- Published on
An amazing new picture book has just been released based on the true story of Chilean high school girls who convinced NASA to send ladybugs to space. It is co-written by Melissa Trempe, an educator with a passion for equality and a love of the outdoors, and Natalia Ojeda, a Chilean doctor whose experience in the ladybug project helped change the trajectory of her life.
I fell in love with the story which follows the wishes of a sweet little ladybug who dreams of being an astronaut mirrored with the dreams of a young Chilean girl who adores science. It is a meaningful and relevant story that ALL students will enjoy, but especially our girls who yearn for their place in the future of STEM.
The English and Spanish languages are expertly woven throughout the text, and the illustrations by Manuela Montoya are beautiful!
I fell in love with the story which follows the wishes of a sweet little ladybug who dreams of being an astronaut mirrored with the dreams of a young Chilean girl who adores science. It is a meaningful and relevant story that ALL students will enjoy, but especially our girls who yearn for their place in the future of STEM.
The English and Spanish languages are expertly woven throughout the text, and the illustrations by Manuela Montoya are beautiful!
Featured Picture Book:
Ladybug LAUNCH - Inspired by a True Story of Chinitas in Space (2024)
By Melissa Trempe and Natalia Ojeda
Illustrated by Manuela Montoya
Summary (via Amazon):
Natalia is a chica, an ambitious girl with dreams of becoming a scientist. Luna is a chinita, an adventurous ladybug that dreams of visiting the stars. But neither dream is easy to reach. Ladybugs are meant to munch on garden pests. And no one from Natalia’s family has ever been to college. Still, both Natalia and Luna want más.
Then Natalia’s all-girl class designs an experiment. If astronauts want to live in outer space, they’ll need to grow food. Could chinitas go along to keep the pests away? The girls are eager to find out, and Luna is hungry to help. If their theory is correct, it’s a project worthy of NASA itself—and the stuff all dreams are made of.
This inspiring picture book is based on the real story of Chilean high school girls who convinced NASA to send ladybugs to space!
Related Themes and Standards:
Science:
1. Students can research other insects and their needs, then create a book using Book Creator, Canva, or Seesaw.
2. Have students work through the Engineering Design Process and develop a presentation supporting something they believe NASA should include on a future mission.
3. Create classroom terrariums like the ones in the story and make observations over a period of time. HERE is an easy plan to follow.
4. Research and create green screen videos sharing important information about other important female astronauts like Eileen Collins.
5. Choose 10 important events in the story and summarize them on cards. Tape them to each team’s Beebot (or other robot) mat and have them program the bot to follow the correct sequence of events from the story.
Do you have other ideas for this story? Please share! #BetterTogether
Ladybug LAUNCH - Inspired by a True Story of Chinitas in Space (2024)
By Melissa Trempe and Natalia Ojeda
Illustrated by Manuela Montoya
Summary (via Amazon):
Natalia is a chica, an ambitious girl with dreams of becoming a scientist. Luna is a chinita, an adventurous ladybug that dreams of visiting the stars. But neither dream is easy to reach. Ladybugs are meant to munch on garden pests. And no one from Natalia’s family has ever been to college. Still, both Natalia and Luna want más.
Then Natalia’s all-girl class designs an experiment. If astronauts want to live in outer space, they’ll need to grow food. Could chinitas go along to keep the pests away? The girls are eager to find out, and Luna is hungry to help. If their theory is correct, it’s a project worthy of NASA itself—and the stuff all dreams are made of.
This inspiring picture book is based on the real story of Chilean high school girls who convinced NASA to send ladybugs to space!
Related Themes and Standards:
Science:
- Space and Space Travel
- Insects
- Needs of living things
- Engineering Design Process
- Perseverance
- Setting goals
- Being brave
- Overcoming challenges
1. Students can research other insects and their needs, then create a book using Book Creator, Canva, or Seesaw.
2. Have students work through the Engineering Design Process and develop a presentation supporting something they believe NASA should include on a future mission.
3. Create classroom terrariums like the ones in the story and make observations over a period of time. HERE is an easy plan to follow.
4. Research and create green screen videos sharing important information about other important female astronauts like Eileen Collins.
