Mrs. Riley Bought Five Itchy Aardvarks and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing Science Facts

r hants neve p le e y a s They read this u o y e c n forget. O u! her will yo it e n , k o o b Brian P. Cleary has tips for tackling all types of tricky science facts. This book is bursting with acrostics, acronyms, poems, songs, and more. Need to keep track of the order of the planets? Mel can help. As in:

ery “Mel’s V Excited Ma Just Served Us Nachos. ”

How about photosynthesis? Sing a song about it to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”! And better yet, you’ll get ideas for how you can create your very own painless memory tricks. Lively illustrations from J. P. Sandy add to the fun of this UNFORGETTABLE series!

Ages 9-12

Reinforced Binding

BRIAN P. CLEARY Illustrated by J. P. SANDY j Millbrook Press • Minneapolis

To my daughter Grace —B.P.C.

To Joyce, Eric, and Michael —J.P.S.

Text copyright © 2008 by Brian P. Cleary Illustrations copyright © 2008 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Millbrook Press A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cleary, Brian P., 1959– “Mrs. Riley Bought Five Itchy Aardvarks” and other painless tricks for memorizing science facts / by Brian P. Cleary ; illustrated by J. P. Sandy. p. cm. — (Adventures in memory) Includes index. ISBN 978–0–8225–7819–2 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 1. Science—Study and teaching (Elementary)—Audio-visual aids. 2. Mnemonics— Juvenile literature. 3. Scientific recreations—Juvenile literature. I. Sandy, J. P., ill. II. Title. Q190.C57 2008 372.35’044—dc22 2007052125   Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – DP – 13 12 11 10 09 08

978-0-7613-4630-2











introduction

4

How This Book Will Help You Memorize Science Facts

Earth and Space Science 6 Space is the Place What Goes Around H-2-OH, IS THAT A FACT? GEOLOGY ROCKS! HARD & SOFT Small Change Skywriting

6 8 10 12 15 16 18

Physical Science 20 What’s The Matter? Hot & Cold LIGHT

20 22 24

Life Science 28 THE Classification Station What a Bunch of Animals! DOWN AT THE RECYCLING PLANT THAT’S NOT HARD TO SWALLOW A VERY SILLY SONG ABOUT PHOTOSYNTHESIS

28 30 32 36 38

The Scientific Method 40



The Science of Science

40



Glossary

45



Read On!

47



Index

48

4

INTRODUCTION

HOw this book will help you

Memorize Science Facts

Mnemonic

(pronounced nih-MAH-nik) is a fancy word given to little tricks or devices that help us memorize important facts. Some of them rhyme, such as,

“Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteenhundred-ninety-two.” Other memory aids build a word made up of the first letters of a list we’re is a trick for remembering the names of trying to memorize. the five great lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior). The word HOMES contains the first letter of the name of each lake.

HOMES

Still other memory tools are more visual, meaning that a picture will help us to remember a fact, such as this one: A Bactrian camel has a back shaped like

Dromedary Bactrian

B

D

the letter “B” turned on its side. A Dromedary camel has a back shaped like the letter “D” turned on its side. So we know a Bactrian camel has two humps and a Dromedary camel has one.

In this book, you’ll find lots of fun ways to memorize science facts. But what I’m really hoping is that you’ll develop your own tricks. Oftentimes the words, silly rhymes, or crazy sentences that you invent will be the most meaningful way for you to master science! Here’s an example of what I thought of to memorize the six major animal groups: Mrs. Riley Bought Five Itchy Aardvarks. That stands for: Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Fish, Insects, Amphibians. But let’s say your principal’s name is Mr. Robbins. It might be more meaningful (and therefore memorable) for you to say:

Mr. Robbins Barfed Five Icky Apples. Sometimes, it’s the absurd nature of what you’ve come up with that will help you to remember. They say that elephants never forget. Well, now that you know about mnemonics, neither will you!

