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Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: The Bug Scientists

Posted on March 30, 2010 by openwidearchive

Summary
The Bug Scientists, written by Donna M. Jackson, takes a different approach by teaching students about insects but also about the men and women who study them in different ways. The book introduces us to insects and their attributes (body parts, survival methods), as well as a few different ways humans study bugs or use them in their study of other things. For instance, we meet a forensic entomologist who uses maggots to solve murders. Your 3rd – 6th graders will love some of the “gross” pictures and details, as well as the section on “amazing insects” at the end.

Curriculum Connections
The Bug Scientists is a great way to teach children about insects in a way that acknowledges their initial reactions but tells a compelling story that bugs are wonderful and interesting creatures . The photos are big enough for classes to see during oral reading, and detailed enough for students to study on their own. This book is for grades 3-6, and it can be a good resource for learning about living systems, the insect class, and the invertebrate phylum.

Additional Resources

Students can learn more about classifying insects at www.insects.org, a bug bio site.
The students can learn more about the growth of butterflies here, which gives directions for insect science project experiment to determine how temperature affects the growth of butterflies.
This site has some good Q&A you can use with students when teaching about insects

Book: Bug Scientists
Author: Donna M. Jackson
Publisher: Sandpiper
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 48 pages
Grade Range: 3-6
ISBN-10: 0618432329

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Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Butterflies and Moths

Posted on March 30, 2010 by openwidearchive

Butterflies and Moths, written by Nic Bishop. This book provides basic information about moths and butterflies. The book goes on to discuss facts about the insects appearance and habits. For example Moths have fatter bodies, covered with furry hairs. One can tell a moth from a butterfly by the antennae on the moths head. The book then goes on to discuss the life cycle of a butterfly and moth. First it begins with an egg, then the caterpillar crawls out, and lastly the caterpillar wanders to a safe place into a pupa. This book is great for K-4 graders because of the colorful illustrations and detailed facts about butterflies and moths.

Cirrculum Connections

Butterflies and Moths is a great way to teach children the four stages of the butterfly. The illustrations are bright and colorful for students to look at. This book is for K-4 graders because of the basic facts that are provided about the insects. K.1g)The four stages of the butterfly allows the students to observe and record the result of each stage. 2.4a) and 2.4b) Allows the teacher to teach about the butterflies life cycle and habits.

Additional Resources

Colorful Art Butterfly– In this activity students cut off part of an egg cartoon then the students can paint the carton any color they want. This activity is great for students who have read a book about caterpillars.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly– Students will identify the four stages of a butterflies life cycle

The Ugly Caterpillar– This program features four different reading leavels. This program is great for guide reading

Book: Butterflies and Moths
Author: Nic Bishop
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 48 pages
Grade Range: K-4
ISBN-10: 3082 01039 0721

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Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Animal Habitats

Posted on March 30, 2010 by openwidearchive

Michelle Kramer’s Animal Habitats is an early reader concept book on animal habitats and features great photographs by National Geographic. The book walks through and explains what habitat is and what animals need to survive in their habitats. After explaining the importance of an animal’s habitat each the next several pages are dedicated to the different types of habitats. Each habitat has highlighted vocabulary for that specific habitat. The book also introduces several animals that small children may not have seen or heard of before; perhaps peaking the interest of those animal lovers. Each page about the separate habitat begins similarly and will help in the development of early reading skills. ” Sandy deserts are hot and dry places. Many animals live in this habitat. What helps them survive?” After the question is asked on each section about the habitat there are several boxes answering the questions. ” Fennec foxes dig holes underground to find shelter from the hot sun. The skink eats insects that lives in the desert. These camels are at an oasis. An oasis is a place in the desert that has water.” Even if the child is not reading on their own, the pictures are great and fill the pages.

Curriculum Connections
This book is a great resource when instructing students on Life Science and more specifically different habitats that animals live in. This book is filled with vocabulary and several animals associated with different habitats. National Geographic also features a page specifically for the teacher in the front cover of the book connecting the books major themes and key concepts that are learned. It also provides customized instruction for English Language Learner that will help a teacher meet their specific needs. (SOL 1.5 a, b, c)

Additional Resources
Frog Life Cycle is a page that shows an example of a simple craft to made showing the cycle of frogs. I think that students would enjoy making the project and still get an understand of the life cycle that frogs go through. The page also has free printable templates to complete the project. The directions are easy to follow and seem simple enough for the young students.
Animal Life Cycles is a page that has a detailed unit plan on animal life cycles. Not all of the activities would fit into the SOL curriculum but many of the ideas can be adapted and made to fit. This is also a great site because it give cross-curricular connections to art and language arts.
Studying the Life Cycle of Butterflies is a great lesson planning page from Scholastic. It provides background, vocabulary and activities for students that are associated with the life cycle of butterflies. The page also provides a list of supplemental reading for the children.

