The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea
by Helaine Becker; illustrated by Willow Dawson
For ages 8 – 12; Kids Can Press, 2012
If you take this book with you to the ocean, you won’t be sitting under the beach umbrella reading it for long… because it has a whole lot of stuff that you just need to get up and do. And the really neat thing – you don’t even have to go to the ocean to do it!
This is a hands-on, let’s-find-out-how-the-ocean-works kind of book. There’s 80 pages of information, experiments, games and activities on everything from how much of the earth is water (75%) to how one stops an oil slick from spreading (rice chex maybe?). Want to know how a starfish’s tube feet work? That’s in there. Want to know how a jellyfish stinger works? That’s in there too.
There are hands-on explorations that help explain global warming impacts on the ocean: how warming can affect currents, and how ocean acidification affects coral reefs. You can create a tsunami in your bathtub, check out how oil spills affect bird feathers, and test what fishy shapes are best for swimming. And there’s a fun game that can really help you understand the population impacts from overfishing.
There are scads of sidebars, too: newsy bits that bring readers up to date on efforts to fight environmental hazards, risks to the ocean, and things kids can do. A great resource for kids who want to learn more about how oceans work.
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August 24, 2012 at 6:26 am
Sue, this looks like a great resource for an ocean unit. At NC Teacher Stuff, I have posted a review of The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins:
http://ncteacherstuff.blogspot.com/2012/08/stem-friday-beetle-book.html
August 24, 2012 at 7:15 am
Thanks for dropping by – and I love the Beetle Book!
August 24, 2012 at 7:21 am
If you’re looking for something about fishes, head over to Archimedes Notebook where I’ve posted a review of City Fish, Country Fish by Mary Cerullo.
http://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com/2012/08/beach-reading-city-fish-country-fish.html
August 24, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Sue, this looks like a good ocean book and I love books with activities. At SimplyScience, I have Brown Bear by Suzi Eszterhas. http://simplyscience.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/brown-bear/
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