From the series Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil
Why Do Most Plants Need Soil?
Reading Level Grade 2Interest Level Grades K – 3Copyright 2016
Reviewed
From the series Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil
Reading Level Grade 2Interest Level Grades K – 3Copyright 2016
ReviewedFor many months a tiny seed has been warm and safe underground. Now it’s spring and a little green shoot bursts from the seed and appears from under the soil. Beneath the surface, the plant’s roots spread out in search of water and nutrients. One day the little shoot will be a tall, strong tree. None of this would be possible without soil! Inside this book, readers will discover how important soil is to plant life. How do plants get water and nutrients from soil? Why would trees fall over if there was no soil? And why is good, healthy soil essential to farmers who grow and produce most of the foods we eat? Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of an early elementary audience, this colorful, fact-filled volume gives readers a chance not only to learn, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. With its stunning photographs and surprising, high-interest facts about a material that most of us take for granted, the book makes learning about soil a lively, engaging experience.
Dirty is the perfect name for a series that will have kids wanting to head outside and see some of the interesting points the books make about soil - ”what it is, how it's formed, what it's good for.Why Do Plants Need Soil? details the nutrients plants get from the earth that allows them to grow. The books are neatly laid out, with simple text captioning the many color photographs. A good gambit is used to get kids to turn pages: each spread ends with a question. All of the books end with a sciencelab feature that offers simple experiments for budding scientists. Full of useful information, this series makes the most ordinary of substances fascinating.
Booklist
Part of the series Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil, this book explores the importance of soil to most plants. Beginning with a short review of what soil is, this book looks at why soil is important to the survival of most plants. Soil provides an anchor for plants and a source of water nutrients that are so important for a plant's health. The book also gives examples of plants that don't make traditional use of soil with an introduction to epiphytes. In the classroom the book creates high interest with clear pictures that illustrate the content. Beginning with a Table of Contents to guide the reader to the information they may be looking for, each section uses text and clearly labeled illustrations to develop key science concepts. Important words are bolded and then defined in theScience Words section using both pictures and text. There is aScience Lab section that suggests investigations that students can complete that focus on the content of the book. An index at the end of the book allows the reader to find specific places in the book where key ideas are presented. As a part of your library, this book can be used as a tool for primary age students to begin doing research for reports or projects. In addition theScience Labs section contains some great ideas for both individual and class investigations. The investigations not only focus on doing, but also on the importance in science of recording and analyzing data.
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