'Tis the Season for Skeletons

At my daughter's request, this was the weekend of getting the pumpkins, spiders, ghosts, and skeletons out of the plastic crates where they reside and scattering them around the house Her favorite is always the peel-and-stick glow-in-the-dark skeleton that typically spends the  month of October in the middle of our powder room mirror. (Yes--it takes maneuvering to actually use the mirror, but all three kids say, "We have to put the skeleton there...It's tradition!") The combination of the skeleton staring me in the face every time I wash my hands and the release of Cut to the Bone, the newest book written by UT's renowned forensic anthropologist, Dr. Bill Bass, and his writing partner, Jon Jefferson (I got my signed copy Saturday!) made me decide skeletons & bones would be the topic of choice for this week's blog. 

One of our favorite skeleton books is, You Can't See Your Bones with Binoculars, by Harriet Ziefert. Each page (or 2-page spread) is headed by a slightly-adapted line from the African American spiritual Dry Bones ("The foot bones are connected to the toe bones..." and the playful illustrations integrate actual x-rays as a means of showing the bones in their proper place and form. The text contains information about key bones, including their general ("shoulder") and more technical ("clavicle" and "scapula") terms, in addition to a description of their purpose ("...the main task of the backbone is to protect your spinal cord.") or how they function ("The 'ball' at the top of another bone called the humerus rotates so that you can move your arm in all directions!). Most two page spreads also contain an interesting fact or two related to the bone being discussed--like people who wear knee pads since kneecaps don't have much padding. The book draws to a close with a solid page of information about broken bones and a drawing of a skeleton with all the previously mentioned bones clearly labeled. This book makes a perfect read-aloud for 2nd grade and up, but 4th and 5th graders will also enjoy reading this non-fiction text independently.

Bob Barner has another skeleton book, straightforwardly called Dem Bones. It, too, includes a line from the traditional song on each page, supported by a short, 3-4 sentence paragraph with details about the identified bone. For example, on the "leg bone" page, Barner delineates that the leg bone is actually two bones and the location of each, along with a note that it is the tibia that hurts if you get kicked in the shin! These big bold illustrations are actually of whimsical skeletons and not as clearly marked as those in Zeifert's book. However, this one too, closes with a labeled skeleton, and the more compact nature of the text makes it  more appropriate for a K-1 read aloud, and the less technical language makes it a more independent read for those in 2nd grade and up. (And, there is a YouTube video reading of this book done by some college students that could be used in a listening center!)

October is the perfect time to use easy access to skeletons of all sorts to your students' learning advantage! If you really want to help them learn the bone-associated vocabulary, make it interactive. Buy a cardboard skeleton, and use adhesive Velcro dots to attach labels. The kids should be able to pull all the labels off and then show what they know!

Chickens and Eggs

Last week (or a little longer), one of our readers asked for any books that might accompany the installation of a school chicken coop, so we've been doing a little digging. We haven't found a whole lot of what we would call high-quality picture books for kids that relate specifically to raising chickens, but chickens and eggs in general...well, we do have some suggestions for addressing those topics.

In the "Oldies but Goodies" category, we want to highlight two books in particular: Ruth Heller's Chickens Aren't the Only Ones and Chicken an Egg, by Christine Back & Jens Olesen. I'm going to date myself a bit by saying that I used both of these in my own 2nd grade classroom each spring when we studied oviparous animals ...and hatched chickens with the support of our local agricultural  extension (who provided the incubators and eggs!).

My favorite for showing the development of a chicken was Chicken and Egg, with its full-color photographs and two layers of text. It appears to be out of print, but  is available in paperback through a number of venues (including Amazon, linked above). Chicks & Chickens, by Gail Gibbons and From Egg to Chicken, by Anita Ganeri are newer (2005 & 2006, respectively) and also offer insights on chicken development. These two  include a great deal of extra information on chickens in general. Chicks & Chickens addresses their physical characteristics and behavior in addition to their life cycle and egg development. In this book, Gibbons follows her typical style of including a lot of information supported by detailed illustrations in bold colors that tend to extend the text though the use of diagrams. From Egg to Chicken is a more traditional non-narrative informational text, including a table of contents, bolded key words, a glossary, suggested resources, and even an index. It would engage kids through the vivid photographs of chickens and the accompanying captions. Both Chicken and Egg and Egg to Chicken could be used with younger students, and while the book by Gibbons could be read aloud to just about anyone, the text is probably most appropriate for 3rd graders. 

