Fault Lines & Tectonic Plates: Discover What Happens When the Earth's Crust Moves With 25 Projects (Build It Yourself) - Softcover

Reilly, Kathleen M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1619304651 ISBN 13: 9781619304659

Publisher: Nomad Press, 2017

Synopsis

The ground beneath your feet is solid, right? After all, how could we build houses and bridges if the land was moving all the time? Actually, the ground beneath us really is moving very slowly all the time! In Fault Lines and Tectonic Plates: Discover What Happens When the Earth’s Crust Moves, readers ages 9 through 12 learn what exactly is going on under the dirt.

When slowly drifting continents bump up against each other along fault lines we experience earthquakes, volcanoes, and tidal waves! Mountains and trenches are visible results of the slow movement of the earth’s crust, as tectonic plates create the landscape of our world over time.

With science-minded projects such as a homemade earthquake shake table” and edible tectonic boundaries, this book makes the complex and fascinating topic of plate tectonics accessible for kids. Readers learn the geological reasons behind earthquakes and also practical ways of behaving in those types of natural disasters. Links to online primary sources and videos make concepts clear and encourage kids to maintain a healthy curiosity in the topic. Guided reading levels and Lexile measurements place this title with appropriate audiences.

About this title

Review

Booklist Online Exclusive Most people never consider what is happening in the ground beneath their feet, but in reality, there is a tremendous amount of science going on deep in the earth. Twenty-five hands-on experiments focus on the movement of tectonic plates, the formation of volcanoes, potential seismic energy, and the very real threat of earthquakes. Readers can generate potential energy, make their own edible volcano model, or chart fault lines around the globe. Essential questions introduce each chapter and set a contextual purpose for reading. Real-life events, relevant terms, and fun facts accompany each project, while very detailed scientific explanations are offered to guide budding scientists’ observations. Scannable QR codes and keyword search suggestions offer easy access to electronic primary sources about the scientists and discoveries that have added to the field of seismography. This multidisciplinary STEM resource appeals to multiple modalities and learning styles and covers more obscure topics in physical geography and science.

School Library Journal
Gr 4-7–Reilly uses the theory of plate tectonics to explain earthquakes, volcanoes, and more in this comprehensive look at earth science. Each chapter concludes with several hands-on activities to encourage understanding of the concepts discussed. They vary in quality (some are recycled from the author’s 2012 Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects), but they are effective at encouraging readers to come up with their own ideas and solutions. “Words To Know” are defined in sidebars on each page. One standout feature is the primary source boxes, which use QR codes to link to videos, maps, and documents. Reassuringly, the author has provided a list of links for those without QR code capabilities, and search terms are suggested in case of broken links. The volume covers a lot of ground in a conversational tone and avoids sounding dry or textbooklike. One drawback is that at times there are no visuals when they would be helpful, and most of the images are simplistic drawings. VERDICT A solid addition to earth science collections or where the series is popular.

School Library Connection

This title begins with a timeline that traces plate tectonic history from the formation of the supercontinent Pangaea, through the construction of the Glomar Challenger research vessel, and concluding with a chapter about the future of plate tectonics, all the while expanding on Earth science theories that help explain earthquakes, volcanoes, ridges, and trenches. The format and style is similar to a textbook, filled with numerous teaching and reading aids such as boxed and highlighted vocabulary, QR codes that direct readers to additional resources, Fun Facts, charts and graphs, diagrams, and essential questions. After each chapter there are several hands-on activities that help explain specific concepts, though not always the central concepts of the chapter. A few require adult assistance. All illustrations are cartoon-style drawings. Upper elementary students who are fascinated by the forces of nature may find this title filled with the information they crave, though general readers may find the book too much like a textbook. Teachers will find helpful activities to use in their classrooms. Additional Resources. Glossary. Index. Recommended

Publishers Weekly, January 2017
“Reilly provides a detailed examination of the movements of tectonic plates, and the effects of those movements, in this addition to the Built It Yourself series. Throughout, Reilly poses relevant questions (“Are there any benefits to earthquakes? Do they serve a valuable purpose for our planet?”), discusses scientists’ hypotheses about Earth, and invites readers to get involved via 25 activities, which include cooking molten rock candy, making a cardboard box seismograph, and creating a Jackson Pollack–style painting of an erupting volcano. Thompson’s cartoon spot illustrations break up the book’s substantial text. It’s a solid starting point for readers interested in Earth’s geology”. Ages 9–12.