5. Choose 10 important events in the story and summarize them on cards. Tape them to each team’s Beebot (or other robot) mat and have them program the bot to follow the correct sequence of events from the story.
Do you have other ideas for this story? Please share! #BetterTogether
- Published on
For any of you whose curriculum includes teaching kids about the sun, moon, and/or what an eclipse is, make sure you add this gem by Kate Allen Fox and illustrated by Khoa Le to your STEM library! Really, everyone should add this beautiful picture book to their collection!
A FEW BEAUTIFUL MINUTES Experiencing a Solar Eclipse combines sweet language and amazing illustrations to explain something that can be confusing for young children to understand—a solar eclipse.
A FEW BEAUTIFUL MINUTES Experiencing a Solar Eclipse combines sweet language and amazing illustrations to explain something that can be confusing for young children to understand—a solar eclipse.
Featured Picture Book:
A Few Beautiful Minutes (2023)
By Kate Allen Fox
Illustrated by Khoe Le
Summary (via Amazon):
A poetic and exquisitely illustrated tribute to the solar eclipse and the magic of togetherness, seen through the eyes of a child.
What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they’re doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes.
Celebrating a favorite wonder of the universe, A Few Beautiful Minutes encourages young readers to (safely) discover each stage of a solar eclipse, and to experience how this incredible phenomenon can connect us to one another.
Related Themes and Standards:
Science:
Language Arts:
SEL:
STEM Ideas:
1. Have students build their own sun viewer using the author’s directions in the back matter.
2. Have students code a simulated eclipse using Scratch or Scratch Jr.
3. Have students recreate an eclipse as a stop-motion project.
4. Build a model of a solar eclipse using various-size styrofoam balls connected to an engineered orbit system with LEGO WeDo, Spike, or other programmable robotics kit.
5. Use green screen apps like DoInk, Flip, or Canva and have students act out what happens during an eclipse.
6. HERE is a really neat lesson on measuring solar energy during an eclipse by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory!
I'd love to hear about your favorite sun/moon/eclipse STEM activities! Feel free to share in the comments! #BetterTogether
A Few Beautiful Minutes (2023)
By Kate Allen Fox
Illustrated by Khoe Le
Summary (via Amazon):
A poetic and exquisitely illustrated tribute to the solar eclipse and the magic of togetherness, seen through the eyes of a child.
What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they’re doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes.
Celebrating a favorite wonder of the universe, A Few Beautiful Minutes encourages young readers to (safely) discover each stage of a solar eclipse, and to experience how this incredible phenomenon can connect us to one another.
Related Themes and Standards:
Science:
- Facts about an eclipse (includes a timeline of an eclipse in the back matter)
- Solar system/Sun/Moon
Language Arts:
- Similes and Metaphors
- Imagery
- Alliteration
- Personification
SEL:
- Appreciating nature and scientific phenomena
- Developing sense of community
STEM Ideas:
1. Have students build their own sun viewer using the author’s directions in the back matter.
2. Have students code a simulated eclipse using Scratch or Scratch Jr.
3. Have students recreate an eclipse as a stop-motion project.
4. Build a model of a solar eclipse using various-size styrofoam balls connected to an engineered orbit system with LEGO WeDo, Spike, or other programmable robotics kit.
5. Use green screen apps like DoInk, Flip, or Canva and have students act out what happens during an eclipse.
6. HERE is a really neat lesson on measuring solar energy during an eclipse by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory!
I'd love to hear about your favorite sun/moon/eclipse STEM activities! Feel free to share in the comments! #BetterTogether
- Published on
If you follow me on Twitter (X), you probably know that Melissa Stewart is one of my favorite picture book authors because her ability to convey non-fiction in simple, yet beautiful language is phenomenal!
This post features her book THANK YOU, MOON: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight which is illustrated by Jessica Lanan. As a beautiful “thank you note” is conveyed on the left-hand pages, the right side shares interesting, related facts about our moon written in kid-friendly language. The facts are fascinating because they all focus on creatures (land and sea) that depend on the moon for their survival.
