Janice VanCleave's Ecology for Every Kid: Easy Activities that Make Learning Science Fun

When is a weed not a weed?

How can a jackrabbit survive in the desert?

Why is the climate cooler higher in the mountains?

Now you can learn the answers to these and other questions about ecology. With the ideas and activities in Ecology for Every Kid, you'll have fun exploring everything from your role in spreading plant seeds, to greenhouse gases' effect on the earth's temperature.

Use a raisin cookie, a pencil, and a toothpick to learn how a woodpecker gets its food. With uncooked rice and a sock, see how a mountain goat maintains its footing on rocky slopes. In other fascinating projects, you'll find out how a cactus stores water, how fox-hunting affects tree growth, and much more.

You'll find most of the materials you need around the house or classroom. The book also contains many helpful diagrams and illustrations plus a glossary of bold-faced terms for you to refer to whenever necessary. Every activity has been pretested and can be performed safely and inexpensively in the classroom or at home.

Also available in this series from Janice VanCleave:

ASTRONOMY FOR EVERY KID

BIOLOGY FOR EVERY KID

CHEMISTRY FOR EVERY KID

DINOSAURS FOR EVERY KID

EARTH SCIENCE FOR EVERY KID

GEOGRAPHY FOR EVERY KID

GEOMETRY FOR EVERY KID

THE HUMAN BODY FOR EVERY KID

MATH FOR EVERY KID

PHYSICS FOR EVERY KID

JANICE VANCLEAVE is a former school science teacher and a captivating presenter at museums, schools, and bookstores nationwide. She is the author of more than twenty other science books for children.

Gr 3-6 A user-friendly approach to ecology activities, exceptionally well organized. Readers are guided through a logical learning progression with each of 25 topics, ranging from plant and animal food chains to the effect of plastics on the environment. Subjects are introduced in a "What You Need to Know" section that gives explanations of the scientific principles, plus plenty of everyday examples. A brief preparatory exercise follows, usually in the form of an imaginative game. Each activity includes a purpose statement, list of materials, step-by-step procedures with appropriate precautions, a discussion of the results, and solutions to the exercises. Particularly effective is the strong reinforcement of basic concepts between each of the chapter segments. The text is written in an energetic style; key and unfamiliar terms appear in bold type and are defined in the extensive glossary. Simple black-line drawings are crisp, uncluttered, and well placed. VanCleave stresses the importance of caring for the Earth through an ongoing discussion of the balance of relationships between humans, animals, plants, and natural resources. Solid information and a generous portion of fun are combined to elevate this selection above the standard collection of experiments. Although similar information may be found in Joy Berry's Every Kid's Guide to Saving the Earth (Forest House, 1992) or John Javna's 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth (Andrews and McNeel, 1990), both the scope and organization make VanCleave's title a unique addition. Sarabeth Kalajian, Venice Public Library, FL School Library Journal Reviews