Archive for the 'book lists' Category

Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: From Seed to Pumpkin

Published by Ashley R. on September 13, 2009 in life science, book lists and science. 0 Comments

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From Seed to Pumpkin is a great story that will answer kids questions about where pumpkins come from and it integrates science with a seasonal theme. The story begins with the farmer planting seeds in the spring and takes you through an entire year of the life of a pumpkin. Throughout the story there are explanations describing how the seeds are growing and what the needs of the plant are. It explains how flowers bloom on the vines and after they wither away they turn into tiny fruits that begin to grow. The book also explains some uses of pumpkins as jack-o’-lanterns and for pumpkin pie for fall holidays. At the end of the story it is spring again and the farmer is out planting more pumpkin seeds. This book will give children a great understanding of the needs of plants and how they grow throughout the seasons of the year.

Curriculum Connections:

This book is a great tool to use for a unit on plants and living things, pumpkins or Halloween.  It discusses the needs of plants(air, water, light, place to grow) and the parts of the plant(seed, stem, roots, leaves, stem, flower buds). For Virginia, this covers Life Processes SOLs K.6 and 1.4.

Additional Resources:

  • First School has a good worksheet students can practice the letter P and sequences with a pumpkin unit.
  • Busy Teacher Cafe has a great pumpkin unit and different ways you can use pumpkins in math, science, and writing. It has ideas for bulletin boards, crafts, and even some pumpkin poems.
  • The Pumpkin Circle has a great informational page that discusses lots of questions about pumpkins from how to grow then to when should they be picked.
  • Education World has a good lesson for predictions with pumpkins where kids get to count the seeds of different size pumpkins and then graph the results.

Title: From Seed to Pumpkin
Author:  Wendy Pfeffer
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 33
Grade Range: K-1st
ISBN:9780064451901

Outstanding Science Trade Books 2008

Published by Tricia on March 12, 2008 in book lists and science. 3 Comments
The NSTA list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for K-12 Students is out. The introduction to the list includes this excerpt about the books selected.
Each of these outstanding selections defies the traditional image of a child “curling up with a good book.” Yes, they can be a source of great personal reading, encouraging students of all ages to stretch their skills and their imagination as they interact with the printed page. But these journeys of the scientific imagination seldom end with the final chapter. They have the capacity to draw the reader out from that cozy seat and into the natural world—to observe, investigate, and continue the process of discovery that has characterized scientists from Aristotle to Hawking. The adventures begin here.

The list of books is below. Each title was assigned a reading level by the reviewers. These suggested levels are intended as guidelines and are not meant to limit the potential use of titles. Reading levels include: P = Primary (K–2); E = Elementary (3–5); I = Intermediate (6–8); A = Advanced (9–12). Finally, titles marked with a * are books that individual reviewers responded to with particular enthusiasm.

Archaeology, Anthropology, and Paleontology

Biography

Earth and Space Science

Environment and Ecology

Health and Science

Life Science

Physical Science

Technology and Engineering

Back in January I created my own list of outstanding science books published in 2007, and even used some of the NSTA categories. A few of my selections made this list. You should also recognize some of these titles as Cybils nominees and finalists.