This post features her book THANK YOU, MOON: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight which is illustrated by Jessica Lanan. As a beautiful “thank you note” is conveyed on the left-hand pages, the right side shares interesting, related facts about our moon written in kid-friendly language. The facts are fascinating because they all focus on creatures (land and sea) that depend on the moon for their survival.
Featured Picture Book:
Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight (2023)
By Melissa Stewart
Illustrated by Jessica Lanan
Summary (via Amazon):
With the soothing rhythm of a bedtime story and the scientific wonder of a nature doc, comes a celebration of the moon and all the creatures who rely on its light to find their way home.
Under the glow of a shimmering moon, creatures great and small creep out of their dens, using its light to hunt, fend off predators, build their nests or build families. As the moon changes phases these animals adapt their behavior to match its waxing and waning—while human animals look on in wonder.
As Earth's closest companion in space, the moon has fascinated humankind for generations, and this nonfiction picture book sheds light on the mysterious ways it affects life on Earth. With luminous illustrations by Jessica Lanan and a lyrical text that is part lullaby and part scientific resource, Thank You, Moon is a treasure for all ages to enjoy.
Related Themes and Standards:
Science:
SEL:
STEM Ideas:
1. Have students choose one of the creatures mentioned in the story (there are even more facts about each one in the book’s back matter) and create a virtual habitat or build one with recyclable materials.
2. Have students create a video featuring further research about one of the creatures mentioned in the story.
3. Have students write their own thank-you notes to the moon, then engineer a rover that could deliver it from its landing module. If you have access to drones, create a mission where the drones have to deliver the message to a particular place on a mock lunar surface.
4. Use Beebots or other robots to create a more engaging Moon Phases card sort activity. I used this free download and made two laminated sets for each “team”. They had to program their robot to move to the moon phase on the mat that matched the one they selected from their deck.
So many grade levels study our beautiful moon! Feel free to add your favorite lunar activity in the comments! #BetterTogether
Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight (2023)
By Melissa Stewart
Illustrated by Jessica Lanan
Summary (via Amazon):
With the soothing rhythm of a bedtime story and the scientific wonder of a nature doc, comes a celebration of the moon and all the creatures who rely on its light to find their way home.
Under the glow of a shimmering moon, creatures great and small creep out of their dens, using its light to hunt, fend off predators, build their nests or build families. As the moon changes phases these animals adapt their behavior to match its waxing and waning—while human animals look on in wonder.
As Earth's closest companion in space, the moon has fascinated humankind for generations, and this nonfiction picture book sheds light on the mysterious ways it affects life on Earth. With luminous illustrations by Jessica Lanan and a lyrical text that is part lullaby and part scientific resource, Thank You, Moon is a treasure for all ages to enjoy.
Related Themes and Standards:
Science:
- Moon
- Ecosystems/Habitats
- Animal Adaptation
- Predator/Prey Relationships
SEL:
- Appreciating nature and scientific phenomena
- Giving thanks
STEM Ideas:
1. Have students choose one of the creatures mentioned in the story (there are even more facts about each one in the book’s back matter) and create a virtual habitat or build one with recyclable materials.
2. Have students create a video featuring further research about one of the creatures mentioned in the story.
3. Have students write their own thank-you notes to the moon, then engineer a rover that could deliver it from its landing module. If you have access to drones, create a mission where the drones have to deliver the message to a particular place on a mock lunar surface.
4. Use Beebots or other robots to create a more engaging Moon Phases card sort activity. I used this free download and made two laminated sets for each “team”. They had to program their robot to move to the moon phase on the mat that matched the one they selected from their deck.
So many grade levels study our beautiful moon! Feel free to add your favorite lunar activity in the comments! #BetterTogether
- Published on
Whether we teach in a STEM lab, media center, or regular classroom, we all need to find effective ways to support students when failure occurs. How To Solve a Problem by Ashima Shiraishi is a wonderful picture book to use for this purpose!
Featured Picture Book:
How To Solve a Problem (2020)
By Ashima Shiraishi
Illustrated by Yao Xiao
Summary:
How To Solve a Problem is the true story of Ashima Shiraishi, a world class climber who started at the age of six. Told in the first person point of view, Ashima refers to the mountain she has to climb as “a problem”. Throughout the story, illustrated with large bright colors, she shares her struggles, failures, challenges, and finally successes! She specifically shares how she learns from her mistakes to persevere and triumph.
