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NEW
LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS FOR MEMBERS'
LENDING
AUGUST
-- 2000
California Academy of Sciences Library
| Books | Children's Books | Multimedia & Audio/Visual | Curriculum Guides |
Pub. SB990.5
.U6 C68 1999
Alien Species in
North America and Hawaii: Impacts on Natural Ecosystems / George W.
Cox. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1999.
This volume attempts to
provide a comprehensive overview of the invasive species phenomenon, the threats
it poses, and the damage that has already been done. An alien species is also
known by the terms exotic, nonindigenous, and nonnative species. They are life
forms whose occurrence and dispersal in a region has been facilitated by human
activity.
Hawaii, Florida, and California are the states most effected by exotic species,
and Hawaii is by far the worst off of the three. Some of the introduction of
exotic species in these and other areas are deliberate; plants and animals brought
for food or sport out perform the native environment they are placed into. Released
pets and escaped animals also have an impact, as do people who empty their aquariums
in oceans, ponds, and lakes. Cars, trucks, trains, planes, ships, and other
forms of transportation are a major factor in introduction. They unknowingly
bring a species to a new region on their tires or in their holds. Whether it
is deliberate or accidental, humans are the principal cause of the dispersal
of exotic species.
The book contains a literature cited portion, a glossary, Internet resources for exotic species, and a cross-referenced index.
Pub. QL638.9
.P37 1999
The Encyclopedia
of Sharks / Steve Parker and Jane Parker. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books,
1999.
Did you know that sharks are found in all the worlds oceans? The largest shark, and the largest fish, is the whale shark. It can grow to 66 feet long and weigh 44 tons! People have always been fascinated by sharks, and here is a book meant to satisfy your curiosity. With loads of information on every page, it would be hard to have a question about sharks that this book could not answer.
Color photographs, maps, charts, a glossary, and an index are all included.
Pub. QL82
.A48 1997.
Endangered!: Exporing
a World at Risk / Ross MacPhee and Jesse Boggs. New York, NY:
American Museum of Natural History, 1997.
This volume is a guidebook to a past exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. The book guides you through the exhibit, stopping at particular species that are in danger of extinction. Some of the profiled species include the komodo dragon, cheetah, and American crocodile.
There are 30 stops and 30 profiled animals. The groupings are divided by region, and each stop includes the status, size, habitat, population, current range, and conservation information. The guidebook also includes maps, drawings, and suggested readings.
Pub. QH309
.C65 1999
Inside the World
of Life / David J. Combs, Ph.D. Los Angeles, CA: California Science
Center, 1999.
This volume from the California
Science Center concentrates on the five life processes that all living things
share. These process are featured in their exhibit The World of Life and are
taking in energy, taking in supplies and getting rid of waste, reacting to the
world around us, defending ourselves, and reproducing and passing on genetic
information.
Vivid color photographs of the exhibit, and people interacting with the exhibits,
are included in the volume, as well as sections called "See for Yourself" and
"Behind the Scenes."
Pub. NK7301.5
.M63 P37 2000
Parures De La Mer.
Monaco: Musée Océanographique, c2000.
Parures De La Mer
roughly translates from French to ornaments of the sea. This book is an exhibition
catalog of a current exhibit, running May through September of 2000 at the Musée
Océanographique in Monaco. The exhibit focuses on the influence of the sea and
material from marine life on ornamentation and accessories.
Traditionally, parures has meant adornment, and there are plenty examples
of adornment in the color photographs included in this volume. The ornaments
are all related to the sea in some way, and the materials used to create them
include red coral, ornaments of shells, leather of fish, tortoise shell, ambergris,
the oil for perfume, the furs of the sea, pearls, marine ivory, and marine silk.
Although the text is in French, the pictures are lovely and worth looking at
even for the non-French speaker.
Pub. E99
.M19 M67 1987
Portrait in Time:
Photographs of the Makah by Samuel G. Morse, 1896-1903.
Seattle, WA: Makah Cultural and Research Center, 1987.
The photographs in this
book were taken by Samuel Morse between 1896 and 1903 while he was an Indian
Agent of the Neah Bay Agency. The community nicknamed him "Chief Morses." He
photographed the Makah not as curiosities, but as people with a distinct and
unique culture. The book contains background information on Morse, as well.
The volume is divided into sections such as "School Vs. Family" and "Evolving
Technologies," with each section beginning with a narrative introduction. The
photos are also captioned to provide more information. The work also contains
an outline of recorded Makah history and a glossary of Makah words for photography
terms.
Pub. QH541.15
.B56 S34 1998
Scientists on Biodiversity.
New York, NY: The American Museum of Natural History, 1998.
This volume from The American
Museum of Natural History contains individually written essays on biodiversity,
case studies, and profiles of people working to maintain biodiversity. The three
sections flesh out six chapters in the volume: "Overview," "The Importance of
Biodiversity, "What Have We Lost, What Are we Losing," "Extinctions," "Threats
to Biodiversity," and "Solutions and Strategies."
The book also contains photographs, a bibliography, and a list of web resources.
Pub. QH313
.W68 1994
WOW!: A Biodiversity
Primer. Washington, D.C.: World Wildlife Fund, 1994.
Just what is biodiversity? Why is it important? What kinds of careers can you have if you're working to protect biodiversity? Many questions are examined and answered in this Biodiversity Primer. One of the interesting things in this item is that you can learn how what you might see at a shopping center effects biodiversity all over the world. This volume really works to bring home the idea of biodiversity and human impact, both positive and negative, through interviews, articles, color photos, and illustrations.
