EVOLUTION—HOW LIFE ADAPTS TO A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

This science title will have STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fans cheering. Filled with interesting facts, essential questions, and interactive projects, EVOLUTION is a must have for classrooms and home. Here’s the official blurb from Nomad Press:

Why do humans walk on two legs? Why do fish have gills? Life on Earth is incredibly diverse and part of the reason for this is evolution, or the theory that living things change with time. Evolution: How Life Adapts to a Changing Environment explores the theory of evolution, its history, how we think it works, examples of creatures who have evolved in response to specific circumstances, and what this might mean for the future of our planet.

This nonfiction title for students ages 9 to 12 offers an introduction to evolution and the concept that every living species evolves to adapt to the changing environment.
This book invites readers to think in terms of geological time, which is useful when considering the earth as an ecosystem that has survived for millennia.

What I loved about EVOLUTION…

Yes, there’s a glossary in the back, but I often find students getting frustrated with the back and forth of defining a word. Problem solved as a box called WORDS TO KNOW turns up frequently and pulls the definition from the glossary and puts it on the page you are reading.
Just because this title is for 9-12 year olds, the subject is not given light treatment. Terms like DNA replication, homologous character, and mutualistic coevolution are just a few of the topics explored in easy to understand ways. With examples from real life even my brain learned new things.
Primary sources are easily attained via the QR codes or through a list of URLs on the resource page.
Photos and drawings accompany each chapter and give our visual generation exactly what they crave.
The focus stays away from debates as to how we got here and instead looks at how we’ve changed from cave man days to today and how we will continue to change in the future.
The variety of projects can be done with few materials, either at school or as a scientific homework assignment.
A page of questions for teachers to use can be accessed at this site. There you will find questions to ask before , during, and after reading.
Science work in the field is often highlighted as will the realization for kids that there are some very interesting careers connected with evolution.

A timeline of evolution studies begins the book and six chapters follow:

CHAPTER 1: How Does Evolution Work?

CHAPTER 2: Species and Speciation

CHAPTER 3: Classification and the Tree of Life

CHAPTER 4: Evidence for Evolution

CHAPTER 5: Human Evolution

CHAPTER 6: Why Does Evolution Matter?

Recommend this title for your child’s school or pick up a copy for home.

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