The Focus On Middle School Geology Student Textbook, 3rd Edition introduces young students to the scientific discipline of geology. Students will learn about the many branches of geology; the steps in the scientific method; tools and equipment used by geologists; how rocks, minerals, and soils are formed and what they are made of; the various layers inside Earth and how they function; plate tectonics and the formation of mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes; the layers of the atmosphere and its composition; the hydrosphere, including the hydrologic cycle, oceans, freshwater, and human interactions; the biosphere and its cycles, ecosystems. and biomes; magnetism, Earth's magnetic field, and the magnetosphere; Earth as a system and Earth System Science; and more. The Focus On Middle School Geology Student Textbook, 3rd Edition has 12 full color chapters with many illustrations and includes a glossary-index and pronunciation guide. 164 pages. Grades 5-8.