What kinds of plants and animals live in marshes and swamps? The places where land and water meet are some of the most fascinating spots on earth, where a rich diversity of plants and animals make their homes. In Marshes and Swamps! With 25 Science Projects for Kids, readers ages 7 to 10 explore wetlands through hands-on STEM projects that deepen their understanding of these special places. Wetlands serve many important functions, in addition to hosting a wide variety of plant and animal species. Marshes and swamps filter pollutants, prevent erosion, and serve as barriers for flooding. These are incredibly important jobs that help protect the environment, especially as the world begins to experience more extreme effects of climate change. Wetlands are living laboratories for scientists and students who want to know more about erosion, water quality, aquatic animals, and vegetation. With Marshes and Swamps!, kid scientists learn to observe and collect data in swamps and marshes. Through investigative STEM activities designed for elementary school ages, such as experimenting with erosion, making a model wetland, and designing a filtration device, kids explore the impact of this natural resource on both the natural world and the human world. Discover how climate change and pollution affect the ecology of marshes and swamps and learn what you can do to help keep these biodiverse environments clean and healthy! STEM projects for kids that promote the use of the scientific method provide an interactive learning experience, while links to primary sources offer ample opportunity for further, student-led exploration. Fun facts, engaging illustrations, timeline, glossary, and resources keep kids wanting to learn more about these bodies of water. Marshes and Swamps! is part of a set of four Explore Waterways books from Nomad Press. In the Explore Waterways set, readers ages 7 to 10 learn about the waterways of our world, including the what, where, how, and who about the origination, content, and aquatic life that water contains. Through science-minded STEAM projects and experiments that encourage readers to think of waterways as part of a larger ecosystem, kids develop critical and creative thinking skills about the role waterways play in our world. Titles in the Explore Waterways set include Marshes and Swamps! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; Lakes and Ponds! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; Oceans and Seas! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; and Rivers and Streams! With 25 Science Projects for Kids. Nomad Press books in the Explore Your World series for children ages 7-10 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.
This book is part of a book series called Explore Your World .
There are 96 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by Nomad Press .
J. K. O'Sullivan introduces fascinating people and places to readers through books, articles, and blog posts. Her award-winning science, sustainability, and travel books for kids include Migration Nation (Charlesbridge, 2015), nominee for the AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in science writing for children. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her family. Tom Casteel is an illustrator and cartoonist with a master's degree from the Center for Cartoon Studies. Tom has illustrated several books for Nomad Press, including Explore Ancient Chinese Myths! With 25 Great Projects and The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country from Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad. He is working on his first graphic novel. Tom Casteel is an illustrator and cartoonist with a master's degree from the Center for Cartoon Studies. Tom has illustrated several books for Nomad Press, including The Brain: Journey Through the Universe Inside Your Head ; Cities: Discover How They Work ; and Human Migration: Investigate the Global Journey of Humankind . Tom lives in South Bend, Indiana.
This book has the following chapters:
Timeline
Introduction: What are Marshes and Swamps? (Wetlands)
Chapter One: Life on the Edge: Why Marshes and Swamps Are Important
Mapping your local waterway
Make your own model wetland
Filtration experiment
Flood experiment
Chapter Two: Exploring Marshes and Swamps
Becoming an Observer: Making a record of the current state of the water
Can you smell the presence of animals and plants
Gauge the health of a body of water
Looking under water with an aquascope
How water moves
Chapter Three: Swamp Creatures (Animals in Marshes and Swamps)
Identify creatures of the banks/grasses/stream/bottom waters
Identifying non-native/invasive species
Habitat change
Find indicator species
Observe through the seasons
Feeding behaviors
Chapter Four: Plant Life in Marshes and Swamps
Acidity Test
Grow a plant with no dirt
Have a swamp picnic
Test how plants breathe in water
Chapter Five: Marshes and Swamps and Climate Change
Erosion experiment
Water flow experiment
Be a climate change detective
Clean Up Committee
Chapter Six: Protecting Marshes and Swamps
Be a citizen scientist
Have a big bird year
Celebrate World Wetlands Day
Glossary
Resources
Index
