Take a Walk Through Time

Take a Walk Through Time

Life began on the earth a very long time ago. Compared with when life first appeared, humans have been around for a very, very short period of time. This activity will help you think about geologic time compared to human time.
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Design a Seed

Design a Seed

From Keystone Plants and Fungi

Use the engineering design process to design a seed!

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Decomposers at Work

Decomposers at Work

From The Carbon Cycle

Yeast is a single-celled fungus. Like other decomposers, yeast feeds on organic material (sugar). The decomposition process produces CO In this activity, you'll see a decomposer (yeast) at work!

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The Ocean is Salty

The Ocean is Salty

From The Ocean

One of the ocean's best-known characteristics is that it is salty. The ocean's salinity affects both the water's density as well as the temperature at which it freezes. See for yourself!

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Design a Wildlife Corridor

Design a Wildlife Corridor

From Conservation Success

Wildlife crossings provide safe passages for animals moving between habitats. Time to think like an engineer and a conservationist to design a crossing near you!

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Reviews

Publishers Weekly
“The Browns intersperse indoor and outdoor activities with information about fossils, dinosaur, and paleontology in this entry in the Explore Your World! series. Relevant vocabulary terms appear and are defined throughout, and Stone's cartoons feature a recurring pair of unnamed animal paleontologists (one is a pterosaur), as well as help illustrate the various experiments. Clear, straightforward writing helps introduce sometimes complex topics like radiometric dating, as well as how human understanding of dinosaurs has changed through research and discovery.” Read the full review here.

Booklist Online Exclusive
“This latest title in the dependable Explore Your World! series takes on not just fossils but also the related topics of dinosaurs, geology, and ecosystems, as well as the role of scientists in discovering the past. Each chapter presents its information engagingly with plenty of well-inserted vocabulary support, age-appropriate riddles, and a cartoon explorer dinosaur wearing cargo shorts. Chapters conclude with several projects that engage creativity, exercise reason and math knowledge, and help practice observation skills. The topic holds inherent interest to many in the target audience, and they should come away with a sound foundation in scientific fact, usable tips on how to derive evidence, and starting points from which to explore further. Browsers, of course, will have a fine time, but this book is even better suited for STEM programs, including those at camps and in museums.”

Markes Johnson, paleontologist, Professor Emeritus, Williams College
“This book by Cynthia Brown and her daughter go a long way toward providing reading material at the right level for a highly inquisitive youth. Clear definitions of vocabulary words are well placed and progressive in building a sound background. The book does not shy away from concepts that are challenging but critical to the meaning of fossils.”

Charles Marshall, Director, University of California
“This is a fun book with great, thought-provoking projects. It offers a surprisingly sophisticated introduction to paleontology for the young and young at heart.”

Spencer G. Lucas, PhD, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Museum of Paleontology
“Explore Fossils! provides young readers with a remarkable introduction to paleontology. It covers many topics not seen in similar books. The concise and up-to-date text, the clear and instructive illustrations, and the end-of-chapter projects make Explore Fossils! the best introduction to paleontology that I have ever seen.”

Detailed Book Description

In Explore Fossils! With 25 Great Projects, readers ages 7 to 10 discover what life was like on Earth millions of years ago when dinosaurs walked the land! Through investigations of plant and animal fossils, readers gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between different species and the land.

  • Examines reasons for the explosion of life as well as mass extinctions.
  • Readers learn why fossils are important and what they can teach us about the earth's geological history.
  • Places dinosaurs in the context of the history of the earth.
Available In:
Hardcover, $19.95
9781619303317
Paperback, $14.95
9781619303553
Includes: Table of Contents | Timeline | Charts | Glossary | Resources | Index | Metric Conversions Chart
Specs: 8 x 10 size | 4-color interior | 96 pages
Subject: Science
Content Focus: Earth Science | Life Science

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
What Are Fossils?

Chapter 1
From the Rocks

Chapter 2
Clues to the Past

Chapter 3
Plants and Microbe Fossils

Chapter 4
Animals, Including Humans!

Chapter 5
Plant-Eating Dinosaurs

Chapter 6
Meat-Eating Dinosaurs

Chapter 7
Boom and Bust

Chapter 8
How Paleontologists Work

Glossary
Metric Conversions
Resources
Essential Questions
Index