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Author: Danna Smith
Illustrator: Laurie Allen Klein
Publisher: Sylvan Dell
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-60718-6243
Pages: 32
Price: $9.95
Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon
Do you know where balloons come from? You may be surprised to find out that they come from trees – rubber trees. A spout is used to collect the milky liquid inside the rubber trees. Then it is processed to become the substance we see in balloons, tires, and other products we use every day.
Balloon Trees tells the story of this process in rhyme. Beginning with the harvest up to the end of the assembly line, this book shows how a balloon is created. Colorful illustrations bring this process to life, with a native bird guiding us through the narrative.
In addition to the descriptions of how balloons are made, this book also discusses rubber in general. It describes the plantations and tells us a little bit about the workers who harvest the rubber. Interesting and informative, Balloon Trees is perfect for classroom use and is a fun read.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
Our children are fascinated by the world around them, soaking up information about so many different things. I clearly remember how excited my daughter was to learn that birds, snakes and crocodiles are all oviparous, or egg-bearing animals. We can foster this sort of enthusiasm by reading aloud picture books that delve into different nonfiction topics. As the Common Core standards state in ELA Standard 10,
"Children in the early grades (particularly K–2) should participate in rich, structured conversations with an adult in response to the written texts that are read aloud, orally comparing and contrasting as well as analyzing and synthesizing, in the manner called for by the Standards."
Lucy Calkins develops this idea further, writing in her
Curricular Plan for the Reading Workshop,
"One cannot stress enough the importance of reading aloud. You will want to read aloud to teach children discipline-based concepts that are integral to social studies and science.You’ll also read aloud to create a sense of community and to show children why people love to read. And you’ll read aloud to teach children vocabulary and higher-level comprehension skills. As you conduct a read-aloud session be sure that it includes opportunities for accountable talk." grade 2, page 6
As part of our new series the
Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries, we would like to suggest two excellent nonfiction picture books all about frogs that we like to read aloud to students. These books will have different language and text features than those we provide to children to read independently. They might use more figurative language, longer sentences, higher vocabulary. But they will engage students, laying important background for their own reading, and lead to many discussions about these interesting animals.
Frog Song
by Brenda Guiberson
illustrated by Gennady Spirin
Henry Holt / Macmillan, 2013
read aloud: grades 1-3
independent reading: grades 4-5
Lexile 950 AD (adult directed)
Amazon
your local library
This gorgeous picture book explores eleven different frog species from around the world, from Australia to Borneo to Chile. Each spread focuses on a different species, with a wonderful illustration and an engaging description that focuses on one interesting aspect of that species. Guiberson uses descriptive text to hook readers:
"In Chile, the Darwin's frog sings in the beech forest. Chirp-Chweet! The male guards 30 eggs in the damp leaves for three weeks. When the tadpoles wiggle, he scoops them into his mouth. Slurp! They slither into his vocal sacs, where he keeps them safe and moist for 7 weeks. Then he gives a big yawn, and little froglets pop out."
This book would work very well as a read aloud for 1st through 3rd grade, either to a whole class or a small group. Older children might love reading this as they explore different types of frogs, but I really see this as working best as a read aloud. Guiberson ends the book with an interesting summary of the different species, and a note about how frogs are in trouble from environmental pressures or pollution. I do wish that she included a map identifying where the different species live, providing that geographical context for young readers.
Teachers and school librarians will be interested in this helpful
reading guide for
Frog Song. Another book for reading aloud that would complement
Frog Song is
Hip-Pocket Papa, by Sandra Markle.
Hip-Pocket Papa
by Sandra Markle
illustrated by Alan Marks
Charlesbridge, 2010
read aloud: grades 2-4
independent reading: grades 4-5
Lexile 1060 AD (adult directed)
Amazon
your public library
Sandra Markle and
Alan Marks have teamed up to write several engaging narrative nonfiction books about animals throughout the world. These books follow one animal, telling the story of that animal's life. Readers can clearly identify the beginning, middle and end of the story, much like they do in fiction.
Set in an Australian rain forest, Hip-Pocket Papa follows this tiny frog as they watch over and protect their eggs, and then the babies from tadpoles through maturity. Once the eggs hatch, the male scoops the tadpoles up and keeps them safe in hip pockets until they have developed lungs and turned into froglets. The text is both poetic and fascinating, as it follows one father's hazardous journey raising his young. Markle uses long sentences with complex vocabulary to paint a picture with her words:
"Finally, the eggs hatch!The jelly surrounding them turns to liquid -- a birth puddle for the twelve teeny, tiny tadpoles, swimming up and out onto the surface of the forest floor. Her job done, the female crawls away. The male stays. He has an even bigger job to do."
Alan Marks' detailed, realistic watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are perfect for showing to a whole group. The rich colors and close-up scenes draw readers into the forest setting, focusing close up on the tiny frogs and the miniature drama happening each moment. The only problem I had is really getting a sense of the true size of the frogs. Since narrative nonfiction books usually do not have text features like diagrams or labeled illustrations, readers must use the descriptive text to figure out this information.
Check out this preview of Hip-Pocket Papa available through Google Books:
Common Core StandardsBelow you can see how standard 3 for reading informational text develops from 1st grade through 3rd grade, as students describe a process like the metamorphosis of a frog, or comparing two different frog species. Both of these books could be used to have students delve into a discussion about frogs' development, either examining the development of one species step-by-step, or comparing and contrasting different species.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
This post is part our first feature the
Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries, we're focusing on frogs. Frogs are fascinating animals, from their amazing metamorphosis as they turn from tadpole to frog, to the sheer variety in their colors, habitats and sizes. Head over to these blogs to read about:
The review copies come from my school library. Many thanks to Travis Jonker, Cathy Potter, Alyson Beecher, and Louise Capizzo for taking this journey to talk about what the Common Core means for us in real life! We look forward to this recurring series.