School Library Journal
Gr 4-7–Reilly uses the theory of plate tectonics to explain earthquakes, volcanoes, and more in this comprehensive look at earth science. Each chapter concludes with several hands-on activities to encourage understanding of the concepts discussed. They vary in quality (some are recycled from the author’s 2012 Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects), but they are effective at encouraging readers to come up with their own ideas and solutions. “Words To Know” are defined in sidebars on each page. One standout feature is the primary source boxes, which use QR codes to link to videos, maps, and documents. Reassuringly, the author has provided a list of links for those without QR code capabilities, and search terms are suggested in case of broken links. The volume covers a lot of ground in a conversational tone and avoids sounding dry or textbooklike. One drawback is that at times there are no visuals when they would be helpful, and most of the images are simplistic drawings. VERDICT A solid addition to earth science collections or where the series is popular.

Booklist Online Exclusive
Most people never consider what is happening in the ground beneath their feet, but in reality, there is a tremendous amount of science going on deep in the earth. Twenty-five hands-on experiments focus on the movement of tectonic plates, the formation of volcanoes, potential seismic energy, and the very real threat of earthquakes. Readers can generate potential energy, make their own edible volcano model, or chart fault lines around the globe. Essential questions introduce each chapter and set a contextual purpose for reading. Real-life events, relevant terms, and fun facts accompany each project, while very detailed scientific explanations are offered to guide budding scientists’ observations. Scannable QR codes and keyword search suggestions offer easy access to electronic primary sources about the scientists and discoveries that have added to the field of seismography. This multidisciplinary STEM resource appeals to multiple modalities and learning styles and covers more obscure topics in physical geography and science.

Praise for other books by Kathleen M. Reilly
Explore Soil! With 25 Great Projects
Booklist
"The scientific concepts are generally well explained in accessible, often peppy text, while key terms are defined both with context clues and in sidebars. 'Essential Questions' throughout the book invite further thinking and encourage readers to revisit previous information . . . a broad-ranging, inviting approach to the topic."

John Witz, Senior Corporate Geologist, Environmental Products & Services of Vermont
This is a must read’ for preteens interested in understanding the planet we call home. Explore Soil! Is an easy-to-understand look at a complicated science.”

Explore Solids and Liquids! With 25 Great Projects
Library Media Connections
With a frog-like creature with Albert Einstein’s face as the guide, each chapter provides background material leading the reader to a series of well-constructed hands-on activities." Recommended

Booklist
"Experimenters are asked to make predictions, try multiple variations, and record observations. . . This should provide inspiration and insights into scientific exploration for students, teachers, and budding mad scientists.”

Cities: Discover How They Work with 25 Projects
2014 Silver Moonbeam Award

Booklist
"Propounding the emerging interdisciplinary paradigm of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics), this hands-on informational book discusses how cities’ complex structures and systems function together . . . Reilly helps foster an appreciation for the way that cities function almost as organisms with vibrant systems and interdependent structures."

School Library Journal
According to the 2010 Census, 80% of Americans live in urban areas. But do they know what it takes to make a city run? From this well-organized and engaging text, readers will learn how cities developed and grew. . . this is a worthy title for any library collection."

Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself
2008 Bronze Moonbeam Award

National Science Teachers Association
"This delightful and informative guide to the natural world is sure to captivate the attention of young readers. . ."

Booklist
"Both comprehensive and approachable, this title in the Projects You Can Build Yourself series combines explanations of science concepts and environmental issues with hands-on projects. . ."

Curriculum Connections: School Library Journal
". . . presents background material and easy-to-replicate activities that focus on the basic elements of the natural world and environmental issues."

About the Author

Kathleen Reilly has written several books for Nomad Press, including Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself; Explore Weather and Climate! With 25 Great Projects; Explore Soil! With 25 Great Projects, and Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces. Kate lives in Raleigh, NC.

Chad Thompson is a graduate of Columbus College of Art and Design and has worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation studio in Florida animating movies. He illustrated Micronations: Invent Your Own Country and Culture for Nomad Press. Chad lives in Kissimmee, FL.

About this edition

• Publisher: Nomad Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1619304651
• ISBN 13: 9781619304659
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Thompson Chad