 

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones appears to remain a popular despite its age. It, however, goes beyond chickens to mention all sorts of animals that lay eggs. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish...snails, spiders, and all sorts of insects are addressed, though not in any detail, making it a great introduction to the concept of oviparous animals. Another great addition to a lesson on egg-layers is a 2007 NSTA Oustanding Science Trade Book winner, Guess What is Growing Inside this Egg, by Mia Posada. This book is illustrated so that the reader gets clues (in verse) about the kind of animal growing in the egg, and when the page is turned, the full illustration reveals the animal, accompanied by a detailed description (not in verse) about the newly hatched animal. An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Aston would be a great companion book to use with Guess What's Growing Inside this Egg, though Aston's book focuses just on the eggs themselves. The only tricky part of An Egg is Quiet is that its primary layer of text is written in cursive, making it tough for kids to read independently. However, the illustrations are all labeled in more typical printed text, and so a lot of information can be gleaned without paying attention to the lines written in script. Aston compares the shape, size, colors, texture, and markings of eggs, and takes a page or two to highlight the in-egg development of chickens, salmon, and grasshoppers. Sylvia Long's stunning illustrations make this book a work of art as well as a means of obtaining both textual and visual information.

Finally, I couldn't let the chicken and egg topic go without mentioning One Hen: How one Small Loan Made a Big Difference, by Katie Smith Milway. This book is geared a little more toward social studies in general and economics in particular. But, it tells the story of Kojo, a youngster living in the Ashanti region of Ghana, in Africa, and how he uses a few coins to buy a hen...and then sells the extra eggs at market...and then buys more hens...and then a farm (after he goes to school of course!)...and eventually chages the lives of his family, community, and town. Best of all, it's based on the true story of Kwabena Darko; check out this related video on YouTube!

Beach Journaling

I just got back from a short trip to Florida--and our annual day on the beaches of Captiva and Sanibel Islands. If you love shells, I would recommend a day on either island! There is also a great wildlife sanctuary on Sanibel that is worth a visit! In this picture, my daughter is holding her favorite find of the day, though we left it at the beach...

Anyway, spending the day combing the beach reminded me of one of my favorite beach books, Out of the Ocean, by Debra Frasier. This book is written from the perspective of a young girl, whose mother tells her that if you ask the ocean to bring you something, it just might. The rest of the book highlights things the ocean might bring...from shells to glass and feathers to turtle tracks. The backgrounds of the pages look like sand, and Frasier uses her own photographs of the items she mentions alongside cut paper illustrations. At the back of the book, she also includes what she calls an ocean journal, that identifies, in detail, items that are found (by her and others) at the beach. She provides additional information about sand, water, waves, and both the sun and the moon. And, she reminds readers not to forget the plants that are often found at the beach, providing a little bit more information about them, as well.

I wouldn't call Frasier's book a beach journal, but Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini has two books, Salamander Rain: A Lake and Pond Journal and Saguaro Moon: A Desert Journal, that could serve as models for one! These two are presented as journals created by young people and are appealing ways to show students the variety of items that might be included in such a journal. Of course, Sally Wolf's book (highlighted in one of our first entries) provides another perspective on nature journaling.

Maybe if I would've started a beach journal when we began our now annual trips eight years ago, I would've had enough material to write my own book! I guess there's always next year...

Getting ready for summer!

If you live in the south, Memorial Day weekend often signals the end of the school year... which means that by this time next week, some of you may be heading off to vacation! With that in mind, here are two books about the beach.

If you've ever strolled along the the Atlantic coastline, you've probably encountered an empty shell of a horseshoe crab. By the time we located them, they have already contributed to the ocean food web (think crab legs on the seafood buffet, but for birds who are not picky eaters). Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web by Victoria Crenson (2003) focuses on another contribution made to the ocean food web by horseshoe crabs: their eggs. During their mating season, horseshoe crabs crawl to the shore to lay and fertilize billions of eggs. As told by Crenson, many of these eggs are a food source for different animals, such as migrating birds traveling north from as far as South America. Smaller birds feasting on the eggs are themselves the food source for larger birds. Bigger fish prey on smaller fish feeding on the horseshoe crab eggs. You get the picture -- seven billion eggs don't result in seven billion horseshoe crabs (thankfully). Crenson's text, appropriate for upper intermediate and above, weaves a story of interdependence among many animals. Watercolor illustrations depict the scenes in full-page view. In the author's note (at the start of the book), Crenson shares her concern about the diminished presence of horseshoe crabs, particularly in the Delaware Bay area. Given their importance in the ocean food web, a decrease in horseshoe crabs would have a devastating effect on the delicate balance of life along the shore and beyond. You can check out a site for a horseshoe crab census here.

