Biodiversity by
Look around you--biodiversity is everywhere! From the tallest tree to the smallest microbe, Earth is home to more than 1.5 million known species of plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and microorganisms. And scientists estimate there could be millions, if not billions, more that have not yet been identified. Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth with Science Activities for Kids, available in paperback, introduces middle schoolers to the evolution of life on Earth, beginning with the first single-celled organisms that emerged 3.8 billion years ago to the complex, multi-celled organisms that exist today and make up the tree of life. Biodiversity is found everywhere on the planet--on land, in the water, and even in extreme environments such as ice and volcanoes. Biodiversity can also be discovered by looking through a microscope at tiny worlds of organisms that can't be seen with the human eye. There are whole microbiomes beneath our feet, in puddles, and even in our belly buttons! All of this biodiversity on Earth helps keep the planet in balance. Biodiversity is also important to humans because it provides food, shelter, clothing, medicines, and more. However, the rates of biodiversity loss are increasing because of human activities. Climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, over-exploitation--these are all critical threats to biodiversity. There are, however, ways to slow or stop this loss through conservation and sustainable development. Biodiversity includes hands-on STEM activities and critical thinking exercises to encourage readers to consider the threat to biodiversity and figure out ways to be part of the solution. Fun facts, links to online primary sources and other supplemental material, and essential questions take readers on an exploration of the incredible biodiversity on Earth. Biodiversity is part of a set of four Build It Environmental Science books that explore the history and science of the planet and all that live on it through hands-on STEM activities and real-life environmental connections. Other titles in this series are Planet Earth, Garbage, and Biomes. Nomad Press books integrate content with participation. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad's unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.
Biomes by
What's the difference between a desert and a rain forest? A tundra and a coniferous forest? These are all examples of biomes, and they are all home to plants and animals that are uniquely adapted to live in those environments! In Biomes: Discover the Earth's Ecosystems with Science Activities for Kids, middle school kids journey across the planet and visit the world's nine terrestrial and aquatic biomes to learn about the distinctive climates, geologies, resources, and organisms that can be found there. Kids will wander through forests, sizzle in deserts, shiver in the tundra, slog through marshy waters, and plunge beneath the seas to explore coral reefs. Along the way, readers will encounter the flora and fauna adapted for survival in each unique climate zone. They'll learn about gnarly krumholz trees, bioluminescent sea creatures, camouflage, carnivorous plants, and blubbery marine critters. The health and wellbeing of the world's biomes are an essential part of the balance of the planet as a whole. Biomes and their inhabitants around the world are being threatened by climate change and human behavior. In Biomes, kids will learn how to take steps toward positive change and keep the environment healthy and functioning in a way that best supports sustainable life on Earth! Biomes includes hands-on STEM activities and critical thinking exercises to encourage readers to consider threats to the environment and figure out ways to be part of the solution. Fun facts, links to online primary sources and other supplemental material, and essential questions take readers on an exploration of the biomes of Earth. Biomes is part of a set of four Build It Environmental Science books that explore the history and science of the planet and all that live on it through hands-on STEM activities and real-life environmental connections. Other titles in this series are Planet Earth, Garbage, and Biodiversity. Nomad Press books integrate content with participation. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad's unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.
Climate Change by
Skipping Stones 2021 Honors Award Winner! A book about climate change for middle readers who want to learn the science behind a warming planet and make a difference for their own future! What's causing extreme weather around the globe? Why are some species rapidly dwindling in number? And what does the future hold for planet Earth? In Climate Change: The Science Behind Melting Glaciers and Warming Oceans with Hands-On Science Activities, students ages 9 to 12 take a deep dive into the science behind the changing climate in order to best contribute to the methods underway to solve the problem of a rapidly changing planet--and think up new solutions! Essential questions, cool facts, and links to online primary sources and other relevant material make complex concepts easier to understand. This book is rich in text-to-self and text-to-world connections, along with hands-on science and critical creative-thinking exercises designed to explore the research being done to combat this global problem and encourage kids to find new solutions! This title has been revised and updated to reflect 2020 educational standards and incorporate new scientific discoveries! * How do we know the climate is changing? By looking at the science from the past 200 years or so, all of which points to the fact that humans have had an adverse impact on the health of the planet, and this impact is great enough to affect many different ecosystems, living species, and the human species itself. * The study of planetary science, arctic ice bubbles, coral reefs, and more all contribute to the wealth of knowledge we are gaining, knowledge that can be used in the science and engineering innovations underway around the world to address global climate change. * Focused on a proactive approach to environmental education, Climate Change engages readers through hands-on activities, such as building a solar pizza oven, along with stories of people, including kids, who are making a positive environmental difference. About the Build It Science set and Nomad Press Climate Change is part of a set of four Build It Science books that explore accessible science. The other titles in this set are Fairground Physics, Backyard Biology, and Kitchen Chemistry. Nomad Press books in the Build It series integrate content with participation. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad's unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
Experiment with a Plant's Living Environment by
A plant's environment helps it grow. Weather, soil, and animals are important to a plant's survival. But do you know what happens to a plant when the seasons change? Or how earthworms help a plant's roots? Let's experiment to find out! Simple step-by-step instructions help readers explore science concepts and analyze information.
