EcoWorks

Some cities offer their residents lots of cool restaurants, arts activities, and business opportunities-but few green spaces. Poorer areas may have empty lots or abandoned buildings, and no nearby parks. Community gardens are a great idea for either of these scenarios-and so many more! Through inspiring descriptions of the benefits of community gardens, including their positive ecological impact, readers will run to the nearest plot of land to start a garden! From the science of composting and organic farming to health topics like fitness and healthy eating, the motivating content will introduce readers to the fun of community gardens, which can bring communities together, help the environment, and provide a good use for unused lots. Bright, colorful photographs and descriptive sidebars and fact boxes will draw readers in even more-that is, if they haven't already started planting their garden!

News outlets seem to be full of tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, from biking to school and work to repurposing old clothes and shoes. But what exactly is a carbon footprint-and how do you know how big yours is? Readers will find answers to these questions and much more through captivating content that takes on climate change, vehicle emissions, and wasting electricity. Practical solutions to reducing readers' carbon footprints compliment social studies and science information that augment what they encounter in the classroom. Whether interested in the ecological impact of human actions on Earth or the technology working to counter that impact, readers will find plenty to think about! Detailed sidebars, eco-focused fact boxes, and bright, vivid photographs provide readers with even more knowledge about carbon emissions and how they affect the world.

Homes and businesses around the world have solar panels to harness the sun's energy for electricity. But even more remarkably, NASA powered an airplane using solar power in 2001! Achievements in renewable energy are encouraging as the world's reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal continue to be depleted. Readers will learn the state of nonrenewable resources on Earth in addition to information about the renewable energy technology that will power cars and homes in the future. Discussion of greenhouse gases and climate change provide readers with basic knowledge about the changing needs of Earth. Detailed sidebars and fact boxes augment science and social studies information, offering readers both pros and cons of solar, wind, and water energy, among others. Colorful photographs will further engage readers with these important topics as they begin to form opinions using their new knowledge.

Electric and hybrid cars use less fuel than conventional cars-but fuel economy is only one consumer consideration when choosing a new vehicle. Speed, cost, and even convenience also play a role, even if these aspects of a car mean it's less eco-friendly. Full-color photographs of hybrid engines, batteries, and solar-powered cars will draw readers in while they learn about this fascinating new car technology. Including accessible explanations of the greenhouse effect, carbon emissions, and the creation and use of fuel, the main content will help readers shape an informed opinion about the many positives and negatives about electric and hybrid cars. Readers will gather even more knowledge from sidebars focusing on specific topics and conservation information from fact boxes offering important ecological points of view.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to realize how to harness the sun for light and warmth. Today, it's common to consider window placement for optimum use of the sun when building new structures, and it's no longer unusual for buildings to use solar cells for electricity! Readers will be introduced to this exciting technology through brightly colored photographs and understandable explanations of how different kinds of solar power work. Sidebars focus on this technology up close while succinct fact boxes offer more ecological perspectives. Readers will not only learn why solar power is a technology to be invested in but also the limitations that still exist. The science and social studies content will illuminate a fascinating area of research for readers beginning to weigh pros and cons to form an opinion.