A second book about the shoreline is one of Frank Serafini's Looking Closely Along... series: Looking Closely Along the Shore. Published by Kids Can Press in 2008, this book follows a pattern of a page showing a small subset of photo and the text "Look very closely. What do you see?.... What could it be?" followed by a page spread with the full picture, identification, and about six or seven short sentences of information.  Sand dollars, palm trees, smooth coastal rock, and barnacles are some of the items profiled in the book. Serafini's vivid, up-close photographs are certain to engage young readers, and while some of the vocabulary may be unfamiliar, pronunciations are sometimes included (such as for conch shell). He includes a "Photographer's Note" in which he describes the importance of taking the time to look at the world around us. He states, "I hope to help people attend to nature, to things they might have normally passed by." This book would inspire any young explorer to indeed look more closely.

So whether you are heading to a vacation destination or just relaxing in your backyard with an umbrella-garnished cold drink, here's to a perfect pair of beach books!

Color, Critical Thinking, and Camouflage

It's hard to find books with science content that are appropriate for primary grade students, but George Shannon has authored one that is perfect. White is for Blueberry focuses on colors, but they are not presented in typical fashion. Shannon pushes the reader's thinking by highlighting different aspects of the identified object, as exemplified by the rest of the title sentence, "...when the berry is still too young to pick." Young children will quickly engage in the book as a guessing game, which, with guidance from the teacher, presents multiple opportunities to hypothesize and draw conclusions. And, the clever ending provides a jumping-off point for a discussion of perspective.

And, I couldn't let this go without pointing out the obvious language arts connection; the simple text  provides a great model for writing informational text! Even kindergarteners could complete a sentence frame based on the book:  (Color) is for (object) when...


If you decide to follow a color theme, it would be easy to continue with Melissa Stewart's  A Rainbow of Animals series. Six different books, Why are Animals (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, or Purple) highlight how and animals use their colors. The easy text and vivid photographs make these books fast favorites among the younger crowd, as well. Plus, Melissa offers a reader's theater script and curriculum guide on her Science Clubhouse website.

 

It would also be quite easy to use these books to introduce camouflage, and though it isn't quite as stunning as some of the other books we've highlighted here, Animals in Camouflage, by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes, is another great book. This book, too, presents the information in kind of a guessing game format. Each animal description is told in rhyming verse, and ends with the question, "What am I?" Upon turning the page, the reader gets the answer as well as more details about the animal. However, my favorite part (as usual) comes at the end of the book when Tildes provides more detailed descriptions of types of camouflage (blending, color change, disguise, and pattern), identifies the type used by each animal presented in the book, and adds even more information about the animals in an additional paragraph.This book is perfect for taking the concept of color to a higher level.

Under the Sea...Under the Sea... (cue jaunty Carribean music sung by an animated crab)

Inspired by a poetry book we found at IRA (Was that already two weeks ago?!), we're going to highlight some wonderfully diverse ocean-themed books.

First on the list is At the Sea Floor Cafe: Odd Ocean Critter Poems, by Leslie Bulion. To be honest, Kristin found the OSTB Award winning book tucked away in a little corner of the Peachtree Publishers booth at IRA in San Antonio, but I grabbed what turned out to be the last available copy. (I felt a little guilty...but not enough to hand it over to her. I did promise to share, though!)  This little gem is masterfully crafted with both a poem and an informational paragraph about a sea creature on each page. As kids read about snapping shrimp and Osedax worms (among others), they will be amazed at the way Bulion, who holds a graduate degree in oceanography among other things, artfully integrates key content into her poems. Her poems could serve as great models for succinctly summarizing information in a creative way--one which might even be used to assess science content knowledge in format other than a multiple choice test!  In addition, the book has both a glossary and a poetry notes section, where the author provides a description of the forms she used for each poem. The only thing we would caution you about in regard to this book is the relatively tiny print and the deceptively simple text. This book is really most appropriate for upper elementary and beyond.

