Books with author Jennifer A. Swanson

Getting from one place to another sounds easy if you are on a straight piece of land, but what if you have to get over—or under—a body of water or a deep gorge? Build a bridge! Bridges are the great connectors. They allow us to travel the twists and turns, highs and lows, ins and out of every geographic feature in our world. Explore Bridges! With 25 Great Projects introduces readers ages 7 to 10 to the concepts and vocabulary of bridge construction through the lenses of history, science, engineering, math, and technology.From the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the Tower Bridge in London, bridges are a huge part of our life. But how are these amazing structures built? What forces keep it standing? What might cause it to fall down? And who decides which type of bridge to use? In Explore Bridges, readers discover how these extraordinary feats of engineering are created, and apply what they have learned to hands-on, critical-thinking activities that include building different types of bridges, such as truss, cantilever, and suspension bridges, out of different materials and modeling different types of supports. They examine the natural forces that affect structure selection and appearance, and also learn about the types of support required for each. Trivia, cartoon illustrations, links to online videos and other sources, and clear diagrams round out this book and make it fun and interesting for class discussions. Following the guidelines set forth in the NGSS/NSTA engineering and design standards, teachers can feel comfortable using this book as a guide for targeted learning in their classrooms.

The benefits offered by wearable devices seem limitless, and for many people, the devices are really chic. These wireless gadgets can track the number of steps people take each day; measure their heart rates, the number of calories they ate, or the amount of energy they expended; or access data by using cloud computing. "Wearables"--bracelets, rings, eyeglasses, necklaces, shoe clips, and more--enable individuals to read, text, send e-mails, stay connected via social networks, or access the Internet as they walk. This intriguing volume also explains the devices' cutting-edge medical applications, including as impact indicators for concussion studies.

As spectacular as its creation was, the fall of the Mongol Empire was just as remarkable. Its descent into chaos was signaled by inter-family rebellion across the four khanates established by Genghis Khan. As weaker Mongol leaders struggled to retain control, drought, flood, famine, and the bubonic plague eventually contributed to the collapse of each khanate. As this volume amply demonstrates, though the Mongols were fierce warriors, their legacy also includes a culture of honor and discipline, centralized government structure, trade promotion and communication routes, and religious tolerance, all of which helped spread wealth, information, and technology across two continents.

When Thomas Jefferson negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, he needed a team to survey that vast, unknown expanse of land. He chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Together, they led the Corps of Discovery, a team of intrepid explorers across a wild, dangerous country. Readers will understand the impact Lewis and Clark's expedition had on American history in this detailed account. Follow their journey across roaring rivers, vast plains, and untrod paths, and learn about the Native Americans they met, the fierce wildlife that threatened their lives, and the hunger, sickness, and injury that dogged them from start to finish.

As spectacular as its creation was, the fall of the Mongol Empire was just as remarkable. Its descent into chaos was signaled by inter-family rebellion across the four khanates established by Genghis Khan. As weaker Mongol leaders struggled to retain control, drought, flood, famine, and the bubonic plague eventually contributed to the collapse of each khanate. As this volume amply demonstrates, though the Mongols were fierce warriors, their legacy also includes a culture of honor and discipline, centralized government structure, trade promotion and communication routes, and religious tolerance, all of which helped spread wealth, information, and technology across two continents.

When Thomas Jefferson negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, he needed a team to survey that vast, unknown expanse of land. He chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Together, they led the Corps of Discovery, a team of intrepid explorers across a wild, dangerous country. Readers will understand the impact Lewis and Clark's expedition had on American history in this detailed account. Follow their journey across roaring rivers, vast plains, and untrod paths, and learn about the Native Americans they met, the fierce wildlife that threatened their lives, and the hunger, sickness, and injury that dogged them from start to finish.

Everything moves! Kids run around the playground, cars drive on the road, and balls fly through the air. What causes all this motion? Physics! Forces and motion rule the way everything moves through space.In Explore Forces and Motion! With 25 Great Projects, readers ages 7 through 10 discover that the push and pull of every object on the planet and in space depends on how a force acts upon it. Things float because of a force called buoyancy, we stick to the ground because of a force called gravity, and we make footprints in sand because of a force called pressure.Physics becomes accessible and interactive through activities such as a experimenting with a water cup drop, building a bridge, and spotting magnetic field lines. Simple machines such as levers, pulleys, and wedges are used as vehicles for discovery and comprehension of the foundational concepts of physical science. Using a theme familiar to everyone—motion—this book captures the imagination and encourages young readers to push, pull, twist, turn, and spin their way to learning about forces and motion.

Life on Earth is never boring. What actually happens when Earth unleashes its fury? This title gives you an up-close look at the power of our planet. With well-researched, clearly written informational text, primary sources with accompanying questions, charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, and maps, multiple prompts, and more, youll know all you need to know about tsunamis! Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Core Library is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

Getting from one place to another sounds easy if you are on a straight piece of land, but what if you have to get over―or under―a body of water or a deep gorge? Build a bridge! Bridges are the great connectors. They allow us to travel the twists and turns, highs and lows, ins and out of every geographic feature in our world. Bridges! With 25 Science Projects for Kids introduces readers ages 7 to 10 to the concepts and vocabulary of bridge construction through the lenses of history, science, engineering, math, and technology. From the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the Tower Bridge in London, bridges are a huge part of our life. But how are these amazing structures built? What forces keep it standing? What might cause it to fall down? And who decides which type of bridge to use? In Bridges! With 25 Science Projects for Kids,one of four titles in the Explore Engineering set, readers discover how these extraordinary feats of engineering are created, and apply what they have learned to hands-on, critical-thinking activities that include building different types of bridges, such as truss, cantilever, and suspension bridges, out of different materials and modeling different types of supports. They examine the natural forces that affect structure selection and appearance, and also learn about the types of support required for each. Trivia, cartoon illustrations, links to online videos and other sources, and clear diagrams round out this book and make it fun and interesting for class discussions. Following the guidelines set forth in the NGSS/NSTA engineering and design standards, teachers can feel comfortable using this book as a guide for targeted learning in their classrooms. In the Explore Engineering set, readers ages 7 to 10 develop foundational understanding of the physics that guides the building and maintenance of bridges, canals, dams, tunnels, and skyscrapers. Titles in the Explore Engineering set include Bridges! With 25 Science Projects for Kids;Canals and Dams! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; Tunnels! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; and Skyscrapers! With 25 Science Projects for Kids.Nomad Press books in the Explore Your World series for children ages 7–10 integrate content with participation. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.