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STEM Tuesday– Special edition– SEARCH PARTY!

By on February 20, 2019   /   Cross-Curricular, STEM Tuesday  

A STEM-tastic Search Party mission, if you choose to accept it:

STEM Tuesday Search Party Event

What: A From the Mixed-Up Files online scavenger hunt search using the new STEM Tuesday site search tool to find the answers to the questions in the Google Form contest entry.

When:

  • February 20, 2019 – Contests begins!
  • March 28, 2019 @ Midnight EST – Entry deadline by Google form.
  • April 1, 2019 – Announce the winners via STEM Tuesday post.

Where: The From the Mixed-Up Files STEMTuesday.com site search tool

Prizes: Entries with the correct answers will be awarded a prize package from one or more of the 13 donating authors. (If more entries than author prize packages are received, they will be assigned a number according to the order received and the 13 numbers will be randomly selected using a randomizer selector tool. If less than 13 entries are received, the prize packages will be evenly distributed.)

The Backstory

Stephanie Stemread sat in her student volunteer cubicle in the dim, dusty recesses of the book stacks in Edison Falls Public Library. Mrs. Newton had assigned Steph the task of sifting through the middle grade STEM nonfiction section and weeding out the outdated books left by the former and recently retired children’s librarian. Frederick de Fictione.

While Mr. de Fictione had in an eye for children’s fiction, he ignored all things science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Thus, Mrs. Newton gave Steph the job of weeding the outdated middle-grade STEM books. This task was more than a job for Stephanie Stemread; it was a mission.

She flipped through what, once upon a time, must have been some sort of textbook. “One day man may even walk on the moon?” she read as she snapped the book shut in a cloud of dust and tossed it into the recycling bin.

Ding!

The front desk bell rang and echoed to complete silence down the aisles of Edison Falls Public Library. Stephanie walked to the front desk and found herself face to face with a short, elderly woman dressed all in black with a black hat pulled low over her dark sunglasses. The lady in black cleared her throat, pursed her lips, and handed an envelope across the counter to Stephanie with a black-gloved hand. The elderly lady leaned in and whispered in a raspy voice, “For the children’s section, dear.”.

Stephanie grabbed the envelope and studied the letters “S”, “T”, “E”, and “M” scrawled on the paper in a shaky script.

“STEM?” she asked.

“Shhh!” The lady in black looked around the library and pointed a long finger at the envelope. “It’s all in there.”

“But—”

“Shhh! Not a word to anyone.”

“But—”

“Not a word!”

As Steph stood completely dumbfounded and holding the envelope, the lady in black slunk toward the door. The door opened with a flood of sunlight. The old woman slipped through and paused briefly to remind Stephanie, “It’s all in there.”.

The door slammed shut.

The envelope shook in Steph’s hands while she fumbled to open the seal of the mysterious STEM letter.

STEM TUESDAY SEARCH PARTY PRIZE LIST

(How about this list of prizes for the Search Party contest? Pretty awesome. A huge shout-out to all the authors listed who donated books!)

Amy M. O’Quinn

MARIE CURIE FOR KIDS

 

 

Sarah Albee

POISON: DEADLY DEEDS, PERILOUS PROFESSIONS, AND MURDEROUS MEDICINES

 

 

 

Natascha Biebow

THE CRAYON MAN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTION OF THE CRAYOLA CRAYON

 

 

 

Nikole Brooks Bethea

SUPER SCIENCE FEATS (4-book Series from Pogo Books published by Jump!)

THE FIRST FLIGHT, THE MOON LANDING, THE INTERNET, CELL PHONES


 

 

 

 

Donna Janell Bowman

STEP RIGHT UP: HOW DOC AND JIM KEY TAUGHT THE WORLD ABOUT KINDNESS, illustrated by Daniel Minter (Lee and Low, 2016)

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S DUELING WORDS, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Peachtree, 2018)

 

 

 

Susan M Latta

BOLD WOMEN OF MEDICINE: 21 STORIES OF ASTOUNDING DISCOVERIES, DARING SURGERIES, AND HEALING BREAKTHROUGHS.

 

 

 

Janet Slingerland

EXPLORE ATOMS AND MOLECULES! With 25 Great Projects

 

 

 

Miranda Paul

Donating TWO prize packages:

Book Set #1 (plus a set of water stickers and a set of new baby stickers!)

