Describes what causes things to rot, and examines the types of insects and microlife that survive on rotting items.

We are surrounded by helpers. They make our lives better. Some helpers are our families and friends, who take care of us and do things for us. Some helpers are minibeasts--small creatures such as spiders and bees. And some helpers are microlife--tiny creatures and other living things that are too small to see.

Even though the air can seem clear and clean, sometimes there is something lurking where the human eye cannot see. Read this title to find out about the type of microlife that makes us ill.

Successful students use comprehension skills and strategies throughout the school day. In this timely book, leading scholars present innovative ways to support reading comprehension across content areas and the full K?12 grade range. Chapters provide specific, practical guidance for selecting rewarding texts and promoting engagement and understanding in social studies, math, and science, as well as language arts and English classrooms. Cutting-edge theoretical perspectives and research findings are clearly explained. Special attention is given to integrating out-of-school literacies into instruction and developing comprehension in English language learners.

What if you could challenge your fifth-grade students to investigate the role of composting in solid waste management? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Composting outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms. This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students use the engineering design process (EDP) to design and create prototypes of compost systems and build a full-scale composting system for school use. Students will synthesize their learning about biotic and abiotic factors, decomposition, and engineering design as they learn about various types of compost systems, create their own portable compost bins, and create materials for a composting publicity campaign at their school. To support this goal, students will do the following: Identify and explain interdependent relationships in ecosystems Compare and contrast several ecosystems Describe how compost systems are designed and constructed and apply this understanding to creating prototypes of various compost systems Understand the concept of scale and apply this understanding to create scaled models of compost systems Apply their understanding of composting, compost systems, and the EDP to create a full-scale compost system for the school Measure various characteristics of compost The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Composting can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

An introduction to microlife. Topics include how small is a bacterium, what is a protist and which microorganisms move around like animals.

What happens to old, dead plants and animals? They lie around on the ground, but not for long! Over time, they go moldy and rotten, turning into crumbly pieces of rotting goo. Watch these things change in this title that's all about decay.