6

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

Space Is the Place em in order

r solar syst The planets in ou : from the Sun are

y

ur c r e

M

s

nu e V

E

h art

rs a M

a M xcited

Mel’s Very E

e

r

ite p u J

Just

n

r atu

S

d e v r e S

s

nu a r U

un t p e

N

N achos Us Extra Credit

Scientists used to think that Pluto was a planet. In 2006 they decided it should be called a dwarf planet instead. Dwarf planets are smaller than true planets. Scientists have found three dwarf planets so far, but they expect to find many more .

8

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

What Goes Around a soccer ball, you circle around If .” nd ou ar s ve r ol ns “rev u need to remembe yo n he w The word orbit mea es ur ct pi sualize these you’re orbiting it. Vi to get dizzy! hat. Be careful not w nd ou ar es go t wha

orbits the Su

n

.

Ea

rth

The

th.

Mo on or bits Ear

Extra Credit Earth makes one full orbit around the Sun every 365.25 days. The Moon makes one full orbit around Earth every 27.3 days.

10

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

H-2-OH, IS THAT A FACT? of lls us that a molecule te It r. te wa r fo ula rm (O) atom. H2O is the chemical fo oms and one oxygen at ) (H en og dr hy o tw water contains r is easy. shwater and salt wate fre n ee tw be e nc re ow the ffe Knowing the di . When you need to kn lty sa is r te wa lt Sa . Freshwater is not salty . think of these pictures st ju r, te wa t ou ab s ct fa

Most of Earth is covered with water.

Most of that water is salt water.

glacier

river

lake

Think of this picture to remember that

freshwater comes from

glaciers, rivers, and lakes, and think of the fish wearing underwear to remember it also comes from

underground sources.

underground source

Read On!

Learn about the water cycle in the book Why Does It Rain? by Judith Jango-Cohen.

12

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

GEOLOGY ROCKS!

(… and speaking of rocks, let’s talk about the three types)

A Rhyme About

IGNEOUS Rock

This type of rock is formed when the lava (a zillion times hotter than cocoa or java) from a volcano is cooled over time. Whenever you need to, remember this rhyme.

to k ignite, which has Hear: Igneous, thin ith w picture a volcano do with fire. Then lp t of it. It may also he hot lava flowing ou ot (h to think of java when you hear lava in the two hot liquids coffee) to connect your mind! anite, neous rock: gr examples of ig and obsidian pumice, basalt,

A Rhyme About

sedimentary Rock

Formed when the sediment, gravel, and sand settle, collecting in lakes and on land. In rivers or seas, they’re cemented together over millions of years both by time and by weather.

Hear: Sediment ary, think sand, or settle. Or better word sediment. yet, learn the It refers to the st uff that settles to something liquid, the bottom of like in certain type s of salad dressin that has too muc g or in Kool-Aid h drink mix in it. S edimentary rock sediment. These s are formed from rocks cover abou t ¾three-fourths of the continents. the surface of

examples of se

dimentary rock

: sandstone, lim

estone, and sh

ale

A Rhyme About

Metamorphic Rock Metamorphic rocks have changed, by pressure or by heat. Remember this when tested, and your score will not be beat.

Hear: Metamo rphic, think me tamorphosis, w change, as in a hich has to do caterpillar chan with g ing into a butte and remember rfly. Picture that that metamorp change, hic rocks have changed, from been transform igneous, sedim ed, or entary, or othe r metamorphic examples of m rocks. etamorp hic rock: mar

ble, schist, sl

Read On!

Find out more by reading Rocks by Sally M. Walker.

ate, and gneis

s

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

15

HARD & SOFT The Mohs hard

ness scale lists

ten minerals in

order from soft to Talc, Gypsum, Calcite, Fluorite, Apati Quartz, Topaz te, Orthoclase Feldspar, , Corundum, a Geologists use nd Diamond. the minerals on th is scale to un hard. They are

known minerals

.

Talking Guppies Can FlUster An Old QUiet Toad Called Diana

help identify

16

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

Small Change

Three process es slowly chang e Earth’s surfac each one. To re e. Water can pla member them, y a part in think of DEW, which is made of water.

