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Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Just Look

Published by Kristin on September 8, 2008 in physical science, book review and science. 0 Comments

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Have you ever looked at a part of an object, tried to guess what it was, and been fooled?  Even using all the clues provided, this can been a difficult task.  Using beautiful photographs and this technique, Tana Hoban takes the reader on a visual adventure in her book Just Look.

Just Look is a book for the imagination.  Without the use of text, Hoban creates a beautiful story, simply with the use of photographs.  The book features nine distinct objects, each with its own shape, color, and texture. The key objects photographed include:

  • a penguin
  • a toy sailboat
  • a rabbit
  • a bulldozer
  • a giraffe
  • the Eiffel Tower
  • a pelican
  • a cantaloupe
  • a horse

Hoban does not simply display these photographs.  Instead she gradually gives visual clues to uncover the object.  First she begins with a black page that has a 2-inch die-cut center.  The hole provides a peak of the photograph on the next page.  Then she follows this photograph with a wide view of the object in its environment.  For example, the first page shows black and white spots that are similar to the coat of a cow.  However, as the reader flips to the next page, Hoban reveals that these black and white spots are actually the feathers of a penguin.  On the following page, she zooms out the photograph even more, showing a pack of seventeen penguins.  The level of difficulty varies among the photographs, ranging from the easily recognized hide of a giraffe, to the disguised bolt of a bullzozer’s wheel.  Just Look will have children glued to the photographs, thinking about what they see!

Curriculum Connections
This book is great to teach students that physical properties can be used to help describe matter.  Students can focus on the color, shape, and texture of the pictures to help them predict what the author is showing in the die-cut.  It would be a great idea to compare and contrast each of the photographs.  The featured animals, building, and objects could serve as a basis for a classification exercise that focuses on the physical characteristics of each type of matter.   In Virginia, this book works well with the K.4 SOL.

Additional Resources

  •  The Utah Education Network provides a great lesson plan called “What it is, What it isn’t.”  Resources such as Instructional Procedures, Extensions, and Assessment Plans are also available on this site!
  • Are you looking for similar books like Just Look? Check out this site for additional books by Tana Hoban!
  • Relate this book to a visual arts lesson that focuses on texture and patterns.  Lesson plan #7 on this site is based off of Tana Hoban’s Just Look.

Book: Just Look
Author/Illustrator: Tana Hoban
Publisher: Greenwillow Brooks
Publication Date: 1996
Pages: 38 pages
Grades: K-1
ISBN: 0688140416

Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: In the Spin of Things

Published by Lexi on September 8, 2008 in physical science, book review, poetry and science. 0 Comments

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Unfortunately there are not many stories for teachers to read relating to motion, but there are a few out there. In the Spin of Things would be one of those few books. Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Karen Dugan once again have gotten together to create a book of poems to get kids interested in the concept of motion.

The book consists of twenty-three poems about different objects and the movements they make. From a rubber band to waterfalls, In the Spin of Things covers a wide variety of objects that have some type of motion, providing the perfect opportunity for teachers to connect their science lesson to the world. Good imagery fills every poem, such as in part of the following poem, Jump Rope.

“Swings up,
whirls around,
brushes ground
beneath quick feet.”

Since some of Dotlich’s poems pertain to simple everyday items, teachers can actually demonstrate what these poems are talking about to their students after they finish reading it. But by also writing poems about larger, not so everyday items, Dotlich opens students’ eyes to the much larger scale of motion as well. While Dotlich provides great work in her poems, Dugan contributes to an even better enjoyment of the poems with her wonderful illustrations. The bright colors on every page that correlate with each poem provide even more enjoyment for the students, and what can be better than getting students to start off liking a subject?

Curriculum Connections
It is difficult to find a book that focuses on presenting the lessons of motion to children in more ways than just an explanation or activity. Dotlich and Dugan did an excellent job of presenting this difficult lesson with a fun new approach, while also opening students up to more poetry, covering both science and some English at once! For Virginia first grade teachers, this book provides a great introduction to fulfilling the Science SOL 1.2, dealing with different kinds of motion created by different objects. Teachers can also take this opportunity to discuss poems with their students, perhaps even having them write their own poems incorporating moving objects in the classroom.