Review ©2013 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
An essential role for school libraries is providing developing readers with increasingly complex books that build on their previous knowledge. We want to help young readers discover that books can feed their natural curiosity, providing them with more and more information as they become experts on their chosen interests. Common Core IRL will highlight books that ladder up in text complexity on a high interest topic.
For our first feature the
Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries, we're focusing on frogs. Frogs are fascinating animals, from their amazing metamorphosis as they turn from tadpole to frog, to the sheer variety in their colors, habitats and sizes. Head over to these blogs today to read about:
For 3rd and 4th grade readers who are fascinated by frogs, I would suggest a combination of interesting just-right books to read by themselves and some engaging read-aloud books that provide even more information. Today, I'll share two books to read on their own. Tomorrow, I'll share two wonderful books to read aloud.
Frogs
by Gail Gibbons
Holiday House, 1993
3rd grade, 600 Lexile
your local library
Amazon
Gail Gibbons is one of my go-to authors for clear nonfiction for newly independent readers. She clearly explains how frog spawn changes to embryos, then to tadpoles, young frogs, and finally, mature amphibians. Short sentences are easy to read, and yet she provides plenty of details to fascinate young readers:
"These eggs do not have shells. They are inside jellylike coverings. As they float, the jelly lets the sun's warmth come through to the eggs inside."
The text is clearly easy to read, but detailed enough to make it appropriate for a 3rd grader. The book is designed with relatively large font and plenty of white space. Readers will be engaged by the details Gibbons provides. For example, the section on frogs enemies explains different ways frogs ward off predators:
"A sudden leap is a quick escape from danger. For protection, some frogs have skin glands that make them taste bad or make them poisonous. Sometimes their skin color hides them from enemies. This is called camouflage."
Gibbon's distinctive watercolor and ink illustrations are appealing and clearly labeled. The illustrations are closely connected with the text, providing clear explanations for the main ideas and important terms. A double-page spread at the end presents a labeled illustration comparing frogs and toads. Kids will find it interesting to draw the comparisons themselves.
Tell me the difference between a
Frog and a Toad
by Leigh Rockwood
PowerKids Press / Rosen, 2013
4th grade
your local library
Amazon
Have you ever wondered what makes the difference between a frog and a toad? Is it just that a toad's skin is dry and bumpy and a frog's is smooth and moist? Did you know that a frog has teeth in its upper jaw, but a toad has no teeth? I particularly like the way that Rockwood frames this book around a central, interesting question.
Rockwood addresses a slightly older audience, beginning right away with an explanation of the scientific classification of frogs and toads. You'll notice that the sentences are longer than in Gibbon's book, and the vocabulary is more complex.
"Frogs and toads are amphibians that belong to a scientific order, or grouping, called Anura. This is the most widespread order of amphibians. There are around 4,000 species of amphibians in this order."
I was particularly fascinated by the way that frogs' and toads' legs are similar and different. While both have hind legs that are built for jumping and are longer than their front legs, frogs jump much farther. In fact, some frogs can jump 20 times their body length! Toads, on the other hand, have shorter legs designed for walking, with occasional short hops.
Kids will be drawn in by the colorful, sharply focused photographs of many frogs and toads. The photographs are accompanied by detailed captions, but are not labeled in the same way as Gibbon's book. A table of contents, glossary and index provide children with experience using these important text features to access information.
PowerKids provides a website with links for further reading.
Take a look at this preview through
Google Books:
Common Core Standards:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
Please check out the other
Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries posts to see how you would ladder up to these books, and what you might follow them with. Tomorrow, I will share two wonderful books to read aloud to students who are fascinated by frogs.
The review copies come from my school library. Many thanks to Travis Jonker, Cathy Potter, Alyson Beecher, and Louise Capizzo for taking this journey to talk about what the Common Core means for us in real life! We look forward to this recurring series.
Review ©2013 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
We are excited to launch Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries, a new series with Kid Lit Frenzy, Great Kid Books, and 100 Scope Notes. Today we're exploring several books about frogs written for a range of readers. Our goal is to help libraries build their nonfiction collections as they support teachers in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Head over to these blogs to read
Book: Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter
Author: Simon Mayo (@SimonMayo)
Pages: 432
Age Range: 12 and up
Itch is a young adult thriller featuring an unusual hero. Itchingham Lofte (aka Itch) is a total science geek. His passion is collecting elements from the periodic table. When a fellow collector shares a very unusual rock with Itch, Itch soon finds himself, and his family, in grave danger.
Itch is in many ways a classic YA thriller. There are chases. There are over-the-top bad guys. There is a need for the hero to be brave. But there is also science. Instead of using conventional weapons, Itch turns to the elements when he's in a tight corner. He gets excited about watching a sample analyzed in a lab. He burns off his eyebrows in the first chapter, in a mishap with phosphorus. His sister Chloe and best friend/cousin Jack (short for Jacqueline) are more regular (and more mainstream popular) than Itch, but the hero's journey here belongs to the science geek.
Itch, written by an English radio presenter, is set mostly in Cornwall. There's definitely a British feel to the book. Take this little exchange, from Chapter 1:
""Hello, Itchingham," said his mother. "Still no eyebrows, then."