WATER IS WATER

NINE MONTHS (Advance F&G copy only) 

 

 

Book set #2 (plus a few bookmarks!)

I AM FARMER: GROWING AN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN CAMEROON

ONE PLASTIC BAG: ISATOU CEESAY AND THE RECYCLING WOMEN OF THE GAMBIA

Kate Narita

100 BUGS!

 

 

Laurie Wallmark

(Author of Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, and Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine)

  • A classroom prize pack of:
    * bookmarks
    * stickers
    * STEM-related word searches
    * pencils

Dianne White

WHO EATS ORANGE?, illustrated by Robin Page (Beach Lane/S&S, 2018)

 

 

 

Mary Kay Carson

MISSION TO PLUTO

 

 

Jennifer Swanson

A 3-pack of:

ASTRONAUT-AQUANAUT

ABSOLUTE EXPERT: DOLPHINS

ZOOLOGY: COOL WOMEN WHO WORK WITH ANIMALS

 

 

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal opportunity sports enthusiasts, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about sports/training related topics at www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101,  are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming around the Twitter-sphere under the guise of @coachhays64.

 

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STEM Tuesday– Taking a Look at Climate Change/Earth Science– Writing Tips & Resources

By on February 19, 2019   /   Climate Change/Earth Science, Common Core & NGSS, Cross-Curricular, STEM Tuesday  

The Right Words

There’s a Neil Gaiman quote which is popular around the writing circles.

“Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.”

Find the right word.

And then the next.

And then the next…

That’s where the “magic” of writing comes in, right? Wrong. That’s where the work of writing comes in.

Hard work is the magic.

In nonfiction, finding the right words are just as important as it is in fiction. And in STEM nonfiction, the importance and value of the précise and correct word rises exponentially. The right word can make or break the credibility of the piece. The wrong word can create confusion, misinformation, and spread inaccuracies.

The right word matters.

This month’s topic is Climate Change/Earth Science. While planning the Writing Tips & Resources post this month, I originally planned an optimistic post on the potential solutions to our environmental issues blossoming in some of our young minds. Kids working toward and demanding changes in their institutions and local environments. It’s promising.

But then I heard something last week that made me shelf the original touch-feely post. It was an unfortunate reminder of how important the right words are. One prominent politician making fun of another prominent politician with the classic jab of “global warming? (laugh, laugh, laugh)” as the second politician made a campaign announcement backdropped by snow and cold weather.

Global Warming

One of the most prominent choices of words gone astray has to be “global warming”. The fight against climate change would have been a whole lot better off if “global warming” was never introduced as the lead terminology. What’s hard now to get many to understand is that small changes, like the atmospheric warming over the Earth poles caused by a stark increase in CO2 build up, can cause big problems to the entire system.

The Earth is a system. Changes in portions of a system can resonate throughout the entire system. This is the so-called Butterfly Effect associated with chaos theory (which also suffered from a poor choice of words (A butterfly flaps its wings…) in early explanations of chaos theory). In the system then, even a relatively small increase in temperature can change the weather patterns thousands of miles away. It’s HARD to get people to accept this when they keep reverting to “global warming” mode while they’re standing knee-deep in record snowfall.

Save the Planet

Another problematic choice of words I feel has held back the efforts to promote and advance earth science is, “Save the Planet”. Barring catastrophic internal of external events, the planet will survive humans. Earth will be fine. It may look and act completely different, but it’ll still be here.

What we need to do is reframe the environmental argument in terms of saving ourselves and the flora & fauna currently inhabiting this planet. Reframe environmentalism in terms of long-term economic viability and make it something of value to everyone.

The Right Word

Words are powerful. They carry weight. The right word can forward a way of thought or a new idea while the wrong word can sink the ship before it leaves port. Choose words wisely. Find the right word with the best fit. Make it work for you and work for your ideas.

The world of STEM will appreciate your efforts.

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal opportunity sports enthusiasts, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about sports/training related topics at www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101,  are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming around the Twitter-sphere under the guise of @coachhays64.

