This elementary-level counterpart to the award-winning "Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands" teaches elementary kids about the earth's water crisis and empowers them to do something about it. Filled with facts about our waters, their inhabitants, and the threats they face, "Make a Splash!" presents inspiring stories of kids in action and practical tips for making a difference. In fun and age appropriate language, kids are introduced to the ideas behind service learning - a rapidly growing teaching strategy that combines academic learning and community service. Kids interested in nature and the environment will enjoy "Make a Splash!" Service learning groups, youth groups, science teachers, and teachers of conservation and environmentalism units will find it a valuable resource. The back matter includes book and Web resources as well as an afterword for adults, and a teacher's guide is available online.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Message from Philippe Cousteau
You’re All Wet. No, Really!
Our Water Planet
Getting Ready for the Dive
Stage 1: Explore ?Investigate
Water by the Numbers
Wonderful Water
Tap Into Clean Water
Bottled Up
Water, Close to Home
Stage 2: Go Deeper ?Prepare
The Big Blue Ocean
Coral Reefs
A Changing Climate
Piles of Pollution
Stage 3: Get Going ?Take Action
Splash into Action
Turn Your Ideas into Action
Make a Plan
Spread the Word
Making Memories
Stage 4: Think Back ?Reflect
Your Memory Album
Stage 5: Tell Others ?Demonstrate
Speak Up for Water
What’s Next?
Watery Books and Websites
Afterword for Teachers, Youth Leaders, Parents, & Other Adults
Sources
Index
About the Authors
About the Author :
Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., is an international service learning and education consultant and a former classroom teacher.
She presents at conferences around the world and works with state departments of education, university faculty and students, school districts, and classroom teachers on a variety of education issues such as service learning, civic responsibility, student leadership, and respectful school communities.
Cathryn lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Barry, and frequently visits her daughters, Ariel and Devora.
Philippe Cousteau has established himself as a prominent leader in the environmental movement.
An award-winning television host, producer, author, speaker, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur, Philippe is the son of Philippe Cousteau Sr. and grandson of Jacques Cousteau. His life’s mission is to empower people to recognize their ability to change the world. Philippe is a special correspondent for CNN International where he has hosted several award-winning shows including Going Green and Expedition Sumatra. He is also the host of the syndicated series Amazing Planet.
As an author, Philippe has cowritten many books including Going Blue and Make a Splash!, both of which have won multiple awards including Learning Magazine’s 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family, a Gold Nautilus Award, and a 2010 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Gold Award.
His philanthropic efforts are focused on solving global social and environmental problems. In 2004, Philippe founded EarthEcho International, a leading environmental education organization that is creating a whole new generation of environmental citizens; Philippe is also founder of The Global Echo Foundation, which provides resources to solve many of the challenges facing the world community, from social issues impacting women and children to environmental conservation, as well as supporting social entrepreneurship.
Philippe serves on the Board of Directors of the Ocean Conservancy, the National Environmental Education Foundation, and the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund. Philippe has also testified to Congress on issues of ocean management and off-shore drilling. Philippe’s travels have taken him diving, rock climbing, trekking, and snowboarding around the world. From expeditions in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to war-torn Sarajevo, where he provided humanitarian aid, he has learned that exploring the connections between humans and the environment are as important as exploring nature itself.
He holds a master’s degree in history from the University of St. Andrews.
Philippe and his wife, fellow adventurer Ashlan Gorse-Cousteau, reside in Los Angeles California.
EarthEcho International is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster extraordinary leaders to take action to restore and protect our oceans. Led by Philippe Cousteau, EarthEcho’s programs are dedicated to the legacy of his father, Philippe Cousteau Sr., whose devotion to the conservation and restoration of the oceans is one that can be shared by all people.
Review :
“Make A Splash! clearly illustrates how various water issues affect people, animals, and the environment while providing young people practical ways to improve their local water sources. Full of great stories, facts, and tools, Make A Splash! is an excellent resource to help youth plan water-focused service learning adventures in their own backyards.”
“Make A Splash! clearly illustrates how various water issues affect people, animals, and the environment while providing young people practical ways to improve their local water sources. Full of great stories, facts, and tools, Make A Splash! is an excellent resource to help youth plan water-focused service learning adventures in their own backyards.”
