Showing results by author "Amy Tao" in All Categories

Do you know how the buildings in your city got there? Before buildings are built, different types of machines that move the ground are used! Some are large like the excavator or digger that moves old ground and dirt away, preparing the space for a new building! A bulldozer clears away old stones and dirt. The scoop, called the loader, does many jobs–it smooths, scrapes or carries dirt away?

Have you ever flown on a plane and heard the pilot speaking in some kind of code? Now you can understand what he is saying! The alphabet is different for airplane pilots. Instead of ABC, pilots say Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. Learn this new way of communicating with Click and Jane as they use the phonetic alphabet and pretend to be airplane pilots!

No one knows for sure just how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. How could an ancient civilization have achieved this engineering feat? Perhaps the solution to this mystery can be answered with simple machines!

Do you know how the anatomy of the eye allows us to see colors? Learn about the part of the eye called cones. Cones are like sensors that detect colors. The more cones a person or animal has, the more colors the eye perceives. Can you guess if your pets see you in full color, or if you see your pets in full colors?

Learn about the basics of fossil hunting with Tray the Dog, including where to look and good habits to keep while hunting.

Take a look at your shadow in the sunshine. Try a shadow puppet. Learn how the sun's position in the sky affects your shadow.

Firefighter Greg has an important job to do–he helps people who are in danger of being hurt by fire. He has a lot of equipment to help him do his job. A computer inside the fire truck shows Firefighter Greg exactly which house to go to. Ladders, rigs, and tools help get the job done! Can you name other equipment that will be needed for Firefighter Greg to help others, and be safe? How can you be safe at your house to prevent fires?

Enjoy this collection of stories for children about life on the farm. In "Hector Helps Out", Calliope the hen enlists the help of Hector the rooster in an effort to retain her egg. They work to pull a fast one on Farmer Bean. Also included are nine other stories about animals and living on the farm: "Hatch!", "Fresh from the Farm", "Grandpa Drives a Milk Truck", "Mem and Grandpa at the Farm Stand", "Diggory Dog", "Fleece Fiber, Yarn Sweater", "Harvest Time with Papa", "Herbert, Hurry Up", and "A Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy".

Do you know how your ears can hear? Did you know they’re responsible for other things, too? For one thing, they keep you balanced on your feet! Learn about the anatomy of your ear and how its structure allows you to hear all the different noises you experience every day.

Have you ever wondered how plants grow? How does the plant stem know to grow up while the roots grow down? This book will teach children how gravity affects plants with a fun experiment to grow their own beans!

People use different ways to stay warm in the snow, and animals have unique ways to stay warm, too! Learn how these animals keep their bodies warm in the winter weather. The muskox sheds its furry undercoat each spring and grows a new one every winter. A seal has an extra layer under its fur coat called blubber–this thick layer of fat lies under the seal’s skin and is a great way to hold heat!

Inside every seed waits a tiny plant, ready to grow. Watch the process of a pumpkin plant from tiny seed to full-size fruit! You'll also see other plant seeds, which come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some can be as big as your head, but poppy seeds are so little you can hold hundreds in one hand!

Safety is important, no matter the location, whether on land or on sea! Children can explore the many boats that are used on the ocean. Tugboats, police boats, ice breaker boats, and rescue boats, all have a different purpose for helping people be safe or to provide rescue on the sea.

All of our pet dogs today have evolved from wild wolves. Humans began to tame wolves and then select their friendliest pups for keeping. Gradually, people learned how choose some dogs and breed them to do different jobs.

Do you know how buildings you see in your city got there? Before buildings are built, machines that move the ground are used! The excavator or digger move old ground away, preparing the space for a new building! A driver sits in the cab where all the fun begins! The tools to control the machine are inside the cab. Levers control the arms which do all the digging. How does the digger’s body move?

Dogs are amazing creatures with amazing bodies! Discover how fur protects their delicate skin, and which body parts gives them balance. Did you know dogs can wiggle their ears in many directions? Learn more facts about dogs and how their unique anatomy is different from other animals.

Learn what bird has the ability to sleep while flying through the sky–the albatross! With a wingspan of 10 feet, this sea bird glides over the warm Southern waters looking for squid and fish to eat! They spend most of their time flying except when eating or feeding babies. Parent duty is shared by these loyal birds who stay with their mate for life. Guess where the albatross flies to lay its egg?

Tiny creatures called microbes live in, and on your body that can be helpful. But some are bad like bacteria and viruses–in fact, they can make you sick! Your body needs medicine called antibiotics to fight and kill these germs so you can feel better. You must get a different medicine called a vaccine to keep from catching a virus.

Have you ever wondered why wheels are round and not triangles or squares? Try this activity to learn why wheels are the shape that they are.

Got a pair of old tights, an empty can or a plastic bottle that you plan to throw away? You can upcycle those old things and turn them into new items you can use! Upcycling is recycling in a better way! Learn how to make a decorative pencil holder, a draft dodger to keep the cold out, or turn plastic bottles into bowling pins. What things can you create to reduce the use of plastic and metal?