D for Deposition: dropping off soil, rocks, and

sand that were carried away by erosion. Rivers often deposit soil where they flow into lakes or oceans.  

E for Erosion: the movement of rock, soil, and other bits of earth. Wind, water, and ice cause erosion.

 

W for Weathering: breaking rocks and soil into

smaller pieces. Ice, water, and growing plants cause weathering.

Read On!

Do you want to make sure that your knowledge of erosion doesn’t erode? Read Erosion by Joelle Riley.

18

EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE

Skywriting A Rhyme about Clouds

Stratus clouds cover the sky so you can’t see the Sun. They are low and gray.

Cirrus clouds are thin and

wispy. They are very high in the sky.

Cumulus clouds are flat

on the bottom and fluffy on top. They often mean good weather.

Nimbus clouds mean rain, and they come in two forms. Cumulonimbus clouds often bring thunderstorms. And nimbostratus clouds are low, gray clouds that bring rain.

20

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

What’s the Matter? Solid, Liquid, or Gas—That’s What! A Rhyme about Matter can takes up space and at th ng hi yt an is r Matte e the liquids, and gases ar be weighed. Solids, ter on Earth. three states of mat

Whether you hold it or mold it or spin it. Whether you drink it or mix something in it. Everything everywhere’s one of these things: a solid , a liquid , or gas .

Whether it’s floating or streaming or gleaming. Whether it’s shedding or spreading or steaming.

Everything everywhere’s one of these things: a solid , a liquid , or gas .

If it’s the ocean, some potion, or lotion, and if it should move in a flowing-like motion, this is a liquid , so stick with me now: it isn’t a solid or gas .

If it’s some wood or some plastic or stone, keeping its shape when you leave it alone, this is a solid , so follow me now: it isn’t a gas or a liquid .

That leaves us gas, which we often can’t see: like Freon and neon and air to name three. It won’t split or splatter ’cause gas is the matter that isn’t a liquid or solid !

Read On!

Why does matter matter? Find out by doing the experiments in Matter by Sally M. Walker.

22

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

HOT & COLD

0° Celsius (C). hrenheit (F) and 10 Fa 2° 21 is er (C). at w it (F) and 0° Celsius The boiling point of he en hr Fa ° 32 is of water The freezing point

Mr. Fahrenheit is boiling 212 hot dogs.

212º F

100ºC

Mrs. Celsius is boiling 100 hot dogs.

Mr. Fahrenheit has 32 snow cones in his freezer.

32º F

0ºC

Mrs. Celsius has 0 snow cones in her freezer.

Extra Credit In 1724 Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit created the Fahrenheit system for measuring temperature. In 1742 Anders Celsius created the Celsius system. The United States is one of only a few countries that uses the Fahrenheit system.

24

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Light

by Dr. Ray from the CD: Three Things Permanent Records

 

ere’s your a rap in school? H do to d te an w every er Have you ev e first two lines of th ad re on rs pe line chance! Have one will say the third s as cl e th of st e re et the stanza out loud. Th e you’ll never forg te an ar gu I d, en together. By the can do! three things light

hes somethin’ When light reac pumpkin: like a pool or a

sorbed.

re fl ec te d , refracted, ab

  my rappin’— Listen close to gs can happen: only three thin

sorbed.

re fl ec te d , refracted, ab

  Just thr ee possib ilities, no need to have y a ill at ea se: r e f le c

t e d , refracted

, absorbed.

So don’t let it foo l ya, cuz I’m h ere to sc hool ya

r e f le c t e d , ref

:

racted, absorb

ed.

  When light hits an object, ck: like a door or a knob, che

re fle cte d, refracted, absorbed. wn, No need to have a showdo wn: do one of three things will go

re fle cte d, refracted, absorbed.  