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Perseverance
Positivity
Problem-Solving
ELA:
Metaphors and Similes
Personification
Science:
Gravity
Geology
STEM Ideas:
A great book to use when teaching the Engineering Design Process!
1. If you are tying this book into a Geology unit, have students build a model of Ashima’s mountain using clay, Play-Doh, or other materials. See if they can incorporate all the features she mentions in the story. You could then move on to a rock and mineral study.
2. In the story, Ashima maps out her path up the mountain. This would be a great book to incorporate into a lesson on maps, elevation, and contour lines. Have students create their own map with these elements.
3. Ashima is a free climber, but you could use this story to have students engineer a simple machine to help a beginning climber scale a mountain. Use little action figures and recyclable/dollar store items to test out their designs.
4. The last few pages of the book include many of the mountains Ashima has climbed (and at what age). To integrate math, have students research the heights of the different climbs and create a chart or graph.
How else could you use this amazing picture book? Share in the comments!
How To Solve a Problem (2020)
By Ashima Shiraishi
Illustrated by Yao Xiao
Summary:
How To Solve a Problem is the true story of Ashima Shiraishi, a world class climber who started at the age of six. Told in the first person point of view, Ashima refers to the mountain she has to climb as “a problem”. Throughout the story, illustrated with large bright colors, she shares her struggles, failures, challenges, and finally successes! She specifically shares how she learns from her mistakes to persevere and triumph.
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Perseverance
Positivity
Problem-Solving
ELA:
Metaphors and Similes
Personification
Science:
Gravity
Geology
STEM Ideas:
A great book to use when teaching the Engineering Design Process!
1. If you are tying this book into a Geology unit, have students build a model of Ashima’s mountain using clay, Play-Doh, or other materials. See if they can incorporate all the features she mentions in the story. You could then move on to a rock and mineral study.
2. In the story, Ashima maps out her path up the mountain. This would be a great book to incorporate into a lesson on maps, elevation, and contour lines. Have students create their own map with these elements.
3. Ashima is a free climber, but you could use this story to have students engineer a simple machine to help a beginning climber scale a mountain. Use little action figures and recyclable/dollar store items to test out their designs.
4. The last few pages of the book include many of the mountains Ashima has climbed (and at what age). To integrate math, have students research the heights of the different climbs and create a chart or graph.
How else could you use this amazing picture book? Share in the comments!
- Published on
Non-fiction picture books can create a wonderful foundation for building hands-on STEM activities. Glaciers Are Alive by Debbie S. Miller is a perfect choice if you teach anything related to glaciers, cold-weather habitats, geological history, global warming, adaptations, or other glacier-related topics!
Featured Picture Book:
Glaciers Are Alive (2023)
By Debbie S. Miller (@DebbieMillerAK)
Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle
(Interesting info - they both live in Alaska and Jon is the official artist of the Iditarod!)
Summary:
Glaciers are complex features on our planet that have a life cycle of their own. They support numerous living creatures, from those that are gigantic to microscopic species. This book traces the interactions these creatures have with various parts of glaciers, introducing vocabulary in a kid-friendly way full of onomatopoeia and imagery!
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Respect for nature and animals
ELA:
Personification
Metaphors
Onomatopoeia
Imagery
Vocabulary
Science:
Glaciers
Animal Adaptations
Seasons
Habitats
Water cycle elements
Geology
STEM Ideas:
1. Have students recreate the effects of glacial movement on the surface geology by freezing ice cubes with sand and/or stones in the bottom. Here’s a great resource from Better Lesson with directions!
2. Have students recreate the extensive pressure involved in glaciers by carrying out this Teacher Vision lesson using marshmallows.
3. This blog post at Little Lives has neat ideas from sensory tubs for our little scientists, to creating Glacial Gak to simulate the slow movement of glaciers, to a neat activity using ice cubes and marbles to show how melting glaciers affect coastlines!
4. Have students choose one of the living creatures mentioned in the story to research and create a model of the glacial habitat.
