Integrating Science and Language ArtsTeaching Science with Kidlit: NGSS Performance Expectation K-ESS3-1
This week, I’m focusing on a kindergarten PE that is lumped under Earth & Space Science, though it really has significant overlap with life science concepts. K-ESS3-1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live. [Clarification Statement: Examples of relationships could […]
Teaching Science with Kidlit: More NGSS Performance Expectation K-LS1-1
Expanding on last week’s post, here are some books and activities that focus specifically on one aspect of K-LS1-1—animals’ need for food. Gobble It Up! by Jim Arnosky Time to Eat by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds Pinduli by Janell Cannon What’s for Dinner? Quirky, Squirmy Poems from the Animal World […]
Teaching Science with Kidlit: NGSS Performance Expectation K-LS1-1
The Next Generation Science Standards have a complicated history. They trace back to the 2011 National Research Council report entitled A Framework for K-12 Science Education and went through multiple drafts that were commented upon by, well, pretty much anyone who had any interest in them. In the end, the drafters developed statements called “performance […]
Teaching Science with Kidlit: How I Spent My Summer Vacation
When I was in elementary school, we had to write a “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” essay at the beginning of each school year. And I hated it. Summer was my secret time away from the hustle and bustle of school year activities. I spent hours wandering in the woods, making clothes for my […]
Friday Fun: A Perfect Pair
Now that the heart of winter is here, it’s just the right time to share perhaps the most obvious fiction-nonfiction pairing I’ve ever come across. My book Under the Snow and Kate Messner’s new title Over and Under the Snow are indeed a perfect pair. In Over and Under the Snow an adult and child […]
Friday Fun: A Perfect Pair
These appealing books correlate strongly with early elementary curriculum standards. They describe where snails live and discuss their daily habits and activities. The Snail’s Spell by Joanne Ryder + Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell In The Snail’s Spell (Puffin, 1988), captivating, detailed illustrations and gentle text written in […]
Friday Fun: A Perfect Pair
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer + A Place for Frogs by Melissa StewartThe Salamander Room is a gentle tale with an important message. A boy finds a salamander in the woods and asks his mom if he can keep him. Instead of saying “no,” she asks him questions that require him to think about […]
Behind the Books: Integrating Science and Language Arts
According to a recent study, nearly 86 percent of scientists who reported loving their jobs could trace their interest in science to someone they knew or an experience they had when they were 7 to 10 years old. This finding demonstrates the critical importance of solid science instruction for elementary students. And yet, standardized tests […]
Friday Fun: A Perfect Pair
Different students enjoy different kinds of books and learn in different ways, so pairing fiction and nonfiction books can be a great way to introduce a wide variety of science topics. Here’s a pair of books that is perfect for reinforcing an interest in science and the natural world in girls aged 9-12. These books […]