There should be a law against parents using sarcasm, thought Itch as he poured his cereal." (Page 13)
I don't know about you, but I hear Itch's Mom with an English accent there.
In addition to the details about the elements, there is quite a bit of information included in Itch about copper mining. And, just to keep things interesting, a bit about surfing. Who knew that surfing was a major pastime in Cornwall? Not me. But all of this is quite refreshing, together making Itch stand out from the pack.
I did find the start of the book a bit slow, but the action picks up after a bit, and the end of the book is both fast-paced and high-stakes. Not realistic, perhaps, but definitely high-stakes.
A sequel will be published in 2014. As Mayo left a couple of threads cunningly unresolved, I (and many others) will be waiting eagerly to find out what's next for Itch. With its green and black cover and blurb from Anthony Horowitz, Itch's target teen boy demographic is fairly clear. But I think that anyone who enjoys thrillers with teen protagonists could appreciate Itch. And I think that teachers and librarians will be happy to see a book that not only doesn't avoid but actually embraces science. Not science fiction, not high tech, but pure science. Rather refreshing that (despite the arsine gas accident and associated vomiting). Itch is well worth a look.
Publisher: Splinter (@SterlingKids)
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
FTC Required Disclosure:
This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
Children are eager to explore the world around them. Many love to read about animals, learning about different species, their habitats and life cycles. I've often wondered how we help young children learn about problems caused by pollution, habitat loss or global warming without making children too worried or sad. Melissa Stewart's A Place for... series of picture books look at environmental problems, but focus on ways people can change them and help animals live and grow.
A Place for Turtles
by Melissa Stewart
illustrated by Higgins Bond
Peachtree Publishers, 2013
ages 4 - 8
available at your local library and on Amazon
Turtles live in all sorts of different environments, but many have faced challenges brought about by environmental problems. Melissa Stewart introduces young children to specific problems that turtles face, such as habitat loss caused by invasive nonnative plants, but does so in a clear, simple way. Throughout, she emphasizes that we can all help change these problems.
"Some turtles have trouble building nests when new kinds of plants spread into their home habitat. When people find ways to control the new plants, turtles can live and grow."
Stewart balances this clear, simple narrative with sidebars that provide more details on different species and the challenges they face. These specific examples add detail and interest, especially when combined with Bond's detailed acrylic illustrations. For example, Stewart writes that the bog turtle's wetland habitat has been threatened by invasive purple loosestrife that is growing too thickly. Families will find it interesting to talk about different projects that communities are undertaking to improve life for turtles.
If you like this, check out the other books in Melissa Stewart's
A Place for... series:
I have greatly enjoyed following Melissa Stewart's blog:
Celebrate Science. - she shares her passion for science, animals and the environment in many different ways. She has been thinking deeply about how to connect information picture books to the
Common Core, and has many helpful ideas for teachers and librarians.
The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers, Peachtree Publishers. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.
Review ©2013 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
Yesterday I was honored to represent Sylvan Dell as a judge at the James B. Edwards Elementary annual science fair in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. I must admit I was expecting a room full of volcanoes and maybe bugs pinned to a board, but these kids were way too smart for that. I would have never thought to set Jell-O using dry ice and if it affected the taste, or testing storage solutions for vegetables, and even experimenting with the right mix of laundry detergents to get out those tough stains.
Which Fishing line works best?
These science experiments were test of life’s real problems from what fishing line works best to does popcorn soaked in liquid pop better than dry kernels? The judging was tough, it is hard to choose a winner when you see so much work and excitement for a project, but an award must be given and here are a few of the favorites.
This fourth grader worked very hard on their egg incubators and recorded daily temperatures and progress in the journal. They even experienced heartbreak when one of the chicks died because it came out too early.
Will My Homemade Incubator Hatch Eggseven experienced heartbreak when one of the chicks died because it came out too early.
Which food coloring produces the most vivid carnations? No paint needed to get vivid blue and green carnations just a little food coloring will do! This student did a great job documenting the time it took to move the color from the water to the petals.
Which Food Coloring will bring the brightest flowers?
Fish can be trained! This participant put their beta fish through obedience training and it worked. The observations here were really fun to read and I had no idea that a fish would respond to a ringing bell.
Pavlov’s Fish? Who Knew!
This experiment taught me the best way to store lettuce, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables. With daily documentation, and a lot of research on wasted food this student put together a very useful and helpful experiment!
How to store fruit best?
I want to thank the teachers for inviting me to judge the contest and congratulations to the winners and all the participants!
We've just added 5thGradeReading.NET to our suite of GradeReading.NET sites! Find reviews of current fiction and nonfiction books, 740-1010L.
Check out 5th grade book reviews now.
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This past weekend, I attended the National Science Teachers Association conference and it was a great way to meet my audience. Here are some specific things that I thought were a benefit of attending.
Know Your Audience. This is a photo of the convention floor, the display booths. It’s interesting to wander the aisles and think like a science teacher. I try to imagine which of the booths I would stop at and why—what would they offer to a science teacher of various levels (elementary, middle school, high school). And then apply that to my books: what do my books offer to the same person? It’s a great way to get a feel for the overall needs of an audience of teachers.
The 2013 National Science Teachers Association Convention exhibitor's hall, San Antonio, TX
Meet Your Editor. We often work long-distance with editors and a conference is a great way to meet them. Here are pictures of Sylvan Dell’s booth and staff.
