Packed with fun-filled word scrambles, categorization tasks, and writing activities, What’s Up in Science? will develop critical thinking and analytical skills in your students. While solutions are provided for the puzzle exercises, some of the problems are open-ended and have no definitive answers, showing that scientific inquiry generates tough questions and that knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available.

Table of Contents:
About the Author iii Acknowledgments v Introduction xiii Section 1: Preserved Evidence of Past Life 1 What Fossils Have to Say Fossil secrets 2 2 Long-Ago Life Forms Multicellular organisms 4 3 Footprints from the Past Fossil imprints 6 4 Early Wings Bird-dinosaur–link mystery 8 5 Two Steps Ahead of the Rest New lizard discovery 10 6 Dinosaur-Snacking Crocodile Super Croc 12 7 Awesome Dinosaur The Apatosaurus 14 8 Even More Dinosaurs Two massive ancient reptiles 16 9 Mast from the Past Protecting fossil bones 18 10 North American Mammal Mystery Disappearing mammals 20 11 Fossils on Hold Fossils alive and well 22 12 Let’s Ban Man Human causes of extinction 24 Challenge Activities (10 items) 26 Section 2: Early Human Life on Earth 13 New Face from an Old Skull Oldest human ancestor(?) 28 14 Who Ate My Kangaroo? Early human appetites 30 15 Early Artists Show Their Skill Art from the start 32 16 Egyptian Cave Art Real or fake? 34 17 Early Man Appears Iceman and Kennewick Man 36 18 Keeping the Past Alive Ancient ruins’ preservation 38 Challenge Activities (7 items) 40 Section 3: Getting to Know the Lithosphere 19 Leaving the Lava Behind 1 Mayon volcano (Philippines) 42 20 Leaving the Lava Behind 2 Mt. Nyiragongo (Rwanda) 44 21 Volcano Secrets Volcanics (Baja California) 46 22 Earthquakes 1 Earthquake news 48 23 Earthquakes 2 More earthquake data 50 24 Nature’s Quake Predictors Geyser mystery 52 25 Glacier Alert 1 All about glaciers 54 26 Glacier Alert 2 More glacier information 56 27 Inner Space Travel From erosion to caves 58 28 Mapping in Outer and Inner Space Mapping techniques 60 29 Global Positioning System Satellite Navigation Network 62 Challenge Activities (11 items) 64 Section 4: Listening to the Environment 30 Chromium 6 on Trial A most harmful chemical 66 31 Mercury Menace Mercury poisoning 68 32 Global Warming Warning 1 Global warming trends 70 33 Global Warming Warning 2 Global warming trends 72 34 Ocean Currents and Weather El Niño/La Niña 74 35 Pollution Problem Air pollution 76 36 Pollution Solution Technology advancements 78 37 Forever Organisms Preventing extinction 80 Challenge Activities (9 items) 83 Section 5: Ocean Features and Related Creatures 38 Save the Coral Coral reef restoration 86 39 Lost City Found Hydrothermal vents 88 40 Island Under Water Submerged island 90 41 Don’t Go Near the Water Beach pollution 92 42 Fate of the Fish Pollution/Overfishing 94 43 Microbes from Across the Sea Ballast water microbes 96 44 Cormorants Under Siege A fisheries pest 98 45 The No-Wimp Shrimp Mantis shrimp 100 46 Jellyfish on the Rocks Fossilized jellyfish 102 47 Anemone by the Sea Sea anemone 104 48 Squid Freak from Down Deep New discovery 106 49 Stingless Stingrays De-barbing stingrays 108 50 Plight of the Sturgeon Sturgeon problem 110 51 Predator Challenge Predator cautions 112 52 The Sea Otter’s Dilemma Endangered species 114 53 Sea Lions Take Charge Nuisance at sea 116 54 A Whale of a Tale Ancient swimmers 118 Challenge Activities (11 items) 120 Section 6: What’s Happening in Space? 55 Taking on the Universe Examining the universe 124 56 New Planets in Town Recent finds 126 57 Mars: A Watery World? Search for water 128 58 Asteroid Probes Coming Up Asteroid data 130 59 Eros: Space Mountain Asteroid Asteroid study 132 60 Paranoid Rhymes with Asteroid Asteroid fears 134 61 Twenty-Two and Counting Saturn surprise 136 62 The Moons of Jupiter Recent discoveries 138 63 Meteor Trails and Comet Tales Meteors/Comets 140 64 Meteorite Mysteries Meteorite information 142 65 From Stars to Galaxies Star data 144 66 Telescopes and Beyond MAXIM/SOFIA 146 Challenge Activities (12 items) 148 Section 7: Life on Land and Water 67 As the Worm Turns Worm discoveries 152 68 It’s All About Ants Ant stories 154 69 Insects Two Grasshopper/Cricket 156 70 Where Have All the Froggies Gone? 1 Vanishing amphibians 158 71 Where Have All the Froggies Gone? 2 Vanishing amphibians 160 72 The California Condor Comeback 1 Condor rescue 162 73 The California Condor Comeback 2 Condor rescue 164 74 Rodent Roundup 1 Mostly rats 166 75 Rodent Roundup 2 Meet meadow mouse 168 76 The Smallest of Critters Mouse lemurs 170 Challenge Activities (10 items) 172 Section 8: What’s Up in Genetic Science? 77 Genetic Review Genetic terms 174 78 From One Gene to Another 1 A look at genes 176 79 From One Gene to Another 2 A look at genes 178 80 Designer Catfish “Customized” catfish 180 81 Biotech Foods Genetically modified organisms 182 82 Human Stem Cells Stem cell concerns 184 83 Human Genome A chromosome gathering 186 84 What About Cloning? Cloning issues 188 Challenge Activities (8 items) 190 Section 9: Timely Real-Life Topics of Concern 85 Environmental Pollution 1 Student comments 192 86 Environmental Pollution 2 Student comments 194 87 The Decreasing Fish Population Student comments 196 88 Whale Concerns 1 Student comments 198 89 Whale Concerns 2 Student comments 200 90 Dealing with Dolphins Student comments 202 91 The Cold Facts About Cryonics Student comments 204 Riddles for the Asking 207 Answer Key 211 Riddles Answer Key 231