Describes some of the different kinds of Earth's natural resources including air, water, soil, and the sun, and explains some nonrenewable natural resources including the fossil fuels of coal, natural gas, and petroleum....

Our world is made up of interconnected systems. When one element changes, the entire system is affected, and nature must absorb the change or be thrown out of balance. People often cause these environmental chain reactions through negative actions such as dumping chemical waste, but sometimes they are caused by a good idea. It might start with a plan to get rid of disease-causing insects or to fertilize soil to grow more crops. An environmental chain reaction can affect an area as small as a pond in a city park or as big as the whole planet. Nature requires a delicate balance, and it often takes just one small action to have far-reaching effects....

Describes DNA including its composition, where it is found, and what DNA does....

Describes the process of erosion, including how the power of wind, water, and glaciers have changed the Earth's surface. Includes information on fossils....

Describes the elements, classes, and properties of minerals including color, streak, luster, hardness, and cleavage. Also explains minerals found in rocks such as feldspar, quartz and calcite....

Provides an introduction to genes and genetics....

Describes plant cells including their parts, what plant cells do, and how they are studied....

The devastating effects of earthquakes have been seen throughout history, and the damage of these ground-trembling natural disasters still creates havoc today. Scientists are developing new instruments to detect earthquakes before they happen. And since earthquakes cannot be prevented, they are also developing new methods to prepare for the extreme shaking. These advancements, along with advance warning systems, are the future of seismology and could help save lives....

Provides an explanation of how light works, including how it bounces or reflects, how it bends or refracts, and how light gets absorbed. Also discusses mirrors, telescopes, and colors....

Describes what waves are and how they impact human life, including ocean waves, shock waves, sound waves, light or electromagnetic waves, radio waves, and earthquake waves....

Describes chemical changes, including the role of atoms and molecules, and highlights some of the commercial and consumer products that result from chemical change, such as plastics and dyes....

Our world is made up of interconnected systems. When one element changes, the entire system is affected, and nature must absorb the change or be thrown out of balance. People often cause these environmental chain reactions through negative actions such as dumping chemical waste, but sometimes they are caused by a good idea. It might start with a plan to get rid of disease-causing insects or to fertilize soil to grow more crops. An environmental chain reaction can affect an area as small as a pond in a city park or as big as the whole planet. Nature requires a delicate balance, and it often takes just one small action to have far-reaching effects....

Describes the physical change of matter including melting and freezing, diffusion, suspensions, and boiling and condensing....

Describes animal cells including their parts, what animal cells do, and how they are studied....

The devastating effects of earthquakes have been seen throughout history, and the damage of these ground-trembling natural disasters still creates havoc today. Scientists are developing new instruments to detect earthquakes before they happen. And since earthquakes cannot be prevented, they are also developing new methods to prepare for the extreme shaking. These advancements, along with advance warning systems, are the future of seismology and could help save lives....