Filling the Earth withTrash

Filling the Earth with Trash

By Jeanne Sturm

Rourke Publishing, 2011

ISBN #9781617411601

Nonfiction

Grades 1-3

"We buy food in boxes and bags. Our toys come wrapped in plastic. What do we do with all that trash? Throw it all away?"

Filling the Earth with Trash addresses the question of what do we do with our trash in a simple, straightforward explanation in this book for early science readers. In understandable terms, the book takes the reader from discard to landfill and what happens there. It brings up the questions arising from our increasing amounts of trash and addresses ways we can begin to make changes in our own lives to deal with this problem.

This child-friendly book makes trash interesting and evokes questions about our responsibility about trash. Large, bright photos accent the text and the spreads invite the reader forward. It's an interesting book and fun to read. Back matter includes a Try This checklist test, glossary, index, and websites.

Activity

Plan a way to cut down on the trash you or your household generates. Go through this list and choose 2-3 things you can start doing. Create a chart to document your activities and your success for a week. After a week, see if you can add one more way to reduce your trash.

The NIH has some fun and games for kids here.

Get some more trash facts and activities here and here.

National Science Standards: natural hazards;  human impacts on earth systems

Book provided by Rourke Publishing

Join me on March 7 for Dr. Fred Bortz's Meltdown Blog Tour. Dr. Fred will write about his path from physicist and work with nuclear reactors to writing for children and young people. It's a fascinating story.

Here's the tour schedule:

Spellbinders Monday 3/5/12 plus giveaway Monday 3/19/12

Simply Science Wednesday 3/7/12

USA Science and Engineering Festival Blog (perhaps on Huff Post) Wednesday 3/7/12

Writing with a Broken Tusk March 8

Liz Jones Friday 3/9/12

TFCB Blog Lerner Books Blog 3/12/12

Cynsations Giveaway 3/12/12