Big Science Ideas

Wild animals are facing huge challenges in the natural world today. Many are endangered - some critically. This eye-opening book shows how animals are being threatened by habitat loss, climate change, non-native species taking over their habitats, pollution, over-fishing, poaching, collisions with cars and boats, and human diseases. Many recovery efforts are in progress to bring back the populations of some nearly extinct animals and to reintroduce some captive ones to their natural habitats. Readers will learn how scientists are working to save blue iguanas in the Cayman Islands, black-footed ferrets in the Canadian prairies, penguins and albatross in Patagonia, and great apes in Africa. This engaging book also encourages students to compare their life challenges to those of animals in the wild.

Pollination has been in the headlines for the past few years because it directly affects the food supply on Earth. Flowering plants produce fruit or seeds only after pollination. Pollination by insects is a critical function of all land ecosystems. Most orchard fruits, vegetables, and some field crops are pollinated by insects. Pollinators are threatened by pesticides, invasive species, and habitat destruction, but they are especially threatened by a lack of awareness about their importance. This informative book filled with stunning photographs will focus on the critical fact that protecting pollinators means having food to eat. It will help children look at insects in a very different way.

One of the biggest adaptations made by some animals is to live and work together as a group to ensure their survival. This intriguing book shows how social animals communicate and interact with members of their own species. Elephants, dolphins and orcas, monkeys, apes, lions, and wolves, educate their young, work together to find food, and take care of their group members. Smaller animals that work together in microsocieties include termites, ants, bees, and wasps. Students will have fun comparing their own social groups to those found in nature. Fascinating photographs accompany thought-provoking questions and activities.