5. Have students use information from the story to create a 3D model of a glacier using Tinkercad (print if you have time and access to a 3D printer)
6. Have students recreate parts of the story in Canva and create a 2-minute video to teach others about glaciers.
7. Drones are being used to place sensors on remote glacial surfaces to monitor climate change. Supplement the story with this article about drones and glaciers. Have students engineer model glaciers and sensors to attach to their drones. See if they can fly their drone and place the sensor at the top of their glacier.
Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments! #BetterTogether!
Glaciers Are Alive (2023)
By Debbie S. Miller (@DebbieMillerAK)
Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle
(Interesting info - they both live in Alaska and Jon is the official artist of the Iditarod!)
Summary:
Glaciers are complex features on our planet that have a life cycle of their own. They support numerous living creatures, from those that are gigantic to microscopic species. This book traces the interactions these creatures have with various parts of glaciers, introducing vocabulary in a kid-friendly way full of onomatopoeia and imagery!
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Respect for nature and animals
ELA:
Personification
Metaphors
Onomatopoeia
Imagery
Vocabulary
Science:
Glaciers
Animal Adaptations
Seasons
Habitats
Water cycle elements
Geology
STEM Ideas:
1. Have students recreate the effects of glacial movement on the surface geology by freezing ice cubes with sand and/or stones in the bottom. Here’s a great resource from Better Lesson with directions!
2. Have students recreate the extensive pressure involved in glaciers by carrying out this Teacher Vision lesson using marshmallows.
3. This blog post at Little Lives has neat ideas from sensory tubs for our little scientists, to creating Glacial Gak to simulate the slow movement of glaciers, to a neat activity using ice cubes and marbles to show how melting glaciers affect coastlines!
4. Have students choose one of the living creatures mentioned in the story to research and create a model of the glacial habitat.
5. Have students use information from the story to create a 3D model of a glacier using Tinkercad (print if you have time and access to a 3D printer)
6. Have students recreate parts of the story in Canva and create a 2-minute video to teach others about glaciers.
7. Drones are being used to place sensors on remote glacial surfaces to monitor climate change. Supplement the story with this article about drones and glaciers. Have students engineer model glaciers and sensors to attach to their drones. See if they can fly their drone and place the sensor at the top of their glacier.
Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments! #BetterTogether!
- Published on
To say I absolutely love the book featured in this post is an understatement! The Baddies is by the same author as Room on the Broom – Julia Donaldson.
I’m sure many of you reading this have some favorite Room on the Broom engineering; it is perfect for integrating the engineering design process with our youngest STEMsters.
The Baddies is just as entertaining and lends itself nicely to some engineering challenges as well! Because of its hysterical characters, embedded onomatopoeia, and fun rhyme scheme, I’m definitely ordering this one for my personal collection!
I’m sure many of you reading this have some favorite Room on the Broom engineering; it is perfect for integrating the engineering design process with our youngest STEMsters.
The Baddies is just as entertaining and lends itself nicely to some engineering challenges as well! Because of its hysterical characters, embedded onomatopoeia, and fun rhyme scheme, I’m definitely ordering this one for my personal collection!
Featured Picture Book:
The Baddies (2022)
By Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Summary:
Three “baddies,” a troll, a witch, and a ghost, are overheard bragging about their “badness” by a little mouse who challenges them to a contest to steal a little girl’s hanky. They each give it their best shot, only to be outsmarted by the little girl who ends up giving her hanky to the little mouse to keep her family warm.
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Kindness
Humor
ELA:
Rhyming words
Onomatopoeia
Character traits
Science:
Friction (if you do the hovercraft activity mentioned below)
STEM Ideas:
1. Engineer a way to get a hanky from one spot to another without touching it. (You can get cheap handkerchiefs at most dollar stores, or you can order a dozen HERE)
2. If you have access to drones, have students engineer an attachment to transport the girl's hanky to a safe location.
3. Since one of the characters was a ghost, have students design and engineer a hovercraft that would carry a hanky from one spot to another. Science Buddies has a nice lesson HERE or this one HERE uses paper plates instead. Better yet, show your kids this video, provide lots of different materials and let THEM figure it out through the engineering design process!