Additional Resources

Book: In the Spin of Things
Author: Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Illustrator: Karen Dugan
Publisher: Wordsong
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-3
ISBN: 1-56397-145-3

Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Flicker Flash

Published by Kim on September 8, 2008 in physical science, book review and science. 0 Comments

Many children associate the concept of light with the simple action of flicking a light switch and are unaware of the various forms of light that are used everyday. Joan Bransfield Graham and illustrator Nancy Davis compiled a series of poems, that illustrates and explains the different types of light, in the book Flicker Flash which can help broaden a young child’s idea of light or to reinforce ideas before the start of an unit.

In Flicker Flash, Graham describes various forms of light used in household appliances (such as a light bulb, porch light, television, and a refrigerator light), light in the night sky (including fireworks, lighthouses, a lightening bolt, and the moon), and light used during special occasions (such as birthday candles, camera light and a spotlight). The  poems explain how light is used in many aspects of the day and helps to broaden a child’s idea of light.

Light Oh, Light
Captain of the midnight sky,
You stretch your arms and flash your eye across the waves and churning foam to steer me,
Guide me,
Safely Home.
Light House

Along with the text, Davis’ pictures helps to clarify the distinctions between the types of light by organizing the text to support how the light is used. For example, in the poem above, Davis supports the text by arranging the words into a lighthouse with some of the words extending away from the light house text simulating the search lights on the top of lighthouses. Between the content of Graham’s writing in addition to the reinforcement provided through Davis’ pictures, children will expand their knowledge on the multiple sources of light.

Curriculum Connections
This book can be used to help expand young students’ knowledge to recognize different sources of light. For older grades Flicker Flash can be used to remind students of various light sources as an introduction before moving onto addressing additional characteristics of electricity (In Virginia this corresponds with standard 4.3).

Additional Resources

  • Joan Graham’s website provides extension activities for language arts, music, social studies, art, science, and math to further investigate how light plays a role in our lives.
  • Star Light, Star Bright has activities and additional information for students explaining the relationship between light and stars. This site also provides lesson plans and ideas for teachers.
  • This site provides opportunities for additional exploration on light with demonstrations of making lightening, along with interactive sites for kids, worksheets, and lesson plans for teachers.

Title: Flicker Flash
Author: Joan Bransfield Graham
Illustrator: Nancy Davis
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-4
ISBN: 0618311025

Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Sounds All Around

Published by Kelly on September 8, 2008 in physical science, book review and science. 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered how we hear sounds? Sounds All Around, written by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Holly Keller, explains how sounds from vibrating objects make tiny bones in our ears vibrate to hear sound.

The book Sounds All Around begins by listing various sounds that young children often make and hear: “Snap your fingers. Clap your hands. Whistle! Clatter some pans. You’re making sounds!” It then explains that that each of these common actions creates sound waves that vibrate through the air. This causes tiny bones in our ears to vibrate, allowing us to hear sounds. Readers will also learn how both people and animals use sounds to communicate and bats use echolocation to find food and avoid running into objects in total darkness. In addition, there are several other interesting facts throughout the book, including that some animals, such as snakes, don’t have ears: “A snake has no ears. To hear, it puts its head on the ground. A bone in its head feels the sound vibrations.”

 This book also includes several hands-on-activities related to sound for students to do after reading, such as making a tissue box guitar, listening to sounds travel through a string telephone, and playing a sounds matching game. The activities are clearly explained and could easily be completed in an elementary school classroom.

Curriculum Connections
This book would be a great resource for introducing a science lesson related to sound for Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd graders. In Virginia, this book and the activities listed at the end relate to 1st grade science SOL 1.2b, which states that students will understand that objects vibrate to produce sound.

Additional Resources

  • The A to Z Teacher Stuff website contains an Eggs Filled with Sound lesson plan, in which students use their sense of hearing to guess what objects are inside the eggs.
  • The A to Z Teacher Stuff also provides 17 experiments related to sound and its application to animals, musical instruments, and communication.
  • The PBS Kids website provides explanations of several sounds experiments for kids to do at home or at school, including a glass xylophone, string telephone, and super sounding drums.