However, if you want a great ocean related poetry-esque book for the primary grades, look to Madeleine Dunphy's Here is the Coral Reef, which was an OSTB winner in 2008. Written in the style of  the traditional poem "The House that Jack Built," this book starts off with one sentence, "Here is the coral reef," accompanied by a more than full-page color illustration of a reef. Each two-page spread builds from there with the next bit of text reading,

"Here is the coral

of all colors and shapes

that lives in the clear waters

in this vivid seascape:

Here is the coral reef."

The information contained throughout is related directly to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, as explained in a short bit of informational text on the final pages of the book. This information is accompanied by black and white labeled sketches of the animals mentioned throughout the poem. 

Finally, we want to share a third book that takes a different stance on life in the sea, Project Seahorse, by Pamela S. Turner. This book, from Houghton Mifflin's Scientists in the Field series, highlights how villagers and scientists came together as a community to restore the damaged coral reef which the declining seahorse population called home. This dense book is not intended to be a read aloud, though a teacher could certainly share parts with a class. However, upper grades students who are interested in conservation, ocean life, becoming a scientist, coral reefs, or even just seahorses, will love diving into this book. Replete with resources, a glossary, and, in what might be loosely called an acrostic poem, a guide to helping the seahorse, this book has tons of interesting science content and beautiful photographs.

"About..." books by Catherine Sill

It's rare to find museum-quality paintings in a book targeted for young children, but Catherine Sill's books in her About series have that unique feature. About Hummingbirds (2011), an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, pairs text consisting of one- or two-sentences per page with full page illustrations. The format of the text makes this a perfect book for young students to read independently. Facts such as "Hummingbirds are found in different habitats" are supported by husband John Sill's beautifully detailed paintings, called Plates. In the Afterword section, each plate is further explained with addition details. This book has 18 such plates. Other features include a glossary, suggested books and websites for additional information, and the resources used by Catherine in creating the book.

A second book by Sill is About Deserts (revised edition 2012). This is one of her four books pertaining to habitats (Mountains, Grasslands, and Wetlands are the other habitats profiled in this series). Similar in format to the Hummingbird book, simply structured text is supported by realistic paintings on full page plates. One of the best features of this book is that it includes features of a desert that students would typically consider (heat, plant life, sand) as well as those they might not. Deserts, categorized by rainfall amounts, are typically thought of as hot and dry -- but they can also be cold and dry! Both are included in this book, along with locations of various deserts around the world.

Interested in more nature-based books by Catherine Sill? Check out her booklist here.

Spring Planting...

What image comes to mind when think of when you hear the word "farmer?" I'll admit - when I hear "farmer," I picture a man with a pitchfork in overalls, standing in his field monitoring the rows of corn. Planting the Wild Garden (Galbraith, 2011), which we found at the IRA Convention, challenges that image with the first page spread, as the author writes:

"A farmer and her boy plant their garden. They drop seeds - tiny, fat, round, and oval - into the earth.... In the wild meadow garden, many seeds are planted too, but not by farmers' hands."

 

In this NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book and  Growing Good Kids Book Award winner, wind, rain, streams, animals, and unsuspecting people are also carriers of seeds, and these and other types of seed dispersion are beautifully depicted through the large illustrations supported by smaller frames within the book. The text of the book makes it an easy and engaging read-aloud or independent read, with certain verbs bolded and purposefully oriented to  match the action. 

For a companion book about different kinds of seeds, try A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston (2007). This is another Growing Good Kids award winner. Each page spread focuses on one aspect of seeds, such as "A seed is fruitful," and in smaller font, additional information is provided. The only reason this book is not ideal for an independent read by primary students is the font of the primary sentence on each page - unfortunately, the main text is written in cursive, though the supporting details are in a readable print-type font. However, as a read aloud for adjectives about seeds, this book is easily paired with the verb-rich Wild Garden book.

We had the privilege of meeting Dianna at IRA in 2007, and were enchanted by the story of how the title her first book of this kind, An Egg is Quiet, came about. (You'll have to ask her if you ever run into her...I'm not sure we could do the story justice!) She has continued in this vein of writing with A Butterfly is Patient, and her 2012 book, A Rock is Lively. which both follow a similar format with excellent up-close details in the illustrations.

Poetry, Art, and Science--Oh My!

