How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming
Product Description
When the weather changes daily, how do we really know that Earth’s climate is changing? Here is the science behind the headlines – evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers and much more, gathered by scientists from all over the world, sometimes with assistance from young “citizen-scientists.” And here is what young people, and their families and teachers, can do to learn about climate change and take action. Climate change is a critical and … More >>
How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming
Reviewed by Maya Landers (age 10) for Reader Views (4/08)
“How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate,” by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch, was both interesting and informative. I didn’t know anything about Global Warming, or how scientists know about it, but this book explained it to me. It also told me ways that I could participate in helping scientists get more data, which I thought was fascinating. I didn’t know that there was anything that I could do to help. One of the ways that the book said that children could help was to record and chart when the first birds began to appear and when the first buds began to blossom.
The pictures were clear and sharp, and they featured extraordinary and beautiful views, as well of pictures of the some children who helped the scientists to collect their data. The type was large and easy-to-read. The book laid its facts out in a simple, easy-to-understand way that young children could understand, and there were definitions for most of the words, making everything even clearer still. While it could be for any age group, I thought that it was best suited for six-to-twelve-year-olds, although children and adults of any age would be able to understand and enjoy it.
The combination of pictures and information helped balance the book so that it was not too much like a textbook. Throughout the book, the authors show pictures and write articles about children who helped scientists collect data. In addition, readers learned facts about Global Warming and how scientists know about it. I thought that this was a very good balance between scientists and non-scientists, something that I do not find in many science books.
There are also photographs in the book that compare “now and then” — for instance, what the Athabasca Glacier looked like in 1917 compared to what it looked like in 2005. The difference was astounding! I wasn’t aware of the changes that Global Warming has provoked, and this book explained it to me. However, it wasn’t a discouraging book. It told the facts, and then told you what you could do to help, not dwelling unnecessarily on gloomy or dispiriting things.
I would recommend “How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate” to my friends because I thought that it did a good job separating fact from fiction, and also because it showed real-life situations where children were able to help scientists.
Rating: 4 / 5
In a unique partnership, photojournalist Gary Braasch, and children’s author Lynne Cherry have teamed up to fill a gap in the myriad of books coming out about global warming. This book focuses on students as a vital part of the research teams assisting scientists in documenting the changes in our environment. The book is a pleasure to read with all its beautiful pictures and clearly explained concepts.
The first section of the book is about where clues about climate change are found. Students are featured gathering data about migrating birds and butterflies, the changing of the seasons, water quality and flow, tree growth, plant diversity and range, and frog populations. Clues are explained such as tree rings, levels of carbon dioxide, changes in penguin and polar bear habitats, melting glaciers, rising ocean levels, and information gathered from mud and ice samples.
In the second section, the focus is on the interconnectivity of all life. Hypotheses are presented with graphs and other visuals to explain some of the effects we are already seeing and those thought to be on the way. Throughout the book, kids are introduced to the scientists doing the research.
The third section is about what kids and scientists can do together to both gather data and mitigate the effects of global warming. Projects are featured along with their teachers and students. Concrete suggestions are presented on how to reduce your carbon “footprint” or impact on the environment. The power of one voice is shown with political action and environmental advocacy. The book is one of hope about such a serious topic.
The resource section contains internet sites and books for further reading for the topics presented. A teacher’s guide is available for order.
Rating: 5 / 5
How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming is a nonfiction science book for young people about a hot-button modern issue. Written with the assistance of top scientists in the field, How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate goes into depth on climate science. Though How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate is lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs throughout, its meticulous attention to detail and mere quantity of text is well beyond that of an ordinary picturebook, making it best suited for young adults teenagers, and even curious adults. “Ornithologists were finding that birds were arriving earlier and changing their range – the places animals or plants can be found year after year… But why, they wondered, were these changes happening?” Of particular interest is the final “What You – and a Million Kids – Can Do” section, which lists positive ways kids can help the environment and reduce their carbon footprint, such as recycling, using compact fluorescents instead of light bulbs, minimizing use of appliances and unplugging those not needed, eating less meat, buying less, and getting involved in the community. Highly recommended especially for public and school library collections.
Rating: 5 / 5
b.elsewhere,
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), publisher of the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Science, strongly disagrees with your opinion. The AAAS just released its list of top science books for children and teens, and this book was on it.
See http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/aaft-aat120508.php
A book that’s good enough for the AAAS is good enough for any kid interested in science. I’m ordering this one for my niece.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a great book for kids, especially, but for adults as well; I read it and enjoyed it and learned some things I didn’t know about our changing climate. It is loaded with facts and information about climate change and global warming. The tightly written text is accompanied by a host of beautiful, glossy photographs as well as numerous charts and graphs. Science terms are both italicized and well defined in the text.
The book is set up in four sections. “Section one: Where We Find Clues About Climate Change” shows how data has been collected and research is being done about the changes in bird, butterfly and penguin populations as well as the changing tundra and landscapes in different parts of the world. “Section two: Fitting the Clues Together” tells how the facts and data collected in Section One are used to create models and computer programs showing changes that have already occurred and modeling and predicting what other changes will take place if the trend in global warming continues. “Section Three: What Scientists and You can Do” lists a whole array of things that can be done to reduce our “climate (carbon) footprint”. “Section Four: Resources” gives all the resources used in the book and tells where readers can go for more information.
A Teacher’s Guide is available from the publisher for teachers who would like to use this book in their classrooms. I believe this book would make an excellent classroom resource. There’s lots of information about student groups worldwide that are helping scientists with their data collections.
There are so many good things to say about this book I hate to even mention the bad ones. But, alas, almost every book seems to have at least one thing about it that could be improved; this book has three. Let’s not call them bad things, though; let’s just say there are a couple of things I would do to improve the book.
First, I would correct the typo on page 39. (See if you can find it!). Then, I would add a glossary to the end of the book. There are a lot of science terms that are used throughout the book that are both italicized and defined in the text, keeping the text flowing and the narrative going. But, I think a glossary would be an added bonus for both students and teachers. If you want to find the meaning of a term, say tree cookies, you could leaf through the pages until you came to it on page 22; but, wouldn’t it be easier to just go to a glossary at the back of the book and find the term listed there? Just a thought. . .
Even if you don’t believe in global warming, you should appreciate the beautiful photos and the rich text of this fact-filled book. I give it 4 stars.
Rating: 4 / 5