Not five, six, or seven, : cuz here’s the four-eleven

re fle cte d, refracted, absorbed. It isn’t subliminal, hard core, or criminal:

re fle cte d, refracted, absorbed.  

me out, co h s r o r whispe outcome: If you e h t me ed. and tell ted, absorb

reflected,

refrac

t it, respec is d t ’ n it: You ca reject r o s ed. dismis ted, absorb

frac

re reflected,  

more light rap

26

PHYSICAL SCIENCE The sm ar on a te t ones detec t it st, the y selec t it: reflecte

d , refracte

d, abso

rbed. When a n objec t and li rememb ght me er, get et, it r ig h t, Pete reflected, : refracted,   absorbed.  

ill? your gr in p u l: all and chil h They’re t a e r b deep Take a , absorbed.

acted

efr reflected, r

eeze   r’s a br e w s n a keys: Cuz the ing the ld o h e u’r . when yo ed, absorbed

fract

e reflected, r  

Only thre e things occur, when this happens, for su

r e f le c t e d , ref

re:

racted, absorb

Not four , five, or six— light has only thre e tricks:

r e f le c t e d , ref

 

Word.

racted, absorb

ed.

ed.

eaning of remember the m u yo lp he ill w s These stanza ed. ted, and absorb reflected, refrac

REFLECTEtDhits something shiny, When ligh : r tall or tiny whether fat o ted. nna be reflec o g s t’ h lig e th

D REFRACTElig water, ht hits some When the hter, son and daug y m , p u n te lis ed. lways refract the light is a

ABSORBEDlor’s hit by light,

When a co y look bright, . that color ma eing absorbed b is t h lig e but th

Extra Credit reflect = bounce off refract = bend absorb = soak up

28

LIFE SCIENCE

THE

CLASSIFICATION

STATION

d animals, , including plants an gs in th g in liv l al t ion. Scientists pu known as classificat is ng pi ou gr is Th . e related to into many groups how living things ar n ai pl ex s lp he s is n Classificatio t group, and specie es gg bi e th is m do s used to one another. King ven major categorie se e th e ar e er H . the smallest : classify living things

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

m i l C King Philip

r e v O bed

s r e d i p S n e e r G y Furr Extra Credit

Here is how human beings are classifed: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mam malia Order: Primates Family: Hominidae Genus: Homo Species: Homo sapiens

30

LIFE SCIENCE

What a Bunch of

Animals! ps are:

The six major animal grou

Mammals

Fish

Reptiles

Insects Extra Credit

What exactly is an animal? It’s an organism that is made from many cells, can move on its own, and gets food by eating other organisms.

Birds

Amphibians

B ought y e l i R . s r M

I F ar varks ive tchy

A

d

32

LIFE SCIENCE

Down at the Recycling Plant A Play about the Ecosystem

dress up mebody has to so re e h w s y ool! la corny school p ou’re still in sch Y ! se o o d th u w yo o , kn se u Yo Of cour system. or a rutabaga? y about the eco la as a sunflower p a n o g n ti ut e’re p munity of Let’s pretend w stead of a com in ut B y. it un ent. m their environm is a kind of com d m an e s st al sy im co an e d n A nts an mmunity of pla people, it’s a co

This girl—we’ll call her Sarah—is g­ oing to play

the part of the Sun. The Sun is the source of all ­energy in our ecosystem. You see, it ­provides the light that plants need to live and grow. It also keeps ­everything warm so all the plants and animals don’t freeze to death! Without the Sun, we wouldn’t have an ecosystem at all. Sarah doesn’t have any lines. She’ll just stand here and beam her sunny Sarah smile. Radiant, isn’t she?

S

What else does our ecosystem need? All the plants and ­animals need water to survive. Scientists call water H2O ­because it’s two parts

hydrogen and one part oxygen. Holly will be the first hydrogen,

and Haley will be the second h ­ ydrogen. Omar will be the

oxygen. These three will wear blue shirts and join hands. They’ll move flowingly across the stage and make whooshing and gurgling sounds, like water.

Next up is air. Air contains a gas called oxygen and a gas called carbon dioxide. Without oxygen, animals (including us!) couldn’t breathe. And without carbon dioxide, plants would all die. So these two, Erin

and Aaron, will play

the air. They’ll slowly move their hands up and down and walk around. Since air is hard to see, they can carry a clear shower curtain.

