- Attention-grabbing anecdotes open the first chapter and help draw in reluctant readers. - Includes current information on recent events surrounding Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2005 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. - Exciting on-site photography puts the reader where the action is. - Series features include photos, diagrams, glossary, and resources. Grades 5-8 Social Studies Standards Culture - Explore the ways people and societies address similar human needs & concerns. Time, Continuity, & Change - Compare different accounts about past events/situations and identify how they contribute to our understanding of the past. Power, Authority, & Governance - Describe the ways nations respond to forces of unity/diversity affecting order/security. - Explain conditions that contribute to conflict & cooperation within nations. Science, Technology, & Society - Show how science/technology have changed perceptions of social world, such as in their relationship to economic needs, wants, and security. Global Connections - Analyze examples of interdependence among groups, societies, nations. - Explore causes, effects, solutions to persistent global issues such as health & security. Grades 5-8 Science Standards Earth & Space Science - Structure of the Earth System & Earth's History. Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - Develop understanding of personal health; populations, resources, and environments; natural hazards; risks and benefits; science and technology in society.