Planet Earth by
The environment is all around us, whether you live in a city, suburb, or the country. Sometimes, it's easy to ignore. But forgetting about the environment isn't an option if we want our planet to be healthy! Planet Earth: Finding Balance on the Blue Marble with Environmental Science Activities for Kids introduces middle grade readers to all the parts of the natural world, including the oceans, the atmosphere, the earth, and everything in between. In this book, kids master ecology basics, such as the food web and animal habitats, while also learning about environmental issues such as wind and solar power, endangered species, climate change, and more. Stories about new innovations in fields such as recycling, agriculture, and energy production galvanize readers to turn their creative thinking skills to their own inventions. Planet Earth includes hands-on STEM activities and critical thinking exercises to encourage readers to discover connections among their observations of their immediate environment and the larger world around them. Fun facts, links to online primary sources and other supplemental material, and essential questions encourage readers to ask themselves what they could do differently to make the world a healthier place. Planet Earth is part of a set of four Build It Environmental Science books that explore the history and science of the planet and all that live on it through hands-on STEM activities and real-life environmental connections. Other titles in this series are Biodiversity, Garbage, and Biomes. Nomad Press books integrate content with participation. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad's unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.
Explore Natural Resources! by
What are natural resources? And why is it important to prevent natural resources from being wasted?Explore Natural Resources! answers these questions. The 25 projects inspire young readers ages 6-9 to have fun while learning why natural resources are important to all living things and how every child can take care of the earth's resources through reducing, reusing, and recycling. Kids will read about national parks and early environmentalists, Earth celebrations, and the science behind renewable and nonrenewable resources. With projects and experiments ranging from making a wind-powered car and creating a solar catcher to calculating their water footprint, children will discover that everything comes from the earth. Projects are easy-to-follow, require little adult supervision, and use commonly found household products, many from the recycling box. Through a mixture of fun facts, trivia, jokes, comics, and hands-on activities, kids willExplore Natural Resources! and gain an appreciation of earth's resources, from its vast oceans to its open skies.Explore Natural Resources! meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.
Desert Experiments by
Do your readers wait until the last minute to start their science project? Don't worry, award-winning author Robert Gardner has everyone covered. Most of these experiments about the desert biome can be done in an hour or less. There are also a few longer experiments for the budding scientist and ideas for science fair projects in case readers have more time.
Grasslands Experiments by
Did your readers wait until the last minute to get started? No problem. Each experiment in this book follows the scientific method and can be completed in an hour or less. Readers make a climatogram for a city in the grasslands, experiment to find out why grasslands in the United States have seasons and find out how a prairie wind affects the evaporation of water. Experiments also include ideas for science fair projects in case readers have extra time.
Oceans and Seas! by
Why is the ocean important for humans and for the Earth? Did you know that the ocean covers 70 percent of the surface of the earth? And scientists have only explored a very small part of it! In Oceans and Seas!With 25 Science Projects for Kidsreaders ages 7 though 10 dive into the underwater world of some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. On this amazing underwater adventure, kids experience the ocean's tropical reefs and spot crabs, sea sponges, and thousands of kinds of fish darting in its crags and folds. They'll meet a giant squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and an umbrella-like bioluminescent jellyfish. Through fun facts, engaging illustrations, links to primary sources, timeline, glossary, and resources, readers will be challenged to think about how ocean creatures and plants survive and depend on each other from the sunlit surface to the seafloor, where sunlight does not exist. Student-led STEAM activities, such as building a submarine and creating an ocean in a bottle, use the framework of the scientific method to reinforce learning and enhance critical and creative thinking skills as kids learn about efforts to conserve these incredible creatures and their habitats. Oceans and Seas! is part of a set of four Explore Waterways books from Nomad Press. In Explore Waterways, readers ages 7 to 10 learn about the waterways of our world, including the what, where, how, and who about the origination, content, and aquatic life that water contains. Through science-minded STEAM projects and experiments that encourage readers to think of waterways as part of a larger ecosystem, kids develop critical and creative thinking skills about the role waterways play in our world. Other titles in the Explore Waterways set includeLakes and Ponds!,Marshes and Swamps!, andRivers and Streams!
Rain Forest Experiments by
Do your readers wait until the last minute to start their science project? Don't worry, award-winning author Robert Gardner has everyone covered. Each experiment in this book follows the scientific method, and can be completed in an hour or less. Readers find out how rainfall compares with a rain forest, create a model aquifer, and make a cloud. Most experiments also include ideas for science fair projects, in case readers have more time than they originally thought.
Step-by-Step Science Experiments in Ecology by
Readers are offered step-by-step experiments in ecology that are sure to place high in any science fair. More important, however, the experiments provided show young people the richness of the ecology surrounding them every day, including the habitats of flora and the ecosystem of a pond. After performing these fun, hands-on activities and learning how these systems in nature work and depend on one other, readers will better appreciate the natural world around them.
Taiga Experiments by
No energy to spare? This book is here to help. Readers will discover how cool temperatures help to keep a taiga wet, and the relationship between a taiga animal's wide feet and pressure. Each experiment follows the scientific method, and can be completed in an hour or less. Many experiments also include ideas for more detailed science fair projects.
Temperate Forest Experiments by
Do your readers wait until the last minute to start their science project? Don't worry, award-winning author Robert Gardner has everyone covered. Each experiment in this book follows the scientific method, and can be completed in an hour or less. Readers will explore leaf anatomy, use a tree's shadow to measure its height, and find out how old that tree is. Most experiments also include ideas for science fair projects, in case readers have more time than they originally thought.
Tundra Experiments by
Award-winning author Robert Gardner comes to the rescue of busy students everywhere. Each experiment in this book follows the scientific method, and is designed to be completed in under an hour. Readers will discover why a tundra stays wet when it receives little rain, finding the energy (heat) is needed to melt one gram of ice, build a model of the permafrost, and the science of solar heat and leaf color. There are also ideas for more science experiments if you have extra time.