Sylvan Dell's Publisher, Lee German is a level-headed businessman who works passionately to promote and sell his author's books.
Sylvan Dell Editorial Director, Donna German. Fun, dedicated to quality--and about to become a grandmother.
L to R: Donna German (editor), Darcy Pattison (author), Rosalyna Toth (Spanish translator for Sylvan Dell books), Terry Jennings (author), Lee German (publisher)
Meet Your Peers. On the convention floor, in sessions and just schmoozing—it’s a great way to meet other authors. We talked about everything: publishing, astronomy, advances from various publishers, Common Core, wolf snails (see Sarah Campbell’s great book), and gross things that animals do (see Melissa Stewart’s great book).
Promote Your Book. I also had a chance to promote my book on the convention floor, and in a session about the Outstanding Science Trade Books. Desert Baths—and my other titles, Prairie Storms and Wisdom, the Midway Albatross—were well received and I was fascinated to see how science teachers talked about it and how they talked about using it in the classroom. This helps me to refine how I create future books.
Network. Before the conference, I emailed various editors to see who might be attending. I wound up with an appointment with one editor and pitched an idea. The result? An invitation to submit. Hurrah!
See the Sights.
The booth across the aisle from us was Sea World. They kept bringing in live animals: bald eagle, pink flamingo, echidna, Magellan Penguins, white spotted sharks. It was a fun place to be.
Magellan Penguin from the Sea World display at the NSTA conference.
Just at dawn, when the birds were calling a greeting to the sun, we strolled by the Alamo. Remember the Alamo! And the NSTA-San Antonio conference.
Darcy, at dawn, at the Alamo.
By: sylvandellpublishing,
on 3/19/2013
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By: sylvandellpublishing,
on 3/15/2013
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Balloon Trees, the new title from Sylvan Dell, written by Danna Smith and illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein, reveals that the rubber that makes up balloons, balls, tires, shoes and many more things actually comes from trees! What other surprising things do you think trees give us?
The house you live in may be made from wood from trees; that’s obvious, but did you know that that house is filled with gifts from trees also? Do you like that your parents are less grumpy in the morning when they have their coffee? You can thank the coffee arabica tree for that, a 20 foot evergreen that grows in warm climates of the world. A cup of hot cocoa has made a long journey from cocoa trees along the equator to reach your kitchen. Maple syrup, cinnamon, fruits, nuts, and many more delicious items also come from trees.
Ever wonder how jelly candies get so goopy and great? Check the ingredients and you’ll find “gum arabic” in the list. Gum arabic is hardened sap from an acacia tree, and it’s used in foods like desserts to lend its goopy texture to them. It is also a key ingredient in glues, paints, and many other products that manufacturers want to make ‘slimy,’ ‘goopy,’ or ‘jelly.’
“Cellulose” is part of the ‘skin’ of trees, and when manufactured it can become “Rayon” clothing to make our own skin warmer. Cellulose is even an ingredient in foods and beauty products, lending its texture to them to make them ‘thicker’ or ‘heavier.’ When fat is removed from some “diet” or “fat-free” products, cellulose is often added to try and make the food ‘feel’ the same in a person’s mouth as before.
Trees also give us many kinds of medicine, such as aspirin, and even the first medicine for fighting malaria, “quinine.” If you’ve read our book, The Most Dangerous, you know how harmful the mosquito-spread disease malaria can be. Without the discovery of quinine from Peruvian trees, malaria would have harmed that many more people, and maybe even changed world history! Soldiers in WWII that fought in the Pacific jungles took quinine everyday, and it helped the building of the Panama Canal, and the Dutch and English to build their historical empires!
Of course, this is only the beginning of the gifts that trees give us. Say “thank you” back, by planting a tree, or at least reading a Sylvan Dell book under the shade of one!
By: SSPP Reads,
on 3/13/2013
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The recent issue of Educational Leadership (March 2013 Vol. 70 No. 6) is chock-full of articles that challenge the way we think about learning and technology. I was especially drawn to Marc Prensky‘s article, Our Brains Extended. He asks,
Is the human brain still the smartest thing on the planet? When enhanced by technology, it is. . . Wise integration of our evolving and powerful technology demands that we rethink our curriculum.
And, I agree with him. I think the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a stab in that direction. Prensky challenges us,
We need to start teaching our kids that technology is, in a great many cases, the best way to learn something, not just a new way to do old things. Would you maintain an expensive horse in the barn in case your car breaks down?
Ask yourself: Are students engaged? Marzano‘s research tells us that student engagement is strongly influenced by what teachers do in class. I’m not talking gadgets, but 21st century education. So, here we go:
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Graphic from Flickr Creative Commons by Henriksent
By: SSPP Reads,
on 3/13/2013
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The recent issue of Educational Leadership (March 2013 Vol. 70 No. 6) is chock-full of articles that challenge the way we think about learning and technology. I was especially drawn to Marc Prensky‘s article, Our Brains Extended. He asks,
Is the human brain still the smartest thing on the planet? When enhanced by technology, it is. . . Wise integration of our evolving and powerful technology demands that we rethink our curriculum.
And, I agree with him. I think the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a stab in that direction. Prensky challenges us,
We need to start teaching our kids that technology is, in a great many cases, the best way to learn something, not just a new way to do old things. Would you maintain an expensive horse in the barn in case your car breaks down?