We spent most of Saturday afternoon wandering through the IRA 2013 exhibit hall on a quest to discover more great science trade books. The good news is that we found plenty! Sadly, however, neither of us had enough room in our bags (Kristin continues to remind me that despite my 86 pounds of checked bags, thanks to Southwest, I had 14 pounds to spare!) to bring back all the incredible titles we ran across, though my book wish list is much longer. But, we did actually purchase a few stunning titles.

One of my favorite finds is the brand new Stripes of all Types, by Susan Stockdale. The illustrations of all sorts of animals in their habitats are bold and beautiful, and I was pleased to find both additional information about each of the animals and a note of gratitude to the scientists from the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History for their research support, thus giving credence to the the information contained within. However, it was the text that truly caught my eye.
 
The information is presented in rhyming verse like, "Propped on a log, poised on a leaf. Scaling a ridge, and scouting a reef," though only one sentence runs across most 2-page spreads. This layout makes the text appear easily accessible for younger readers, and though the illustrations do provide direct support for the reader, it is the author's choice of verbs that raises the text complexity.  As a result, this book is not only perfect for initiating a conversations about animal habitats and camouflage, but is also great for use as a mentor text for using strong verbs.  It is just so easy to picture 7- and 8-year-olds crowding around this book, re-reading it, exploring the pictures, and trying to match the boxes of various stripes at the back of the book with their corresponding animals.

Susan has authored and illustrated other colorful animal-oriented books in her distinctive style, and is already working on her next book about spotted animals. We can't wait to see it!

Clouds

Despite travel delays caused by the the prevalence of cumulonimbus clouds in East Tennessee, we made it in plenty of time to the International Reading Association conference in San Antonio. Today's cumulus clouds signaled beautiful weather, perfect for walking from our hotel to the convention center (where we took this picture!).

Cumulonimbus, cumulus... where did these terms originate? Read The Man Who Named the Clouds by Julie Hannah and Joan Holub (2006) to find out about how Luke Howard, an 18th century citizen scientist, created a classification system for clouds just like Linnaeus did for organisms. What we love about this book is that the narrative of Luke's life is accompanied by suggested activities to monitor the weather - a perfect pair of literacy and science for younger intermediate level students! As a read-aloud, you can select pertinent pages to depict Luke's interest in clouds (beginning at age 10) and his strategies for communicating his ideas about cloud classification to the scientific community.

If you are looking for a weather-related book for older kids, consider Close to the Wind: The Beaufort Scale by Peter Malone. This book chronicles the the life of Francis Beaufort, a 19th century naval officer who wanted to categorize wind speed on a numerical scale. Although the Beaufort Scale is not nearly as well known as cloud types, the impact of different wind speeds is definitely visible around the school yard (such as the different position of the school flag). With period-style font and vivid illustrations, this book is an engaging independent read.

The Human (and Canine) Perspective of Space-based Engineering

"I wanted to share the human element of the Apollo 11 landing... but was there really any need for yet another moon book?"

And so began the conversation we had with author Catherine Thimmesh at the NSTA convention last week about her book TEAM MOON: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon.  This is not just another moon book! Clearly Houghton Mifflin saw the unique perspective Catherine wanted to share about this lunar landing mission, and in saying "YES!" to her initial musing, a unique gem was on its way to publication in 2006. With text geared at an upper elementary/middle school level, Catherine weaves the stories of some of the 400,000 "behind the scenes" people into an engaging narrative about this epic moment in human history.

If you are teaching research strategies using primary sources in science, social studies, or ELA, TEAM MOON can serve as an exemplary model. From Walter Cronkite's commentary about the grainy photos of televisions images to the quintessential photo of an astronaut footprint in lunar dust, the visual images and quotes that Catherine meticulously selected engage and inform the reader. The final 17 pages of the book include an Author's note about her research, two pages of sources, chapter notes, an index, and a glossary. Direct quotes from interviews, mission transcripts, and oral history resources are included in the chapter notes. Brief summaries of other Apollo missions are provided, along with websites for further information.  AAAS also has a set of activities based on this book.

If you are looking for another book about the earlier days in the "space race" for this age group, you might want to consider the graphic novel Laika by Nick Abadzis (2007). Although this is not a purely informational text (there are fictional elements in addition to the true story of the canine cosmonaut), it is similar in that the narrative presents the human (and canine) stories in the forefront of space missions. Warning: Keep the tissues handy for this one!