4. The bridge in the story didn’t hold the troll very well. Have students engineer a bridge and test it to see what the maximum weight the troll could be.
5. The kids will laugh at the little girl’s toffee flying out of her pocket and getting stuck on the witch’s nose. Create a simple cardboard witch and have students engineer catapults or other inventions to launch “toffee” at the witch’s nose. (You could add velcro or two-sided tape to the witch’s nose and the kids could launch cotton balls or small pompoms to represent the toffee.)
6. In the end, the little girl gives her hanky to the mouse family for a blanket. Have students brainstorm other uses for a hanky and create a promotional video demonstrating the new use using Canva, Flip, or another video creation platform.
Have you used this book to integrate STEM? I'd love to hear about it! #BetterTogether
The Baddies (2022)
By Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Summary:
Three “baddies,” a troll, a witch, and a ghost, are overheard bragging about their “badness” by a little mouse who challenges them to a contest to steal a little girl’s hanky. They each give it their best shot, only to be outsmarted by the little girl who ends up giving her hanky to the little mouse to keep her family warm.
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Kindness
Humor
ELA:
Rhyming words
Onomatopoeia
Character traits
Science:
Friction (if you do the hovercraft activity mentioned below)
STEM Ideas:
1. Engineer a way to get a hanky from one spot to another without touching it. (You can get cheap handkerchiefs at most dollar stores, or you can order a dozen HERE)
2. If you have access to drones, have students engineer an attachment to transport the girl's hanky to a safe location.
3. Since one of the characters was a ghost, have students design and engineer a hovercraft that would carry a hanky from one spot to another. Science Buddies has a nice lesson HERE or this one HERE uses paper plates instead. Better yet, show your kids this video, provide lots of different materials and let THEM figure it out through the engineering design process!
4. The bridge in the story didn’t hold the troll very well. Have students engineer a bridge and test it to see what the maximum weight the troll could be.
5. The kids will laugh at the little girl’s toffee flying out of her pocket and getting stuck on the witch’s nose. Create a simple cardboard witch and have students engineer catapults or other inventions to launch “toffee” at the witch’s nose. (You could add velcro or two-sided tape to the witch’s nose and the kids could launch cotton balls or small pompoms to represent the toffee.)
6. In the end, the little girl gives her hanky to the mouse family for a blanket. Have students brainstorm other uses for a hanky and create a promotional video demonstrating the new use using Canva, Flip, or another video creation platform.
Have you used this book to integrate STEM? I'd love to hear about it! #BetterTogether
- Published on
This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
One of my favorite Citizen Science activities with kids involves ants, so this picture book really appealed to me! Although you may need to take another look at this one in the spring, I wanted to share it now. It would also make a great hook for a study on where insects go in the winter!
Featured Picture Book:
Hey, Little Ant (1998)
By Phillip and Hannah Hoose (@PhillipHoose)
Illustrated by Debbie Tilley
Summary
A boy and an ant have a discussion about whether the boy should step on the ant. They compare aspects of their lives that are similar and different. The final decision is left up to the reader!
Related Themes:
SEL:
Taking the perspective of others
Caring about others
Peer pressure
Similarities and differences
Science:
Insect studies
STEM Ideas:
1. There is a great lesson on Mystery Science that you could tie in after reading this book called Where do bugs go in winter?
2. Here are my lesson slides that incorporate the Mystery Science video and an engineering challenge with Hex Bugs!
3. Engineer a safe trap to bring with you on a picnic so no ants get harmed. Use recyclable materials during the design process!
4. Plan out, write a script, and record a video convincing the boy to save the ant.
5. Create a green screen project (either video or just still photos) where the kids are small like ants. DoInk is my favorite app for these types of projects, but you could use whatever green screen app you like!
6. Bring live ants/ant farm into your classroom for student observations! Here is a great site with ideas and support. Or take your kids out into nature to do some ant observations - make sure you bring the hand lenses and science notebooks!
Do you have other ideas? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! #BetterTogether
Hey, Little Ant (1998)
By Phillip and Hannah Hoose (@PhillipHoose)
Illustrated by Debbie Tilley
Summary
A boy and an ant have a discussion about whether the boy should step on the ant. They compare aspects of their lives that are similar and different. The final decision is left up to the reader!
