Books with author Ellen Lawrence

Splash! Three playful creatures slide down a muddy slope and fall into a pond. Twisting and turning in the water, the river otter family continues its game. It’s not all play, though, and soon the animals begin to hunt for fish in the murky water of their swamp home. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about river otters and the swamp habitat in which they live, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as investigating the ways an otter’s body is adapted to a life in water and guessing why mother otters push their little pups into the water, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

"Animal, plant, fungus—just what kind of living thing is a slime mold? How do these slimy blobs move from place to place? And how do slime molds help clean up rotting leaves and other dead stuff in backyards and forests? In this brand-new title, learn the answers to these questions and more—and prepare to get slimed! This new Science Slam! title will introduce readers to the secret, oozy world of slime molds. The book is expertly crafted to meet early elementary and science curriculum standards, as well as introduce children to bizarre and interesting facts. Innovative, grade-appropriate activities and experiments, critical-thinking questions, and fascinating fact boxes will hold readers’ interests with a viselike grip. And, best of all, the activities are gooey and fun!"

People can visit a market to buy food, and animals look for food in the environment where they live. Plants, however, can't move around. So how do they obtain the nourishment they need to live and grow? This book takes readers step-by-step through a clear, grade-appropriate explanation of the process of photosynthesis. Children will learn how plants gather water and carbon dioxide and use sunlight to "cook" them up inside their leaves. Along the way, the book also explains how plants make the oxygen that people and animals need in order to breathe, and how we rely on plants as an essential food. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of an early elementary audience, Cooking with Sunshine: How Plants Make Foodgives readers a chance not only to learn, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Beautiful photographs, vivid diagrams, and high-interest facts make this book a lively, engaging experience.Cooking with Sunshine: How Plants Make Foodis part of Bearport's Plant-ology series.

In the Amazon River lives one of the largest freshwater fish on Earth—the arapaima. This huge river hunter can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh 400 pounds. In its watery home, the arapaima is an apex predator. It hunts for fish and birds, but none of its animal neighbors are large enough or powerful enough to catch this giant fish! Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primarygrade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance to learn about the lives of apex predators. The book will also help readers develop their powers of observation and challenge them with activities and critical-thinking questions about the arapaima’s physical characteristics, its everyday life, and its hunting abilities.

In the Arizona desert stands a stunning rock formation called The Wave. How did the rock's colorful layers form? How were its wave-like, curves created? This book features a clear, accessible, step-by-step explanation of how sedimentary rock forms. It also explores how erosion by wind and water can shape rocks into amazing structures. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of an early elementary audience, this colorful, fact-filled volume gives readers a chance not only to learn, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. From stunning photographs to high-interest facts about sedimentary rocks, this book makes learning about Earth's geology a lively, engaging experience.

"Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T. E. Lawrence is the story of the Arab Revolt against the Turkish Empire and Lawrence's role in it. Lawrence, educated at Oxford, begins by working for a museum on an archaeological dig in the Middle East at the outbreak of the First World War. He is commissioned into the British Army while at the Euphrates and is attached to the Hejaz Expeditionary Force with Lawrence functioning as the British soldier attached to the Arab leadership in the revolt against the Turks. The Arab region is a part of the Ottoman Empire at the opening of the book. Turkey is an ally of Germany in the war and England feels that helping the Arabs defeat the Turks helps England in her war against Germany."Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is an unusual and rich work. It encompasses an account of the Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War alongside general Middle Eastern and military history, politics, adventure and drama. It is also a memoir of the soldier known as 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Lawrence is a fascinating and controversial figure and his talent as a vivid and imaginative writer shines through on every page of this, his masterpiece. "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" provides a unique portrait of this extraordinary man and an insight into the birth of the Arab nation.

Soil can be brown, black, crumbly, dry, wet--but so can dirt. So what's the difference? People often use the words "soil" and "dirt" to mean the same thing, but in science they are not the same at all. Soil is a material that plants can grow in, while dirt is the muddy footprints you leave on the floor on a wet day. Inside this book, readers will get down and dirty as they investigate what makes soil special and why dirt is something we need to wipe, sweep, or vacuum away. What ingredients are in soil? Why is soil said to be living, whereas dirt is dead? And when it's under your fingernails, is it dirt or soil? Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of an early elementary audience, this colorful, fact-filled volume gives readers a chance not only to learn, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. With its stunning photographs and surprising, high-interest facts about a material that most of us take for granted, the book makes learning about soil a lively, engaging experience.

What happens if you put two magnets together? What objects are attracted to a magnet? How strong is a magnet? And how do we use magnets in our everyday lives? Using items that kids can easily find around their homes, young students will get the chance to transform into scientists and carry out step-by-step experiments to answer these intriguing questions. Along the way, children will pick up important scientific skills as they investigate magnets, make and record observations, and draw conclusions. Magnetsincludes at least seven experiments with detailed, age-appropriate instructions, great facts and background information, a "Conclusions" section to pull all the concepts investigated in the book together, and a glossary of science words. Colorful, dynamic designs and images truly put theFUNinto FUN-damental Experiments!