificent book uses beautiful photography to help young children understand that oceans are a type of habitat or place in nature where plants and animals live. Simple text explains why some oceans are warm and some are cold, which kinds of plants and animals live in oceans, and how the bodies of ocean animals are built to help them glide through water. Other topics such as photosynthesis, tide pools, and coral reefs are briefly and simply explained. Children will be delighted by the images of seals, penguins, polar bears, dolphins, and more.
Coasts are areas of land next to oceans. Coasts can be sandy or rocky and have landforms such as cliffs, sea stacks, caves, and arches. Coasts can be next to open oceans or be sheltered in bays or coves. In this beautifully photographed book, Bobbie Kalman takes children on a tour of different coasts, where they can ride some breathtaking ocean waves or meet underwater animals that live in nearby coral reefs. Children will also be introduced to some amazing coastal cities and learn about famous coastal rock formations.
Why do people need rivers? What causes rivers to flood? These are just a few of the questions answered by this fascinating introduction to rivers by Bobbie Kalman. Topics include the paths of rivers, how rivers carve through rocks, types of rivers, waterfalls, headwaters, tributaries, estuaries, deltas, fiords, river plants and animals, people and rivers, and famous rivers.
In this fascinating book by Bobbie Kalman, children will learn about how mountains and islands form from volcanoes, how wind and rivers create canyons, how rivers and streams create underground caves, how ocean waves shape coasts, and how glaciers make valleys. They will enjoy looking for rock formations in the shapes of animals, trees, and even ghosts!
This fascinating book explains to young children why the land on Earth has different shapes in different places. Amazing photographs and illustrations show examples of continents, mountains, valleys, plains, and caves, as well as the forests, animals, and water that may be found on each landform. Simple text also describes what volcanoes are and how lava flows can create mountains. The role that weather, such as rain and strong wind, plays in shaping sand dunes, mesas, buttes, and canyons is also described.
Coasts are areas of land next to oceans. Coasts can be sandy or rocky and have landforms such as cliffs, sea stacks, caves, and arches. Coasts can be next to open oceans or be sheltered in bays or coves. In this beautifully photographed book, Bobbie Kalman takes children on a tour of different coasts, where they can ride some breathtaking ocean waves or meet underwater animals that live in nearby coral reefs. Children will also be introduced to some amazing coastal cities and learn about famous coastal rock formations.
This extraordinary book shows in a simple way how the Sun's light and warmth affect Earth. Children will be amazed to learn that the Sun is actually a star, and that its position and distance from the Earth cause day and night as well as changing weather and the seasons.
This new book will blow readers away! Accessible text, interesting facts, and bright, colorful design create an engaging combination for young readers. Readers will discover how wind forms, its affect on people, plants, and animals, and the tools scientists use to measure wind direction and speed. A hands-on experiment teaches readers how to make a wind vane and use it to find the winds direction.
Weather changes from day to day and season to season. But what exactly is weather and how is it created? Readers will discover the answers to these questions and many other weather wonders. Bright, full-color photographs, inviting text, and engaging questions introduce readers to the different types of weather in our world and how it affects our lives.
From gentle showers to heavy downpours and slow flurries to hail, this appealing title will be a hit with readers rain or shine! Readers will learn the basic concepts of the water cycle, the features of different kinds of precipitation, and the role temperature has in determining what falls from our clouds.
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is. Temperature affects our lives from the clothes we wear to the activities we do. This engaging and entertaining title inspires a solid understanding of this essential concept. Readers also discover how a thermometer is used to measure temperature using units called degrees.
What are Forests? brings to life the wondrously complex and diverse ecosystems found in forests around the world. Intricate relationships and concepts are explained in a simple way with the help of beautiful color photographs. Children will be fascinated by the earth's many types of forests, the elements that make up a forest ecosystem, the wide range of plant and animal species that live in different forests, and the importance of forests to the rest of the Earth.
The constantly changing ecosystems of salt and freshwater wetlands support an amazing variety of wildlife species. Children will be intrigued by the fascinating animals that depend on wetlands, such as alligators and hippopotamuses, and the plants that grow there. This engaging book investigates swamps, salt marshes, and flood plains, the many plants and animals that live in wetlands, and the threats to these ecosystems and their wildlife.