34

LIFE SCIENCE

If we want plants here, we need somewhere for plants to grow. How about some soil? Sophia, Michael, and Nikko can handle this role. Their

first names begin with s, m, and n to remind us of soil, and the minerals

and nutrients in the soil. They’ll wear brown T-shirts and use cheerleading megaphones to urge the plants to

“G-R-O-W . . . what’s that spell?”

Plants are what’s known in ecosystem-speak as producers. (Think of the produce section at the grocery store if that helps—it’s kind of green and leafy there.) Producers produce their own energy thanks to photosynthesis. Pedro,

Patrick, and Padma are

the plants in this play. Note the green T-shirts on this trio. They will crouch down and then slowly stand up and reach their hands skyward, showing how they’re growing.

Consumers eat producers. Our consumers, Conrad and Connie, will make chomping motions with their arms as they move close to the plants. Some consumers also eat other consumers, but that’s a little too violent for our play! Finally, here are DeShawn and Denise, two decomposers. What would happen if all the producers and consumers didn’t decay (yes, that means rot!) when they died? We’d have miles of piles, wouldn’t we? Our decomposers are using karate chops to break down everything around them. Decomposers are usually fungi and bacteria. They break down dead animals and plants and turn them into minerals and nutrients. (Michael and Nikko— quick—get over here!) Decomposers are like nature’s little recycling station. That’s why Denise and DeShawn both have recycling T-shirts on!

Let’s hear it for Sun, water, air, soil, minerals, nutrients, producers, consumers, and decomposers. Without them, we’d have nothing to cheer about!

36

LIFE SCIENCE

That’s Not Hard to

Swallow! The Seven Steps of Digestion

What are the seven steps of digestion in order? To remember, look at the first two letters in each of the words on the next page:

Teeth Mouth s Esophagu Stomach stine e t in ll a m S stine Large inte Colon

, e s u o s ’ Ted M Esther,

d e a y t S Small, Laughing y l s u o u n i t n o C

Read On:

Do you want to see photos of the digestive system in action? Look for The Digestive System by Rebecca L. Johnson.

38

LIFE SCIENCE

A Very Silly Song about

PHOTOSYNTHESIS their how plants make is s si he nt sy to Pho ve t it, we wouldn’t ha own food. Withou dn’t and humans coul s al im an nd A . ts plan n they ts—or the oxyge live without plan eathe. make for us to br

ca

rb

oh

yd

ra te

s

ca

rb

y oh

d

te ra

s

e from , and carbon dioxid er at w , ht ig nl su s d oxygen. is, a plant need e carbohydrates an For photosynthes ak m to gs in th e es air. es th goes back into the en the air. The plant us yg ox e Th t. an ynthesis feed the pl ts that make photos The carbohydrates an pl de si in es ur other ct y stru en. Chlorophyll is an yg ox Chloroplasts are tin d an s te ra . yd the carboh soaking up sunlight by is es th yn happen. They make os ot ants. It helps with ph structure inside pl their green color. It also gives plants

Here’s a fun and goofy way for you to remember some of the major terms in the process of photosynthesis. Sing this to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Pho-to-syn-the-sis helps us all to thrive. Animals, plants, and people too— it keeps us all alive!

Chlor-o-plasts are where all this change is made. And chlor-o-phyll’s the reason why the plants have their green shade.

Carbon di-ox-ide is everywhere you go. Plants receive it from the air, and it’s what helps them grow.

Ox-y-gen is formed from these plants as well. This is photosynthesis— there’s nothing more to tell!

Plants need water too and bright light from the Sun. They make car-bo-hy-drates, and then they’re almost done.

40

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

The

Science of Science

to ugh several steps ro th go ey th n, tio ve a ques thesis, When scientists ha n, question, hypo io at rv se ob e: ar s are ey cision. These step find the answer. Th de d an , is ys al an riment, of the prediction, expe ll walk through each e’ w e, er H d. ho et 113. cm students in Room e called the scientifi th r fo m le ob pr t a stinky steps to learn abou

OBSERVATION: On certain days, the students of Room 113 notice a

funny smell in their classroom. The smell is a mixture of expired yogurt, cheap foot cream, dandruff, old ham, and toupee glue. The smell seems to appear every time Mr. Ebertsonlington is the substitute teacher.

