Saturday, June 27, 2020

NSTA Award Winning Frog Trade Books 2000---

Froggy Winners
Rationale: Science is passion: science is wonder--that’s what my science teacher husband tells me AND I support his claim and belief completely. Each year a National Science Teachers’ Association committee and representatives from the Children’s Book Council select books that they consider to be the best science books of the previous year.


This My Books Alive post features the frog  books selected by NSTA and CBC between the years of 2000 and 2019. Why separate award winning frog books from all the other wonderful books and have a lone entry for them? The topic of frogs runs through the science curricula grades K-12.  This entry also serves as a way to introduce the reader to the NSTA Science Trade Books and how they are selected.


In my school, frog life cycles are part of a larger theme about life cycles in general, for the primary grades. In the middle grades, the pond habitat is part of the curriculum and frogs are included as part of that study. Finally, in middle school, students study the animal kingdom and animal classes, including amphibians, and expand that study to include contemporary ecological problems. There are many books about frogs for grades K-3, both fiction and nonfiction. The result a separate and  complete blog entry filled with two story hours or lessons, one featuring fun new frog books and the other the life cycle and some hands-on activities to supplement the lessons occurring in the classroom. The upper grade students segment of the entry, or grades 3-6, take a closer look at the difference between frogs and toads. In the grades 5-8 portion of that entry, students learn about specific amphibians and become that species’ “expert.”


“The practices the NSTA and CBC committee uses to explore the natural world and to create new products now include mathematics and engineering. They also recognize the importance of the arts, history, and human perspectives in these explorations. Science is not just one “way of knowing,” but many. The same is true for our vision of outstanding science literature. Today’s best science trade books include captivating stories of human achievement, combine science and engineering,  feature outstanding art, lyric poetry, and plenty of ideas for hands-on activity.


Specifically, the panel looks at both content and presentation. Selection is based generally on the following criteria:
  • The book has substantial science content.
  • Information is clear, accurate, and up-to-date.
  • Theories and facts are clearly distinguished.
  • Facts are not oversimplified to the point that the information is misleading.
  • Generalizations are supported by facts, and significant facts are not omitted.
  • Books are free of gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic bias.
The panel also uses rigorous selection guidelines relating to the presentation of material, including the following: logical presentation and a clear sequence of ideas; appropriate content level for the intended audience; compatible text and illustrations; illustrations that are accurate representations in size, color, and scale; appropriate trim size and format of the book for the subject and audience; and well-organized layout that advances the text. The panel also gives attention to the quality of binding, paper, reproduction, and the appropriateness of typeface.” Quoted from the NSTA and CBC guidelines for selection.


Frog NSTA Awardees by Reading Level--Several of the titles will have their own entries as My Books Alive continues to grow--one such single entry is Nic Bishop’s Frogs that forms an author/illustrator study. Included with most entries are links to teaching ideas for that specific title.

Ribbit by Hurley, Jorey — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3. Minimal text and color illustrations tell the story of a year in the life of a frog family. From tadpole to froglet to frog, there is more to a frog's life, above and below the pond, that can be clearly seen.
Pond by Morrison, Gordon  — Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Dewey: 577.63; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6. Observes how a glacial pond and the abundance of plants and animals that draw life from it change over the course of a year. OP
Over and under the pond by Messner, Kate — Chronicle Books, 2017. Dewey: 577.63; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8. Celebrates the forms of life that live above and under a pond, including turtles, red-winged blackbirds, blue herons, minnows, frogs, and catfish.
Hip-pocket papa by Markle, Sandra — Charlesbridge, 2010--597.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.9
A male hip-pocket frog--Assa darlingtoni--protects his offspring while they grow from tadpoles to froglets in pouches located inside his legs.

The frog book by Jenkins, Steve  — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 597.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.1. An introduction to an assortment of the world's frog species, discussing their colors, shapes, and sizes; many different habitats; their lifecycle; and how they find food, escape danger, and attract a mate. Educator’s Guide from Houghton Mifflinhttps://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/Jenkins.w.Frog.pdf#page=21
Frog song by Guiberson, Brenda Z  — Henry Holt, 2013--597.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.1 Discusses the songs of many different frogs from all parts of the globe.