Ask yourself: Are students engaged? Marzano‘s research tells us that student engagement is strongly influenced by what teachers do in class. I’m not talking gadgets, but 21st century education. So, here we go:
Related blogs:
Graphic from Flickr Creative Commons by Henriksent
By: SSPP Reads,
on 3/6/2013
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March 8 was declared International Women’s Day in 1911 (see International Women’s Day 1911-2011) and has evolved in the US into a month-long celebration honoring the contributions of women to the human story. This year, the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) theme for Women’s History Month is Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (see this blog’s posts: Science Technology Engineering Math– Stem , Sally Ride 1951-2011, and Developing Literacy page for STEM links).
About 20 years ago, I participated in the Bay Area Science Project (BASP) through Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science. It was a fabulous six-week teacher workshop conducted at St. Mary’s High School in Berkeley. We covered lots of STEM topics, and, explored the FOSS and GEMS programs. A focus of the workshop was to bring hands-on science into the schools. One of the lead instructors brought in a lovely science themed calendar demonstrating one small way to include science on a daily basis in the classroom. Marie Curie was the only woman celebrated in the calendar. I commented about the lack of gender equity in the calendar and was surprised to hear the instructor declare, “Well, there really aren’t any of note.” This was Berkeley! I was motivated to find and share the legions of women scientists who had not received public acclamation for their work. Fast forward 20 years, and I was delighted to read about the STEM theme of Women’s History Month.
NWHP honors 18 STEM women.
The 2013 Honorees represent a remarkable range of accomplishments and a wide diversity of specialties including medicine, robotics, computer programming, atmospheric chemistry, architecture and primatology. These women’s lives and work span the centuries of American history and come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We are proud to honor them and all women seeking to advance these important fields.
Drum roll please:
- Hattie Elizabeth Alexander (1901–1968) Pediatrician and Microbiologist
- Marlyn Barrett (1954) K-12 STEM Educator
- Patricia Era Bath (1942) Ophthalmologist and Inventor
- Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) Physician
- Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898–1979) Physicist and Inventor
- Edith Clarke (1883–1959) Electrical Engineer
- Rita R. Colwell (1934) Molecular Microbial Ecologist and Scientific Administrator
- Dian Fossey (1932–1985) Primatologist and Naturalist
- Susan A. Gerbi (1944) Molecular Cell Biologist
- Helen Greiner (1967) Mechanical Engineer and Roboticist
- Grace Murray Hopper (1906–1992) Computer Scientist
- Olga Frances Linares (1936) Anthropologist and Archaeologist
- Julia Morgan (1872–1957) Architect
- Louise Pearce (1885–1959) Physician and Pathologist
- Jill Pipher (1955) Mathematician
- Mary G. Ross (1908–2008) Mechanical Engineer
- Susan Solomon (1956) Atmospheric Chemist
- Flossie Wong-Staal (1946) Virologist and Molecular Biologist
Graphic Rosie Tech from Claremont Port Side.
By: SSPP Reads,
on 3/6/2013
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March 8 was declared International Women’s Day in 1911 (see International Women’s Day 1911-2011) and has evolved in the US into a month-long celebration honoring the contributions of women to the human story. This year, the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) theme for Women’s History Month is Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (see this blog’s posts: Science Technology Engineering Math– Stem , Sally Ride 1951-2011, and Developing Literacy page for STEM links).
About 20 years ago, I participated in the Bay Area Science Project (BASP) through Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science. It was a fabulous six-week teacher workshop conducted at St. Mary’s High School in Berkeley. We covered lots of STEM topics, and, explored the FOSS and GEMS programs. A focus of the workshop was to bring hands-on science into the schools. One of the lead instructors brought in a lovely science themed calendar demonstrating one small way to include science on a daily basis in the classroom. Marie Curie was the only woman celebrated in the calendar. I commented about the lack of gender equity in the calendar and was surprised to hear the instructor declare, “Well, there really aren’t any of note.” This was Berkeley! I was motivated to find and share the legions of women scientists who had not received public acclamation for their work. Fast forward 20 years, and I was delighted to read about the STEM theme of Women’s History Month.
NWHP honors 18 STEM women.
The 2013 Honorees represent a remarkable range of accomplishments and a wide diversity of specialties including medicine, robotics, computer programming, atmospheric chemistry, architecture and primatology. These women’s lives and work span the centuries of American history and come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We are proud to honor them and all women seeking to advance these important fields.
Drum roll please:
- Hattie Elizabeth Alexander (1901–1968) Pediatrician and Microbiologist
- Marlyn Barrett (1954) K-12 STEM Educator
- Patricia Era Bath (1942) Ophthalmologist and Inventor
- Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) Physician
- Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898–1979) Physicist and Inventor
- Edith Clarke (1883–1959) Electrical Engineer
- Rita R. Colwell (1934) Molecular Microbial Ecologist and Scientific Administrator
- Dian Fossey (1932–1985) Primatologist and Naturalist
- Susan A. Gerbi (1944) Molecular Cell Biologist
- Helen Greiner (1967) Mechanical Engineer and Roboticist
- Grace Murray Hopper (1906–1992) Computer Scientist
- Olga Frances Linares (1936) Anthropologist and Archaeologist
- Julia Morgan (1872–1957) Architect
- Louise Pearce (1885–1959) Physician and Pathologist
- Jill Pipher (1955) Mathematician
- Mary G. Ross (1908–2008) Mechanical Engineer
- Susan Solomon (1956) Atmospheric Chemist
- Flossie Wong-Staal (1946) Virologist and Molecular Biologist
Graphic Rosie Tech from Claremont Port Side.
