Books in Inquire and Investigate series

Why do children resemble their parents and siblings? Introducing young readers to the fascinating world of genetics, this educational resource presents the main concepts of the science, including what a chromosome does, how DNA is structured, and how genetic inheritance works. In Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA students learn about new discoveries in the field of genetics and how those discoveries have helped to cure or even prevent certain diseases, as well as examine controversial issues in genetics such as genetically modified foods and stem cell research. Combining inquiry-based, age-appropriate activities with biology, Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA features graphic novel illustrations, fascinating sidebars, and a glossary of important vocabulary to illuminate the complex world of genetics and bring it to life. Projects include building 3D DNA double helix models, extracting DNA, using a Punnet Square to predict an offspring’s probability of inheritance, and evaluating the benefits and risks of genetically engineering a new species. Additional materials include a list of current reference works, websites, and Internet resources.Genetics meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?In Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition, readers seek answers to these questions by comparing and contrasting the cultural, spiritual, and geographical underpinnings of five different religions. By developing a better understanding of the similarities and differences among religions of the world, readers gain a strong foothold in a dialogue that has continued for thousands of years.Combining hands-on activities with theology, history, geography, world cultures, art, and architecture, Comparative Religion encourages deeper understanding of the world’s religions. Entertaining graphic art, fascinating sidebars, and links to primary sources bring the topic to life, while key questions reaffirm foundational concepts.Activities include conducting an interview with a rabbi, comparing the story of Abraham and Isaac in three sacred texts, studying the architecture of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, studying the Hindu practice of yoga and meditation, and examining how religious doctrines shape the behavior of believers.

Have you ever wondered what makes up everything in the world around you? Or what exactly is the difference between solids, liquids, and gases? Have you wanted to know what causes two substances to react or change?Chemistry: Investigate the Matter that Makes Up Your World introduces readers 12 through 15 to the fascinating world of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Learn how these molecules combine to form ordinary objects such as the chair you’re sitting on, the water in your glass, even you! Through hands-on, investigative projects, readers delve into the world of chemical reactions and changing matter, learning how these principles are used in many areas of science, from biochemistry to nuclear science.Combining hands-on science inquiry with chemistry, mathematics, and biology, projects include building models of molecules and bonds, identifying acids and bases, investigating the effect of temperature on reaction rate, and observing how a chemical reaction from vinegar, water, and bleach can accelerate the rusting of steel. Chemistry offers entertaining illustrations and fascinating sidebars to illuminate the topic and engage readers further, plus integrates a digital learning component by providing links to primary sources, videos, and other relevant websites.

The 1920s is one of the most fascinating decades in American history, when the seeds of modern American life were sown. It was a time of prosperity and recovery from war, when women's roles began to change and advertising and credit made it desirable and easy to acquire a vast array of new products. But there was a dark side of crime and corruption, racial intolerance, hard times for immigrants and farmers, and an impending financial collapse.The Roaring Twenties: Discover the Era of Prohibition, Flappers, and Jazz explores all the different aspects of the time, from literature and music to politics, fashion, economics, and invention. To experience one of the most vibrant eras in US history, readers will debate the pros and cons of prohibition, create an advertising campaign for a new product, and analyze and compare events leading to the stock market crashes of 1929 and 2008.The Roaring Twenties meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

Forensics: Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation introduces students to the fascinating world of forensic science and shows them how to find clues, analyze evidence, and crack the case.Combining hands-on activities with forensic science, kids will have fun learning about the world of forensics, evidence collection, and crime lab analysis. Entertaining illustrations and fascinating sidebarsilluminate the topic and bring it to life, reinforcing new vocabulary.Projects include documenting a crime scene, identifying fingerprints, analyzing blood spatter, and extracting DNA. Additional materials include a glossary and a list of current reference works, websites, museums, and science centers.

What does it mean to be an immigrant today? Has the immigrant experience changed since the last century? Immigration Nation: The American Identity in the Twenty-First Century invites middle and high schoolers to explore the history of immigration in the United States, along with immigration law and statistics through the perspectives of immigrants, citizens, policy makers, and border agents. For more than a century, an immigrant from France has stood vigil in the New York Harbor. At 350 feet tall, with a majestic spiked crown upon her head, a tablet of laws clutched in one hand and a torch held aloft in the other, the lady is hard to miss. She cries out to the world, “Give me your tired, your poor…I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Millions of immigrants have answered the Statue of Liberty’s call, passing over, under, or through the Golden Door to become Americans. However, on the eve of its 250th birthday, the United States is in the middle of an identity crisis. Should this land of immigrants open the door open to outsiders, people hungry for opportunity and desperate for freedom? Or should the country shut the golden door, barring entry to all but a select few? And what does it mean to be an American? How citizens answer these questions in the early twenty-first century will determine the future of America’s identity. Immigration Nation includes critical-thinking activities and research exercises to encourage readers to dive deep into the topic and consider viewpoints from many different identities. Interesting facts, links to online primary sources and other supplemental material, and essential questions take readers on an exploration of the past, present, and future of immigration. Immigration Nation is part of a set of four books called Inquire & Investigate Social Issues of the Twenty-First Century, which explores the social challenges that have faced our world in the past and that continue to drive us to do better in the future. Other titles in this set are Gender Identity, Feminism, and Race Relations. Nomad Press books integrate content with participation, encouraging readers to engage in student-directed learning as opposed to teacher-guided instruction. This student-centered approach provides readers with the tools they need to become inquiry-based learners. Common Core State Standards and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies 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. As informational texts, our books provide key ideas and details from which readers can make their own inferences. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.