Pub. Juv
QH 541.15 .B56 D66 1998
Biodiversity: It
Takes All Kinds to Make a World / Sydney L. Donahoe. New York, NY: American
Museum of Natural History, 1998.
"Bio means 'life,' and diversity means 'variety.' Biodiversity means 'variety of life.'" In this brightly colored and illustrated magazine, the idea of biodiversity is explained. Why is biodiversity good for you? Why is it threatened? Those are just two of the many questions answered.
There are also games, a how you can help section, and challenges to explore.
Pub. Juv
QL452.2 .S68 1991
Eight Legs /
D. M. Souza. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1991.
A lot of great facts are
presented in this little book. There are more than 40,000 known types spiders.
You can learn more about them in this book, which includes a glossary, index,
color photos, bolded words within the text for new concepts, and information
about daddy longlegs, scorpions, and mites!
Pub. Juv
QL452.2 .W63 1992
The Spider /
Luise Woelflein. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1992.
Eeeek! My goodness! No
one told when I opened this book that there was a giant pop-up spider in the
very center! The text of the book is on the edges, and the giant spider gets
star billing, but there is a lot of useful information inside.
Illustrations and other interactive or pop-up items are included. Did you know that only one half of all known spiders spin webs? Among other information, learn here that the spider has 8 legs and 2 main body parts with a thin waist. You can also learn about the different kinds of spiders. Hunters include tarantulas and jumping spiders. Web spinners include the orb weaving and purseweb spiders.
Pub. Juv
E17 .M44 1997
Women Explorers in
North and South America / Margo McLoone. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press,
1997.
This book takes on a sometimes
forgotten area of exploration, exploration by women. An easy to understand first
chapter talks about what an explorer is, the differences between exploration
and traveling, and the dangers that explorers face. From there, the book profiles
five women.
The book also includes a chronology, maps, photographs, a glossary, where to read more, Internet sites, and an index.
Pub. AV&M
GV199.44 .E85 E93 1998
Everest: The Death
Zone. Boston,
MA: WGBH Educational Foundation, c1998.
This video, narrated by Jodie Foster and produced for the PBS series NOVA, takes you to a place that few people go. Mount Everest is dangerous, and no one knows that better than David Breashears, a member of the IMAX crew that was on the mountain in 1996 when eight people died in one day. He's back on the mountain the next year, however, to help with tests about how altitude effects the mind and body.
For every six successful attempts on Everest, one person will die. That fact is one of the reasons that scientists at the University of Washington are helping to conduct tests at high altitude. The first tests take place at sea level before the climbers leave, and not only are they establishing a baseline, they are also hoping to predict who will do well at high altitude. One of the primary questions is: Does climbing in high altitude cause brain damage?
We watch the climbers take their tests at basecamp and then further up the mountain at camps 1, 2, 3, and 4. It is very obvious as they take the psychometric tests that there is deterioration in cognitive ability as they get higher up the mountain. The tests include memorization, true/false, and comprehension. The viewer also gets descriptions of what is happening to the body at various altitudes from the high altitude physicians involved in the project.
During the filming, one of the climbers became very ill and that made for even
more drama! NOVA produced a web site to go along with the program, and it's
still available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/expeditions/97/.
Among other information, it provides access to the dispatches from the journey.
Pub. QH541.15
.B56 B5792 1999
Biodiversity Basics:
An Educator's Guide to Exploring the Web of Life.
Tustin, CA: Acorn Naturalists, 1999.
This curriculum and its
companion volume, Biodiversity Basics: Student Book, target the 6th through
9th grade student and teacher. The book contains an "Introduction," "Background
Information for Educators," "Activities," and a lengthy section of "Appendices."
Thirty-four activities are featured over four chapters. Each activity contains
easy to read information about what a teacher can expect from the activity:
Subjects involved, skills, vocabulary, time, materials, connections to other
activities in the book, and connections to the Biodiversity Education Conceptual
Framework found in the appendix. The activities cover a broad range of topics
and many are tied to larger concepts.
The appendices in the volume provide a wealth of information. Along with a glossary,
there is also the Biodiversity Education Conceptual Framework, an activities
overview, subject and skills matrices, and other resources for teaching about
biodiversity.
If you are seriously interested in this volume, you definitely want to take
a look at the Biodiversity Basics: Student Book, as well.
Pub. Juv.
QH541.15 .B56 B579 1999
Biodiversity Basics:
Student Work.
Tustin, CA: Acorn Naturalists, 1999.
This book is the companion
volume to Biodiversity Basics: An Educator's Guide to Exploring the Web of
Life. It contains all of the student pages from the Educator's Guide,
arranged and grouped in the same manner, but allows for easier copying. Many
of the instructions are only available in the other volume, but the Student
Book is a valuable resource.
Pub. QH77
.C2 T46 2000
S.O.S., Saving Our
Species: Activites to Tach About Endangered Species and Habitat Preservation.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Calgary/Banff
Chapter, 2000.
Fifteen activities are provided
in this volume that focuses on learning about endangered species and habitat
preservation. Each activity contains information for teachers, worksheets, required
materials, and more. The guide was put together by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Society to provide students and teachers with help in learning and teaching
about life in Alberta. An added feature is that the provides a list from the
Committee on the Status Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) that includes
the 307 species listed as at risk in 1999, and also adds the 32 more for the
year 2000. Definitions, organizations, and useful web sites are also included
in the guide. Many of the worksheets are also available at http://www.cpawscalgary.org/education/.
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August 29, 2000
