This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Sahara Desert in North Africa. The biggest hot desert on Earth, it covers parts of twelve countries, more area than the entire United States! The Sahara has oases scattered widely and sand dunes that can reach as high as 600 feet (182m). Readers will learn about the people, plants, and animals such as camels, goats, and fennec foxes that inhabit this desert habitat. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, and the unique problems facing this region.
Hibernation is one of natures greatest miracles, allowing animals to sleep through periods of extreme cold and heat. Interesting information describes how different animals use body fat to survive, how they can wake themselves up, and how some give birth during hibernation.
Politician Al Gore has lent both his voice and his political influence in the fight against global warming. His work and creative energy have earned him numerous forms of public recognition, most notably the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Ed Begley, Jr. is a Hollywood actor, who inspires, entertains, and motivates a new generation of environmental activists, fans, and consumers with his all-encompassing green lifestyle. Whether he is promoting his own line of green products, lending his voice to further environmental awareness and action, or walking the walk of the life he touts in his own solar-powered home, the star of Living with Ed is constantly on the lookout for ways to live more green - and get others onboard in the process.
David Suzuki is a prominent environmental activist. Throughout his adult life, he has been the creative force behind numerous television shows on science and the environment. He has used his voice to advocate for the environment and to take to task political leaders whose action and inaction have been part of the problem behind the global warming crisis.
Rachel Carson was a marine writer, biologist, and ecologist whose work inspired millions to take seriously the danger that human activity poses to the environment. She both revealed the wonders of the natural world and exposed the sinister threat to that world posed by DDT and other pesticides.
Fun pictograms and infographics about planet Earth make learning about math topics such as volume, scale diagrams, division, and number lines easy and fun. In this book, readers go on a mission to protect threatened areas around the world and use their mathematical skills to measure geysers, protect forests, and check on glaciers. Math puzzles and exercises help children build confidence in their math skills.
Changing Weather: Storms is an exciting book that introduces kids to the kinds of storms that take place each year. Large, full-color images of storms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and blizzards accompany clear explanations of how different storms develop and the kinds of effects these storms have on the lives of people and animals. Kids will also learn about storm safety and ways they can help their families be prepared. Changing Weather: Storms provides detailed information on three important elements of most storms: clouds, precipitation, and wind, the water cycle and its part in the development of storms, the role of updrafts and downdrafts in the creation of thunderstorms and many other storms, and the ways in which meteorologists study storms and how their knowledge can help save lives.
Many animals are carnivores, but some eat mainly insects. Insect eaters, known as insectivores, can be as small as insects or as large as giant anteaters. Spiders, frogs, lizards, bats, and other mammals are insect eaters, but not all insectivores are animals.This book is loaded with fascinating photos and information that will delight kids of all ages.
In this compelling title, students are encouraged to dig in and discover how different plant fossils unlock clues to the Earth's past. Through full-color photographs and thought-provoking questions, students will investigate how plants fossils form, how they are excavated, and how paleobotanists study them to learn about life millions of years ago.
This captivating title looks at extinction--from the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago, to the possible extinction of species in our world today.
Extreme weather has increasingly played a destructive role on planet Earth. Thirteen kinds of disasters are featured in this amazing book, showing the process and science of each weather-related disaster from the conditions that triggered it to its dire consequences. Topics include hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and droughts. superstorms
A seemingly barren, harsh, and cold wilderness, the often icy tundra appears to support little life. However, peel back the corners of this fascinating biome and you will be amazed by the living organisms that thrive within one of Earth's toughest environments. Discover the living things that function within the tundra, from polar bears and caribou to seabirds and foxes. Explore tundras all over the world and find out what you can do to help protect the riches of these mysterious places.
This intriguing new title invites students to walk with the dinosaurs, learning about what they looked like, what they ate, and how they lived. From fossilized teeth to ancient footprints, students will explore how studying the different parts of a dinosaur fossil show paleontologists how these amazing creatures lived before their mass extinction over 65 million years ago.
Since the discovery of Lucy, one of the most famous human skeletons ever discovered, paleontologists and people alike have been fascinated with human fossils. In this book, students will follow the timeline of key discoveries in human fossils, and learn how scientists continue to link together the evolution of humanity using evidence from the past.
Perfect for the budding paleontologist, this book brings to life animals that lived long ago. With clear text and engaging questions, a full range of fossils from microscopic insects to gigantic prehistoric mammals is examined. Students are encouraged to discuss the idea of living fossils and examine how fossilized animals have adapted into life forms still present today.
Swamps, bogs, marshes, and estuaries - wetlands come in a variety of forms and are vital for many organisms around the world. Peel back the corners of a wetland and find out what lives there, from herons and algae to alligators and jaguars. Learn how these organisms operate in their delicate ecosystems. Discover, too, where in the world wetlands are found and what you can do to help protect these rich, diverse lands.
Wade into rivers and lakeswatery underwater worlds teeming with plant and animal life. These biomes provide a home filled with all the elements their inhabitants need for survival. Peel back a corner of these amazing ecosystems to discover the incredible organisms that function within them and around them, from microorganisms and plants to fish and the mammals that feed on them. Explore rivers and lakes all over the world and find out what you can do to help protect the riches of these wonderful waterways.
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.
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.
In March 2011 the worlds second-largest nuclear disaster occurred on the eastern coast of Japan. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake caused a nearly 50-foot tsunami that flooded the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The devastating tidal wave caused equipment failures that led the nuclear reactors to overheat to the point of meltdown. Dangerous radioactive materials released into the air continue to threaten the health of the ocean and people around the world today. Topics include how movements in the earth's crust below water can cause seismic waves , the evacuation of more than 300,000 people from their homes near the power plant, contamination of crops and water, decontamination and repair work, and continued concern about leaking radiation from the power plant.
Animals have become extinct for many reasons. The most famous example, the extinction of the dinosaurs, may have been the result of an asteroid hitting Earth or an Ice Age freezing them to death. Prehistoric mammoths and saber-toothed cats may simply have been hunted to extinction. Today, animals such as elephants, zebras, tigers and leopards, some wolves, and many kinds of primates may still face extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, hunting, poaching, and pollution. This fascinating book introduces and explains the designations of endangerment from extinct in the wild to vulnerable. Children are also introduced to fossils as a way of learning about animals that lived long ago.
This informative and beautiful book looks at apex or top predators - animals that are not eaten by other animals in their habitats - and why these animals play a very important role in keeping food chains in balance. Students are introduced to the energy pyramid, which shows that there are fewer top predators than other animals and gives reasons why many of these animals are endangered. Humans, the most powerful top predators, are the biggest threat to these essential endangered animals.
