Books published by publisher Science Slam!

Sandy, crumbly, muddy, rocky, red, brown, gray--all these words can be used to describe soil. Some soil is soft and black and smells of wet leaves. By contrast, another kind is dry, orange, and as hard as rock. Inside this book, readers will discover that it's the ingredients that make up soil that give it so many different forms. Why is soil in a desert different from soil in a forest? What is the silvery-gray soil on the slopes of a volcano made of? And which types of soil are best for growing plants? 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.

A sea otter mother licks and licks her newborn's coat to clean it and get out the tangles. The pup's fur is so soft, fluffy, and full of air by the time she finishes that the baby floats easily on the sea's surface. Then the mother looks up at the sky and sees a huge bald eagle diving straight toward her pup! She has only seconds to prevent disaster. Young readers will explore the underwater world of this marine mammal through clear text, full-color photos, and diagrams. Age-appropriate activities give readers a chance to make observations and develop animal-science skills.

In a shallow pond, an enormous alligator is waiting, its nostrils breaking the surface of the dark waters. Suddenly, a duck lands on the pond. The alligator's huge, gaping jaws emerge from the water and snap shut! The duck quickly flaps its wings and escapes. The alligator sinks below the water again. The swamp is home to lots of other prey, and the stealthy alligator will soon catch a tasty meal. 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 American alligators and their swamp habitat, but also to develop powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as using a measuring tape to see how long alligators grow and guessing how a mother alligator takes care of her young, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

Kids just love to investigate what makes things stop and go! In this title, students will have the opportunity to conduct experiments that help them investigate pushing, pulling, and different types of motion. They will also get the chance to investigate concepts such as changing direction, slope, and friction. Using everyday items that kids can easily find around the house, young students will turn into scientists as they carry out step-by-step experiments to answer intriguing questions. Along the way, children will learn important science skills as they investigate motion, record their observations, and draw conclusions. Motionincludes seven experiments with detailed, age-appropriate instructions, great facts and background information, a "Conclusions" section to pull all the concepts in the book together, and a glossary of science words. Colorful, dynamic designs and images truly put the FUN intoFUN-damental Experiments.

One spring evening in a forest, a young child watches as millions of periodical cicada nymphs emerge from the ground. She decides to observe these long-lived insects and record what happens to them in a diary. Readers will follow along as the narrator sees the nymphs become adults, swarm together, lay eggs, and eventually die. All the details of the insect's lives are eagerly explored, including the moment the new cicada eggs hatch and begin their 17-year life cycle! Colorful photos and clear, age-appropriate text will engage young readers as they explore the life cycle, natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and behavior of these fascinating insects. The diary format models scientific observation and critical thinking--and encourages children to keep notebooks recording their own investigations into the natural world.

A long, snakelike creature moves slowly through the waters of a muddy river in the Amazon rain forest. It's an electric eel on the hunt. The hungry creature swims closer to a large piranha. As it nears its prey, the predatory eel releases a burst of electricity. Six hundred volts of power enter the fish's body, stunning the animal so the hungry eel can gobble up its electrifying meal! 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 that can produce electricity inside their bodies. The book will also help readers develop their powers of observation and challenge them with activities and critical-thinking questions about the electric eel's physical characteristics, its everyday life, and its hunting skills.

A turtle slowly paddles along the Amazon River. Suddenly, something from beneath the water bumps the turtle. The little reptile tries to swim faster. Then another bump--and, suddenly, the huge jaws of a bull shark close around the turtle. What is this ferocious ocean predator doing in the murky waters of a jungle river? Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance to learn about the lives of these underwater hunters. The book will also help readers develop their powers of observation and challenge them with activities and critical-thinking questions about the shark's physical characteristics, its everyday life, and its hunting abilities.

It's a spring day in a swamp. A small brown animal is busy swimming back and forth across a pond. The animal is hard at work collecting plants to build its home. Finally, the hungry creature takes a break from its construction work to munch on cattail stems at the edge of the water. The animal is a muskrat, and the swamp's shallow ponds and streams are its 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 muskrats and the swamp habitat in which they live, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as estimating the weight and size of a newborn muskrat and describing the physical characteristics of an adult muskrat, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

What water plant can clean up a polluted river by removing bacteria, chemicals, and even oil from the water? What water plant has such big leaves that a person can sit on it? What carnivorous pond plant feeds on small fish, tadpoles, and insects? And what plant grows in the ocean and is the favorite food of manatees? Young readers will find out as they are introduced to an exciting range of plants that grow and live in water. While children enjoy reading about these amazing plants, they will be learning plenty of core science information about the parts of plants and their incredible life cycles. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of an early elementary audience, this colorful, fact-filled title 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, the book makes learning about plants that grow in ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans a lively and engaging experience.

A few seals are playing in the waves near a shore. Suddenly a dark, triangle-shaped fin appears above the water's surface. When the seals see the fin headed toward them, they scatter in all directions as fast as they can. They know that one of the scariest predators in the sea--a great white shark--is headed their way! Young readers will explore the underwater world of this enormous fish through clear text, full-color photos, and diagrams. Age-appropriate activities, such as describing the differences between an adult and a pup, give readers a chance to make observations and to develop animal-science skills.