Map Your State's Natural Resources

Map Your State's Natural Resources

Make a three-dimensional map to give you an understanding of the natural resources in your state. This map will include natural resources found in your state, such as fish or forests, but not products made by them. NOTE: This activity requires going online. Ask an adult to supervise while you are on the Internet.
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Investigate Weather

Investigate Weather

From Climate Change

How is weather different from climate? Weather can be described as day-to-day conditions. From a bright, sunny day to a snowy day, weather can change quickly. Climate, on the other hand, is made up of long-term weather patterns across many years. Let’s explore some of the characteristics of weather.

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Edible Climate Zone Map

Edible Climate Zone Map

From Weather and Climate!

The world has many different types of climates. The United States has several different climate zones as well. With this edible map, you can tell your family about summer climates—after you chew!

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Archimedes Screw

Archimedes Screw

From The Water Cycle!

Greek scientist Archimedes (288–212 BCE) invented a device to move water from a river to a farmer’s field. This device—called the Archimedes’ screw—is a tube with a large spiral inside. When you place the tube in water and turn it, the spiral pushes the water up. Try it!

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Lava Gas!

Lava Gas!

From Rocks and Minerals!

Lava has gas trapped in it. How does it compare to the gas in soda that some people drink?

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Reviews

DIG Magazine July/August 2017
"Explore Natural Resources! definitely lives up to its billing: "helps readers ages 6-9 understand why natural resources are important to all living things." Filled with projects, words to know, "fact" and "did you know" boxes, related jokes, and exploratory and explanatory text."

Children's Literature Review  
"An informative book for early readers, sections cover the air, water, soil, minerals, energy, and conservation. Key words are in bold and in a words to know box on the same page. Also includes fun activities at the end of each section to learn more and to get hands-on experience about the topic, black-and-white illustrations, a glossary, resources for further exploration, and an index."

National Science Teachers Association Recommends
"Does your approach to teaching natural resources consist of talking to students, showing a video, and maybe inviting a guest speaker? If you are ready for something more engaging, this Natural Resources! With 25 Great Projects is a required science resource . . . The greatest strength of this book may be that it is visually appealing. Every page is attractive and comprised of pictures, vocabulary, and text that will not only inform but entertain the eye. Teachers should consider teaching one chapter per week, which will allow them to have enough time to supervise the elementary aged students. This is the perfect activity book to instruct and demonstrate the immediate interconnectedness humans have with natural resources and the world."

Booklist
"Twenty-five hands-on activities explore the extraordinarily broad and universally accessible concept of natural resources. Conservation is the guiding theme of the book, and global warming, desertification, and water pollution are explained in careful detail. Yasuda divides natural resources into broad topics including air, water, soil, minerals, and energy, and she emphasizes the importance of renewability. The inception of the national parks system and pioneering environmentalists are mentioned, as well as legislation geared toward curbing environmental degradation. A ‘Then and Now' feature highlights, with startling statistics, how our current consumption-minded society differs from people of the past. Words to know, listed in the sidebar of each chapter, are boldface in the text, underscored in the illustrations, and defined in a glossary. Activities follow each chapter and include art projects, experiments, building plans, and challenges. The hands-on nature of the activities, age-appropriate text, and inclusion of high-interest examples and sidebars make this a great primer on a timely topic for the classroom, library, or home bookshelf."

Susan Ekstrom, E.A.G.L.E Program Manager, Eagle Eye Institute
"Explore Natural Resources! has a wonderful collection of engaging projects to help young people understand the world around them and begin to recognize what they can do to make a positive impact in their own communities. A great activity book for budding conservationists."

Allen Hershkowitz, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council
"This is a wonderfully informative, easy to read, and fun book. Any young student learning the material in this book will have acquired important scientific knowledge that will benefit them for their entire lives. Given the scientific illiteracy plaguing our nation, I only wish that all grown-ups in the USA would read this book as well."

Lisa Purcell, Director, Four Winds Nature Institute
"A comprehensive resource for elementary students who are interested in exploring the impact of human use of natural resources. Cute illustrations and fun facts."

Bill McKibben, environmentalist, author
"A colorful introduction to the fact that water doesn't come from a faucet, nor electricity from a socket!"

Detailed Book Description

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 will Explore Natural Resources! and gain an appreciation of earth's resources, from its vast oceans to its open skies.

Available In:
Paperback, $13.95
9781619302235
Includes: Table of Contents | Charts | Glossary | Resources | Index
Specs: 8 x 10 size | black and white interior | 96 pages
Subject: Science
Content Focus: Earth Science

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
LET’S EXPLORE NATURAL RESOURCES!

Chapter 1
AMAZING AIR

Chapter 2
WONDERFUL WATER

Chapter 3
SUPER SOIL

Chapter 4
MIGHTY MINERALS

Chapter 5
EXCITING ENERGY

Chapter 6
CONSERVING EARTH’S RESOURCES

Glossary
Resources
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