Books in National Geographic Investigates series

This fully updated edition of the best-selling guidebook from National Geographic showcases 300 of the best scenic drives across the United States. The fifth and latest edition of National Geographic Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways provides more than 300 possibilities for spectacular getaways in your local area and throughout the 50 states. Whether you're looking for a short day trip close to home or a several-weeks-long vacation, you'll find a host of ideas in this beautifully illustrated, detail-packed book, which celebrates America's regional diversity, rich history, and jaw-dropping splendor. Suggested drives include Maine's rocky coastline, the Southeast's mystical swamplands, the Southwest's striking red-rock plateaus, the West's majestic mountains, and many more. Veteran National Geographic authors with deep knowledge of each area employ superb storytelling techniques to enliven your journeys. Each drive features mile-by-mile directions, as well as all the practical info you'll need to make your next road trip an experience to remember.

This iconic National Geographic photography collection of the world’s most majestic nature landscapes presents the exquisiteness of the great outdoors and showcases evocative and extraordinary images, often unseen. With vast deserts in twilight, snowcapped mountain ranges at the brink of dawn, a forest in the height of autumn colors, these indelible images will magnify the beauty, emotion, and depth that can be captured in the split second of a camera flash, taking readers on a spectacular visual journey and offering an elegant conduit to the world around them. Paired with illuminating insights from celebrated photographers, this beautiful book weaves a vibrant tapestry of images that readers will turn to again and again.

The distinctive languages, art, and mythologies of the ancient Celts give archaeologists with an enduring quest in Northern Europe. The Celts rarely used their written language, passing along beliefs, knowledge, and wisdom through oral traditions. Artifact-rich burial grounds, like the megalithic tombs at Newgrange, Ireland, inscribed stones, and stone circles like Stonehenge, all yield clues to their mysterious ways.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

The ruins and tombs high in the Andes Mountains of Peru yield valuable clues to lives of the Ancient Incas. In 1995, the Inca Ice Maiden is recovered, one of four human sacrifices found on Ampato. These mummies provide scientists with perfectly preserved "time capsules"—packed with clues to Inca civilization during the 1400s. Cuzco, the seat of Inca power, reveals the remains of the Inca railroad system and the incredible fortress of Sacsayhuaman. The Coricancha, Cuzco's spectacular Inca temple of worship, contains vital clues to the Incas' spiritual culture, which are also revealed in artifacts recovered from tombs. Inca archaeological sites such as the Old Temple at Chavin de Huantar and the Huaca del Sol continually paint a portrait of an extremely advanced civilization, which left no written record of its history. Ancient Inca includes an interview with Dr. Constanza Ceruti, a high-altitude archaeologist and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer currently working in Peru.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

At prehistoric sites in the "Four Corners" states (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico) of the American Southwest, archaeologists have searched for years, looking for clues to the history of the Pueblo people. Learn what we know about these cliff dwellers. Study the thousands of rock carvings—petroglyphs—they left behind. Discover how modern scientists use ancient artifacts to learn about the lives of these early Americans.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Archaeology unlocks the secrets of Greece's ancient past. Explore the ruins of Greece and Turkey, on land and under sea. In 1870, amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovers Hissarlik, part of Troy. In 1939, the palace of King Nestor in the Mycenaean city of Messina is unearthed near Pylos. In 1996, artifacts from the city, burned around 1200 B.C., link the site to Homer's Odyssey. In 1983, a Turkish diver locates the world's oldest shipwreck, which yields the world's oldest "book"—a carved wooden writing tablet with an ivory hinge. This title brings readers into close contact with scientists working to uncover the secrets of the Ancient Greeks, whose artifacts appear at digs across Europe, Asia Minor, and northern Africa. Ancient Greece includes an interview with underwater archaeologist Faith Hentschel, a past grantee of the National Geographic Society.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Archaeology reveals the rich histories of complex cultures in the cradle of humankind. Study the Dogon people of Mali. Explore the ancient city of Jenne-jeno. Learn how computer technology has recreated the Kushite temples at Jebel Barkal and how artifacts bring new insights, helping scientists to piece together the puzzle of ancient Africa.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

In 1974, farmers uncover the terra-cotta army of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. Satellite technology reveals about 8,000 soldiers at the tomb complex. Only 1,000 have so far been excavated. In 1976, archaeologists uncover a Shang Dynasty tomb in the Henan province. They recover artifacts bearing the name Fu Hao. Could this be the same person whose name is found on oracle bones unearthed elsewhere in China? Bodies encased in suits of jade, and a pristinely preserved mummy are among the other treasures from China's tombs that continue to provide us with clues to her rich, complex past. Ancient China includes an interview with Dr. Zhichun Jing, University of British Columbia, and working archaeologist at Anyang, the last capital of the Shang Dynasty.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

At its peak, Roman civilization influenced a vast empire. In all corners of that enormous area, archaeologists have searched for years, looking for clues to the history of the Imperial Romans. Learn about the writing tablets excavated from a Roman fort. Wonder at the fabulous mosaic recently discovered beneath the streets of Italy's capital city. See how ancient artifacts help scientists today piece together the puzzle of Ancient Rome's past.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Ever since scientists first cloned Dolly, genetics has been a hot-button topic in the media and the political world. Genetics brings readers the inside story, and looks objectively at this fascinating modern science. From the Human Genome Project to stem cell research to the National Geographic’s own Genographic Project, scientists are exploring and rapidly advancing our knowledge of the human condition.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Animals on the Edge aligns young readers with scientists, conservationists, and educators who are committed to the preservation of animals around the world. The informed and educational narrative examines numerous threats to animals in the wild, raising awareness of each species, and detailing the extent and urgency of the problem. The book also encourages young animal lovers to take an active role in the preservation of creatures great and small. The author offers a hopeful message for the future with inspiring stories of animals that are now off the "endangered species" list. Animals on the Edge provides a full update on the scientific efforts to save endangered species in the 21st century. This compelling title will inspire readers to participate in the race to save those species currently threatened with extinction.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.