FOCUS Books Tips
Additional Science Books for Each Unit on High-Interest Topics
Getting Started
- FOCUS Book Teacher's Guide
FOCUS Books are additional science books on specific, high-interest topics for each Science A-Z instructional unit. The topic of each book helps students focus more deeply on individual concepts presented in the broader unit content. Each unit features multiple FOCUS Books with a mix of reading levels to support differentiated instruction.
FOCUS Books come with reading comprehension assessments and hands-on, inquiry-based science activities for students, plus instructional support for teachers. Students develop a deeper understanding of targeted science and engineering concepts by reading, writing, thinking, and doing.
Why Use FOCUS Books
Opportunities to
Construct an
Understanding of
Science
FOCUS Books help students dig deeper into high-interest science topics while helping you address language arts standards, such as the Common Core State Standards, and science standards, including the Next Generation Science Standards.*
Each FOCUS Book supports science and literacy skills within the structure of the book:
- A FOCUS Question on each book's title page sets a purpose for reading and identifies a crosscutting concept for the book.
- The Read-Think-Write page assesses students' reading comprehension and their understanding of the Disciplinary Core Ideas, strengthening the reading-writing connection.
- A hands-on, student-directed science experiment or engineering design challenge on the back cover of each book helps students to apply what they have learned and develop Scientific and Engineering Practices.
* Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards was involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
How to Use FOCUS Books
FOCUS Books are additional science books for each instructional unit that can be used in a variety of classroom scenarios:
- Introduce a Science A-Z instructional unit by reading a FOCUS Book.
- Extend unit instruction beyond Unit Nonfiction Books by having students read related FOCUS Books.
- Give students a choice of FOCUS Books for independent reading.
- Flip your classroom by having students read FOCUS Books at home and complete the experiments and engineering challenges at school.
The role of FOCUS Books as additional science books within each unit is to spark students' curiosity and inspire further exploration and discovery.
FOCUS Book Teaching Tips accompany each book and contain key features:
- A table that shows the connections to national science standards.
- A vocabulary list that provides key terms for pre-teaching (or front-loading).
- Answer keys that suggest responses for all assessment questions.
- Instructional supports that help you facilitate student-directed activities.
Life
Animals

Animals in the Ground
mid- Single-sided Book
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Animals of the Air
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Animals of the Deep Ocean
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Animals of the Deep Ocean Project Teaching Tips for Animals of the Deep OceanTeaching Tips
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Listen to Animals of the Deep Ocean Read Animals of the Deep Ocean See the Quiz for Animals of the Deep OceanDigital

Animals of the Ice and Snow
mid- Single-sided Book
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Animals of the Ice and Snow Project Teaching Tips for Animals of the Ice and SnowTeaching Tips
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Listen to Animals of the Ice and Snow Read Animals of the Ice and Snow See the Quiz for Animals of the Ice and SnowDigital

Animals of the Rivers
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Living/Non-Living

Amazing Cells
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Babies and Parents
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Baobab Trees
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Plastic
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Wonderful Water
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Plants

City Gardening
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Giant Sequoias
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Pinecones
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Powerful Plants
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Roses
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Senses

Dogs Smell!
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Helping People See and Hear
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Helping People See and Hear Project Teaching Tips for Helping People See and HearTeaching Tips
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Listen to Helping People See and Hear Read Helping People See and Hear See the Quiz for Helping People See and HearDigital

Where Are Its Eyes?
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Where Are You?
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Whiskers
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Earth & Space
Earth, Moon, and Sun

Apollo 11
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Goldilocks Planet
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Seasons and Sunlight
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Shadows in Space
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Shapes in the Night Sky
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Shapes in the Night Sky Project Teaching Tips for Shapes in the Night SkyTeaching Tips
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Listen to Shapes in the Night Sky Read Shapes in the Night Sky See the Quiz for Shapes in the Night SkyDigital
Weather