Flying frogs and walking fish : leaping lemurs, tumbling toads, jet-propelled jellyfish, and more surprising ways that animals move by Jenkins, Steve — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. Dewey: 591.5; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.2. Text and illustrations explore unusual animal locomotion.
Educator’s Guide for multiple Jenkins & Page books https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/Jenkins.w.Trick.Dead.pdf
Slippery, slimy baby frogs by Markle, Sandra  — Walker ,Distributed to the trade by Holtzbrinck, 2006--597.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.4. Colorful photographs and text describe how tadpoles grow into frogs.
Fanatical about frogs (Owen Davey) by Davey, Owen — Flying Eye Books, 2019: 597.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.6. Shares information on different types of frogs.
Nic Bishop frogs. by Bishop, Nic, 1955- — Scholastic, 2008--597.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.7
Full-color, illustrated photographs describing the characteristics and behaviors of a variety of frogs around the world.
Nic Bishop Personal website http://www.nicbishop.com/
Nic Bishop introduces and shares some of the backstory for creating Nic Bishop Frogs https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=3820
Catching air : taking the leap with gliding animals by Collard, Sneed B — Tilbury House Publishers, 2017. Dewey: 591.5; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.6. Introduces children to the different types of animals that glide, including bats, birds, fish, frogs, and more. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.
The case of the vanishing golden frogs : a scientific mystery by Markle, Sandra — Milbrook Press, 2012--597.8; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.7 Follows a team of scientists as they try to save Panamanian golden frogs, which began to disappear fifteen years ago, and looks at the reasons behind their decline. Lexile 910 Grades 4-5
Survival at 40 below by Miller, Debbie S — Walker, 2010. Dewey: 591.75; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.9. Describes how animals survive winter on the Arctic tundra, discussing ground squirrels, wood frogs, woolly bear caterpillars, and other species. OP
Debbie Miller Website--Featured Arctic animals https://www.debbiemilleralaska.com/survival-at-40-below
Frogs! : strange and wonderful by Pringle, Laurence P — Boyds Mills Press, 2012--597.8; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.4 Facts and illustrations introduce readers to the characteristics of frogs living in different habitats around the world. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at Follett.
Animals that make me say wow! by Cusick, Dawn — Imagine! Publishing, 2014. Dewey: 591; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 8.2. For more than forty-five years, the National Wildlife Federation has been dazzling families with amazing images and stories. Get ready for some supersonic fun that will make you say WOW! Discover jet propulsion in squid and dragonflies, camouflage in cuttlefish and katydids, photosynthesis in salamanders and sea slugs, vocal sacs in frogs, balance in giraffes and spider monkeys, and antenna fencing in crickets. Want more? How about spiders that use air bubbles like gills, skunks that eat bees, sea slugs that steal stinging cells from jellyfish, bower birds that build sparkling nests, and jawfish that brood eggs in their mouths! This book celebrates amazing animal surprises from all over the world with one-of-a-kind photographs from the NWF archives.
The case of the monkeys that fell from the trees : and other mysteries in tropical nature by Quinlan, Susan E  — Boyds Mills Press, c2003 p2010--508.313; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 8.4 Presents scientific investigations of twelve tropical forest mysteries, looking at why monkeys sometimes fall from the trees, how passion flower vines foil their predators, how poison dart frogs make their poison, and other questions.


Animals that make me say ouch! by Cusick, Dawn— Imagine! Publishing, 2014. Dewey: 591; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 8.5. Discover talon strength in birds of prey, sharp claws in lions and pumas, chewing mouthparts in insects, venom in snakes, and toxins in frogs. More? You want more? How about skunks that eat bees, stinging cells in jellyfish, meerkats that eat scorpions, caterpillars with spines, badgers and bears that bite, and zebras that kick! This book celebrates amazing animal surprises from all over the world with one-of-a-kind photographs from the NWF archives.
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Sunday, June 21, 2020

What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett. 2019

Two Women, Two Comets
Inspiration Books
What Miss Mitchell saw by Barrett, Hayley — Beach Lane Books, 2019 : 520.92; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8. Every evening, from the time she was a child, Maria Mitchell stood on her rooftop with her telescope and swept the sky. And then one night she saw something unusual--a comet no one had ever seen before! Miss Mitchell's extraordinary discovery made her famous the world over and paved the way for her to become America's first professional female astronomer. NFD,  NSTA
Complete Video Reading Narrated by Hayley Barrett https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=66134

AND
Caroline's comets : a true story by McCully, Emily Arnold — Holiday House, 2017. Dewey: 520.92; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9. Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and the first woman to be paid as a scientist. NSTA, SS, ND, CCBC



