Friday, April 17, 2015

Climate Change (just in time for Earth Day)

Climate Change: discover how it impacts spaceship Earth, with 25 projects
by Joshua Sneideman & Erin Twamley; illus. by Mike Crosier
122 pages; ages 9-12
Nomad Press, 2015

Released just in time for Earth Day (which is Wednesday) - this newest book on Climate Change. Like others in the "Build it yourself" series, this one comes packed with hands-on activities to explore the concepts being discussed. For example: a balance board to help illustrate the idea that keeping gases in Earth's atmosphere balanced is harder to do than to say.

Readers will learn about burps, farts, and other greenhouse gases, why ice cores and paleontology are important, and read about cool biofuels like algae. Throughout the book there are lots of short introductions to scientists who did research in energy, oceanography, geology, climate science and more. Plus there are those 25 hands-on, do-it-yourself activities that require the sorts of things you might find in the kitchen cupboards or at the drug store. Who knows ~ maybe you'll be inspired to build something useful and simple, like the solar powered water purifying system invented by a high school student, or the water-filled plastic bottle "light bulbs".

To help make information easier to find (especially for browsers) the book has:
  • "words to know" sidebars
  • cool concepts (like atmospheric pressure on other planets)
  • essential questions
  • primary source icon with QR code link for smartphones or tablets
  • index, glossary, and page of resources at the back
  Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

1 comment:

  1. This looks like a book teachers will really appreciate. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete