Grade 6 - Social Studies - Sustainable Development: Books

The middle, western, and southern regions of Africa have experienced more than their share of turmoil, civil wars, corruption, and disease. Each country has a rich and interesting history that has contributed to its current human rights status. Governments and economies contribute the most to each country's social progress.

Since some of the countries in northern and eastern Africa are considered the poorest in the world, many nonprofit and governmental agencies have partnered with their governments to assist them. Some programs help them obtain food; others assist with medical resources; while still others help to provide money to fund the building of much-needed infrastructure.

Describes the history of the cultivation and use of bananas including the impact on agriculture, business organizations, and the environment.

A portrait of corn that describes its physical makeup, beginnings in Mesoamerica, spread to Europe, growing and harvesting, genetic modifications, products, and diseases and pests.

Describes the history of the cultivation and use of cotton including the impact on slavery, urbanization, and industry.

Presents an illustrated history of the potato, various varieties of potatoes, how they grow, and the effects of the Irish potato famine in 1845.

An introduction to silk, a luxury fabric, explaining where it is produced and how it is made, looking at the lives of silkworms, and discussing the ancient tradition of silk in China, as well as its use in Europe and the United States.

Examines the hidden history and geography behind those tiny bottles in the kitchen. Exciting text and historic images explain to children how spices inspired explorers to seek new trade routes in earlier centuries, and how spices have been used to cure the sick, flavor foods, and make perfume.

With the use of colorful images and maps, details how sugar grows, which countries produce it, and the sour history of slavery and exploitation that surrounded its early production.

Presents an illustrated history of the tomato, how they were used in Europe during the 1500s to cure ailments, and their introduction into American culture.

An introduction to vanilla, explaining what it is, where it comes from, and the history of its use and spread throughout the world, and discussing how vanilla is grown, and its economic importance.

A portrait of wheat that describes its physical makeup; early history; importance in medieval Europe and the New World; growing, harvesting, and processing; products; and diseases and pests and discusses the Dust Bowl, the Green Revolution, and wheat's future.

Describes evolution, Earth's ecosystems, the history of extinction, the impacts of pollution, climate change, habitat loss, overharvesting of animals and plants, and other factors on the biosphere, and the importance of biodiversity and its protection.

Informational text, expert analysis, and seminal public documents enlighten students about the garbage situation we are facing, which not only includes mountains of food scraps and discarded possessions, but hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste as well.

Examines the social and economic conditions of Central America and the Caribbean, and discusses challenges for the future.

Through expert analysis, informational text, and excerpts from public documents, readers are introduced to the subject of climate change and how it is affecting the world around us.

Explains how climate works, looks at natural and human causes of climate change, examines the effects of climate change on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, discusses the consequences of global warming, and considers what can be done to address the problem.

Explores climate change, including what it is, how it affects individuals, communities, and the world, and how to approach different perspectives about this issue.

Nations in the region have withstood colonialism and its legacies as well as many modern wars. Measures of social progress range from the very high to the very low. On measures of physical health, people in the region generally fare well, but personal rights and freedoms vary greatly from place to place. From China to New Zealand, it is a region of contrasts, with a variety of approaches to bringing the best of life to most people.

Provides information about the environment through essays, charts, and tables, discussing topics such as global warming, acid rain, the depletion and conservation of natural resources, renewable energy, and waste disposal.

In Eurasia, two countries have dominated the political, economic, and social landscape for centuries, Russia and Turkey.

Explores questions surrounding how we prepare and eat our food. Discusses genetically modified foods, regulation of the food industry, benefits and concerns of food technology, and what to expect in the future.

This thought-provoking book looks at the way changing ideas about the environment and sustainability have affected the way we obtain our food, and will do so in the future.

Collects essays, articles, speeches, and other documents discussing global views on garbage and recycling, garbage issues around the world, the importance of recycling, and other related topics.

Introduces the various uses of land and the effects of humans on the environment, discussing wild lands, forests, food production, mineral resource extraction, power generation, urban areas, and waste disposal, and exploring the concept of sustainability.