Rationale: In 2017, the story of Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet, was on the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books and in 2019, Maria Mitchell’s story about discovering a comet and becoming America’s first professional female astronomer was published. Neither of these books has a 2018 copyright, but maybe by averaging the two years it will be ok to include the two books in 2018, the year of Outstanding Science Trade Books I’m featuring. The two women astronomers fit so well together that I couldn’t resist sharing them together and concocted that rationale. Both titles are for the K-3 interest range, Caroline’s Comets being a little less difficult to read. They lend themselves so well to a compare and contrast activity, one of the CCCS;s primary standards. In my small school each of the primary grades has an astronomy unit: planets, stars, moon and moon phases, or miscellaneous astronomical features such as comets and meteorites. When the third grade class is studying comets a comparison of the two early female astronomers is an excellent library lesson. 
Grades K-3--Sky Watchers
Background: Picture book biographies or memoirs are excellent introductions to students, whether young or old about careers. In this case, the career is astronomy. In this case, the astronomers are females, the first in the field to discover comets. In the 17 and 18 hundreds that was quite a feat. This lesson will emphasize both the scientific discovery and the women themselves. This lesson has been prepared for third graders. I am assuming they have had experience using a Venn diagram and then writing a summary from the Venn diagram. If not, work through the process of taking notes within the diagram on a chart, computer projection or white/chalk board.
Preparation: Preview the complete book reading for What Miss Mitchell saw by its author Hayley Barrett at https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=66134
Access to internet and projection capability.
Prepare and copy a two circle Venn diagram for distribution to the class or chart paper for group project.
Explore the Lesson Plan from Holiday House at http://www.holidayhouse.com/docs/CarolinesCometsTG_Revised_Marla.pdf to determine whether you would like to use more of the lesson plan than I do in this introduction.
Introduction: (Hold up both books) What do you think these books are about? Do you think they are factual or fiction? Correct, they’re nonfiction. (If you have talked about nonfiction books earlier, elicit from the students or mention the following.)
  1. Nonfiction writing gives us information that is true.
  2. Nonfiction writing is organized around a specific idea or topic
  3. Nonfiction writing teaches facts.
There are different kinds of nonfiction writing. These two books are narrative nonfiction or writing that tells a story about a person, event, or place based on research. Let’s read and find out about Caroline Herschel first.
Read aloud:
Caroline's comets : a true story by McCully, Emily Arnold — Holiday House, 2017. Dewey: 520.92; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9. Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and the first woman to be paid as a scientist. NSTA, SS, ND, CCBC
Let’s jot down some facts that we learned about Herschel. (Record via chart, chalk/whiteboard, projection computer so students can see the list. Allow students to make suggestions, but if necessary guide the discussion to make sure something is said about: family, father, home country, education, how became interested in astronomy, what she discovered, how discovery was or was not accepted, any awards, role of women in the field of astronomy, who or what inspired them.) 
Caroline Herschel lived in the 1700s in Europe. In the 1800s an American women made a scientific discovery. Let’s listen to the author of What Miss Mitchell Saw read the book. Share  https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=66134 Listen for similar types of information we listed for Caroline Herschel. 
(Repeat making a list of facts learned about Maria Mitchell.)
Projects:
Option 1: Create a two circle Venn diagram with the class, in small groups, or individually based on student experience with Venn diagrams and ability. The students, again as a class, in small groups, or individually write (a) compare and contrast paragraph(s) about the two women astronomers. The writing may be demand writing in longhand orr a keyboarding project.
Option 2: Using the list of information the class developed for one of the astronomers, develop a 5 or 6 slide presentation about one of the astronomers. Students need to select 5-6 important facts, write one or two sentences about the fact and include an illustration pulled from the internet. 
For a lesson for older students about astronomers, check this My Books Alive entry for I, Galileo at https://www.mybooksalive.com/search?q=i%2C+Galileo
For related poems check out the My Books Alive entry for Out of the World : Poems and Facts About Space at https://www.mybooksalive.com/search?q=out+of+this+world+%3A+poems


Other NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books about Astronomy and Astronomers for Primary Students:
Star stuff : Carl Sagan and the mysteries of the cosmos by Sisson, Stephanie Roth  — Roaring Brook Press, 2014. 520.92; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9. A biography of Carl Sagan focusing on his childhood and culminating in the Voyager mission and the Golden Record. Freeman, NSTA 2015.
Look up with me : Neil deGrasse Tyson : a life among the starsby Berne, Jennifer — Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2019 520.92; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6. A biography of famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and awe-inspiring facts about our universe. NSSTB List 2020, NSTA LIST 2020.
Benjamin Banneker : pioneering scientist (On My Own: Biographies) by Wadsworth, Ginger  — Millbrook Press, c2003 p2006 520; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.7. Introduces Benjamin Banneker, a free black man of the eighteenth century who loved to learn and used his knowledge and observations to build a wooden clock, write an almanac, and help survey the streets of Washington, D.C. NSTA List 2004
Look up! : Henrietta Leavitt, pioneering woman astronomer by Burleigh, Robert  — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013 : 520.92; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.3.  An illustrated biography of the pioneering woman astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. NSSTB, NSTA, CCBC, Freeman, Titlewave, RB
Starstruck : the cosmic journey of Neil deGrasse Tyson by Krull, Kathleen — Crown Books for Young Readers, 2018 : 523.01; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 5.5. A picture-book biography on science superstar Neil deGrasse Tyson, the groundbreaking American astrophysicist whose work has inspired a generation of young scientists and astronomers to reach for the stars! NSTA List 2019, NSSTB 2019







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