General Information
Book: Animal Habitats
Author: Michelle Kramer
Publisher:National Geographic School Publishing
Publication Date:2006
Pages:24
Grade Range: Pre-K to 2nd grade
ISBN:978-14263-50573

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Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: The Life Cycle of an Owl

Posted on March 30, 2010 by openwidearchive

In the book series Learning About Life Cycles, The Life Cycle of an Owl written by Ruth Thomson explains the entire life cycle of a barn owl. The book has real life pictures and is does an amazing job of portraying life in the wild for the barn owl. The book starts out with the places owls live and what they eat. Characteristics of an owl is described by stating that

“It has very good eyesight and hearing. It flies silently and pounces on animals with its feet. It usually swallows them whole.”

Since this book is only about barn owls all of the physical features are described. The book starts the life cycle with “finding a mate”. This is usually done durning the spring season; males and females can often be seen flying together while making a loud screeching sound. The book shows and explains how the mother owl lays eggs and cares for her owlets. The father keeps both the mother and the owlets alive with providing food. The book lists the different stages the owlets go through until adulthood. Pictures are provided with each stage. The author ends the book with displaying the owl life cycle that was described throughout the book for a better visual understanding.

Curriculum Connections:

This would be a great book for teachers teaching about animal life cycles and habitats (SOL 2.4a & 2.5b). The book explains the life cycle of an owlet as it grows and matures into an owl at the elementary age school level. The book has outstanding pictures that are detailed and not graphic for young children. The book explains the habitat surroundings needed for the barn owl.

Additional Resources:

Exploring the Southwest Desert USA has a great web-site for anyone that would like to learn about the barn owl. The range, habitat, description, habits and the owl’s life cycle are all explained in this web-site. This could be used as an additional resource for a teacher that is teaching a lesson plan on the barn owl.

Teachers can handout a coloring page for students to color as they learn about the barn owl. Students have room to draw the owl’s habitat. The students can also list some of the facts that they learned about the barn owl around their artwork.

Teachers and students can watch a real barn owl live on the internet! Teachers will need to click on the link to watch Molly the barn owl in the classroom. This is a free web-site.

Eastside Audubon has listed a lesson plan for teachers who will be teaching about owls. The lesson plan is geared for students grades 3-6 (adaptions can be made for younger students). *Registration is required to enter the site.*

Book: The Life Cycle of an Owl
Author: Ruth Thomson
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 24
Grade Range: 2-5
ISBN: 1-4358-2833-9

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Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Butterfly House

Posted on March 29, 2010 by openwidearchive

Butterfly House, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Greg Shed, is a sentimental story about a young girl and her grandfather who raise a butterfly from a larva. The book walks through the life stages of the butterfly and also the aging of the young girl into an old woman. The beautiful illustrations of the larva, the butterfly’s home, the butterfly, and people are captivating. In the back of the book, there are directions on how to raise your own butterfly.

Curriculum Connections

The Butterfly House can be used to teach students that animals go through a series of orderly changes as they grow and mature (VA SOL 2.4). This book may also be used to teach students about changes in an organism’s niche at various stages in its life cycle (VA SOL 4.5e).

Additional Resources

Kids can color their own Butterfly Life Cycle worksheet as well as find out more about Rearing butterflies on The Butterfly Site.

View images of butterflies in the Butterfly galleries, sorted by family and geographic region.

Learn about gardening to attract butterflies.

Make a butterfly life cycle mobile.

General Information

Book: Butterfly House
Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: Greg Shed
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date: 1999
Pages: 32
Grade Range: K-5
ISBN: 0590849085

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Teaching Civics With Children’s Literature: Feathers and Fools