Amy and I are heading to to the IRA convention tomorrow, and we will be sharing these books along with many others in our "science books worth celebrating" session on Saturday!

Ben Franklin, Lightning, and Physical Science

If you are looking for a great trade book that is appropriate for elementary students and focused on physical science, you might be looking for quite a while. Engaging books that address physical science concepts are rare, so we thought that we'd share one of our all time favorites, How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning, by Rosalyn Schanzer, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Schanzer typically writes about important events in history, but when she crossed over into science, she hit the nail on the head.

From the endpapers filled with parts of Franklin's original drawings of his experiments, through the engaging text peppered with slightly cartoonish depictions of Ben, Schanzer details Franklin's lesser known achievements as a scientist and inventor. The text itself is well-written and historical context is woven throughout. However, from the beginning pages where young Ben holds on to a kite string to pull himself across a pond through the description of Franklin's well-known experiment with flying a kite in a storm, the focus is clearly on his fascination with electricity and his desire to solve everyday problems.

Of course, Schanzer includes descriptions both of how "electricians" of the time played with electricity (making almost 200 French soldiers stand at attention via an electrical charge, for example!) and how Franklin himself designed some arguably "interesting" experiments with electricity. She writes, "Ben even figured out how to light up a picture of a king in a golden frame. Anyone trying to remove the king's gold paper crown was in for a shock!" The biography of Franklin the scientist culminates with a discussion of his invention of the lightning rod and the ensuing expressions of gratitude from around the world.

This book is one that depicts not only physical science in action, but also the ingenuity, tenacity and determination that we want to encourage in our students...and future inventors!
  

Meet Melissa Stewart!

With bumblebees buzzing around the budding trees, and frogs bellowing in the marshy bogs, it's easy to forget that we've neither heard nor seen certain animals all winter. Have you ever wondered where those bees and frogs have been? What about the ladybugs and snakes you might see around your house or in the nearby park?

Author Melissa Stewart, who presented with us at the recent NSTA conference, has an excellent book to engage students with thinking about where animals have been all winter.  Under the Snow (2009) is just one of Melissa's 150 nonfiction books for children. The opening sentence of this book instantly creates an advanced organizer for the reader: "In the heart of winter, a deep layer of snow blankets fields and forests, ponds and wetlands." This "hidden world" under our feet and under the ice is captured by watercolor illustrations, with simple yet descriptive text about animals in each of these
four habitats.

A similarly styled book by Melissa is When Rain Falls (2008). In this book, animals in the forest, field, wetland and desert are portrayed as rain falls. We learn about the hawk, which "puffs out its feather to keep water out and warmth in," as well as ants, which "stay safe in their underground nests." Both of these book are definitely appropriate as read-alouds for primary students, and the beautiful watercolor illustrations can support new vocabulary such as "crevice."

Are you looking for a book to apply cause and effect? Try A Place for Birds (2009). This book provides age-appropriate descriptions of how human actions impact birds. For example, one page spread depicts the Eastern bluebirds, with sidebar text describing how nesting needs of these birds are adversely impacted by cutting down dead trees and replacing wooden fenceposts with metal ones. The main text reads: "Some birds can only build their nests in small hollow places. When people build nesting boxes that are the right size and shape, birds can live and grow." The text of each subsequent page spread continues with the pattern of "When people (engage in an action)... birds can live and grow."We love how positive solutions are presented in each scenario!

A final note is Melissa's blog, which focuses on nonfiction books for children, and her "Science Clubhouse" website, with links for kids, teachers, and librarians. Definitely check out her teacher resources on the clubhouse website, which include curriculum guides and Readers Theatre scripts! Melissa makes it easy to integrate science and literacy!

Scientist Biographies by Peggy Thomas

Since returning home from NSTA, we've been going through our books picking out which ones we'll take back to San Antonio at the end of the week--this time to share with teachers at the fast approaching International Reading Association Convention!  Two that are at the top of our list are Farmer George Plants a Nation and For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson, both of which are biographies, NSTA Outstanding Trade Book Award winners, and written by Peggy Thomas.
 

