- Published on
Part of Markle's "What If You Had..." series with Scholastic, the cover of this wonderful non-fiction picture book alone, grabs your attention and makes you want to dive in to find out more!
Things I love about this book:
Things I love about this book:
- The in-your-face layout is bright, colorful, and amazing! On the left page of each spread you have a real life photo of an animal and on the right, a caricature-like illustration of a child with the animal's eyes.
- With an average of 70 or so words on each page, the facts are presented in very kid-friendly, engaging language.
- The bottom of each animal page also contains an interesting one-sentence factoid.
- The only thing that appears (besides the amazing full-page illustration) on the kid page is a circle in the bottom right corner with an example of something you could see (or do) if you had that animal's eyes. All of them are related to things in which kids have an interest: shopping at a toy store, seeing in a haunted house, winning at laser tag, etc.
- The final few spread are all about how, yes, it would be cool to have those different eyes, but human eyes are just right and special in their own way!
- "A golden eagle's eyes have a third eyelid that sweeps across the eyes like windshield wipers, keeping them clean."
- "When there is danger, its special eyes also help it spot escape routes!" (Yellow Mongoose)
- "A tarsier's eyes are a huge part of its little body."
- "Each eye is as big as a soccer ball!" (Colossal Squid)
- Published on
It's always so much fun to read and analyze picture books that help me become a better writer. I thought I'd share what I discover along the way in a new blog series, "Exploring Mentor Texts." Most of what I share will be non-fiction or informational fiction picture books as this is where my passion lies.
First Up: STONE AGE BEASTS
Author: Ben Lerwill
Illustrator: Grahame Baker-Smith
First Up: STONE AGE BEASTS
Author: Ben Lerwill
Illustrator: Grahame Baker-Smith
Things I love about this book:
This book really makes the Stone Age come to life!
- The first two 2-page spreads are filled with information introducing the topic. For example, what the world looked like, what humans were like, and how they interacted with the various animals that lived during that time.
- Every two-page spread after that introduces the reader to a different "beast." The illustrations are vibrant, large depictions of the animals.
- There is an info box on every animal which consistently shows the same data: scientific name, weight, when it became extinct, and a map showing where it lived. The illustration in each box also shows the animal in comparison to a human--very effective!
- Although it is non-fiction there are lots of metaphors and analogies to a child's real life. There is also alliteration, vivid verbs, and wonderful adjectives included in the narrative.
- "...lumbered like a supersize ostrich."
- "...beak as big as a witch's hat."
- "...loping legs, muscly forearms, savage snout."
- "SHHH. Listen! Can you hear branches being torn and shaken?"
This book really makes the Stone Age come to life!
- Published on
Image by Mia-Maria Wikström from Pixabay
When I was around nine or ten, my younger brother gave me a snow globe for Christmas. Inside the globe was a boy pushing a girl on a sled (we grew up in Vermont). I instantly treasured that snow globe. It wasn't the expensive kind made of thick glass and a heavy base, but it meant the world to me.
I have thought a lot about that snow globe over the past year. It is the best symbol I can think of for 2024. On February 26, 2024 my sweet younger brother passed away. That was the day someone picked up my snow globe and gave it a good shake. And then on May 3rd (which would have been his 54th birthday) someone shook it harder - I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The interesting thing is that I felt like I was inside the snow globe for the remainder of 2024. The world went on outside, but I couldn't see past the blizzard going on inside. Flurries like grief, CT scans, MRIs, biopsies, chemo, surgery, and radiation continued to blind me. Just like walking through a real blizzard, I felt like I had to keep my eyes down, constantly watching where my feet were going, to be able to save my own life.
Don't get me wrong, there were amazing doctors and nurses in there with me along with my loving family and faithful friends. But I couldn't read. I couldn't write. I couldn't wonder out in nature. Everything I love doing stayed outside the globe. I know a lot of people find solace in writing when facing a hardship, but I...just...couldn't.
Happily, since January 16th, the last day of my radiation treatments, the snow has begun to settle. The winds have died down. The bitter cold is subsiding and I can begin to become part of the outside world once again. The joy of the sled ride is replacing the chill and blinding snow of the storm.
I have thought a lot about that snow globe over the past year. It is the best symbol I can think of for 2024. On February 26, 2024 my sweet younger brother passed away. That was the day someone picked up my snow globe and gave it a good shake. And then on May 3rd (which would have been his 54th birthday) someone shook it harder - I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The interesting thing is that I felt like I was inside the snow globe for the remainder of 2024. The world went on outside, but I couldn't see past the blizzard going on inside. Flurries like grief, CT scans, MRIs, biopsies, chemo, surgery, and radiation continued to blind me. Just like walking through a real blizzard, I felt like I had to keep my eyes down, constantly watching where my feet were going, to be able to save my own life.
Don't get me wrong, there were amazing doctors and nurses in there with me along with my loving family and faithful friends. But I couldn't read. I couldn't write. I couldn't wonder out in nature. Everything I love doing stayed outside the globe. I know a lot of people find solace in writing when facing a hardship, but I...just...couldn't.
Happily, since January 16th, the last day of my radiation treatments, the snow has begun to settle. The winds have died down. The bitter cold is subsiding and I can begin to become part of the outside world once again. The joy of the sled ride is replacing the chill and blinding snow of the storm.
- 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
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
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
Over the past eight months, since my retirement from elementary education, I have really enjoyed REIMAGINING (my #OneWord for 2024) myself. Part of that has included jumping head first into improving my craft writing picture books.
