Young Naturalists

Fungi are everywhere! They live in the coldest corner of Antarctica and on hot, sandy desert dunes. They're in the air you breathe and the food you eat. But fungi are more than pizza toppings. They form partnerships with plants and help us clean up our planet through bioremediation. Some fungi eat our crops; others protect them. Some fungi cause diseases; others cure them. Some are bigger than you; others are so tiny you need a microscope to see them. And now, people are finding ways to use fungi to make furniture, building materials, and even sneakers. So grab your gear and let's go find some Funky Fungi.

From butterflies and beetles to crickets and katydids, these experiments, art projects, and games will bring out the entomologist in every kid. Activities include collecting and sketching insects, making a terrarium for observation, raising mealworms, using math to measure bug strength, gardening to attract butterflies and other insects, and making an insect amplifier. A unique insect board game helps kids learn fascinating bug facts while they play. Sidebars offer a look into the world of professional entomology, as well as gross facts about insects that will provide great playground trivia, including the USDA's guidelines for allowable insect parts per cup of food. Kids will learn that science is not just something to read about, but something they can observe and study in the world around them.

Young nature enthusiasts will learn these and other fascinating facts about amphibians in this colorful, interactive resource. Readers will explore the major amphibian groups-frogs, salamanders, and caecilians- including their anatomy, behavior, and conservation needs, and will learn about slime, venom, hibernation, and much more. Amazing Amphibians gives a full-color overview of amphibian life history, highlights a number of fascinating species, and explains characteristics of amphibians, such as egg-laying, metamorphosis, and ectothermy. With encouragement to "Try This," "Look For," and "Listen For," kids participate in 30 hands-on activities that promote observation and analysis, writing and drawing, math and science, and nature literacy skills. This useful resource includes a glossary of scientific terms, a list of amphibian orders, and a teacher's guide to initiate classroom discussion. Did you know ... • Goliath frogs can grow to 6 1/2 pounds and jump 10 feet in a single leap? • The mudpuppy, a species of salamander, gets its name from the doglike barking sound it makes when out of the water? • The North American wood frog can survive brutal winters, even after it has frozen solid?

An engaging book that encourages young nature enthusiasts to explore the world of birds. This generously illustrated, full-color book teaches kids that birds can be seen almost anywhere, in city parks and streets, zoos, farms, and backyards. Using Try This, Look For, and Listen For prompts, Birdology promotes independent observation and analysis, writing and drawing skills, and nature literacy. Kids observe the diversity of shapes, colors, patterns, and behavior of birds, listen for their songs and the clap of wings, make a juice-box feeder, plant flowers that attract hummingbirds, start a birding journal and sketchbook, and much more. Other topics that are presented in clear, kid-friendly prose include migration, nesting, food, territories, and conservation and preservation. Additional resources, such as a glossary, bird orders and scientific names, bird and wildlife organizations, and Teacher Topics to initiate classroom discussion and investigation, are also included.

Plantology guides young nature enthusiasts on a journey into the world of plants and the role they play in our lives. Full of colorful photos and illustrations, this fun and interactive resource presents clear, kid-friendly discussions of plant topics from the underground up-from seeds, roots, and sprouts to plant skeletons, leaves, petals, flowers, and fruits. But naturalist Michael Elsohn Ross goes beyond plant basics to explore the unknown world of common weeds, fascinating plant defense systems, the marvelous mechanisms of seed dispersal and pollination, and the history of everyday plant products in our homes. Plantology also illuminates humans' connections with plants and the solutions they offer, from low-cost sewage treatment and toxic waste removal to providing new medical cures. With encouragement to "Try This" and "Look For," kids participate in 36 hands-on activities that promote observation and analysis, writing and drawing, math and science, and nature literacy skills. They will keep a plant journal, examine and sketch plant shapes, colors, and structures; start a seed collection, make tasty plant dishes, and more. Readers from any region will start to take notice of the plants around them-not just in parks, gardens, and woods but also around the schools, buildings, and sidewalks of their town, and in their own backyards. Useful resources include a glossary of plant terms, common and scientific names, a list of plant and nature organizations and groups, and a teacher's guide to initiate classroom discussion and investigation.

An engaging introduction to the ecology of trees and forests, Treecology contains over 100 beautiful color images of trees, leaves, blooms, forest wildlife, and more. Kids learn about the interwoven lives of plants and animals making up the forest community: the food, nesting sites, and safe roosting and resting places that trees and forests provide to wildlife. This useful book also includes "street trees" commonly seen along city streets and parks, allowing any child to learn about their local tree communities. Through 30 simple and fun activities, young readers learn how to obverse the diversity of leaf shapes, the textures of tree bark, and evidence of forest creatures. The activities promote the development of science, writing, math, arts and crafts, and observation skills. Also included are a glossary and list of teacher topics for classroom use.

From cobras and copperheads to pythons and boas, all types of snakes are covered in this book of40 science experiments, art projects, and games that help budding herpetologists gain a greater appreciation for these slithering reptiles. Activities include making foldable fangs to learn how snakes teeth and jaws work together; simulating cytotoxic snake venom while making a tasty snack using an everyday enzyme found in pineapple; and mimicking the sound a rattlesnake makes using a rubber band, a paper clip, and an envelope. Engaging, simple, and safe experiments teach kids about the biology of snakes, such as how they use their tongues and nostrils to detect smells, how they are cold-blooded and sensitive to subtle changes in temperature, and how they can detect the slightest vibrations or tremors. Kids do not need a snake for any of the activities and will delight in all the strange snake facts and gross-out projects such as Snake Stink where they create their own signature stink and test how well it repels potential predators. Did you know …Snakes do not need to be coiled to strike. They can strike from any position, even underwater! Cobras and coach whips are two of the few snakes that can move in a straight line forward while keeping their upper body raised off the ground. Snake venom can actually help humans too! A blood pressure medicine was developed from the venom of a Brazilian pit viper, and over 60 other treatments have been created from snake venoms.

How big is a blue whale? Why does a sloth crawl from the safety of a tree to the ground once a week? How does a vampire bat feed? Young nature enthusiasts will find answers to these questions and learn all sorts of fascinating facts about mammals in this full-color, interactive book. Mammal Mania explores what makes mammals unique, as well as their anatomy, behavior, and conservation needs. Thirty hands-on activities promote observation and analysis, writing and drawing, math and science, and nature literacy skills. Readers will learn to build a squirrel feeder, write a putrid poem, make an animal tracking station, and much more. This useful resource includes a glossary of scientific terms, a list of mammal orders, and a teacher's guide to initiate classroom discussion.