QUESTION: Could the smell be coming from Mr. Ebertsonlington? HYPOTHESIS: This is another word for “educated guess.” The

hypothesis here is that the smell IS coming from Mr. Ebertsonlington.

PREDICTION: On days that Mr. Ebertsonlington is NOT teaching in this classroom, the class will return to its normal smell of gerbil food and window cleaner. AHHH! That would smell like roses right about now! EXPERIMENT: The “real” teacher of Room 113, Mrs. Funkadellic, will be

gone Monday of one week, Wednesday of the following week, and Friday of the week after that. Mr. Ebertsonlington is scheduled to sub. If the smell returns on all three days, it would mean that Mr. Ebertsonlington could, indeed, be the source of the smell.

The students of Room 113 make a plan to collect data (a word that means “information”) about the smell of the classroom for the next three weeks.

42

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Here is the chart they used to record the data:

DATE

TE AC HER*

SROM SM EL L IN CL AS

Wee k O ne

ff, eap foot cream, dandru ch rt, gu yo ed pir ex E. April 3 Mr. old ham, and toupee glue ner il food and window clea rb ge F . rs M 4 il pr A r od and window cleane fo il rb ge F . rs M 5 April ner il food and window clea April 6 Mrs. F gerb ner food and window clea il rb ge F . rs M 7 il Apr cleaner gerbil food and window ner il food and window clea April 11 Mrs. F gerb dandruff, gurt, cheap foot cream, yo ed pir ex E. r. M April 12 old ham, and toupee glue ner il food and window clea rb ge F . rs M 13 il pr A and window cleaner od fo il rb ge F . rs M April 14

Wee k T wo

April 10 Mrs. F

Wee k Th ree

ner food and window clea il rb ge F . rs M 17 il Apr ner il food and window clea April 18 Mrs. F gerb and window cleaner od fo il rb ge F . rs M April 19 ner food and window clea il rb ge F . rs M 20 il Apr p foot cream, dandruff, ea ch rt, gu yo ed pir ex April 21 Mr. E. old ham, and toupee glue

nkadell ic gt on Mrs. F=Mrs. Fu lin on ts er Eb . Mr E.= *M r.

ANALYSIS: The data seem to show that Mr. Ebertsonlington is the

source of the awful smell. But good scientists also check for other ways to explain their data. Suppose the custodian always cleans the classroom the night before Mr. Ebertsonlington teaches. Then the smell might come from a cleaner made from expired yogurt, cheap foot cream, dandruff, old ham, and toupee glue that he uses to wash down the room. The students ask the custodian when he cleans. He cleans every Saturday. So he can’t be c­ ausing the smell. Just to be sure, the students ask to smell the cleaner he uses. Wow—that’s some powerful window cleaner! The students check for other things that might explain their data. They can’t come up with anything else.

?

44

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

DECISION: It’s time to say that we

either reject our hypothesis or say that we cannot reject our hypothesis. Those are the only two choices! Here are the things the students know: • The

smell returned on each of Mr. Ebertsonlington’s three visits.

• Each of Mr. Ebertsonlington’s visits were many days apart. • They have not found another way to explain what’s causing the smell. The students decide that they cannot reject their hypothesis. Note that they didn’t PROVE the hypothesis. They simply could not REJECT the hypothesis based on the steps they went through. That’s as much “proof positive” as you get in true scientific experiment. They’re still pretty sure where the smell came from, however.

Extra Credit What if one day when Mr. Ebertsonlington taught, the classroom smelled like gerbil food and window cleaner? Then the students would have had to reject their hypothesis and come up with a new one.

Extra Extra Credit

Find out how to set up yo ur own science experiment at th is website: http://school.discoverye ducation.com/ sciencefaircentral/scifa irstudio/ handbook/scientificmetho d.html.