If you paid for it, you should be able to read it. For publicly financed science research, the Obama administration agrees.
I’m aware that this decision wasn’t just because of this We The People petition (which I signed) but it’s nice to think that the petition has an effect. Read the entire memorandum here (pdf) and here is the short post on the White House blog about it. The Association for American Publishers is in favor of this move, in contrast to their strongly worded opposition to the FASTR Act, a bill endorsed by many library associations. Read more about the Open Access to Research movement.
This is yet another “big deal” open access move in what is starting to look like The Year of Open Access.
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By:
Keith Schoch ,
on 2/22/2013
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In Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? young Dave's uneventful trip to the museum takes an unlikely and entertaining twist. From the book's inside flap:
Dad takes Dave to the museum to see the dinosaurs. Dad is sure he knows all there is to know about these amazing creatures. But soon Dave gets the feeling that Dad has one hugely important fact very, very wrong.
Because, you see, as Dad and Davey pass each dino, the dino seems to come to life!
This is one of those terrific books that relies upon dramatic irony via the illustrations, because Julie Middleton's text doesn't let on to what's happening. Young readers, however, can certainly see for themselves that toes, tails, and terrible jaws are moving! During a read-aloud, a "knowing" adult will wisely avoid being in on the joke, as children love to scream and point out the "secrets" that adults (because of their advanced age and failing eyesight) apparently don't notice for themselves.
Artist Russell Ayto's whimsical images are half the fun, showing us giant-headed monsters balanced on impossibly tiny legs. The creatures' equally understated, overstated, and improbably body part dimensions are fun to discuss as well. The format is large, with plenty of open space on each spreads that lends credibility to the size of the space and the dinosaurs themselves.
And this fantastic book can be yours! Peachtree Publishers is offering a giveaway copy of Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? to one lucky winner. Simply email me at keithschoch at gmail dot com (using standard email format) with the phrase Dinosaurs Live! and you're entered! That's it. No need to jump through any more hoops! Following the blog (to the left) would be appreciated (and you would be in some really good company), but is by no means necessary.
Contest is open to US only, and ends Friday, March 1st, 11:59 PM EST.
Below you'll find some terrific companion books with activity extensions that could work equally well with Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? In addition to being mistaken about dinos, some adults are also mistaken in thinking you can ever have enough dinosaur books!
Cretaceous Companions
Extensions:
- Students can bring in one of their own "prized possessions" and discuss what makes it special.
- Students might want to create their own simple paper plate dinosaurs, which can be displayed with a colorful bucket on the bulletin board.
- Students could imagine that they have a real, live dinosaur for a pet. How would that work? How would you feed him? Where would he sleep?
- Looking for a fun and easy cooking project? Check out these fossil cookies.
Marvelous, Monstrous Models
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley with illustrations by Brian Selznick ("many of which are based on the original sketches of Mr. Hawkins"). Working with scientist Richard Owens, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins wanted to create such perfect models of dinosaurs that anyone who gazed at his creations would see into the past. By using just the bits and pieces of fossils, bones, and teeth that had been found by early palaeontologists, Waterhouse filled in "gaps" by thinking of existing animals which the dinosaurs might have resembled. This book chronicles his triumphal premiere in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham Park (when tens of thousands of spectators, including the Queen, gaped in wonder at his creatures), as well as his tragedy in Central Park (when vandals under the vindictive order of Boss Tweed destroyed his dinosaurs destined for the Americans). Although we now realize that many of Waterhouse's guesses were somewhat inaccurate, no one can dispute his ability to light the imaginations of the thousands who viewed his works.
For more explorations into what we've learned about dinosaurs since the earliest days of their discovery, check out Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs by Kathleen Kudlinksi and S.D.Schindler.A terrific book for helping students understand that science never rests!
Extensions:
- Students can use clay to design their own dinosaurs. They don't need to sculpt one specific, real-life dino; instead, they should simply use their imaginations to create an original prehistoric monster. Since scientist continue to discover new dinosaurs all the time, who's to say what the next dino discovery might look like?
- Students might also enjoy building their own prehistoric pasta pets. Show students pictures of assembled dino skeletons in museums. Explain that while these models take many years to collect, piece together, and display, today students will create their own models using pasta as bones. Given a wide variety of different pasta shapes, students can assemble their own dinos by gluing their selected noodles to black construction paper. Once partially dry, the pasta will need a second coat to affix it well to the paper.
- For a look at how those dinosaurs get to the museum, check out the book (coincidentally called) How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland. This book explains how dinosaur bones go from the earth to you, the museum visitor, via fourteen other people, who are named and collected in a House-that-Jack-Built type progression.
Bold and Beautiful
A wonderful abecedarium can be discovered in An Alphabet of Dinosaurs by Peter Dodson, with paintings by Wayne D. Barlowe. Familiar favorites mix with newcomer neighbors on full spreads that features two text sections (one for emerging readers and another for fluent readers) and a full color illustration. The vivid and uniquely imagined colors and patterns of these dinos is what caught my eye when I first viewed this book. In the books' introduction we read: "The paintings in this book show the dinosaurs as we now think of them. Gone is the image of slow-moving giants. Gone is the picture of tail-dragging lizards. Instead, we see vibrant, active dinosaurs living in a world filled with brightly colored animals and plants.
Extensions:
- Taking a cue from this book, students can create their own unique dino patterns on simple coloring sheets. They can either color with vivid colors (danger! stay back!, bold colors (look at me!), muted colors (I need to hide), or patterns which create camouflage (to avoid being seen by prey or predator).
