Burrud, John

Examines the structure and history of Earth from the perspective of visitors from a distant galaxy, focusing on the properties, locations, and uses of the minerals that form the building blocks of Earth's solid structures; features a visit to an old silver mine; and includes a demonstration of the crystalline structure of minerals.

Students in grades five through eight travel along as visitors from outer space investigate earthquakes, their causes and effects, and how they are studied. Includes a look at some of the twentieth century's most devastating earthquakes, and a hands-on investigation.

Examines the structure and history of Earth from the perspective of visitors from a distant galaxy, focusing on the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, and their effects on Earth's surface; and includes a demonstration of how running water erodes different types of soil.

Traces the cycle of energy from one organism to the other, examining the interdependence between plant and animal life, and discussing food chains, food webs, and the energy pyramid.

Students in grades five through eight travel along as visitors from outer space investigate Earth's water cycle, with discussion of where water comes from, how it is recycled and transported from place to place, and the role of the sun and atmosphere in the process. Includes a hands-on demonstration.

A discussion of oceans, examining the properties of ocean water, the importance of tides, the topography of the ocean floor, and the different ocean zones.

Presents an overview of what distinguishes mammals from other animals, and looks at the defenses and common characteristics of mammals, including a hands-on investigation that shows how mammals use their hair to stay warm, and a visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium, where sea otters that are orphaned or hurt are rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Explains the defining characteristics of a fish, describing their body structures, foods, defenses, and reproduction; describes special repellents developed for scientists to safely study sharks underwater; and includes a hands-on investigation of the effects of temperature change on a goldfish.

Examines the reasons why animals become endangered or extinct, looks at the conditions that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, and explains how children can play a part in preserving animal life.

Discusses several kinds of bugs, describing their characteristics and the roles they play in the natural world, and includes a demonstration of how to make a vacuum trap for bug collection and study, and a visit with an entomologist, who describes how bugs use their bodies to adapt to their environments.