Although the path to attaining an agent and learning all about the traditional publishing world has a rather steep learning curve, there have been gems along the way.
One is the amount of support and opportunity from the #KidLit community including many fun and informative writing contests, the other is connecting with other children's writers, like my wonderful critique partners!
After recently spending the afternoon with my granddaughter, watching her partake in a common time-honored childhood tradition, I decided to enter the #SpringFlingKidLit Contest hosted by Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Ciara O'Neal. This fun contest asks writers to craft a 150-word story based on a spring-related GIF.
Hope you enjoy! (And can relate! Haha!)
Although the path to attaining an agent and learning all about the traditional publishing world has a rather steep learning curve, there have been gems along the way.
One is the amount of support and opportunity from the #KidLit community including many fun and informative writing contests, the other is connecting with other children's writers, like my wonderful critique partners!
After recently spending the afternoon with my granddaughter, watching her partake in a common time-honored childhood tradition, I decided to enter the #SpringFlingKidLit Contest hosted by Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Ciara O'Neal. This fun contest asks writers to craft a 150-word story based on a spring-related GIF.
Hope you enjoy! (And can relate! Haha!)
Dandelions Are Sneaky!
I run to the window
to see if they’re here!
They always come out
when springtime is near.
Their sweet yellow heads
now cover the lawn.
They’re just waking up
with a pollen-filled yawn.
I’ll have to wait longer--
the process proceeds
from cute yellow flower
to fluffy white seeds!
Hooray! Now it’s time!
I pick one so gently,
then stop to consider
my wishes, intently.
Selecting my favorite,
I deeply inhale.
But the bloom is too close--
an important detail!
My wish is forgotten,
I cough and I choke.
Who is that laughing?
Could this be a joke?
I scan the whole yard.
There is no one around.
Just fuzzy white flowers
all over the ground.
I pick out another
and give it a try.
I remake my wish,
blowing seeds to the sky!
So always remember
before you begin,
Dandelions are sneaky--
breathe out and not in!
I run to the window
to see if they’re here!
They always come out
when springtime is near.
Their sweet yellow heads
now cover the lawn.
They’re just waking up
with a pollen-filled yawn.
I’ll have to wait longer--
the process proceeds
from cute yellow flower
to fluffy white seeds!
Hooray! Now it’s time!
I pick one so gently,
then stop to consider
my wishes, intently.
Selecting my favorite,
I deeply inhale.
But the bloom is too close--
an important detail!
My wish is forgotten,
I cough and I choke.
Who is that laughing?
Could this be a joke?
I scan the whole yard.
There is no one around.
Just fuzzy white flowers
all over the ground.
I pick out another
and give it a try.
I remake my wish,
blowing seeds to the sky!
So always remember
before you begin,
Dandelions are sneaky--
breathe out and not in!
Thank you so much to all the judges donating their time and prizes to this contest! Make sure you check out and support their amazing work HERE!
Been there, done that? I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment!
Been there, done that? I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment!
- Published on
Every year Susanna Leonard Hill runs several writing contests. This year I entered her Valentiny contest which required stories be no more than 214 words. The theme was "enthusiasm". I had so much fun writing Glitter and Glue and am happy to announce that it was a 6th place finalist!
Glitter and Glue
Wow! Valentine’s Day was tomorrow!
And Emersyn just couldn’t wait!
She gathered her pencils,
some markers and stencils,
a card box she’d have to create!
Her mom made a cut with some scissors
so cards could slip right down inside.
The next thing to do,
was cut hearts and pour glue--
the glitter could then be applied!
CUT, CUT, SNIP, SNIP, SNIP went the scissors,
big hearts of pink, purple, and red.
As she opened the glue,
her doggy ran through--
now Spike wears a heart on his head!
“Hey Mom, do we have any ribbon?”
Out came the big box of craft tools.
With loops and big twirls,
forming hearts, shaping curls--
she ended up using six spools!
Excitement just kept growing bigger!
Her box would surprise EVERYONE!
She colored and painted,
her mom almost fainted,
POOF! Glitter had just now begun!
In no time she twinkled with color.
Her Valentine box sparkled too!
The table, the cat,
and her kitchen’s floor mat
were coated in sticky, wet glue.
But Emersyn cheered, “YAY, I did it!
It’s magical just like I planned!”
Mom said to her sweetly,
“Come set it here neatly.”
“I can’t Mom, it’s stuck to my hand!”
Wow! Valentine’s Day was tomorrow!
And Emersyn just couldn’t wait!
She gathered her pencils,
some markers and stencils,
a card box she’d have to create!
Her mom made a cut with some scissors
so cards could slip right down inside.
The next thing to do,
was cut hearts and pour glue--
the glitter could then be applied!
CUT, CUT, SNIP, SNIP, SNIP went the scissors,
big hearts of pink, purple, and red.
As she opened the glue,
her doggy ran through--
now Spike wears a heart on his head!
“Hey Mom, do we have any ribbon?”
Out came the big box of craft tools.
With loops and big twirls,
forming hearts, shaping curls--
she ended up using six spools!
Excitement just kept growing bigger!
Her box would surprise EVERYONE!
She colored and painted,
her mom almost fainted,
POOF! Glitter had just now begun!
In no time she twinkled with color.
Her Valentine box sparkled too!
The table, the cat,
and her kitchen’s floor mat
were coated in sticky, wet glue.
But Emersyn cheered, “YAY, I did it!
It’s magical just like I planned!”
Mom said to her sweetly,
“Come set it here neatly.”
“I can’t Mom, it’s stuck to my hand!”
- 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!