With its active fault systems, complex landforms, and myriad natural habitats, southern California boasts a rich and dynamic geologic environment. This abundantly illustrated volume at last provides an up-to-date, authoritative, and accessible resource for students and general readers interested in southern California's geology and native plants. Covering an extensive area, north from San Diego to Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada and east to the Mojave and Colorado deserts, its unique, comprehensive approach brings together for the first time the basic principles of geology, the story of plate tectonics, in-depth discussion of the geology of many specific locales within the region, and information on identifying southern California's native plants.

An introduction to the study of the earth includes discussions of rocks, air, weather, energy, and the environment.

Contains comprehensive content that introduces your students to key earth science concepts including energy, plate tectonics, weathering, earthquakes, volcanoes, and ecosystems. The text also integrates important ideas in science such as heat, density and buoyancy.

Provides many approaches to help students learn science: direct instruction from the teacher, textbooks and supplementary materials for reading, and laboratory investigations and experiments to perform. It also provides for the regular teaching and practice of reading and vocabulary skills students need to use a science textbook successfully.