Extinction: What Happened to the Dinosaurs, Mastodons, and Dodo Birds?

Have you seen a dodo bird recently? Do you have mastodons playing in your back yard? Not likely—these species are extinct! In Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, more than 5 billion species have gone extinct, some of them at the same time. In Extinction: What Happened to the Dinosaurs, Mastodons, and Dodo Birds? kids ages 9 to 12 learn about the scientific detective work scientists perform to find out why mass extinctions happen. Perfect for middle school science classes, homeschool STEM units, and any kid interested in paleontology, archeology, or biology! Fun illustrations, links to videos and other online primary sources, and lots of scientific trivia make this book fun, educational, and critical reading as we stand on the edge of what could be the sixth mass extinction. Try these hands-on STEM projects! • Draw a geological timeline • Create your own fossil • Investigate rock strata • Simulate the effects of ocean acidification • Build a pollution detection device • Make recycled paper