Glossary absorb: light that is absorbed is soaked up by an object. (see pp. 24–27)

producers and other consumers to get food. (see pp. 34–35)

amphibians: cold-blooded animals with

cumulus: clouds that are flat on the

backbones. When they are young, they live in water and breathe through gills. When they are adults, they live on land and breathe through lungs. (see p. 30)

decay: to rot or break down (see p. 35) deposition: when soil, rocks, and sand

birds: warm-blooded animals with backbones that lay eggs and have feathers and wings (see p. 30)

carbohydrates: a type of food that provides energy. Plants make carbohydrates. (see pp. 38–39)

carbon dioxide: a gas in the air. Plants need it to live. (see pp. 33, 38–39)

cells: the smallest units of life. Cells are the building blocks of living things. (see p. 30)

Celsius: a scale for measuring temperature. Water freezes at 0°C. Water boils at 100°C. (see pp. 22–33) chlorophyll: a substance in plants that soaks up sunlight. It gives plants their green color. (see pp. 38–39) chloroplasts: tiny structures in plants that make photosynthesis happen (see pp. 38–39)

cirrus: clouds that are thin and wispy (see pp. 18–19)

classification: grouping all living things to explain how they are related to one another (see pp. 28–29)

consumer: in an ecosystem, an organism that cannot produce its own food. Animals are consumers. Consumers eat

bottom and fluffy on top (see pp. 18–19)

carried away by erosion are dropped off (see pp. 16–17)

digestion: breaking down food so the body can use it (see pp. 38–39)

ecosystem: a community of plants and animals and the environment in which they live (see pp. 32–35) erosion: the movement of rock, soil, and other bits of earth (see pp. 16–17) Fahrenheit: a scale for measuring temperature. Water freezes at 32°F. Water boils at 212°F. (see pp. 22–23)

fish: cold-blooded animals with backbones that live in water, breathe through gills, and have scales (see p. 30)

freshwater: water that does not contain salt. Rivers, glaciers, underwater sources, and most lakes contain freshwater. (see p. 10)

gas: a substance such as air. A gas can spread out to fill any container. (see pp. 21–22, 33)

geology: the scientific study of Earth and Earth’s rocks and minerals (see pp. 12–16) 45

H2O: the chemical formula for water

oxygen: a chemical in the air that

(see pp. 10–11, 33)

hypothesis: an educated guess about how an experiment will turn out (see pp. 40–44)

igneous rock: rock formed from volcanic lava that has cooled (see p. 12)

insects: animals without backbones

people and animals need to breathe (see pp. 10–11, 33, 38–39)

photosynthesis: the process by which plants make food for themselves. They take water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight and make carbohydrates and oxygen. (see pp. 34, 38–39) planets: large objects that orbit stars.

that have three pairs of legs, wings, three body parts, and an exoskeleton (see p. 30)

Our solar system has eight planets. (see pp. 6–7)

producers: in an ecosystem, an or-

liquid: a substance that flows easily. A liquid always stays the same size, but its shape can change. (see pp. 20–21)

ganism that can produce its own food. Plants are producers. (see pp. 34–35)

mammals: warm-blooded animals that reflect: light that is reflected bounces off an object (see pp. 24–27)

have backbones, breathe air, and produce milk for their young (see p. 30)

refract: light that is refracted bends when it passes from one material to another (see pp. 24–27)

matter: anything that takes up space and can be weighed (see pp. 20–21)

reptiles: cold-blooded animals that

metamorphic rock: formed from other rocks that have been changed by pressure or heat (see p. 14)

minerals: natural substances that mix together to make rocks. Minerals also help plants grow. (see pp. 15, 34–35)

