The Scientists Behind the Environment

Nonfiction Monday is at Capstone Connect today. Check out all the great books there.

Thanks for joining me for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math last FRIDAY. Be sure to check back on March 7 for a special guest post with Fred Bortz, author of Meltdown!

The Scientists Behind the Environment

By Robert Sneddon

Capstone, Heinemann Raintree, 2011

Sci-Hi Series

ISBN:  9781410940469

Grades 6-10 (reading level grade 4)

Nonfiction

"We read and hear a lot about the environment in the news. Often we're told that we should do what we can to protect it. But what do we actually mean by 'the environment?' Your environment is everything around you. It includes all the other living things you come into contact with, such as bird, bugs, and your buddies!"

You may recognize the names John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Wangara Maathai. However, James Lovelock, James Hansen, and Vandana Shiva may not be so familiar.

The Scientists Behind the Environment begins with an explanation of the environment and extends it to its broadest form. It continues with a definition of ecology and touts the value of conservation and sustainable development. Then the scientists arrive.

Each of the scientists discussed are introduced and followed with an interesting set of facts, sidebars, and photographs showing their work and contribution to our environment. The book is a fascinating exploration of each persons' work and addresses common and controversial topics.

This is an excellent book to accompany a study of the environment, pros and cons of ecological actions, biographies, and current events. The layout is reader-friendly and invites a quick perusal or reading for details. It's the perfect book for strong elementary readers, middle school, and early high school.

Activity

Choose one of the lesser known scientists and read a biography about that person or research their contributions. Develops a way to show those contributions and present the information in an interesting manner.

National Science Standards: Application of science, along with the individual fields.

Book provided by Capstone.