Book: Sounds All Around
Author: Wendy Pfeffer
Illustrator: Holly Keller
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-2
ISBN: 0-06-027711-4

Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Trucks Trucks Trucks

Published by Megan on September 8, 2008 in physical science, book review and science. 0 Comments

Join Matt while he explores the different uses and kinds of trucks in his bedroom. Peter Sís has written and illustrated Trucks Trucks Trucks about the different motions that the primary character Matt uses to pick up his room using his toy trucks.

Trucks Trucks Trucks is a simple, yet creative book that shows the different actions of trucks through line drawings in white, yellow and blue accents. Page by page Matt plows, pushes, and rolls through his room while the trucks become gradually bigger until they are life sized and Matt becomes the driver. The book shows direction and motion well to through Matt’s movements and efforts.

The layout of the book is very simple, with a question on the first page and then one word on each subsequent page. While it may not be the most difficult reading level book, it connects to the overall subject of physical science and demonstrates the vocabulary and spelling through large print and clear pictures. The beginning line opens the book into a fantasy science world for Matt, “Matt, will you pick up your trucks?”.

Curriculum Connections
The reading level of Trucks Trucks Trucks is geared more towards kindergarten or pre-k, however, the book can be used for a physical science lessons in kindergarten and first grade involving straight, circular and back-and-forth motion. The book also shows through pictures and vocabulary that pushing or pulling an object can change the movement. Matt demonstrates the motion through words such as plowing, pushing, rolling, scooping (up and down), sweeping (circular motion), and lifting. In Virginia this relates to science SOL K.3a (attraction/nonattraction, push/pull, attract/repel, and metal/nonmetal) and 1.2a (objects may have straight, circular, and back-and-forth motion) and 1.2c (pushes or pulls can change the movement of an object).

Additional Resources

  • A Turtle Book Lesson Plan offers coloring pictures, additional books, and has additional modes of transportation that move in ways that show straight and circular paths.
  • Books of Common Thread Project includes a list of books that serve a similar purpose as Trucks Trucks Trucks and gives a short abstract and reflection on how the book can be used in a science or language arts lesson.

Book: Trucks Trucks Trucks
Author/Illustrator: Peter Sís
Publisher: Greenwillow
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 23 pages
Grades: K-1
ISBN: 0688162762

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: The Planet Hunter

Published by Mary Beth on September 5, 2008 in process skills, biography, book review and science. 0 Comments

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How many planets are there in our solar system? It’s eight, right? Didn’t we used to have nine? In Elizabeth Rusch’s The Planet Hunter, we follow the story of astronomer Mike Brown in his discoveries that led to the reclassification of Pluto.

Rusch walks the reader through Mike Brown’s thought process and research as he discovers bodies in space, one of which is bigger than Pluto.

What do my discoveries really mean? Mike asked himself. Perhaps astronomers were wrong to call Pluto a planet in the first place. After all, Pluto’s so much smaller than the other planets. And it floats near Eris and Quaoar and a bunch of other objects just like it.
Even scientists make mistakes, Mike thought.

The story of this book is attention-grabbing, but what really brings Mike Brown’s adventures to life are illustrations by Guy Francis. Brown is portrayed in the book as a friendly and curious young man, a character who is easy to relate to, since he’s drawn just as students might picture themselves.

Curriculum Connections
This book could be used in the upper elementary school grades to teach about scientific investigation, reasoning, and logic. In Virginia, The Planet Hunter can be used in connection with SOL 5.1 where students investigate and understand the nature of science, a constantly changing field of continuous observation and trial through the scientific method.

Additional Resources

  • Here is a lesson plan from Education World about how we are constantly learning and discovering information about our solar system.
  • This is Mike Brown’s website. Here he shares his latest news.
  • In the activity The Earth is a Peppercorn, posted by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, students explore and compare the size of planets and their distances from each other.