Farmer George tells the story of George Washington, First President of the United States and agricultural innovator. In narrative form, Peggy masterfully integrates the stories behind George's contributions to the agricultural field, including adapting a plow that enabled it to do three jobs at once, supervising construction of a treading barn that could be used to thresh wheat even in bad weather, and conducting scientific experiments to analyze the impact of various kinds of compost on plant growth. Peppered throughout the text are excerpts from letters and other papers written by George himself.  Peggy's meticulous work enables us to see beyond the Revolutionary War General to the inventor, scientist, and dedicated farmer. And, she includes some great additional information about George (including a timeline, information on George and his Mt Vernon home and a bibliography) in the final pages of the book. Oh! And don't forget to explore the end pages which include a fabulous map of Mt Vernon.

You might not recognize the name Roger Tory Peterson, but if you've ever picked up a Peterson Field Guide, you would be reading his work. Again, Peggy's book is a biography of a scientist, but this one starts by describing Roger as an inquisitive, unique child who spent hours outside collecting specimens for further exploration. Influenced by a teacher who formed a Junior Audubon Club, Roger was inspired to put his artistic talents to work drawing birds of all sorts. Frustrated by trying to paint birds from memory, by the time he turned 14, he earned enough money delivering papers to buy a camera and his dreams became a reality. His passion for birdwatching coupled with his keen eye and meticulous data collection eventually led to the publication of A Field Guide to Birds. Again, Peggy does an excellent job of bringing Roger's work to life in a most engaging manner. And, if you want to extend the book with some great free resources, check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website.

Even if the content is not directly related to your grade level curriculum, both books model characteristics (curiosity, determination, perseverance) and practices (asking questions, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data) of scientists in ways that students of most ages can relate to. (The books are a bit on the long side for K-1 students.) Thus, these are great resources for both content, if applicable, and process. And, are beautifully illustrated to boot! 

A Model Nature Journal for Linking Science and Writing

Continuing in the spirit of the books & authors we've had the opportunity to chat with here at NSTA in San Antonio, we want to tell you about The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound: A Birder's Journal, by Sallie Wolf. This book is organized by the seasons, highlighting observable behaviors and characteristics of birds throughout the year.  Therefore, it's not only a great resource across the grades (K-5 and beyond, really) for teaching the seasons, but also serves as a model for nature journals with its sketches, observational notes, and questions for further exploration.



I (Amy) love it because Sallie allows us to enter the world of revision by including snippets of her drafts, with phrases visibly marked out and replaced with other words. It is so hard to get students to understand the revising process, and in this book, a "real" author allows them to glimpse into her revision process. Sallie also takes a page (at the back of the book) to explain her journals--from what they look like to how she gets ready to write, and from their organizational structure to the kinds of information she includes. Of course, I have other favorite parts, like the Author's note, where Sallie talks about her inspirational 7th grade teacher, who taught her class how to use Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America (if you have time, check out another award winning book on Peterson, written by Peggy Thomas!), and who is the reason she became a bird watcher. The list of resources Sallie includes will also help guide any student who suddenly becomes interested in finding out more about birds! So, if you are looking for  a mentor text for nonfiction writing instruction, poetry, journaling,  and revision, I say this is one you can't be without.

Finally, like most incredible, authors, Sallie has a website. Upon entering it, you get to pick where you want to start, which, if you know Sallie, is exactly where she would want you to start. If you happen to select "Kids and Teachers," you'll be taken to her explanation of what she wanted to be when she grew up, and if you read it, you will get a sense of the thoughtful, passionate, deliberate questioner that Sallie is. No matter what you explore, you'll find it has a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world, with just a touch respectful impertinence.  And DO NOT leave her site until you've taken the opportunity to explore her moon project, which we are convinced will become  another one of her amazing books someday.

Update: Sallie has a Robin Makes a Laughing Sound facebook page that would be worth your time to check out!

Keep an eye out for Sylvan Dell

We had the opportunity today to sit and chat with with Darcy Pattison and Terry Jennings, two  award winning authors who write for Sylvan Dell publishers. Their enthusiasm and excitement about their books, Desert Baths (Darcy) and Gopher to the Rescue! A Volcano Recovery Story (Terry) reminded us of why we keep coming back to see Lee & Donna German, who started the publishing company, every chance we get.