Cool Clouds
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Forecasting the Weather
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Forecasting the Weather Project Teaching Tips for Forecasting the WeatherTeaching Tips
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Listen to Forecasting the Weather Read Forecasting the Weather See the Quiz for Forecasting the WeatherDigital

Harmful Hurricanes
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Our Shining Star
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Snowflakes
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Earth's Surface

Along the Coast
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Arches National Park
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Impact Craters
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Land Under Water
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Valleys
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Physical
Doing Work

Animals That Do Work
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Building a House
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My Day of Work
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Trucks and Diggers
mid- Single-sided Book
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Working While Playing
mid- Single-sided Book
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Energy

Energy on the Playground
mid- Single-sided Book
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Energy on the Playground Project Teaching Tips for Energy on the PlaygroundTeaching Tips
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Listen to Energy on the Playground Read Energy on the Playground See the Quiz for Energy on the PlaygroundDigital

Heat in the Kitchen
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Is Light Good or Bad?
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Static Electricity
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The Sound of Drums
mid- Single-sided Book
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Light

Color Blindness
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Fireflies
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Fun House Mirrors
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Light From Space
mid- Single-sided Book
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Stained Glass
mid- Single-sided Book
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Properties

Homes Around the World
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Listen to Homes Around the World Read Homes Around the World See the Quiz for Homes Around the WorldDigital

I Made It!
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Let's Make Pictures!
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So Many Shoes!
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- Teaching Tips
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Yum! Yuck!
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Magnets

Finding North
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Magnet Magic
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Magnetic Rocks
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Magnets in Toys
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Magnets in the Home
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Things Move

Animals Move!
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What Goes Up Must Come Down
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for What Goes Up Must Come Down Project Teaching Tips for What Goes Up Must Come DownTeaching Tips
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Listen to What Goes Up Must Come Down Read What Goes Up Must Come Down See the Quiz for What Goes Up Must Come DownDigital

Jump Rope
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Let's Go to School!
mid- Single-sided Book
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Water Sports
mid- Single-sided Book
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Life
Vertebrates

Animals in Groups
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Extreme Amphibians
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Mammals of the Trees
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Our Wild Pets
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Vertebrates of Madagascar
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Vertebrates of Madagascar Project Teaching Tips for Vertebrates of MadagascarTeaching Tips
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Listen to Vertebrates of Madagascar Read Vertebrates of Madagascar See the Quiz for Vertebrates of MadagascarDigital
Invertebrates

Anemones
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Silky Spiderwebs
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Annelids: World of Worms
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Annelids: World of Worms Project Teaching Tips for Annelids: World of WormsTeaching Tips
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Listen to Annelids: World of Worms Read Annelids: World of Worms See the Quiz for Annelids: World of WormsDigital

Invertebrate Fossils
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Mouthparts for Every Meal
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Mouthparts for Every Meal Project Teaching Tips for Mouthparts for Every MealTeaching Tips
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Listen to Mouthparts for Every Meal Read Mouthparts for Every Meal See the Quiz for Mouthparts for Every MealDigital
Plant Life

Air Plants
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Deforestation
mid- Single-sided Book
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How a Flower Gets Its Color
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for How a Flower Gets Its Color Project Teaching Tips for How a Flower Gets Its ColorTeaching Tips
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Listen to How a Flower Gets Its Color Read How a Flower Gets Its Color See the Quiz for How a Flower Gets Its ColorDigital

Pollinators
mid- Single-sided Book
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- Teaching Tips
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Succulents
mid- Single-sided Book
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Traveling Seeds
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The Human Body

Asthma
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Exercise: Get Moving!
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Skin: It Has You Covered
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Skin: It Has You Covered Project Teaching Tips for Skin: It Has You CoveredTeaching Tips
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Listen to Skin: It Has You Covered Read Skin: It Has You Covered See the Quiz for Skin: It Has You CoveredDigital

Sports Injuries
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Your Hardworking Heart
mid- Single-sided Book
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Listen to Your Hardworking Heart Read Your Hardworking Heart See the Quiz for Your Hardworking HeartDigital
Life Cycles