Book: The Planet Hunter
Author: Elizabeth Rusch
Illustrator: Guy Francis
Publisher: Rising Moon
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 29 pages
Grades: K-3
ISBN: 0-87358-926-2

Teaching Processes Skills with Children’s Literature: Inchworm and A Half

Published by Anthony on September 4, 2008 in process skills, book review and science. 0 Comments

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Elinor J. Pinczes’ book Inchworm and A Half takes the reader on a day in the life of an inchworm who loves to measure different objects in the garden.  Along the way, the inchworm realizes that every object in the garden is not an exact inch and he needs help.  The illustrations by Randall Enos are very lively and make it easy for the reader to visualize the inch, half-inch, third-inch, and quarter-inch in comparison to the objects being measured.

This book by Elinor Pinczes walks the reader through the daily activities of an inchworm loves to measure different objects.  He spends his days measuring fruit, vegetables, and leaves.  However, when the inchworm begins to measure a cucumber he realizes that the cucumber is a little more than two inches, but not quite three.  “My measurement’s off just a bit. One, two, nearly three! How could this be?… (6)” The inchworm meets a smaller worm as he falls off the leaf that was attached to the cucumber.  After a few minutes of discussion, the smaller worm yelps, “I’m a fraction, that length should be easy for me (10).”  The smaller worm realizes that he is half the size of the inchworm and that he would fit perfectly on the end of the cucumber.  Every one loop the inchworm made, the half-inch worm made two and they continued through the garden (16).  However, the tandem came across another object- a carrot- that they were not able to measure.  Luckily, a smaller worm than the half-inch arrived and he announced that he was one-third of an inch.  The team received a new member and continued on their way, measuring everything they came across.  However, another object- this time being a tomato- that they were not able to fully measure appeared.  The three worms were astonished that something was smaller than one-third of an inch.  Yet again, the day was saved by another worm in the area who just happened to be one-fourth of an inch.  The four worms were ready to take on the world.

Curriculum Connections
This book can help students view objects in everyday life as measuring tools.  Instead of just using a ruler, yard stick, or meter stick, children may think to use a pencil, pen, or piece of paper to calculate the length of an object.  This book can create a new prospect for children and help them see more in an object than there appears to be.  This book will meet the requirements for the SOLs K.1f, 1.1e, and 2.1e.  The kindergarten and the first-grade SOLs require students to use non-standard object to measure objects.  The second-grade SOL requires students to learn the standard English units.

Additional Activities

Book: Inchworm and A Half
Author: Elinor J. Pinczes
Illustrator: Randall Enos
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-2nd
ISBN: 0618311017

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses

Published by Alex on September 3, 2008 in process skills, book review and science. 0 Comments

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The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen, is a great book for introducing science to children. The book is part of the Magic School Bus series, made famous with its engaging character Ms. Frizzle and her adventures with her class on the magic bus. In this story, Ms. Frizzle’s class jumps on the bus with the assistant principal as the driver. Not accustomed to the “magical” school bus, the assistant principal accidentally shrinks it with all the kids inside. The class, on a search for Ms. Frizzle, drive their shrunken bus through eyes, ears, brains, noses and finally the mouth of Ms. Frizzle herself. All the while the kids are learning about the five senses and how they react with the nerves in the brain with help from Ms. Frizzles class notes which made their way onto the bus.

Once again the Magic School Bus makes science fun and interesting by disguising the intricate facts with an action-packed plot line. In an excerpt, “‘We have to keep track of the Friz,’ said Ralphie. ‘Look for the part of the cortex,’” it’s easy to see how the lesson of the senses weaves throughout the storyline. Like the other books in the series, the Magic School Bus also includes detailed illustrations with many captions, labels and bonus facts about the topic. Each page of the plot is also bordered with illustrations of reports on the senses completed by Ms. Frizzle’s class. They add even more educational context in an easy to read, note-like format.

Curriculum Connections
This book can be used to open a lesson on the five senses or even a lesson on the science of the body. In Virginia it can relate to the kindergarten and 1st grade SOL for science investigation, learning about the senses and how we use them.

Additional Resources

  • For further activities that correspond with the book check out the Scholastic website for games, printable worksheets and lesson ideas. See Gets and Earful.
  • You should also check out the lesson plan about smelling and the nose with Ms. Frizzle’s class in The Magic School Bus Makes a Stink.

