Author Archives: openwidearchive

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: The River

Have you ever wondered how a river forms? Once it forms, where does it go to? What types of environments will it pass through? The story The River which is written by Brigitte Sidjanski and illustrated by Bernadette Watts tells … Continue reading

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Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Forces Make Things Move

Forces Make Things Move by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Illustrated by Paul Meisel takes a concept that can be difficult to understand and explains it on a child’s level.  The pushing and stopping of a toy car is used to … Continue reading

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Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: Come and Ride With Us!

  Introduction and Summary Come and Ride With Us shares a journey to different countries such as Haiti, Canada, Hong Kong, Peru, and a few others and shows children how people in different countries use different types of transportation to … Continue reading

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Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: I Lost My Tooth in Africa

“My dad says if you lose a tooth in Africa and put it under a gourd, you will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy.” So begins I Lost My Tooth in Africa, a delightful story written by 12-year-old … Continue reading

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Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: The Solid Truth about States of Matter

The Solid Truth about States of Matter, written by Agnieszka Biskup, contains four distinct chapters.  In the first chapter, Max describes how everything is made of matter.  He describes that matter can be hard or soft, any color, and any texture.  … Continue reading

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Teaching Physical Science Skills with Children’s Literature: Squirts and Spurts Science Fun with Water

Squirts and Spurts Science Fun with Water was written by Vicki Cobb and illustrated by Steve Haefele.  This author has written many books like this one focusing on all different areas of science.  In this particular book, Ms. Cobb, details … Continue reading

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Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: This Land is Your Land

“This land is your land, this land is my land, from California to the New York island, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters, this land was made for you and me.” Every child in the United States … Continue reading

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Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Switch On, Switch Off

Light switches are everywhere!  They are in every house: in the kitchen, the bedroom, the office, the bathroom…but are they really magic?  When it’s time for bed and mom yells “lights out,” is it truly magic within that switch that … Continue reading

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Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Duck for President

Fed up with Farmer Brown’s demands to pitch in and help with the farmyard chores, ambitious Duck decides things have to change, and so he proactively decides to stage an election to take charge.  In Duck for President by author … Continue reading

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Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: Springs

  Introduction and Summary:  Springs by David Glover is an easy to read book that explains of functions of many different types of springs. The book is filled with many pictures and illustrations and every other page provides a “fact … Continue reading

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