In The Great Depression: Experience the 1930s From the Dust Bowl to the New Deal, readers ages 12 to 15 investigate the causes, duration, and outcome of the Great Depression, the period of time when more than 20 percent of Americans were unemployed. They discover how people coped, what new inventions came about, and how the economics of the country affected the arts, sciences, and politics of the times. The decade saw the inauguration of many social programs that Americans still benefit from today. The combination of President Roosevelt’s New Deal and the dawning of World War II gave enough economic stimulus to boost the United States out of its slump and into a new era of recovery.In The Great Depression, students explore what it meant to live during this time. Projects such as designing a 1930s outfit and creating a journal from the point of view of a kid whose family is on the road help infuse the content with realism and practicality. In-depth investigations of primary sources from the period allow readers to engage in further, independent study of the times. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of current reference works, and Internet resources.

Why do we do and say the things we do and say? The Brain: Journey Through the Universe Inside Your Head introduces students to the fascinating world of the human brain and its effect on behavior. Readers learn about the main anatomy and functions of the brain while discovering the brain’s role in learning, memory, communication, and emotions. Kids also read about new technologies being used to research the brain in its various states of performance while being introduced to the effects of sleep, alcohol, and exercise on our most complex organ.Combining hands-on activities with neuroscience, anatomy, and psychology, The Brain includes projects such as building a 3-D brain model and testing how the brain adapts to a new situation. The Brain integrates a digital learning component by providing links to primary sources, videos, and other relevant websites. Additional materials include a glossary, timeline, and a list of current reference works. The Brain is a unique opportunity to connect behavior, physiology, and the outside world in one amazing place—your head!This title meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in science and technology; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

If you look at a piece of a leaf or a drop of saliva through a microscope, what do you see? Cells are the basic building blocks of life and they make up every living thing, from plants to animals, from humans to bacteria! In Cells: Experience Life at Its Tiniest , readers ages 12 to 15 investigate cells and learn how they affect our health, reproduction, criminal investigations, and agriculture. Through cell science, scientists have been able to create many things to help society, including seeds that grow better in certain locations, tools that can detect DNA at crime scenes, and immunizations to keep people healthy.To reinforce learning and encourage investigation, hands-on activities include finding and identifying bacteria from pond water and human mouths and building models of different types of cells. Links to online primary sources, videos, and other relevant websites provide a digital learning component that appeals to this age group and promotes further, independent learning while strengthening practical connections to the material. Additional materials include a glossary and a list of current reference works, websites, and Internet resources.

The United States boasts a rich musical diversity. Colonial Americans integrated European traditions with new cultural influences to compose a unique musical identity. African traditions influenced hymns and folk songs that connected people to religion and to the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Patriotic tunes created unity in wartime. America’s jazz, blues, rock, and hip-hop continue to evolve from their African-American origins. Music: Investigate the Evolution of American Sound invites kids ages 12 and up to explore the roots of American music genres as they investigate the social, political, and religious influences that inspire musicians. Activities encourage readers to inquire into the art and science of music. Readers can engage in a hands-on exploration of the physics of sound vibrations, decibel levels, and acoustics, or use vocal styling to improvise and discover the rhythm of their bodies to create a beatbox. Music encourages readers to analyze lyrics, their meanings, and rhythms, and then use that analysis to write their own songs. This title meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

About 200,000 years ago, humans arose as a species on the continent of Africa. How did they get to the rest of the world? When did they leave, why, and what did they use for transportation? Whether by bamboo raft or Boeing 747, whether to escape political persecution or because of climate change, migration is a recurring pattern throughout the human history of the world.In Human Migration: Investigate the Global Journey of Humankind, readers ages 12 to 15 retrace the paths taken by our ancestors, starting with the very first steps away from African soil. Understanding who has migrated, from where, when, and why helps us understand the shared history of humans across the world and the future that links us together.Kids discover how archaeologists, paleoanthropologists, linguists, and geneticists piece together different parts of the puzzle of ancient migration. Open-ended, inquiry-based activities and links to primary sources help readers draw inferences and analyze how these human journeys have changed where and how people live. Human Migration takes readers on a journey from our common ancestry to our shared future on an increasingly fragile planet.

From the American Revolution to the French Revolution, from the civil rights era in the United States to Arab Spring in the Middle East, the ongoing battle for freedom and democracy is a profound and fascinating study of the power of human will to change the world.Civic Unrest: Investigate the Struggle for Social Change examines the history behind civic unrest and the methods people use to fight for basic human rights such as freedom of speech and the right to vote. Civic Unrest discusses the different reasons for and methods of revolution, while offering young readers the opportunity to learn about the structure of the U.S. government and how the elements within the U.S. Constitution were decided upon by the Founding Fathers. Activities use elements of history, civics, and mathematics to interpret data, create maps, and debate issues. These enrich learning and encourage students to ask questions, make inferences, and draw conclusions while allowing for a hands-on immersion in the complex elements of civic unrest and democracies.Civic Unrest: Investigate the Struggle for Social Change meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in history and social studies; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.