Janice VanCleave's Ecology for Every Kid: Easy Activities that Make Learning Science Fun / Edition 1

by Janice VanCleave

Overview

When is a weed not a weed?

How can a jackrabbit survive in the desert?

Why is the climate cooler higher in the mountains?

Now you can learn the answers to these and other questions aboutecology. With the ideas and activities in Ecology for Every Kid,you'll have fun exploring everything from your role in spreadingplant seeds, to greenhouse gases' effect on the earth'stemperature.

Use a raisin cookie, a pencil, and a toothpick to learn how awoodpecker gets its food. With uncooked rice and a sock, see how amountain goat maintains its footing on rocky slopes. In otherfascinating projects, you'll find out how a cactus stores water,how fox-hunting affects tree growth, and much more.

You'll find most of the materials you need around the house orclassroom. The book also contains many helpful diagrams andillustrations plus a glossary of bold-faced terms for you to referto whenever necessary. Every activity has been pretested and can beperformed safely and inexpensively in the classroom or athome.

Also available in this series from Janice VanCleave:

ASTRONOMY FOR EVERY KID

BIOLOGY FOR EVERY KID

CHEMISTRY FOR EVERY KID

DINOSAURS FOR EVERY KID

EARTH SCIENCE FOR EVERY KID

GEOGRAPHY FOR EVERY KID

GEOMETRY FOR EVERY KID

THE HUMAN BODY FOR EVERY KID

MATH FOR EVERY KID

PHYSICS FOR EVERY KID

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471101000
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/16/1996
Series:	Science for Every Kid Series , #111
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.44(w) x 9.27(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

JANICE VANCLEAVE is a former school science teacher and a captivating presenter at museums, schools, and bookstores nationwide. She is the author of more than twenty other science books for children.

Table of Contents

Space Sharers.

Connections.

Togetherness.

Best or Worst of Friends?.

Food Chain.

Outcasts.

Dinosaur Breath.

Up and Down.

Fitting In.

Boundaries.

Icy Lands.

Woodlands.

Grasslands.

Hot Spot.

Highlands.

Watery Home.

Water Problems.

Global Warming.

Good and Bad.

Acid Rain.

Protector.

Buildup.

Reusable.

Limited.

Endangered.

Glossary.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-6-A user-friendly approach to ecology activities, exceptionally well organized. Readers are guided through a logical learning progression with each of 25 topics, ranging from plant and animal food chains to the effect of plastics on the environment. Subjects are introduced in a "What You Need to Know" section that gives explanations of the scientific principles, plus plenty of everyday examples. A brief preparatory exercise follows, usually in the form of an imaginative game. Each activity includes a purpose statement, list of materials, step-by-step procedures with appropriate precautions, a discussion of the results, and solutions to the exercises. Particularly effective is the strong reinforcement of basic concepts between each of the chapter segments. The text is written in an energetic style; key and unfamiliar terms appear in bold type and are defined in the extensive glossary. Simple black-line drawings are crisp, uncluttered, and well placed. VanCleave stresses the importance of caring for the Earth through an ongoing discussion of the balance of relationships between humans, animals, plants, and natural resources. Solid information and a generous portion of fun are combined to elevate this selection above the standard collection of experiments. Although similar information may be found in Joy Berry's Every Kid's Guide to Saving the Earth (Forest House, 1992) or John Javna's 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth (Andrews and McNeel, 1990), both the scope and organization make VanCleave's title a unique addition.-Sarabeth Kalajian, Venice Public Library, FL

School Library Journal

VanCleave brings together experiments on a wide range of environmental issues--among them, the food chain, endangered animals, acid rain, global warming, and the ozone layer. Each short chapter focuses on one issue, providing information in very readable text, activities to demonstrate scientific principles, and exercises to reinforce the material presented. The clear, if simple black-and-white drawings will be especially helpful in showing how to carry out the activities. Like other books by the author, this will be a useful resource for students and teachers. An extensive glossary is appended.

Karen Hutt