Mohs hardness scale: a list of ten minerals that helps scientists identify unknown minerals (see p. 15) nimbus: clouds that bring rain (see pp. 18–19)

nutrients: substances that plants and animals need to grow (see pp. 34–35)

orbit: to travel in an invisible path

have backbones and scaly skin, breathe air, and lay eggs (see p. 30)

rocks: hard natural substances made from minerals (see pp. 12–14)

rutabaga: a vegetable with a pale yellow root that can be eaten (see p. 32) salt water: salty water that is found in oceans, seas, and some other bodies of water, such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah (see pp. 10–11) scientific method: the process scientists use to run experiments and make discoveries (see pp. 40–44)

sedimentary rock: formed from

around the Sun, a star, a planet, or other heavenly body (see pp. 8–9)

layers of sediment that are pressed tightly together (see p. 13) 46

soil: minerals and other substances on Earth’s surface. Plants grow in soil. (see pp. 16–17, 34–35)

solar system: the sun and all the heavenly bodies that orbit around it. These bodies include planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. (see pp. 6–7)

solid: a substance that stays the same size and the same shape. Wood is a solid. (see pp. 20–21) stratus: clouds that are low and gray (see pp. 18–19)

weathering: breaking rocks and soil into smaller pieces (see pp. 16–17)

Read On! BOOKS

Jango-Cohen, Judith. Why Does It Rain? Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2006.

Johnson, Rebecca L . The Digestive System. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2005.

Walker, Sally M. Matter. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2006.

Walker, Sally M. Rocks. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2007.

Riley, Joelle. Erosion. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2007.

WEBSITES

Biology 4 Kids http://www.biology4kids.com Follow the links on this site to learn more about plants, animals, and cells.

How Rocks Are Formed http://www.rocksforkids.com/RFK/ howrocks.html Read about rocks, minerals, crystals, soil, erosion, the rock cycle, and more.

Howstuffworks “Physical Science Channel” http://science.howstuffworks.com/ physical-science-channel.htm This website explains the science behind everything from hot air balloons and microscopes to cameras and contact lenses.

How the Body Works http://www.kidshealth.org/kidhtbw/htbw_ main_page.html Learn more about your organs and body systems. This website includes lots of fun diagrams.

Science@NASA—Science Fun and Games http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/index.html The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has a special website for kids. It has information about NASA, Earth, the Sun, the solar system, and the universe.

47

INDEX aardvarks, itchy, 1, 5, 30–31 acronym, 16–17 animal groups, 30–31

nachos, 6

classification of living things, 28–29 clouds, 18–19

painless tricks for memorizing science facts, 4–44 photosynthesis, 34, 38–39 physical science, 20–27 planets, 6–7 plants, 17, 34–35, 38–39 play, 32–35 poems, 12–14, 18, 20–21

digestion, 36–37 dwarf planets, 7 Earth, 6, 7–8, 10, 16–17, 20 earth and space science, 6–19 ecosystem, 32–35 gas, 20–21, 33; carbon dioxide, 33, 38–39; oxygen, 10–11, 33, 38–39 hot dogs, 22 life science, 28–39 light, 24–27 matter, types of, 20–21 minerals, 15, 34–35 mnemonics, creating your own, 4–5 Moon, 9 mouse, small and laughing, 37

orbits, 8–9

rap, 24–27 rock types, 12–14 scientific method, 40–44 snow cones, 23 soil, 17, 34 song, 38–39 spiders, furry and green, 28–29 Sun, 6, 8–9, 32, 35, 38–39 temperature, 22–23 toad, old, quiet, and flustered, 15 water, 10–11, 17, 33, 35, 38–39; boiling point, 22–23; freezing point, 22–23

48

Brian P. Cleary

is the author of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical® series and the Math Is CATegorical® series, as well as The Laugh Stand: Adventures in Humor, Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book, Rhyme & PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay, and Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry. Mr. Cleary lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

J. P. Sandy has been

creating cartoons and humorous illustrations for newspapers, magazines, and greeting cards for twenty-five years. Mr. Sandy and his wife have two sons and a dog and live in Rocky River, Ohio.

Jacket Illustration by J. P. Sandy

j Millbrook Press

A division of Lerner Publishing Group 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. www.lernerbooks.com Printed and bound in U.S.A.

lso by Brian P. Cleary!

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abet Book A Very Silly Alph ntures in Poetry inbow Soup: Adve



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Rhyme & PUNish

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Adventures in Wor