Written in an informal, almost chatty style, this readable narrative provides a solid base of scientific information and flows from one topic to the next smoothly and logically. Interesting facts are highlighted in text boxes of different shapes and colors, and questions are asked and answered throughout. The author uses italics to accentuate important information, e.g., “…nearly two-thirds of all the fish and shellfish we eat once lived in estuaries.” Terms, with pronunciation guides, are defined in context. Full-color photographs and drawings as well as line drawings (think coloring books) illustrate every page. Good ideas for water conservation from second graders at a Texas elementary school are sprinkled throughout in droplet-shaped boxes. Boys and girls from around the world are featured, and a lot of doable activities are suggested for individuals and groups. Jam-packed with readily accessible information and ideas, this is an engaging addition to science and environmental collections.
Written in an informal, almost chatty style, this readable narrative provides a solid base of scientific information and flows from one topic to the next smoothly and logically. Interesting facts are highlighted in text boxes of different shapes and colors, and questions are asked and answered throughout. The author uses italics to accentuate important information, e.g., “…nearly two-thirds of all the fish and shellfish we eat once lived in estuaries.” Terms, with pronunciation guides, are defined in context. Full-color photographs and drawings as well as line drawings (think coloring books) illustrate every page. Good ideas for water conservation from second graders at a Texas elementary school are sprinkled throughout in droplet-shaped boxes. Boys and girls from around the world are featured, and a lot of doable activities are suggested for individuals and groups. Jam-packed with readily accessible information and ideas, this is an engaging addition to science and environmental collections.
“The first time a child sees an ocean or a great river, magic happens. Make A Splash! reaches for the hearts of all young people who love wild water, and who want to do something to keep it pure and everlasting.”
“The first time a child sees an ocean or a great river, magic happens. Make A Splash! reaches for the hearts of all young people who love wild water, and who want to do something to keep it pure and everlasting.”
“A comprehensive, entertaining primer that focuses equally on water conservation and on how children learn and can act on their knowledge and interests. Former teacher Kaye provides a multitude of conservation approaches, including a series of ‘Kids in Action’ profiles that will encourage young readers to tackle and accomplish valuable community service projects.”
“A comprehensive, entertaining primer that focuses equally on water conservation and on how children learn and can act on their knowledge and interests. Former teacher Kaye provides a multitude of conservation approaches, including a series of ‘Kids in Action’ profiles that will encourage young readers to tackle and accomplish valuable community service projects.”
Similar to Kaye and Cousteau’s Going Blue (2010) in its approach, this large-format paperback targets a younger audience. Clearly reproduced on glossy pages, eye-catching colorful photos and digital drawings illustrate many aspects of water on Earth, while the text provides information and tells stories of children in elementary schools around the world who have translated their own environmental concerns into action. The presentation jumps from topic to topic, and potentially unfamiliar terms such as estuary are discussed but not always clearly defined. However, while more traditionally informative books often end with tepid lists of tips on water conservation, this one infuses every chapter with inspiration and gives dozens of examples in which kids are agents of change in their communities. Creating an energizing, upbeat tone, the writers don’t plead for help; they ask, “Which kind of action will you choose?”—
Similar to Kaye and Cousteau’s Going Blue (2010) in its approach, this large-format paperback targets a younger audience. Clearly reproduced on glossy pages, eye-catching colorful photos and digital drawings illustrate many aspects of water on Earth, while the text provides information and tells stories of children in elementary schools around the world who have translated their own environmental concerns into action. The presentation jumps from topic to topic, and potentially unfamiliar terms such as estuary are discussed but not always clearly defined. However, while more traditionally informative books often end with tepid lists of tips on water conservation, this one infuses every chapter with inspiration and gives dozens of examples in which kids are agents of change in their communities. Creating an energizing, upbeat tone, the writers don’t plead for help; they ask, “Which kind of action will you choose?”—
“This excellent book not only gives readers interesting information that is presented in a clever and engaging way, but it also empowers children by showing them that there are lots of things that they can do to save the world’s water.”
“This excellent book not only gives readers interesting information that is presented in a clever and engaging way, but it also empowers children by showing them that there are lots of things that they can do to save the world’s water.”