- Older students can be given a simple white dino silhouette (shape) and a variety of a magazine from which to choose pictures. After choosing a large picture which can serve as a background, students will color in their dino shape to camouflage into the background.
Dino for a Day
In Jim Murphy's Dinosaur for a Day, older readers can explore a typical day in the life of a Hypsilophodon, a 90 pound herd animal that depended upon its wits and its companions for survival. Additional information from the author precedes and follows this din's "biography," providing for a complete profile of one specific creature. Mark Alan Weatherby's gorgeous paintings put us at dinosaur's-eye view with our surroundings, a perspective rarely seen in other dino books.
Extensions:
- Have each student choose a dinosaur, and write about "a day in the life of..." Students may need to do some research on which dinosaurs lived in which period, and many students may discover that their dinos and their friends' dinos might have shared the same habitats!
- Instead of a dinosaur, have students choose any other animal (or use an animal they've already researched). Require that students illustrate their "daily routine" with view that would be seen from their critter's perspective.
- Create dino fossils in the classroom.
Modern Monsters
What if dinosaurs were alive today? How would our daily lives be different? In If Dinosaurs Were Alive Today, author Dougal Dixon answers that question with frightening predictions of predatory sea creatures that hunt sperm whales, and tyrannosaurs that terrorize longhorns. The photo-realistic illustrations are amazing as they juxtapose the prehistoric past with the present. Can you picture yourself flying in a jet across peaceful skies, and suddenly seeing a Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur with the wingspan exceeding a small airplane? Can you imagine seeing your trashcan tipped over at the curb, not by a raccoon or even a coyote, but a scavenging carnivorous dino called Coelophysis? Students will love the retouched photos, so disturbingly realistic that one might begin to wonder, "What are the chances of the dinosaurs coming back?"
Extensions:
- Challenge students to draw dinosaurs in modern day settings. How would their traits and habits affect their interactions with people?
- Challenge students to put dinos to work. If they existed today, how could their size and strength be helpful to humans?
Wordless Wonders
Two clever books that tell neat dino tales are Time Flies by Eric Rohmann and Chalk by Bill Thomson.
Extensions:
- The wordless format of both books offers the perfect opportunity for students to tell their own stories. Students can "write" similar books as a group, and tell their own stories.
- Students might also be challenged to write the tales they "see" using poetry rather than prose.
How Do Dinosaurs...
Extension:
- Brainstorm a How to... problem with the class and write a similar story as a group, or challenge pairs or teams to come up with their own ideas (focusing on social skills seems to work well here).
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February 21, not a particularly notable day, thought I to myself. Day before George Washington’s birthday (February 22, 1732). So, what possibly could have happened?
What a surprise! Here are a few gems from the Library of Congress American Memory Today in History, Arts and Entertainment site This Day in History, and Historyorb.com.
On February 21:
- In 1972, Richard M. Nixon arrived in China for a historic eight-day official visit. He was the first US president to visit the People’s Republic of China since its founding in 1949.
- The National Association for Stock Car Racing, NASCAR, was founded in 1948.
- The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx was published 1oo years before NASCAR in 1848.
- The Washington Monument was dedicated on this date in 1885
- In 1431, England began the trial against Joan of Arc.
- The first known sewing machine was patented in the US by John Greenough in Washington, D. C. in 1842.
- The World’s Fair in San Francisco, officially known as the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, opened in 1915 celebrating the successful completion of the Panama Canal in 1914 and a shout out to the world that Frisco was back in business after the devastating Great San Francisco Earthquake April 18, 1906.
- The first American Indian newspaper in the US, Cherokee Phoenix, was published in 1828.
- And, as we get ready for the World Champion San Francisco Giants 2013 Season, we remember that the then NY Giants played the Chicago White Sox in the first exhibition night game in 1931.
Come back next week as we kick off National Women’s History Month. Graphic from Flickr Creative Commons license courtesy of izik.
In the last week we've had a snow day and an early dismissal for snow. It's only been a few inches, but it has been most welcomed by the kids around me. In anticipation of and celebration of snow, we've been reading a few of our favorite books on the subject.
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder, written by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson - Mark Cassino is a fine art and natural history photographer. Jon Nelson is a teacher and physicist who studies ice crystals and clouds. Together they have given us a stunning volume on the formation of snow. A perfect mixture of art and science, Cassino's photographs are accompanied by clearly written text that explains a very complex process in terms kids will understand. Readers will learn what snow is made from, how it forms, what shapes it takes, and more! Photos of snow crystals are included with a comparison of the enlarged images to a snow crystal of actual size.
In the back matter you will find directions on how to catch snow crystals and examine them. For more ideas for extending the text, download a
teacher's guide for this title at the Chronicle web site.
Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian -
This Caldecott Medal winner tells the true story of Wilson Bentley, a farmer who spent the better part of his life studying and photographing snowflakes. It begins this way. In the days
when farmers worked with ox and sled
and cut the dark with lantern light,
there lived a boy who loved the snow
more than anything else in the world.
Willie's story is told from his childhood through his death. Accompanying the biography are a series of sidebars that contain additional facts about Bentley. The last page of the book contains a photo of Bentley at his camera (the same one at the top of the
Wilson Snowflake Bentley home page), a quote about his love for photography, and three of his renowned snowflake images.
This is the story of a remarkable man who pushed the limits of science and technology to create groundbreaking images of snowflakes. If the book inspires an interest in further study, you can view a number of his amazing photographs at
The Bentley Snow Crystal Collection.
