Description
Book SynopsisPacked with fun-filled word scrambles, categorization tasks, and writing activities,
What's Up in Science? will develop critical thinking and analytical skills in your students. While solutions are provided for the puzzle exercises, some of the problems are open-ended and have no definitive answers, showing that scientific inquiry generates tough questions and that knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available.
Table of ContentsAbout the Author iii
Acknowledgments v
Introduction xiii
Section 1: Preserved Evidence of Past Life
1 What Fossils Have to Say Fossil secrets 2
2 Long-Ago Life Forms Multicellular organisms 4
3 Footprints from the Past Fossil imprints 6
4 Early Wings Bird-dinosaur–link mystery 8
5 Two Steps Ahead of the Rest New lizard discovery 10
6 Dinosaur-Snacking Crocodile Super Croc 12
7 Awesome Dinosaur The Apatosaurus 14
8 Even More Dinosaurs Two massive ancient reptiles 16
9 Mast from the Past Protecting fossil bones 18
10 North American Mammal Mystery Disappearing mammals 20
11 Fossils on Hold Fossils alive and well 22
12 Let’s Ban Man Human causes of extinction 24
Challenge Activities (10 items) 26
Section 2: Early Human Life on Earth
13 New Face from an Old Skull Oldest human ancestor(?) 28
14 Who Ate My Kangaroo? Early human appetites 30
15 Early Artists Show Their Skill Art from the start 32
16 Egyptian Cave Art Real or fake? 34
17 Early Man Appears Iceman and Kennewick Man 36
18 Keeping the Past Alive Ancient ruins’ preservation 38
Challenge Activities (7 items) 40
Section 3: Getting to Know the Lithosphere
19 Leaving the Lava Behind 1 Mayon volcano (Philippines) 42
20 Leaving the Lava Behind 2 Mt. Nyiragongo (Rwanda) 44
21 Volcano Secrets Volcanics (Baja California) 46
22 Earthquakes 1 Earthquake news 48
23 Earthquakes 2 More earthquake data 50
24 Nature’s Quake Predictors Geyser mystery 52
25 Glacier Alert 1 All about glaciers 54
26 Glacier Alert 2 More glacier information 56
27 Inner Space Travel From erosion to caves 58
28 Mapping in Outer and Inner Space Mapping techniques 60
29 Global Positioning System Satellite Navigation Network 62
Challenge Activities (11 items) 64
Section 4: Listening to the Environment
30 Chromium 6 on Trial A most harmful chemical 66
31 Mercury Menace Mercury poisoning 68
32 Global Warming Warning 1 Global warming trends 70
33 Global Warming Warning 2 Global warming trends 72
34 Ocean Currents and Weather El Niño/La Niña 74
35 Pollution Problem Air pollution 76
36 Pollution Solution Technology advancements 78
37 Forever Organisms Preventing extinction 80
Challenge Activities (9 items) 83
Section 5: Ocean Features and Related Creatures
38 Save the Coral Coral reef restoration 86
39 Lost City Found Hydrothermal vents 88
40 Island Under Water Submerged island 90
41 Don’t Go Near the Water Beach pollution 92
42 Fate of the Fish Pollution/Overfishing 94
43 Microbes from Across the Sea Ballast water microbes 96
44 Cormorants Under Siege A fisheries pest 98
45 The No-Wimp Shrimp Mantis shrimp 100
46 Jellyfish on the Rocks Fossilized jellyfish 102
47 Anemone by the Sea Sea anemone 104
48 Squid Freak from Down Deep New discovery 106
49 Stingless Stingrays De-barbing stingrays 108
50 Plight of the Sturgeon Sturgeon problem 110
51 Predator Challenge Predator cautions 112
52 The Sea Otter’s Dilemma Endangered species 114
53 Sea Lions Take Charge Nuisance at sea 116
54 A Whale of a Tale Ancient swimmers 118
Challenge Activities (11 items) 120
Section 6: What’s Happening in Space?
55 Taking on the Universe Examining the universe 124
56 New Planets in Town Recent finds 126
57 Mars: A Watery World? Search for water 128
58 Asteroid Probes Coming Up Asteroid data 130
59 Eros: Space Mountain Asteroid Asteroid study 132
60 Paranoid Rhymes with Asteroid Asteroid fears 134
61 Twenty-Two and Counting Saturn surprise 136
62 The Moons of Jupiter Recent discoveries 138
63 Meteor Trails and Comet Tales Meteors/Comets 140
64 Meteorite Mysteries Meteorite information 142
65 From Stars to Galaxies Star data 144
66 Telescopes and Beyond MAXIM/SOFIA 146
Challenge Activities (12 items) 148
Section 7: Life on Land and Water
67 As the Worm Turns Worm discoveries 152
68 It’s All About Ants Ant stories 154
69 Insects Two Grasshopper/Cricket 156
70 Where Have All the Froggies Gone? 1 Vanishing amphibians 158
71 Where Have All the Froggies Gone? 2 Vanishing amphibians 160
72 The California Condor Comeback 1 Condor rescue 162
73 The California Condor Comeback 2 Condor rescue 164
74 Rodent Roundup 1 Mostly rats 166
75 Rodent Roundup 2 Meet meadow mouse 168
76 The Smallest of Critters Mouse lemurs 170
Challenge Activities (10 items) 172
Section 8: What’s Up in Genetic Science?
77 Genetic Review Genetic terms 174
78 From One Gene to Another 1 A look at genes 176
79 From One Gene to Another 2 A look at genes 178
80 Designer Catfish “Customized” catfish 180
81 Biotech Foods Genetically modified organisms 182
82 Human Stem Cells Stem cell concerns 184
83 Human Genome A chromosome gathering 186
84 What About Cloning? Cloning issues 188
Challenge Activities (8 items) 190
Section 9: Timely Real-Life Topics of Concern
85 Environmental Pollution 1 Student comments 192
86 Environmental Pollution 2 Student comments 194
87 The Decreasing Fish Population Student comments 196
88 Whale Concerns 1 Student comments 198
89 Whale Concerns 2 Student comments 200
90 Dealing with Dolphins Student comments 202
91 The Cold Facts About Cryonics Student comments 204
Riddles for the Asking 207
Answer Key 211
Riddles Answer Key 231