Hot and Cold Reptiles
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Inheriting Stripes
mid- Single-sided Book
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Life in the Pouch
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Maggots, Grubs, and Nymphs
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Maggots, Grubs, and Nymphs Project Teaching Tips for Maggots, Grubs, and NymphsTeaching Tips
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Listen to Maggots, Grubs, and Nymphs Read Maggots, Grubs, and Nymphs See the Quiz for Maggots, Grubs, and NymphsDigital

Pollywogs and Friends
mid- Single-sided Book
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The Mermaid's Purse
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Veligers and Polyps
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Habitats / Environment

Bloomin' Algae
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Clever Animals
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Clever Camouflage
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Extreme Environments
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- Teaching Tips
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Habitats Then and Now
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Life Along the Colorado
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Life Along the Colorado Project Teaching Tips for Life Along the ColoradoTeaching Tips
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Listen to Life Along the Colorado Read Life Along the Colorado See the Quiz for Life Along the ColoradoDigital
Earth & Space
The Solar System

Comets
high- Single-sided Book
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- Teaching Tips
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Galileo's Moons
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- Teaching Tips
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Missions to Mars
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- Teaching Tips
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The Asteroid Belt
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- Teaching Tips
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The Outer Solar System
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Listen to The Outer Solar System Read The Outer Solar System See the Quiz for The Outer Solar SystemDigital
Clouds, Wind, and Storms

Fog
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Ice Storms
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Mountain Winds
mid- Single-sided Book
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- Teaching Tips
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Storm Chasers
mid- Single-sided Book
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Thunderstorms
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Minerals, Rocks, and Soil

Diamonds
mid- Single-sided Book
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- Teaching Tips
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Fossils
mid- Single-sided Book
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- Teaching Tips
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Minerals in a Computer
high- Single-sided Book
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Listen to Minerals in a Computer Read Minerals in a Computer See the Quiz for Minerals in a ComputerDigital

Moon Rocks
mid- Single-sided Book
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Quicksand!
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Physical
Machines

Let's Ride a Bike!
mid- Single-sided Book
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Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep Oceans
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Print Single-sided PDF for Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep Oceans Project Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep OceansSingle-sided Book
- Double-sided Book
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep Oceans Project Teaching Tips for Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep OceansTeaching Tips
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Listen to Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep Oceans Read Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep Oceans See the Quiz for Spaceship Motions and Deep, Deep OceansDigital

The Mole Machine
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Waterwheels and Windmills
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Waterwheels and Windmills Project Teaching Tips for Waterwheels and WindmillsTeaching Tips
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Listen to Waterwheels and Windmills Read Waterwheels and Windmills See the Quiz for Waterwheels and WindmillsDigital

Wrecking Ball vs. Strong Wall
mid- Single-sided Book
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Wrecking Ball vs. Strong Wall Project Teaching Tips for Wrecking Ball vs. Strong WallTeaching Tips
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Listen to Wrecking Ball vs. Strong Wall Read Wrecking Ball vs. Strong Wall See the Quiz for Wrecking Ball vs. Strong WallDigital
Heat Energy

Campfire Science
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Get Cool, Stay Cool!
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Get Warm, Stay Warm!
mid- Single-sided Book
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Science Friction
mid- Single-sided Book
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The Heat of Kilauea
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Sound

Animal Ears
mid- Single-sided Book
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Animal Sounds
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Making Music
mid- Single-sided Book
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Seeing Sound
mid- Single-sided Book
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Shhh!
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Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Changing States
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Gases in Your World
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Metallurgy
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Plasma: The Fourth State
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Print Teaching Tips PDF for Plasma: The Fourth State Project Teaching Tips for Plasma: The Fourth StateTeaching Tips
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Listen to Plasma: The Fourth State Read Plasma: The Fourth State See the Quiz for Plasma: The Fourth StateDigital

Strange Fluids
mid- Single-sided Book
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Life
Food Chains

Apex Predators
mid- Single-sided Book
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Plants vs. Animals
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