Science Essentials (Owen)

Can plant roots move to find water? How do plants make their own food and the oxygen we need to breathe? Why have some plants become carnivorous bug catchers? And how do animals help disperse seeds? This information-packed look at the world of plants is perfect for curriculum work and for discovering the fascinating secret world of plants. • Visit the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on an island in the Arctic Ocean where seeds from around the world are kept in a high-security building under an ice-covered mountain to protect them from disease and future climate change. • Explore plant reproduction, including how flowering and cone-bearing plants produce seeds, how mosses and ferns create new plants using spores, and how some plants reproduce asexually. • Learn how to classify plants and find out about conservationists who are working to protect wild plants. • Meet plants such as a tree with a rainbow-colored trunk, the biggest plants on Earth, and cacti. The book includes experiments and activities and is supported by downloadable worksheets and other resources.

Why do racing cyclists crouch low over their handlebars to go faster? Why do you fall back down when you bounce on a trampoline? And why does the refrigerator door close as if it's being pulled by something invisible? The answer is forces. Gravity, friction, gears, pulleys, levers, and magnets are all explored in this title. Readers will learn how trainee astronauts experience "zero gravity" on the aircraft known as the "vomit comet," how air resistance protected the Curiosity rover during its landing on Mars, why magnets are used at recycling plants, and how trains powered by magnets may one day travel at thousands of miles per hour!

Why do we burp when we take a swig of a fizzy drink? What are air and water actually made of? And when a liquid raw egg becomes a solid fried egg, can this change of state ever be reversible? Packed with hands-on investigations, this book explores topics including, the properties of solids, liquids, and gases, how liquids become solids and how solids become liquids, how the water cycle works, why seawater is salty, and how changing states make recycling possible. Readers will get the chance to do experiments including discovering if there is water vapor in the classroom around them, separating mixed up substances, and even weighing the air.

All around us Earth's rock cycle is in action. Wind and rain turn rocks to sand; dead leaves mix with rock particles to make soil; over millions of years, layers of sand and soil turn to sedimentary rock; beneath our feet in Earth's crust, extreme heat and pressure create metamorphic rocks; while lava bursts from volcanoes and cools to become igneous rock. This in-depth look at rocks and fossils gives students the chance to carry out investigations such as examining rock properties, building a rock cycle model, and even creating their own fossils.

While Earth is just a tiny part of a universe, it is still so vast even numbers such as billions and trillions aren't big enough to measure it! This fascinating in-depth look at our world's place in space explores the big bang, the formation of the solar system, and why we experience day and night and different seasons. Readers will even learn how ancient people used the Sun's movements and temples such as the UK's Stonehenge to predict the seasons and why the Moon seems to change shape in the night sky. Packed with facts and activities, this book will be a gripping read for all young space fans.

Imagine you are inside a dark closet. Everything around you looks black. You can't even see your own hands in front of your face. Why? Your hands are still there, but something important is missing-light! This in-depth look at light includes understanding light sources, incredible facts about our Sun, how light reflects off objects around us, and how our eyes use light to allow us to see. It also features topics such as shadows, making rainbows, and bioluminescence in the animal kingdom. This book is packed with activities including making shadow artworks, testing your own eyes' capabilities, and even designing a reflective safety jacket for a dog's night-time walk.

This book includes all the key information needed to classify animals, study the subject of life cycles, and understand food webs. It is also packed with fascinating topics that help expand readers' knowledge about the animal kingdom. • What are invertebrates and vertebrates? • Understand how animals are classified into groups including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and others, and learn what characteristics are used to classify them. • Discover how animals are either carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores, and learn how an animal's body is adapted for hunting or foraging and for eating a particular diet. • Learn all about producers, consumers, and food webs. • Enjoy an in-depth look at the fascinating life cycles of blue whales, toads, stag beetles, and swallows. • Meet the scientist Jane Goodall and learn how she changed the future of studying apes, discover how birds evolved from dinosaurs, and explore the evolution of dogs from wild wolves to the pet dogs who share our homes. The book includes stunning photos, activities, critical thinking questions, and is supported by downloadable worksheets and other resources.

How many skin cells do we lose every minute? What do the trillions of bacteria that live in our bodies do? How does our brain control every action we take? And how does DNA make us who we are? This fact-packed look at the human body is an entertaining nonfiction read that's filled with superb photos and 3D illustrations. • The muscle and skeletal system, the digestive system, the nervous system, and circulatory system are all comprehensively explained. • The book includes sections on the mouth and caring for our teeth, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and the importance of sleep for our bodies. • The effects and dangers of smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking illegal drugs are sensitively handled in an appropriate way for the target audience. • And there is a fascinating section that explores the different stages of the human life cycle. This book will quickly become an essential resource for students and their teachers when studying the human body.

Without sound there would be no chatting, laughing, bird song, or listening to music. But what exactly is sound and how do our ears and brain ensure that we get to enjoy it? In this fascinating title, the subject of sound is carefully explained in an accessible way with lots of diagrams and activities that help readers understand the science behind this topic. • What are sound waves? What makes sounds louder and quieter? What are decibels? Why are some sounds high pitched and others low pitched? And how do sounds travel differently through the air, through water, and through solids? • Discover how the different external and internal parts of our ears capture sound waves and working in partnership with our brains turn them into sounds. • Learn how animals such as cats, bats, and dolphins use sounds that humans cannot hear to hunt. • Understand how some people have hearing loss and how equipment can be used to help them hear. And meet two incredible professional musicians who make music even though they are both profoundly deaf.