Hundreds of thousands of beetles live all over the world in habitats as diverse as swamps, rainforests, and deserts. The Life Cycle of a Beetle describes the growth and development of these fascinating insects from egg to adult. Full-color images of all kinds of beetles, from the familiar to the extraordinary, are included. Illustrations and photographs illuminate topics such as where beetles lay their eggs, the transformation from larva to pupa to beetle, differences between male and female beetles, how beetles defend themselves against predators, the dangers faced by beetles, and how children can help beetles.
Readers will discover that the natural element carbon is found in all living things, including people. This fascinating book explains how the Earth's supply of carbon moves among Earth's oceans, atmosphere, ecosystem, and geosphere in a process called the carbon cycle. Accessible text and detailed images help explain such processes as photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Feature boxes highlight examples of the ways in which human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, releases too much carbon dioxide into the air disrupting the balance of the carbon cycle. Readers are encouraged to find ways to take action and find solutions.
Innovations in the medical field save countless lives daily. In this fascinating title, a timeline of breakthrough medical inventions is explored through dynamic photographs and interesting fact boxes. Fleming's advances with penicillin and the invention of the X-ray machine are some of the featured inventions that keep us in the best of health!
This exciting title explores the groundbreaking modes of transportation that have helped define the modern age. From Henry Ford's Model T car to the bullet trains of Japan, students will travel along and learn about the monumental successes and failures that have driven our world ahead.
Chemical engineers are involved in developing things we use daily including cleaning supplies, fuels, and medicines. This book gives readers insight into this fascinating profession, including information on new environmentally-friendly technologies. Readers explore fundamental chemistry concepts including the states of matter and mixtures and solutions. Readers are then guided through the steps of the Engineering Design Process to complete a chemistry-related design challenge.
This fascinating book explains the patterns and cycles created on Earth by the influence of the Sun and the Moon, as well as by the Earth's magnetic poles and the planet's rotation on an axis. Informative text, vivid photographs, and detailed diagrams help explain patterns such as day and night, the four seasons, the lunar cycle, the rise and fall of tides, and weather cycles.
From the telegraph to text messages, this imaginative title is sure to have students talking! The ways in which people communicate has changed dramatically. The telephone to a cell phone, and mail to email are just some of the inventions examined in a progressive timeline of ways we communicate.
From sound effects in video games and movies to surround-sound theatres, this fact-filled book explores the many ways audio engineers apply the science of sound. Readers will explore how sound travels and the characteristics of sound waves. Readers will also learn how to combine their understanding of sound science and the engineering design process to tackle a design challenge of their own.
Human activities have a huge impact on the Earth. Environmental engineers apply traditional engineering practices to help improve and prevent damage from humans and the waste we create to ecosystems and our environment. Readers will learn about how environmental engineering began, and the many processes environmental engineers apply to find sustainable solutions to problems. Real-life examples help students understand key concepts related to this important profession.
Lenses, lasers, microscopes, telescopeslight engineers design all these products to help make our lives easier. In this enlightening title, students explore the many uses of optics and the design process of turning a bright idea into a reality. With an overview of the engineering design process, readers are encouraged to apply the same steps into their own optical challenge.
Historically, farming was a very taxing, physical task. Bright-minded individuals revolutionized agriculture with inventions that eased tasks and sped up production. The advent of milestone machines such as Eli Whitney's cotton gin are chronologically explored in this stimulating title.
This exciting book describes the geological makeup and history of the Mojave Desert in the United States. Located in the states of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, there are several national parks in the desert including Death Valley, the hottest place in North America. Readers will learn about the people, plants, and animals such as cougars, scorpions, and rattlesnakes that inhabit this desert habitat. The Mojave Desert is also a windy place where wind farms have been set up to generate electricity. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as borax, silver, and gold, and the unique problems facing this region.
The history of human activity in the Rocky Mountain range is as colorful as its scenic natural wonders. It has been witness to the decimation of Native peoples, the westward expansion of European settlers, the frenzied activity of several gold rushes, and the blazing of transcontinental railways. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Rocky Mountains, as well as the cultures and ways of life of the people in the United States and Canada who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Atacama Desert in Chile. One of the driest areas of the world - some parts never receive any rain - the desert's climate can be cold, sometimes producing snow and fog. Readers will be fascinated to learn that the Atacama's soil is so similar to soil samples from Mars that NASA goes to this desert to test its exploration instruments. NASA has also set up its Earth-Mars Cave Detection Program in the Atacama, too. Special sections also describe the desert's natural resources and unique problems facing this region, as well as the people, plants, and animals that inhabit this desert habitat.
