Which innovative ideas and inventions began in the Benin Kingdom in Africa? Find out how a collection of separate villages and communities grew into a strong, united kingdom and developed a network of successful trading relationships. Discover how their brilliant developments in town planning, language, art, and medicine still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Anglo-Saxons? Find out how the Anglo-Saxons farmed their land, built their houses, and organized their society. Discover how their brilliant developments in defense, law, language, and storytelling still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the ancient Greeks? Find out how the ancient Greeks organized their society, trained their soldiers, used their ships for trade and transportation, and built their temples. Discover how their brilliant developments in architecture, politics, art, medicine, theater, and sports still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the ancient Egyptians? Find out how the ancient Egyptians built their temples and pyramids, irrigated and farmed their land, and took care of their people during life and after death. Discover how their brilliant developments in farming, papermaking, timekeeping, and medicine still influence the way we live today.
Learn all about the computer technology used in modern transportation. Use the algorithms and ideas that control real forms of transportation technology to create your own on-screen vehicles. Six step-by-step projects use the latest version of Scratch, the free online coding program, to help you learn how sensors work, create a hoverboard game, program a drone, and much more!
Learn about the key concepts used in space technology, and explore them by coding your own simulations of how rockets and spaceships move. Seven step-by-step projects use the latest version of Scratch, the free online coding program, to help you learn about gravity, create a jetpack game, program a spaceship's return to Earth, and much more!
Learn all about the computer technology used in smart homes and buildings that is making our lives easier and our homes more secure. Use the algorithms and ideas used to control devices within buildings to create your own coding programs. Five step-by-step projects use the latest version of Scratch, the free online coding program, to help you learn about motion sensors and create burglar alarms for your computer that use sound and motion to detect intruders.
Find out how the different systems within a robot work to make it move around, sense where it is, and interact with us. Use the algorithms and ideas that control real robots to create your own on-screen robots. Seven step-by-step projects use the latest version of Scratch, the free online coding program, to help you learn about sensors, create a robot arm game, program a robot, and much more!
Pollution is seriously damaging our planet. Human activity and waste are harming the environment by polluting the air, water, and land. Discover the facts about where pollution comes from, where garbage really goes after we throw it away, and how we can reduce waste.
Human overpopulation is putting pressure on our planet and its natural resources.The more people there are, the more resources are consumed, harming the environment and depleting the world's supplies. Discover the facts about the world's growing population, which countries have the highest and lowest birth rates, and how overpopulation affects climate change.
Natural resources on Earth are at risk of running out. Using too many natural resources, such as water, trees, and fossil fuels, is putting pressure on our supplies and damaging the environment. Discover the facts about how resources are used around the world, which resources are renewable and non-renewable, and what the future of natural resource management looks like.
Our modern world runs on energy to power our homes and industries. We all know the problems with burning fossil fuels to create energy— it pollutes the planet and we are running out of these resources. Discover the facts about renewable and non-renewable energy resources, how our energy use contributes to global warming, and what the future of energy looks like.
Climate change is reshaping the planet before our eyes. From melting ice caps and rising sea levels to drought and destructive hurricanes, no corner of Earth is protected from the effects of global warming. Discover the facts about what climate change is doing—and will continue to do—to our planet, and how we might reduce its impact.
The huge variety of plants and animals that live on Earth is called biodiversity. As ecosystems are destroyed by climate change and human activity, plants and animals are becoming endangered and even extinct. Find out how the loss of biodiversity affects food chains and natural habitats, why it is important to humans, and how its loss threatens the health of all living things on the planet.
Native to several mountain ranges and plateaus in south Asia and eastern Europe, the snow leopard has been threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and a reduced food source. Learn how collaborative programs across borders and with local people have helped the species populations in some areas remain steady, and also benefit the big cat's main food source, wild sheep and goats, whose numbers are reduced by hunters and competition for grazing from livestock.
The lesser long-nosed bat became the first bat species to be removed from the US endangered species list due to population recovery. This mammal plays a vital role as a pollinator in desert ecosystems in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Readers will learn about the collaborative efforts between the two countries, conservationists, tequila producers, and citizen scientists that are bringing back not only the lesser long-nosed bat, but the plants they rely on for food.
The black-footed ferret was once listed as extinct on the prairies of North America. Its population had been devastated by a disease that also reduced its main food source—prairie dogs. This book tells the fascinating story of the black-footed ferret's rediscovery in 1981 by a dog in Wyoming. Readers will learn how the find inspired a captive breeding program that is restoring not only this prairie species to the wild, but its essential food source as well, the prairie dog.
Does bottled water do more harm than good? Should clear-cutting for agriculture be allowed? Every day, we hear arguments about environmental issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using relatable and accessible environment-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Is constant access to technology safe for children? Should driverless vehicles replace human-controlled cars? Every day, we hear arguments about technology issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible technology-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Should athletes who used performance-enhancing drugs be stripped of their medals? Can video games help build important skills? Every day, we hear arguments about issues in sports and entertainment in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Should an age restriction be placed on buying junk food? Are genetically modified foods safe to eat? Every day, we hear arguments about food issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible food-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Are science and math subjects more important than arts subjects? Should students be required to complete homework during their personal time? Every day, we hear arguments about education issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible education-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
Should animals be kept in zoos? Is it okay to use animals for entertainment in circuses or rodeos? Every day, we hear arguments about animal issues in the media. This book gives readers the tools to make sense of and evaluate some of these arguments. Using three relatable and accessible animal-related examples, this book introduces readers to the parts of an effective argument and prompts them to use the knowledge they have gained to evaluate the effectiveness of arguments on opposing sides of the issues.
This highly relevant title examines terrorism in its different forms, from cyber attacks to bombings and state terrorism. Extremism and the ways in which people are convinced to believe extreme points of view are explained, balanced with information on how to combat radicalization. Historic and contemporary examples of terrorism also give readers context.
Scale models are usually built as accurate miniatures of real objects such as vehicles, buildings, and even people. This awesome introduction to model making explains the mathematics of scale, and the difference between building from a kit and building from scratch. Tips on painting, scoring, cementing, and weathering help build fine-motor skills. Young readers are encouraged to build patience, concentration, perseverance, and problem-solving.