The Secret Life of a Snowflake: An Up Close Look at the Art and Science of Snowflakes, written by Kenneth Libbrecht - The author of this book is a physicist at Caltech known for his passion for snow crystals. In this book aimed at 9-12 year olds, but appropriate for a much broader (and older) audience, Libbrecht teaches readers what snow crystals and snowflakes are, where they come from, and how these amazing structures are created out of thin air. His own photographs beautifully complement the text.
All snowflakes begin with water vapor in air, but as they begin their journey toward the ground, changes in temperature and humidity determine their exact and unique shape. Libbrecht answers questions that many children (and adults) are apt to ask, such as "Why is snow white when the crystals that comprise snow are clear?"
The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story, written by Neil Waldman - While ostensibly not a book about snowflakes, this water cycle book does begin and end with a snowflake. I like this book because it makes understandable the idea that resources on Earth are finite. Kids have a hard time with this notion, but Waldman makes this message clear as readers learn that the water we drink, wash in, and play in is part of an amazing cycle that repeats itself over and over and over again.
Water takes many different forms, but it's the form of snow in which this journey begins. In January a snowflake lands on the peak of a mountain. Over the course of year the snowflake changes both location and form. In February it's blown into a mountain pond, where it melts in March. This tiny droplet sinks into an underground stream where it continues its journey. That water drop travels to a farm and evaporates into the clouds before it comes back down to the ground to travel even further. Eventually it becomes a snowflake once more.
This post was written for
Nonfiction Monday. The round up is being hosted by
Laura Salas. Do stop by and check out all the wonderful books being shared today.
To mark its 25th anniversary, the Australian Network for Art and Technology is presenting an intriguing residency, The Subjects, at a sleep research institute:
Acclaimed author, Sean Williams, will be joined by artists Thom Buchanan and Fee Plumley and writer Jennifer Mills for a week-long residency at the Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University’s Adelaide-based sleep research centre.
Isolated from contact with the outside world, The Subjects will experience severely disrupted sleep patterns, loss of subjective control and constant surveillance. Each day – or is it night? – they will produce creative accounts of their experience. These will be posted to the project blog, enabling those of us on the outside to respond directly with comments and questions.
As the residency progresses we expect The Subjects’ to become increasingly stressed by their privations. Will they go mad – quietly or otherwise? Will they lose their creative mojo? Will they find new ways of expressing themselves, personally and creatively? You be the judge.
The Subjects and The Scientist (that's Professor Drew Dawson) will also be participating in a special panel discussion for Adelaide Writers’ Week.
All four participants have started posting, and I'm looking forward to reading about their time at Appleton.
By: sylvandellpublishing,
on 1/30/2013
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Quick! What’s behind you right now? Did you peek over to see desks, the wallpaper, students, books, or toys? Were those objects there even before you looked at them? Are they there now, even though you’re reading this instead of seeing them? As strange as it sounds, some scientists believe that nothing exists definitely until someone measures it, such as you did with your eyes and ears. These scientists work in a field of science called Quantum Mechanics.
In the early 1900s, smarty-pants scientists like Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Werner Heisenberg studied, experimented and argued over the question of what light was made of. Light was very mysterious to scientists at the time, because in some experiments it acted like a wave, similar to the invisible radio and magnetic waves all around us. In other experiments though, light acted like a particle, a solid object like a Pop Tart, a textbook, a penny, a skyscraper… Anything that’s in one place and that weighs something is a particle. It didn’t seem to make sense for something to be an invisible wave and a solid particle at the same time, but in test after test, light was both! You might think it was time for these scientists to turn in their labcoats and get new jobs… this was too hard to figure out! Instead of giving up though, the scientists continued experimenting and studying the subject until they found a solution: light is a wave until it gets observed, then it becomes a solid particle!
This was huge news for scientists. If light acts like this, then other solid objects may not be so solid after all too. The scientists studying Quantum Mechanics presented this thought-provoking possibility: that that the world is actually a wave of possibilities until we observe it, then it becomes the solid place we can feel, touch, taste and smell. It’s a bit like hiding trash under your bed: if you can’t see it, it’s not there!
Even though it is still winter here the days are getting noticeably longer. It is dark when I leave for work in the morning but on my return, instead of standing in the dark at the train station waiting for my bus, I stand watching the sun moving toward sunset. At least I do when it is sunny. February has been a gloomy month.
I am reading Natalie Angier’s book The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science and enjoying it very much. It’s like high school science rushing back at me but in a good way. I loved science in high school but it had to be ruined by the high school part of it all. Not that high school was especially bad, but I know if I could take those science classes now, I would like them even more than I did then.
I was reading the chapter on physics in Angier’s book the other night and she is talking about electromagnetic radiation, more commonly known as light. Nearly all the energy we get here on earth originates in waves of electromagnetic radiation from our lovely sun. Plants are really amazingly awesome things because they turn light into food. Yeah, I know, we all know this. But then Angier quotes Daniel Nocera of MIT:
When you eat a green leafy vegetable, you are eating photons of solar energy. […] You are biting the light of the sun.
I had never thought about it that way. To look out the window at the gray sky while chewing the lettuce in my salad or crunching the sunflower sprouts on my sandwich and know that I am not only biting sunlight but eating it. It feels good. Not to mention sunshine tastes delicious!
If I am lucky spring is a month away. If not, a month and a half to two months. For now though, I can console myself by eating sunshine.
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Thanks for recommending these. I've got to get a couple of these for my library!