Related Themes:
SEL:
Taking the perspective of others
Caring about others
Peer pressure
Similarities and differences
Science:
Insect studies
STEM Ideas:
1. There is a great lesson on Mystery Science that you could tie in after reading this book called Where do bugs go in winter?
2. Here are my lesson slides that incorporate the Mystery Science video and an engineering challenge with Hex Bugs!
3. Engineer a safe trap to bring with you on a picnic so no ants get harmed. Use recyclable materials during the design process!
4. Plan out, write a script, and record a video convincing the boy to save the ant.
5. Create a green screen project (either video or just still photos) where the kids are small like ants. DoInk is my favorite app for these types of projects, but you could use whatever green screen app you like!
6. Bring live ants/ant farm into your classroom for student observations! Here is a great site with ideas and support. Or take your kids out into nature to do some ant observations - make sure you bring the hand lenses and science notebooks!
Do you have other ideas? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! #BetterTogether
- Published on
This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I LOVE this book! Although it’s an older picture book, the message and science in it are timeless. If your students are studying insects or animal adaptations, this would be a great foundational read for a fun STEM challenge!
Featured Picture Book:
The Very Ugly Bug (2004)
By Liz Pichon (@LizPichon)
Illustrated by Liz Pichon
Summary:
A bug who thinks she is ugly tries to disguise herself using some of the adaptations of her friends, but finds out she’s perfect just the way she is!
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Respecting differences
Managing envy
Being yourself
Supporting friends
Science:
Animal Adaptations
Insect Camouflage
STEM Ideas:
1. Students could engineer their own insect using various inexpensive/recycled items and then
3. Have drones? Students could create flying insects that have to maneuver through a forest or other habitat to avoid a predator.
The Very Ugly Bug (2004)
By Liz Pichon (@LizPichon)
Illustrated by Liz Pichon
Summary:
A bug who thinks she is ugly tries to disguise herself using some of the adaptations of her friends, but finds out she’s perfect just the way she is!
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
Respecting differences
Managing envy
Being yourself
Supporting friends
Science:
Animal Adaptations
Insect Camouflage
STEM Ideas:
1. Students could engineer their own insect using various inexpensive/recycled items and then
- create a green screen project with them (using green file folders makes this manageable for small items like an insect!).
- create their own picture book starring their insect using Canva, Book Creator, Seesaw, or another program.
- upload a picture of their insect into Scratch/Scratch Jr. and code some movements or “a day in the life”-type project.
- include some circuit work with copper tape, coin cell batteries, and small LED lights to make parts of their insect light up.
- take their insect outside to see where it would be safest from predators (in the leaves, stuck to the bark, in the grass, etc.).
3. Have drones? Students could create flying insects that have to maneuver through a forest or other habitat to avoid a predator.
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This is an adorable rhyming picture book that is perfect during those times you are either introducing the Engineering Design Process or need to reassure your young engineers that plans don’t always bring success and failure often leads to big inventions!
Featured Picture Book:
The Fix-It Man (2016)
By Susan Hood (@sHood125)
Illustrated by Arree Chung (@arreechung)
Summary:
Joshua James is a boy who loves to fix problems around the house with his little sister playing the role of assistant/tester. The book includes detailed and fun illustrations of his plans and inventions, many of which resemble Rube Goldberg style devices. Some are successful, while some are not! The main problem is humorous and kids will love to see how JJ and his sister solve it!
Related Themes:
Engineering Design Process:
STEM Ideas:
1. Great book to include in a study of Rube Goldberg. Have students engineer that style machine to solve a simple real world problem (ie. getting a pencil to a friend).
2. This would be a super book if you are starting a take-apart or backward engineering activity where you give students old electronics/toys and they dismantle them and build something else with the parts.
3. Have students study the simple machines featured in this book. Create a chart of the ones they notice. Then have them engineer something small focusing on just one of those simple machines. For example, there are some great pulley systems in the book they could try to recreate with recyclable materials.
4. Studying forces and motion? This book is LOADED with illustrations of various forces. Have a discussion about them and then have students recreate them using simple materials.
