This unique book combines state-specific facts and 30 fun-to-do hands-on projects. The Current Events Projects Book includes writing a current event news story that takes place 100 years from now, creating a timeline of recent state events, editing state stories in a current newspaper, writing and broadcasting a short news story and more! Kids will have a blast and build essential knowledge skills including research, reading, writing, science and math. Great for students in K-8 grades and for displaying in the classroom, library or home.

This unique book combines state-specific facts and 30 fun-to-do hands-on projects. The People Projects Book includes using sidewalk chalk to draw a life-sized state People on Parade, making a diversity flag, writing a poem about a state poet, designing a scrapbook of famous state women and more! Kids will have a blast and build essential knowledge skills including research, reading, writing, science and math. Great for students in K-8 grades and for displaying in the classroom, library or home.

This unique book combines state-specific facts and 30 fun-to-do hands-on projects. The Geography Projects Book includes creating a montage of the wildlife that lives in your state using cut-out pictures, recreating the path of a state river with pipe cleaners, building a state tree from fresh or dried leaves or needles from as many types of trees as possible, testing soil samples and more! Kids will have a blast and build essential knowledge skills including research, reading, writing, science and math. Great for students in K-8 grades and for displaying in the classroom, library or home.

Exploring Michigan through Project-Based Leaning includes 50 well-thought-out projects designed for grades 3-5. In assigning your students projects that dig into MichiganÕs geography, history, government, economy, current events, and famous people, you will deepen their appreciation and understanding of Michigan while simultaneously improving their analytical skills and ability to recognize patterns and big-picture themes. Project-based learning today is much different than the craft-heavy classroom activities popular in the past. Inquiry, planning, research, collaboration, and analysis are key components of project-based learning activities today. However, that doesnÕt mean creativity, individual expression, and fun are out. They definitely arenÕt! Each project is designed to help students gain important knowledge and skills that are derived from standards and key concepts at the heart of academic subject areas. Students are asked to analyze and solve problems, to gather and interpret data, to develop and evaluate solutions, to support their answers with evidence, to think critically in a sustained way, and to use their newfound knowledge to formulate new questions worthy of exploring. While some projects are more complex and take longer than others, they all are set up in the same structure. Each begins with the central project-driving questions, proceeds through research and supportive questions, has the student choose a presentation option, and ends with a broader-view inquiry. Rubrics for reflection and assessments are included, too. This consistent framework will make it easier for you assign projects and for your students to follow along and consistently meet expectations. Encourage your students to take charge of their projects as much as possible. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and guide. The projects are structured such that students can often work through the process on their own or through cooperation with their classmates.

In what ways can universities around the world mobilize their resources to create more just and prosperous communities, while at the same time educating civic leaders? This collaboration from university professors, community partners, and students looking to inspire higher education reform seeks to answer that question. Regional Perspectives on Learning by Doing offers a diverse array of innovative teaching and research strategies from engaged universities—from Australia, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, Scotland, South Africa, and the United States—that demonstrates how learning by doing elevates students’ consciousness and develops their civic capabilities. While dealing creatively with pressing societal challenges, university students and others are learning together how to operate effectively in high- conflict situations; fashion bold approaches to combating poverty, promoting sustainability, and elevating public health; organize coalitions for change that bridge social and economic divides; and strengthen democratic decision-making in local communities and higher levels of governance. Students and teachers alike will gain valuable insight into building thriving communities as well as the tools to do so.

Rehabilitation of brownfields, particularly those which are contaminated can be an expensive undertaking and requires not only technical solutions but the involvement of financial, regulatory and community stakeholders. Fundamental to this process is the analysis of the risks involved and the development of the appropriate strategies. Those need to be weighted against the economic and social benefits of brownfield development, to assess the general viability of the redevelopment. In most cases the demand for development land drives the process forward, while sometimes the rehabilitation is grounded on the wish to restore the landscape and the ecology of a region. This volume contains the proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Prevention, Assessment, Rehabilitation and Development of Brownfield Sites that was held in Cephalonia (Greece) in May 2008. Brownfield development is in most cases essential to attract new business to the locality and for the creation of healthy communities. Therefore, there is a great need for deeper research and study of all aspects of the problem - technical, institutional, financial, social - and an exchange of ideas, know-how and experience among experts and scientists. The proceedings have been arranged into the following sections: Rehabilitation of Brownfields; Development Issues; Remediation Studies and Technologies; Case Studies; Risk Assessment and Management; Community and Public Involvement.

The Great Lakes are the largest collection of fresh surface water on earth, and more than 40 million Americans and Canadians live in their basin. Will we divert water from the Great Lakes, causing them to end up like Central Asia's Aral Sea, which has lost 90 percent of its surface area and 75 percent of its volume since 1960? Or will we come to see that unregulated water withdrawals are ultimately catastrophic? Peter Annin writes a fast-paced account of the people and stories behind these upcoming battles. Destined to be the definitive story for the general public as well as policymakers, The Great Lakes Water Wars is a balanced, comprehensive look behind the scenes at the conflicts and compromises that are the past-and future-of this unique resource.

An indispensable resource for anyone wanting to create, maintain, improve, understand, or use the diverse information resources within a sci-tech library. Providing cutting-edge practices and tools in library and information science as well as a historical perspective on science and technology resources, Science and Technology Resources: A Guide for Information Professionals and Researchers begins with an overview of the nature of sci-tech literature, the information-seeking behavior of scientists and engineers, and an examination of the research cycle. Each of the 12 chapters focuses on a specific format, showcasing specific examples and representative resources in current practice. This practical guide will be invaluable to librarians, information specialists, engineering and science professionals, and students interested in acquiring a practical knowledge of science and technology resources. The comprehensive subject bibliographies provide a sci-tech library administrator with the resources to develop and maintain an effective science, technology, and engineering collection.