The 27 stories in Read and Understand Science address objectives drawn from the National Science Education Standards. There are stories in the areas of life science, physical science, earth and space science, and science and technology.

Read and Understand Science, Grades 3-4 presents stories that range from low-third grade to high-fourth grade in readability.

Topics presented include:

• Life Science—role of sleep, the five senses, role of play in animals, bird habitats, importance of fire in an ecosystem, animal classification, wild animal adaptation to living near humans
• Physical Science—how sound is produced, physical and chemical properties, states of matter, magnetism and compasses, heat and insulation, natural and artificial light
• Earth & Space Science—soil, kinds of rocks, fossil fuels, the solar system, solar eclipse, hail, types of mountains, fossils and petrification
• Science & Technology—biography of an engineer, sustainable agriculture, research into animal brain function, recycling, CT scans, use of Earth’s material resources