Describes the humanitarian relief efforts of the United Nations from providing food, health care, and education when lives have been disrupted, to addressing the needs of children, and assisting refugees in conflict zones.

Looks at Earth as a water planet, discussing its freshwater and how it is used, describing the many pollutants that are released into the environment and their effect on human health and ecosystems, looking at what is being done to address the problem, and including a case study of water pollution in the Great Lakes.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patchshines a light on the giant accumulation of garbage in the Pacific Ocean. With abundant charts and diagrams and large-format photos, this title explores the science behind ocean currents and plastic's chemical composition to explain the threat trash, especially plastic, poses for the world's oceans, and considers actions people and governments can take to try to improve the situation.

In this region where three major religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam originated, Islam is the most widely followed. Religious differences have caused tensions throughout the regions history even among those of the Islamic faith. The Near East is also characterized by great economic differences, from very rich oil-producing countries to very poor nations experiencing political instability. Moreover, fresh water is scarce in this part of the Earth.

North America is vast in area, rich in natural resources, and diverse in culture. It is divided into three of the worlds largest countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. All former European colonies, today the three countries have democratic governments and enjoy many personal freedoms and constitutional rights. Economically interdependent, they form a major trading bloc where each relies on imports and exports from the other two. Canada ranked an impressive sixth in the world in the SocialProgress Index.

Water is one of Earth's hot environmental topics. The scarcity of clean drinking water will have dramatic consequences for humanity in the 21st century: water disputes could spark regional conflict, while increased desertification and drought could affect world food supplies and the future of farming.

Evaluates a situation quickly coming to the forefront of our cultural consciousness. Through expert analysis, informational text, and seminal public documents, the problem is assessed and evaluated in a manner that makes readers understand the urgency of the situation. Take Action boxes provide suggestions on what teens can do to help.

Explores how human activity affects the Earth, e.g. effects of human activity on groundwater and surface water, habitat destruction, construction, emissions, and pollution.

Explore beyond the headlines on the topic of the environment, learning how this issue is treated in the news and how to separate truth from spin.

Examines the sources of renewable energy and weighs the pros and cons of different energy sources to enable readers to make their own informed opinions about which resources are the best choice for different uses. Offers twenty hands-on activities as well as links to online primary sources.

Sustainable freshwater supplies are critical to the survival of humanity, but rivers, lakes, and aquifers are under threat. Scientific tools and technologies are being put to work to desalinate water, clean up pollution, and efficiently wring every drop from existing supplies.

South America is a continent of great diversity, rich natural resources, and stunning beauty. South Americans share a dramatic history of rich civilizations lost to European conquest in the 1500s. Today, the region enjoys relative political stability and economic growth, but some areas suffer from uncontrolled crime, violence, and corruption.

The nations of South and Central Asia are as fascinating as they are diverse. Ranging from the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia to war-torn Afghanistan to the tiny mountain nation of Bhutan to the worlds second-most populous country, India, the region has been shaped by millennia of conquest, population migration, and, most recently, global geopolitics.

Introduces readers to the specifics of feeding a population, including problems, such as the dangers of overly processed food, and possible solutions, such as agro-ecology. Filled with current facts, key details, and expert analysis,

Touring, Trekking, and Traveling Green explores the many careers open to people in the fast-growing field of ecotourism. From being an ecotour leader or naturalist to managing a wildlife eco-lodge, working as a travel agent certified in ecotourism, or teaching on-the-ground tour guides and college students interested in making a living helping others enjoy nature, the opportunities for people seeking work in ecotourism are many and growing fast.

Addresses sustainability challenges and opportunities from oil to zero waste. Each entry provides an overview, followed by more in-depth information discussing its scientific, societal, and sustainable context.

The vast majority of climate scientists and an ever-increasing percentage of the general population agree that global warming is real and the climate is changing. Many places around the world have broken their high-temperature records for average annual surface temperature.

Discusses the topic of the disappearing ozone layer, including causes and consequences, and how to protect the remaining layer.