Look around you--biodiversity is everywhere!
From the tallest tree to the smallest microbe, Earth is home to more
than 1.5 million known species of plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and
microorganisms. And scientists estimate there could be millions, if not
billions, more that have not yet been identified.
Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth with Science
Activities for Kids introduces middle schoolers to the evolution of
life on Earth, beginning with the first single-celled organisms that
emerged 3.8 billion years ago to the complex, multi-celled organisms
that exist today and make up the tree of life. Biodiversity is found
everywhere on the planet--on land, in the water, and even in extreme
environments such as ice and volcanoes. Biodiversity can also be
discovered by looking through a microscope at tiny worlds of organisms
that can't be seen with the human eye. There are whole microbiomes
beneath our feet, in puddles, and even in our belly buttons!
All of this biodiversity on Earth helps keep the planet in balance.
Biodiversity is also important to humans because it provides food,
shelter, clothing, medicines, and more. However, the rates of
biodiversity loss are increasing because of human activities. Climate
change, pollution, habitat destruction, over-exploitation--these are all
critical threats to biodiversity. There are, however, ways to slow or
stop this loss through conservation and sustainable development.
Biodiversity includes hands-on STEM activities and critical thinking
exercises to encourage readers to consider the threat to biodiversity
and figure out ways to be part of the solution. Fun facts, links to
online primary sources and other supplemental material, and essential
questions take readers on an exploration of the incredible biodiversity
on Earth.
Biodiversity is part of a set of four Build It Environmental Science
books that explore the history and science of the planet and all that
live on it through hands-on STEM activities and real-life environmental
connections. Other titles in this series are Planet Earth, Garbage,
and Biomes.
Nomad Press books 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.
