Burrud, John

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.

Identifies the basic requirements of animal survival, including food, air, water, and shelter, and looks at how different animals are able to stay healthy.

Introduces the variety of land formations on Earth, from deserts to mountains to canyons, and describes how they are formed; visits Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska to show land formations created by glaciers; and presents a hands-on demonstration of moving water's impact on the earth's surface.

Examines the structure and history of Earth from the perspective of visitors from a distant galaxy, focusing on how continental drift, weathering, and other forces have shaped the planet; features a visit to Devil' Postpile National Monument; and includes a demonstration of the effects of the sea floor's spreading and sinking.

Explains how soil is formed, why soil is important, and what soil needs to make plants grow, presenting a demonstration of the role rock erosion plays in soil formation and visiting a grade school where lunch leftovers and earthworms are used to improve the soil in the school's garden.

Describes the characteristics of minerals; explains how minerals make up igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock; introduces several kinds of gems during a visit to a lapidary shop; and presents a hands-on demonstration of how crystals can be made from liquids.

Explains how energy is transferred from link to link in a food chain, starting with the sun; tells students about producers, consumers, and decomposers, describing their functions within different food chains, presents a hands-on demonstration, examining owl pellets to determine an owl's role in its food chain; and visits a research vessel to investigate plankton's place in the marine food chain.

Explains how scientists determine whether an animal species is threatened or endangered; discusses several species threats and conservation efforts, including the rescue of northern sea otters after the Exxon Valdez oil spill; and presents a hands-on investigation of chemical levels in two bodies of water.