Posted on March 29, 2010 by openwidearchive

Feathers and Fools written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Nicholas Wilton is a story about two different flocks of birds living very close to each other. The peacocks lived in the beautiful garden and the swans live on the clear blue lake. One day a foolish peacock told the rest of his flock that it was good that peacocks do not swim or fly like the swans, otherwise they would surely drown and look silly flying around. The other peacocks listened to his words but did not say another. Then the foolish peacock opened his mouth again and this time said that he feared the swans. He felt they had great strength and could run the peacocks out of their garden or force them to swim. The other peacocks became upset and were very worried about their home and happiness. The peacocks decided to gather up feathers and sharpen them into arrows so that they could defend themselves against the swans. The swans heard of their plans and become fearfully. They too started gathering feathers to make arrows to defend themselves. Both flocks continued to gather feathers but as they added more feathers they become more and more frightened and anxious. One day a swan was flying over the peacocks garden with a reed in her beak to make a nest for her eggs, the peacocks saw this and mistook the reed for an arrow and the peacocks rushed down to the lake where the swans where. The swans saw them coming and got ready to defend themselves. The two flocks fought each other and not one survived. As the sun began to set two eggs hatched and out stumbled a baby peacock and a baby swan. They walked over to each other and declared they were the same seeing as they has feathers, two legs, two eyes, and a head. They decided right there to be friends and went off together unafraid.

Curriculum Connections
Feathers and Fools is written for grades K – 3. However, the book has violent imagery that really isn’t suitable for younger elementary. It illustrates a great message for an older audience about unsupported prejudices and rash judgments. For younger grades it would be used to show how friendship sees past small differences. If the story was told without the violent language, it would be suitable to use to teach students about treating others with respect ( VA SOL K.8c, 1.10a) and also about being kind to others (VA SOL K.8a)

Additional Resources

This lesson plan focuses on how to be a good citizen.
This lesson plan focuses on sharing for lower elementary.
This website has several awards and certificates that can be used to promote being a good citizen in the classroom.

Book: Feathers and Fools
Author: Mem Fox
Illustrator: Nicholas Wilton
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
Publication Date: 1996
Pages: 36 pages
Grade Range: K-3
ISBN-10: 0152004734

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Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: I Pledge Allegiance

Posted on March 29, 2010 by openwidearchive

Introduction and Summary

I Pledge Allegiance by June Swanson with illustrations by Rick Hanson is a fantastic book that teaches the history of the Pledge of Allegiance since it was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. School children actually played a part in why the Pledge of Allegiance was written. To celebrate the 400 year anniversary of Columbus discovering America, Francis Bellamy and James Upham (two men from the children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion) requested that American children collect flags to be raised in their classrooms to celebrate what would become Columbus Day. Together, these children would say something to honor the flag. That is why Bellamy wrote the very first pledge. The original version was “I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands–one nation indivisible–with liberty and justice for all.” (p.14) The book then defines the words allegiance, Republic, nation, indivisible, liberty and justice so that all school children would know what the pledge meant. The book goes on to talk about how the United States was changing such as, states that were being added, technological advances like the automobile and the Wright Brothers historical flight, and the wars that we fought. As the nation changed, so did the pledge adding new phrases such as, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,” and “one nation under God” which was added due to Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg address. (p.36) In 1923 it was decided that every one who said the pledge should put their right hand over their hearts. (p.29) Though many children say it today in our schools, the book points out that no one can force anyone to say it.

Curriculum Connections

This book tells about how school children were a part of the history of what is now a traditional practice that honors and fosters patriotism in the United States. (VA SOL 1.11) It also provides the history of the pledge since it’s inception in 1892. (VA SOL 1.11 b) Children will also learn about historical events that happened in the United States, and how Abraham Lincoln had a direct affect on the Pledge of Allegiance. (VA SOL 2.11)

Additional Resources

The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools is a website that lists famous court cases that have involved the Pledge of Allegiance and also discusses the religious implications because of the term “under God.”

Historic Documents is a website that not only gives a brief history of the Pledge of Allegiance, but also lists several other historical documents in United States History such as, The aforementioned Gettysburg Address, Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, etc.

USA Flag Site is a website that gives a history of the American flag. Also contains images of the bald eagle and the Statue of Liberty.

Flag Picture Gallery is a website that shows the many different versions of the American flag.

General Information

Book: I Pledge Allegiance
Author: June Swanson (website link not available)
Illustrator: Rick Hanson
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Publication Date: 1992
Pages: 40
Grade Range: 2nd-4th
ISBN: 0-87614-393-1

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Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Liberty

Posted on March 29, 2010 by openwidearchive

Cartoon Nation presents Liberty a book that contains tons of facts and information about the political philosophy concept of liberty. Since liberty identifies people's rights and the ability to act according to one’s own will this book is a good one to use during instruction about civics. The book covers many facets of liberty including its origin in the United States, what it has meant throughout history (specifically focusing on liberty in the United States). There are several chapters with discussions of the development of our government’s understanding of liberty and information about other countries who lack a sense of liberty and the implications these countries and their people face as a result of severe government control (examples presented: Darfur, Sri Lanka, and China). The book concludes with a great section about what America would be like without liberty and that liberty should never be taken for granted. The book encourages the reader as citizens of the United States to make wise and good decisions and act appropriately as thanks to those who fought for our freedom and that acting within reason is an important way of ensuring that as we grow we will continue to be able to make decisions for ourselves.

