Showing results by author "Amy Tao" in All Categories

Tiny creatures called microbes live in, and on your body that can be helpful. But some are bad like bacteria and viruses–in fact, they can make you sick! Your body needs medicine called antibiotics to fight and kill these germs so you can feel better. You must get a different medicine called a vaccine to keep from catching a virus.

When volcanoes blow their top, watch out! They can blast out dangerous lava, rocks, ash, and steam that can contain clouds of poisonous gas. But when lava cools, it becomes rock, which in turn creates new land.

Reduce, recycle, and reuse. We can all help Earth, if we choose. In this poem, kids learn about the differences between recycling, compost, and hazardous waste.

Imagine if the sunlight could not reach where you lived–the weather would be cold and slippery! The sun does not shine directly on the Arctic and Antarctica, causing the surrounding waters to freeze solid. The earth is tilted as it rotates around the sun, preventing the polar regions from getting enough sunlight. Can you guess how long it takes the earth to orbit the sun?

Slither into the scaly world of the mighty python! Learn about all the parts that make the python such a strange and misunderstood creature. See how its anatomy allows it to be more than just a limbless tube-like animal! Gain knowledge about this reptile’s habits and senses.

Go on an adventure with Polly as she learns how to use special names to categorize shapes! Any closed, flat shape with at least three straight sides is called a polygon. Did you know a quadrilateral—or a shape with four straight sides—can have several names? You can call one a parallelogram, a rhombus, a trapezoid, or even a square! What shapes can you recognize?

Have you ever heard of a bug hotel? There are some insects that help plants by spreading pollen and improving the soil, but they don’t always show up in every garden. To help encourage them to move in, some gardeners build little houses for them!

Do you know how many animals live in the Amazonian rainforest? Learn about the different predators and prey that coexist and depend on one another to survive. See how all life within a rainforest serves different roles and leads to a successful ecosystem.

When a young boy happens across a tarantula, it scares him at first! But then he and the tarantula have a conversation, and he learns about the differences between insects and spiders—like the spider’s unique body, which is comprised of a combined head/thorax, abdomen, and palps—as well as some interesting facts about other arachnids!

Thing aren't always what they seem! Did you know different things such as milk, oranges, and butterflies can look different as they get older? With this book, children will learn how life cycles affect the colors of different things. What else can change how it looks as it gets older?

Have you ever wondered how tall and long bridges are built? Learn about three different bridges and try the activities to learn about how strong bridges, like the Golden Gate Bridge, are made.

Have you ever been to a big city before? Learn about the different elements that you can find in a large city by using your senses! What can you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch in a city?

Did you know that dogs have been helping humans for thousands of years? They have done a lot of different jobs to help us, even today! Dogs are more than just pets. They help police officers, people with disabilities, farmers, and even sick people. Have you ever met a dog that does one of these jobs?

Have you ever wondered why birds have beaks? They don't have hands like we do, so they need another way to help themselves. Learn all the ways birds use their beaks, and see how different birds have different types of beaks that allow them to catch their meals.

A little boy is out for a walk meets a new friend, the Sun! The sun tells the little boy about himself and all of the important things he does for Earth. Did you know that the sun is a star? Explore space with the sun as he tells you about why we have night and day!

Yoga is a great way to stimulate your mind and keep yourself active by learning how to mimic animal behavior. Even kids can do yoga too! Enjoy posing as a sitting butterfly, stretching your arm and leg muscles with downward dog, or posing like a cat while stretching your body and mind.

See how the science of physics is utilized not only in the kitchen, but also around the house on a daily basis. Simple machines are everywhere! From brooms and rolling pins to lightbulbs and window blinds, basic everyday kitchen items transform into scientific concepts such as screws, levers, ramps, and wedges!

Everyone has a birthday! But do you know that birthdays are celebrated differently around the world? Explore the history of birthday traditions in countries such as the invention of the birthday cake in Greece, why noodles are eaten in China, and why in Russia they pull on an ear! It's a global celebration.

All of our pet dogs today have evolved from wild wolves. Humans began to tame wolves and then select their friendliest pups for keeping. Gradually, people learned how choose some dogs and breed them to do different jobs.

Do you know how new fruit is made? Learn about the different parts of a fruit plant’s flower—the stigma, pistil, and stamen—and how they use pollen to make seeds in a process called pollination! The seeds grow into new flowers, which turn into fruit after they’re pollinated!