This book presents a program of basic studies dealing with living organisms. The characteristics of each living kingdom are presented and the diversity among species within the same kingdom is illustrated. Topics include algae, bacteria, fungi, and various species of plants and animals. Each of the twelve teaching units in this book is introduced by a color transparency (print books) or PowerPoint slide (eBooks) that emphasizes the basic concept of the unit and presents questions for discussion. Reproducible student pages provide reinforcement and follow-up activities. The teaching guide offers descriptions of the basic concepts to be presented, background information, suggestions for enrichment activities, and a complete answer key.

Whether she is writing about bats, bees, procupines, or wolves, contemplating the mysteries of caves, or delving into the traditions, beliefs, and myths of Native American cultures, Linda Hogan expresses a deep reverence for the dwelling we all share--the Earth. 16 line drawings.

Biological science is explored by leading scientists and apologists through awe-inspiring illustrations

Named 2013 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12 by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council Appealing to children over age ten, this engaging reference book depicts adventurous and thrilling elements in oceanographic fieldwork. In conjunction with a National Geographic television show, this book will reach a huge audience of marine lovers, as well as children interested in science and exploration. Alien Deep outshines the competition by following a recent, specific deepwater exploration that illuminates new knowledge about our oceans. Following alongside a current expedition, Alien Deep will enable children to observe the processes involved in marine exploration. As scientists delve into the mysterious depths of the ocean, children will be able to witness the excitement of scientific exploration and discovery through enriching text and stunning photography. By describing a recent exploration, children will be able to read and see the new methods and technology that oceanographers use to conduct research.

Ten prominent designers create objects using only sustainably grown and harvested materials Design for a Living World was developed by The Nature Conservancy, one of the world's leading conservation organizations, in order to raise global awareness about the impact and promise of sustainable sourcing. Ten prominent designers, including Kate Spade, Issac Mizrahi, Yves Béhar, Hella Jongerius and Ted Muehling were invited to create objects using only sustainably grown and harvested materials from some of the world's most beautiful and ecologically precarious places. Each of these landscapes supports its own distinct ecosystem and provides crucial livelihoods to local communities; each one is threatened by the effects of climate change and global economics--deforestation, overdevelopment and other destructive forces. Design for a Living World illuminates the complexity and vitality of raw materials at their source, including the people and cultures that actually produce them. The above designers were selected for their willingness to experiment and for their record of active engagement with issues of sustainability and social justice. In addition to presenting the designers' sketches, models and finished objects, Design for a Living World features original photographs by award-winning photojournalist Ami Vitale, who traveled around the world to document the many landscapes explored in this volume.

A biophysicist reveals the hidden unity behind nature’s breathtaking complexity The form and function of a sprinting cheetah are quite unlike those of a rooted tree. A human being is very different from a bacterium or a zebra. The living world is a realm of dazzling variety, yet a shared set of physical principles shapes the forms and behaviors of every creature in it. So Simple a Beginning shows how the emerging new science of biophysics is transforming our understanding of life on Earth and enabling potentially lifesaving but controversial technologies such as gene editing, artificial organ growth, and ecosystem engineering. Raghuveer Parthasarathy explains how four basic principles—self-assembly, regulatory circuits, predictable randomness, and scaling—shape the machinery of life on scales ranging from microscopic molecules to gigantic elephants. He describes how biophysics is helping to unlock the secrets of a host of natural phenomena, such as how your limbs know to form at the proper places, and why humans need lungs but ants do not. Parthasarathy explores how the cutting-edge biotechnologies of tomorrow could enable us to alter living things in ways both subtle and profound. Featuring dozens of original watercolors and drawings by the author, this sweeping tour of biophysics offers astonishing new perspectives on how the wonders of life can arise from so simple a beginning.

By making room for this book in your curriculum, you' ll have a fresh way to motivate your students to look at the living world and ask not only " Why?" but also " How do we know?" Unique in both its structure and approach, Reading Nature is a supplemental resource that provides a window into science ideas and practices. You' ll find the book useful because it * Draws on carefully selected peer-reviewed articles so that students have an opportunity for text-based inquiry into scientific investigations. Each of these evidence-based texts ties into one of five disciplinary core ideas in the Next Generation Science Standards-- from molecules to organisms, ecosystems, heredity, biological evolution, and human impacts on Earth systems. * Is organized to make the source material easy for students to grasp and for you to teach. Within each of the book' s five chapters, the authors have framed section headings as questions; highlighted the roles of people in the narrative; offered context and relevant data for the investigations; and provided supplementary teacher questions and prompts. * Can be adapted to your needs as an active tool for inquiry. You may use the various texts in the book to introduce a unit or an investigation or to pull ideas together before a summative assessment. The texts are also useful as extensions of existing ideas. Unlike traditional textbooks, Reading Nature makes it clear that biology is much more than dry facts and complicated vocabulary. It can help you prompt students to think deeply about the " endeavor of science" as it truly is-- full of ingenious experiments, frustrating dead ends, and incredible finds that contribute to our understanding of the amazing phenomena of living things.