Feel free to add your ideas or leave a comment! We're better together!
The Fix-It Man (2016)
By Susan Hood (@sHood125)
Illustrated by Arree Chung (@arreechung)
Summary:
Joshua James is a boy who loves to fix problems around the house with his little sister playing the role of assistant/tester. The book includes detailed and fun illustrations of his plans and inventions, many of which resemble Rube Goldberg style devices. Some are successful, while some are not! The main problem is humorous and kids will love to see how JJ and his sister solve it!
Related Themes:
Engineering Design Process:
- Importance of planning
- Persevering through failure
- Thinking outside the box to re-engineer
- Solving real world problems
- Kindness
- Importance of apologizing
- Helping others
- Simple machines
- Forces and Motion
STEM Ideas:
1. Great book to include in a study of Rube Goldberg. Have students engineer that style machine to solve a simple real world problem (ie. getting a pencil to a friend).
2. This would be a super book if you are starting a take-apart or backward engineering activity where you give students old electronics/toys and they dismantle them and build something else with the parts.
3. Have students study the simple machines featured in this book. Create a chart of the ones they notice. Then have them engineer something small focusing on just one of those simple machines. For example, there are some great pulley systems in the book they could try to recreate with recyclable materials.
4. Studying forces and motion? This book is LOADED with illustrations of various forces. Have a discussion about them and then have students recreate them using simple materials.
Feel free to add your ideas or leave a comment! We're better together!
- Published on
This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Today’s pick is a sweet story by Kate Banks called The Winter Bird. This is a perfect book for this time of year as the seasons change. There are many ELA and Science integrations that would create a powerful lesson! The beautiful illustrations by Suzie Mason make this a picture book that kids will love.
Featured Picture Book:
The Winter Bird (2022)
By Kate Banks (@KateBanksBooks)
Illustrated by Suzie Mason
Summary:
A nightingale with a broken wing is unable to leave for the winter. Many animals in the forest help care for the bird and teach it to survive the winter, sharing resources and company. The nightingale learns about winter and celebrates with the others when spring returns.
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
STEM Ideas:
1. Engineer a new nest for the nightingale designed to keep it safe and warm for the winter. Students could use natural materials from outside or recycled materials.
2. Engineer objects to keep the nightingale warm (in the story it is given extra feathers and nutshell “slippers” from other animals).
3. Make snow using one of these simple recipes and experiment with how it felt to the nightingale. Students could create a snow cave for the nightingale to live in.
4. Use Canva (or another program) to create a thank you note the nightingale could send to the other animals for all their help.
5. Spread white packing peanuts on the floor and have students program a robot to get through the snow to a nest or cave.
6. Engineer a bird feeder that will help birds in the area during the upcoming winter months.
7. Research the animals mentioned in the book and create a class book using Book Creator or other program.
Would love for you to share your ideas! We're better together!
The Winter Bird (2022)
By Kate Banks (@KateBanksBooks)
Illustrated by Suzie Mason
Summary:
A nightingale with a broken wing is unable to leave for the winter. Many animals in the forest help care for the bird and teach it to survive the winter, sharing resources and company. The nightingale learns about winter and celebrates with the others when spring returns.
Related Themes and Standards:
SEL:
- Friendship
- Sharing
- Caring about others
- Personification
- Metaphors
- Migration
- Animal Adaptations
- Seasons
- Habitats
STEM Ideas:
1. Engineer a new nest for the nightingale designed to keep it safe and warm for the winter. Students could use natural materials from outside or recycled materials.
2. Engineer objects to keep the nightingale warm (in the story it is given extra feathers and nutshell “slippers” from other animals).
3. Make snow using one of these simple recipes and experiment with how it felt to the nightingale. Students could create a snow cave for the nightingale to live in.
4. Use Canva (or another program) to create a thank you note the nightingale could send to the other animals for all their help.
5. Spread white packing peanuts on the floor and have students program a robot to get through the snow to a nest or cave.
6. Engineer a bird feeder that will help birds in the area during the upcoming winter months.
7. Research the animals mentioned in the book and create a class book using Book Creator or other program.
Would love for you to share your ideas! We're better together!