The Ural Mountains form a natural boundary called the "Stone Belt" between Europe and Asia. Rich in mineral deposits, the Urals have long been a major source of industry for Russia. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Ural mountain range, as well as the cultures and ways of life of the people in Russia and Kazakhstan who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
This amazing book describes the geological makeup and history of the Great Victoria Desert in Australia. Used in modern times for mining and testing of atomic bombs, this vast, sandy area has been home to a number of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Although there is little rain, the blooms with a variety of plants. Readers will learn about the Mamungari Conservation Park located in the Great Victoria Desert, which is known for a eucalyptus tree called Ooldea mallee with large, spectacular red, pink, or yellow flowers. Special sections also describe the desert's natural resources, as well as the unique problems facing this region such as the introduction of non-native species of animals.
Running almost the full length of South America on its western coast, the Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. This remote and harsh environment saw the rise and fall of one of the great ancient civilizations of the world, the Incas. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Andes mountain range, and how it is intertwined with the cultures and ways of life of the people in South America who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
Home of two of the world's highest peaks - Mount Everest and K2 - the Himalayas are both revered and feared by mountaineers around the world. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Himalaya mountain range, and how it is intertwined with the cultures and ways of life of the people in South Asia who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
The Great Appalachian Valley, a major land form of the Appalachian mountains, played an important role in the early history of the United States. Routes through the valley, first made by Native Americans, made the mountains passable, later allowing European immigrants to expand colonization of the region. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the mountain ranges that form the Appalachians, and the people in the United States and Canada who live in their shadows. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in these mountain habitats, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
The famous peaks of the Alps - Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, the Eiger - have inspired adventure seekers, poets, and philosophers throughout history. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Alps mountain range, and how it is intertwined with the cultures and ways of life of the people in Europe who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
Learning Green introduces readers to a wide range of careers in education that address conservation and environmentalism. These include teaching and promoting a green curriculum in a public or private school setting. These subjects intersect with a vast assortment of professions, such as architecture, engineering, law, horticulture, forestry, biology, urban and regional planning, oceanography, geology, and geography.
Opportunitiesin environmental law are explored in Legally Green. Jobs include working for public service or governmental agencies and environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) as environmental investigators, officers, inspectors, and policy advisors. Careers in this field also include working as attorneys and legal support staff for law firms that offer services related to environmental law, and for corporations that need to keep on top of compliance and other regulatory issues as a part of doing their daily business. Opportunities also exist in education, law enforcement, and even politics.
Touring, Trekking, and Traveling Green explores the many careers open to people in the fast-growing field of ecotourism. From being an ecotour leader or naturalist to managing a wildlife eco-lodge, working as a travel agent certified in ecotourism, or teaching on-the-ground tour guides and college students interested in making a living helping others enjoy nature, the opportunities for people seeking work in ecotourism are manyand growing fast. Other jobs associated with ecotourism include working in public relations or marketing ecotourism destinations, writing guidebooks, and helping visitors understand and appreciate nature as an interpreter for agencies such as the U.S. National Park Service and Parks Canada. Also of note: the challenges and responsibilities that jobs in ecotourism present to people who wish to make use of the environment for fun and profit without harming the ecological health of our planet.
Re-Greening the Environment covers the wide range of careers in environmental clean-up, remediation, and renewal. The response to two massive oil spills in recent years the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska in 1989 and the current Deepwater Horizon/BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico are explored. The types of jobs and careers that are associated with preventing and correcting disasters such as these include environmental scientist, hydrogeologist, enforcing clean-up regulations, and monitoring and testing waterways, soil, and groundwater for harmful pollutants. Also, the reuse and rehabbing of older commercial or industrial buildings presents opportunities in planning, designing, rebuilding, reclaiming, and restoring the natural habitats associated with these sites.
This fascinating book explains the chemistry of cleaning agents, from dish detergents to window wash. Readers will learn how good chemistry and science comes from experimentation and careful observation, as well as flexible thinking and a mind that accepts difference and change. Easy experiments allow budding scientists to test theories.