We first met the folks from Sylvan Dell at the 2008 NSTA Convention in Boston, when their books The Rainforest Grew All Around, ABC Safari (both of which are perfect for the tough K-1 crowd), and Ocean Seasons (for the older 3rd -5th crowd) caught our eye. Over the past five years, we've seen their collection of offerings grow to over 80 books focusing mostly on science (and math & and geography) concepts for elementary age learners. Many of their books have won awards...including some International Reading Association/Children's Book Council's Teachers Choice Awards & some NSTA Outstanding Trade Book Awards--two of our favorite "lists" for good books! They also quite impressively rely on a cadre of scientists in the field who vet each book, ensuring accuracy. These are books teachers can use knowing the information is correct.


However, Sylvan Dell offers unique opportunities to push the reading experience beyond the pages of the book with some of the more unique aspects of their publications.Teachers will likely be impressed with the "For Creative Minds" sections included at the back of each book. (Follow this link to see the Creative Minds pages for Ocean Seasons!) These pages include a variety of ways to extend the concepts explored in the book in cross-curricular ways, often including more detailed information, related maps and charts, fun little quizzes, and even experiments. But...

...one of the most exciting parts of the Sylvan Dell way of doing things has to be their online supplemental resources. Each book has its own homepage with an array of "extras" that include .pdf previews of each book, teaching guides, quizzes, related websites, and even interviews with the author. They also have a searchable standards database that links books with individual state standards or vice versa. And, just in case that wasn't appealing enough, Sylvan Dell offers eBook options in both English or Spanish (text AND audio!). They even offer some free trials and actually have pretty good deals for school site licenses.

If you ever get to NSTA or IRA or any of trade shows Sylvan Dell attends, keep an eye out for them and be sure to stop by the booth and introduce yourself to Lee and Donna (or any of their friendly employees!). But even if you don't get out much, you can spend a few hours exploring their books and resources on the website. Enjoy!

The Science Trade Book Blog for Busy Teachers

Welcome to our new blog, Perfect Pairings: Linking Science and Literacy! We were inspired to start this blog to share all of the great books we have been reading over the past few years. We have been looking at science trade books from science (Kristin) and literacy (Amy) perspectives, and are getting ready to present at the NSTA National Convention in San Antonio Texas with some of the authors of the NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books.

One of the books we're going to share at our session (which is tomorrow at 1:00 in room 216B at the Convention Center, if you're here in San Antonio) is Blockhead: The life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese. It's a wonderful biography of Leonardo Fibonacci, told through his own eyes, from his youth in Italy, through his world travels and exposure to Arabic numbers, and ultimately to his discovery of what we now know as the Fibonacci sequence. The young mathematician is portrayed in this book as one who questions the world around him, wondering about nature and architecture and observing details that many seem to overlook. In the book it is this inquisitive nature that ultimately leads to the discovery of nature's famous sequence. D'Agnese seamlessly integrates famous problems (multiplying like rabbits, anyone?), applications of the sequence (pinecones, flower petals, sunflower seeds), and the Fibonacci spiral into the story in a way that engages the reader, while John O'Brien's illustrations provide a visual representation of each. And, the author wraps up the book with a one page explanation of what we actually know about Fibonacci's life (which is nice in terms of sorting out what's fact and what may be a bit of fiction in the story) and a "Can You Find?" page that invites readers to look for specific examples of the Fibonnaci sequence hidden in the illustrations,  challenges (and guides) them to find applications in real life, and even poses some pretty good  higher order thinking questions. It would make the perfect read aloud for 2nd grade and up. (Even though the text language is such that younger students would likely understand it, it would likely push the boundaries of their attention spans!)

And if you like the whole idea of exploring the Fibonacci sequence, you might also check out Sarah C. Campbell's non-fiction book Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature, which uses vivid photographs, taken by Sarah and her husband, to show examples of the Fibonacci sequence in nature. She, too, includes additional information on Fibonnaci, his now-famous numbers, and other related information (The Golden Ratio, The Rabbit Problem, Golden Spiral, etc.) in the final pages of the book, and has some ideas for use in classrooms on her website (check out the "For Teachers" section in particular!). And, just in case you're here in San Antonio, think about coming to tomorrow morning's session (9:30-12:30 in the Marriott Rivercenter, Salon L) where you can meet and interact with Sarah (and Amy) and a number of other science trade book authors or a Saturday morning session (9:30-10:30) where Sarah (and Kristin) will talk about using scientists' stories in teaching!

That's enough for now--we've got to head back over to the Convention Center and check out more of the sessions (and exhibits!). Looking forward to sharing more books tomorrow!