Central Kansas Library System

Why do children resemble their parents and siblings? Introducing young readers to the fascinating world of genetics, this educational resource presents the main concepts of the science, including what a chromosome does, how DNA is structured and how genetic inheritance works. Students learn about new discoveries in the field of genetics and how those discoveries have helped to cure or even prevent certain diseases, as well as examine controversial...

Why do humans walk on two legs? Why do fish have gills? Life on Earth is incredibly diverse and part of the reason for this is evolution, or the theory that living things change with time. Evolution: How Life Adapts to a Changing Environment explores the theory of evolution, its history, how we think it works, examples of creatures who have evolved in response to specific circumstances, and what this might mean for the future of our planet. For billions...

The FBI defines domestic terrorism as terrorism involving groups based in and operating entirely within the U.S. and its territories. According to the Global Terrorism Database, there have been 2,608 total attacks and 226 fatal attacks in the U.S. between 1970 and 2011. This thought-provoking edition focuses on issues related to domestic terrorism. It provides details on how domestic terrorism is different than other types of terrorism, the tactics...

The two-party system has long characterized American politics, but partisanship as it is understood today is a relatively recent phenomenon. Today, partisanship is not simply based on one's voting record but a totalizing sense of identification with one party over the other. Consequently, the American political climate is more polarized than ever before. Though this fact is often reported with alarm, it may be too soon to determine whether partisanship...

Can you imagine having to disable a bomb? Well, that is exactly what bomb disposal experts do every day around the world. Using robots equipped with cameras to see inside suspicious packages, to dogs with special training to sniff out explosive materials, it's all in a day's work for these brave, highly-trained individuals. Learn all about the ways bomb experts detect, disarm, and dispose of bombs and the way scientists are even training bees to become...

Dragons introduces you to one of the world's most popular legendary creatures. Learn where and why these legends began, how they are reflected in different cultures, and how they are understood today. Complete with well-researched, clearly written informational text, primary sources with accompanying questions, charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, and maps, multiple prompts, and more. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards....

Minerals are solid, naturally occurring substances that make up much of what we use in our daily lives, from household items and medicines to food and computers. Readers will learn how minerals form, how scientists identify and classify them, where they can be found, and how they are mined from the earth. Full of fascinating facts, content-specific vocabulary, and instructive images, this resource is a valuable look into how substances from the

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A fun way for middle schoolers to learn about chemistry, through food! Includes hands-on science projects and graphic novel type illustrations. Why does tomato sauce taste different from fresh tomatoes? Why does pasta go limp, when you cook it in boiling water? What makes ice cream melt? In The Chemistry of Food, middle school readers learn the science behind the food they love to eat as they explore the chemistry within the meal, how nutrition...

Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?In Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition, readers seek answers to these questions by comparing and contrasting the cultural, spiritual,...

The latest cutting-edge technology used in the field of medicine today is described in this book. Students learn how this technology can be used for disease diagnosis and treatment as well as the possibilities and potential for where medical technology will lead us in the future.