The book is written by Terry Collins and illustrated by Brian Bascle.

Curriculum Connections

This book can be used in the classroom during talk about citizenship, liberty, freedom, right, civics, or many other topics discussed in elementary social studies instruction. The book could satisfy many VA SOLs but I think this book would be best for grades 3-5 and I felt that is best aligned with VA SOL 3.10 and 3.12 for civics instruction. The book’s content covers all of these strands and many more additional points about liberty and American goverment matters.

The student will recognize why government is necessary in the classroom, school, and community by
a)    explaining the purpose of rules and laws;
b)    explaining that the basic purposes of government are to make laws, carry out laws, and decide if laws have been broken;
c)    explaining that government protects the rights and property of individuals.

3.12 The student will recognize that Americans are a people of diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who are united by the basic principles of a republican form of government and respect for individual rights and freedoms.

Additional Resources

Great blog for kids all about liberty !

Excellent kid-friendly interactive website about Liberty Kids!

Awesome website published by the White House that has everything to do with being young citizens of the United States of America!

General Information

Book: Liberty

Author: Terry Collins

Illustrator: Brian Bascle

Publisher: Capstone Press

Publication Date: 2009

Pages: 32

Grade Range: Grades 3-5

ISBN: 978-1-4296-2340-7

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Teaching Earth Science with Children’s Literature: The Little House

Posted on March 29, 2010 by openwidearchive

Once upon a time
there was a Little House
way out in the country.
She was a pretty Little House
and she was strong and well built.

Virginia Lee Burton’s classic, The Little House, was the winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1943. The pretty Little House sat on a hill and watched the countryside around her. The whimsical and detailed artwork and lyrical and nostalgic wording brings the Little House to life as she becomes the main character of this story of change over time.

She watched the sun rise in the morning
and she watched the sun set in the evening.
Day followed day,
each one a little different
from the one before€¦€¦.

We experience the changes of the sun, moon, and seasons, and the change of her surroundings as the lights of the city grow closer to the Little House. Eventually a road is built in front of the house. This is followed by gasoline stations, roadside stands, and more little houses. " Everyone and everything moved much faster now than before." Then the countryside was changed as apartments and tenement houses, schools, and stores began to spread over the land. It became so crowded that she couldn't tell when Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter came.

Then one day the great-great-granddaughter of the man who built the Little House sees the house and remembers stories that her grandmother told about living in just such a house, far out in the country. When the great-great-granddaughter discovers that it is the same house, she arranges to have her moved out of the city, to a hill in the country.

Once again she could watch
The sun and moon and stars.
Once again she could watch
Spring and Summer
And Fall and Winter
Come and go.

Curriculum Connections

The Little House can be used to introduce and/or enhance many of the earth science Standards of Learning. The students can observe the countryside slowly change with the seasons through both the words in the story and the wonderful pictures. (VA SOL 1.7 & 2.7). The book has a wonderful illustration of the cycle of the sun rising and setting in the sky that can illustrate the basic patterns and cycles occurring in nature, such as day and night. Simple phases of the moon are also illustrated, including a simple calendar illustration of the moon cycles. (VA SOL 3.8a) Earth Resources can be investigated as the story explores how human influences affected the area around the little house and connect that to animals & plant life that may have lived around the house and how they may have been affected by these changes. (VA SOL 3.10)

Additional Resources

The Four Seasons Tree Collage activity allows students to be creative and make a tree as it would look in one of the four seasons.
Star Date Online provides a moon phase calendar for any given month. This can be compared to the moon phase calendar provided in the book.
Harcourt School provides an online, interactive moon phase activity, a graphic of the phases of the moon, and an interactive seasons activity to explore different aspects of each season.
Science U provides Seasons reasons, a great description & illustration of the movement of the earth that causes the seasons.

General Information

Book: The Little House
Author/Illustrator: Virginia Lee Burton
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication Date: 1942
Pages: 44
Grade Range: PreK – 3
ISBN-10: 039525938X
ISBN-13: 978-0395259382

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Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: The Bug Scientists

Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Butterflies and Moths

Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Animal Habitats

Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: The Life Cycle of an Owl

Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Butterfly House

Teaching Civics With Children’s Literature: Feathers and Fools

Teaching Earth Science with Children’s Literature: The Little House

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