Book: The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses
Author: Joanna Cole
Illustrator: Bruce Degen
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: Kindergarten and 1st
ISBN: 0590446983

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: The Sound of Colors

Published by Lexi on September 2, 2008 in process skills, book review and science. 0 Comments

There are times we are seem to forget and take advantage of our use of all five of our senses, but what if you were to lose your sense of sight? In The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination, Jimmy Liao tells a story that makes us realize what we do have, while also making us think once again on expanding our imagination even more.

The story is about a blind girl and her journey on the subways one day; since she can no longer see, she must use her other senses and her imagination to get herself through the day, and she has quite the imagination! Liao has a great usage of vocabulary in the story to emphasize the different senses that are used on this particular trip.

“Listen! Far ahead, at the end of the tunnel,
can you hear it?
A butterfly is flapping her wings.
I can feel the wind she makes
brushing against my face.”

This is just one of the many pages of the book with great illustrations. While the vivid words by themselves present us with a picture of what is happening in the story, Jimmy Liao also fills every page with bright, detail-oriented pictures to depict what fills her imagination.

Curriculum Connections
There are many directions for the teacher to go in after reading this story to the class. First, although the story may be a bit too much information to use in presenting the five senses to a kindergarten or a first-grade class, it does work well to reinforce a slightly older student’s process skills through its subtle way of including all the senses. This is a good way for Virginia teachers to fulfill the Science SOL 2.1.

That is just one of the ways that teachers can further their students education with the use of this book though. The Sound of Colors also presents opportunities for teachers to confront their students with different issues, such as dealing with and better understanding people who are blind, as well as how to express their own creativity.

Additional Resources

Book: The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination
Author/Illustrator: Jimmy Liao
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 80
Grades: 2-6
ISBN: 0-346-93992-7

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Good-Night, Owl!

Published by Elvira on September 2, 2008 in process skills, book review and science. 0 Comments

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Are you interested in hearing what the owl hears as it tries to sleep. In the book Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins the reader is able to hear what animals annoy the owl as it sleeps.

The book begins with the owl trying to sleep up in a tree. While the owl is trying to sleep the disturbed by the sounds that animals around it begin to make. First, its the bees that “buzz, buzz.” Then come the squirrel that “crunch, crunch,” on nuts. Pat Hutchins utilizes onomatopoeia with all the animals that come near the owl. This gives the students an opportunity to connect the noises that they are reading with an illustration of the animal. The book gives ten different creatures that disturb the owl as it trying to sleep. There is a variation of creatures that Pat Hutchins uses, from jays to cuckoo to doves.

The illustrations are classic and show every animal very clearly for the students to understand. The Illustration also show that it is day time and indicate that the owl is nocturnal. This is a great topic to discuss with your students. At the end the when “the moon came up,” the “Owl screeched, screech screech, and woke everyone up.” The book shows how the owl also makes a distinct sound and the students are able to learn that as well.

Curriculum Connections
The book would be a good read for emergent readers in the first and second grade, who need to understand the sense of hearing. The majority of the words utilized are onomatopoeia words making it easier for the student to recognize and read. The students are also connecting sounds that they might hear in their every day life to actual illustration of animals that make the sounds. If teaching in Virginia this book would cover the Science SOL K.1C which is objects are described both pictorially and verbally and K.2 a, b students will investigate the five senses and sensory descriptions.

Additional Information

  • Mrs. Attaya’s first grade class websites has various activities that her students have done with owls and the senses. These activities would be great to do through the year and like Mrs. Attaya did take pictures so the class can see them.
  • Listen to the Desert/ Oye Al Desierto, by Pat Mora is also a great book to read to your student. This book focuses on the sounds that are made in the desert but they are in Spanish and English. This book could be read if there are children that speak Spanish and need to make the processing skill in a second language.
  • Father’s Day Lesson Plan and Craft is another activity that focuses on sounds and onomatopoeia words. Students will create any type of gift they want to give their father as a father’s day gift and they incorporate an onomatopoeia word.

Book: Good-Night, Owl!
Author/Illustrator: Pat Hutchins
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication Date: 1990
Pages: 32 pages
Grade: K-1
ISBN: 978-0689713712