Explore the Grasslands (Fact Finders)

Jackson; Kay

ISBN 10: 0736864059 ISBN 13: 9780736864053

Publisher: Capstone Press, 2006

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Discusses the plants, animals, and characteristics of the grassland biome.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Kay Jackson is a Capstone Author

Review:

Looking for a way to get kids interested in the characteristics of different biomes? This series of books draws children in with inviting covers that give readers a quick view of each different biome. Throughout this series, students explore each landscape from a variety of different viewpoints. Each book has six chapters, and readers gather valuable information for report writing. High-quality photos can be used to develop food webs or as the basis for discussions. In each book, there is a chapter that profiles a real scientist and field notes that give readers additional, high-interest factoids. The vocabulary showcased in these books is far from ordinary and provides clear definitions and examples that show the meaning in context. From the animals and plants that inhabit the biome to the additional websites, these books are perfect for elementary level students. In Grasslands, we see the differences in the prairies that exist across the planet. The role of fire and the value of deep root systems are explained using close-up photographs. The prairie dog is highlighted, and readers meet a scientist who studies this animal in its natural surroundings. This book will keep students focused on the relationships among prairie organisms and help them understand this unique biome. --NSTA Recommends, January 2007

With controlled vocabulary and short, simple sentences, this Explore the Biomes series is intended to engage the interest of middle readers with below-expectation reading levels and help them access information about varied ecological communities called biomes. Each book contains five or six short chapters defining the biome, introducing native plants and animals, exploring the role of humans in that ecology, and then offering a field guide (quick facts) and a profile of a scientist who works in one of the biomes being studied. Following this formula, the authors have managed to make the brief text as lively as possible; color photos are generally well selected and of much greater interest than is usual in a series from this publisher. Readers will be able to identify tropical and temperate grasslands on a world map and learn about plants like prairie grasses and purple blazing star. Another chapter introduces grassland animals; for example, bumblebees, chomping grasshoppers, zebras, and lions. Stressing conservation, the chapter on savanna people like the Masai and farmers in central North America explains the fragility of grasslands and their destruction by human encroachment. Especially striking are the photos of a fire raging across a dry prairie and a milk snake swallowing a skink lizard whole. Readers will meet Dr. Con Slobodchikoff, a scientist who studies prairie dog sounds in northern Arizona. These visually attractive books present biome overviews that should be colorful and appealing enough to inspire further research. Each title contains a glossary, a short bibliography, and an index. --Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, January 2007

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.