 

The O.O.L.F Files

The Out Of Left Field (O.O.L.F.) Files this month takes a look at earth science, climate science, and some ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Here are a couple of information packed sites from some heavy hitters on the climate front:

I found this article and Tweeted it out to my fellow STEM Tuesday team member, Patricia Newman, thinking she’d enjoy the article on laboratories working to reduce single-use plastics because of her fantastic book, PLASTICS AHOY!

She liked it but one-upped me by Tweeting me this article about the potential use of plastic bags in cellphones.

Geodesy – I’ve been researching geodesy as a side topic to a story about satellite navigation I’m working on. It’s fascinating science!

(Geodesy definition and information from GIM International, “the independent and high-quality information online source for everything the global geomatics industry has to offer: news, articles, vacancies, company profiles, educators and an event calendar.”

And if you just can’t get enough geodesy in your current life, here is a PDF from N.O.A.A.  of the 1985 reprint,

 

 

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Charlotte for President!!

By on February 18, 2019   /   Articles, Book Lists, Fiction  

It’s Presidents Day here in the USA, a day that never fails to make me consider what qualities make a good and effective leader.

Compassion?

Courage?

Brains?

Creativity?

Seeing the list made me wonder where I last saw all of these characteristics in one person. The answer was easy – the very last Middle Grade book I read – Meg Medina’s MERCI SUAREZ CHANGES GEARS. Merci would make an excellent president.

And so would so many other Middle Grade characters. I jotted down a few names from my childhood reading. (They’d be plenty old enough by now). Ramona Quimby (remember her No Smo King campaign?), Peter Hatcher (anyone who can manage Fudge can manage the White House), and Cassie Logan (who knew more about standing up at the age of 9 than most adults ever will) rose to the top of the list. Each one of them would make an excellent world leader.

As would wise, kind, and clever Charlotte from CHARLOTTE’S WEB. (Why limit ourselves to people?)

I had so much fun playing with this idea that I asked some of my author friends to help me out and nominate a Middle Grade Character they’d most like to see as President. Lucky for me (and for our readers) they had some great suggestions.


The Nominees

Karuna Riazi, Author of The Gauntlet and The Battle

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“Valencia Somerset from HELLO UNIVERSE. As she says herself in the book, she has a name that seems like you could follow it into battle. She’s smart, she’s sweet, she has big dreams, and I think her and her new friend Kaori Tanaka would be an awesome running team.”

 

 

Jarrett Lerner, Author of Enginerds and Revenge of the Enginerds

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“Beatrice Zinker (from Shelley Johannes’s books)! She is a courageous, creative, out-of-the-box (in fact upside down!) thinker. And perhaps most importantly, she has a big, kind heart.”

 

 

 

Melissa Roske, Author of Kat Greene Comes Clean and Mixed-Up Files Member

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“I would elect Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Yes, Mr. Wonka is a bit odd, but his heart is always in the right place and he gets things done. And let’s not forget the free candy.”

 

 

Lindsey Becker, Author of The Star Thief

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“Hm, first thought was Ramona Quimby, but she’s probably blowing things up at JPL…
Folly from HOW TO STAGE A CATASTROPHE is a born leader with big ideas. I’d give him a vote.”

 

 

 

Heather Murphy Capps, Author and Mixed Up Files Member

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“How about Nancy Drew? She’s methodical, diplomatic, takes no prisoners, observant, and kind!”

 

 

 

Andrea Pyros, Author of My Year of Epic Rock and Mixed-Up Files Member

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“Anne Shirley, from the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series. She’s smart and strong-willed (a president needs a strong backbone) and hard-working. Plus, though Anne hasn’t had it easy in life, she still finds a way to survive and thrive. A role model for us all!”

 

 

Rob Vlock, Author of Sven Carter & the Trashmouth Effect and Sven Carter & the Android Army

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“Ooh, I think I’d pick Bartimaeus from Jonathan Stroud’s BARTIMAEUS series. Sure, he’s a sarcastic, irreverent (and arguably evil) djinn, but I think he’d be a big improvement for our country!”

 

 

 

Samantha Clark, Author of The Boat, the Boy, and the Beast and Mixed-Up Files Member

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“I’d vote for Gaby from Varian Johnson’s THE GREAT GREEN HEIST. She’s my kind of president with organic food and sharing.”

 

 

 

David Neilsen, Author and Mixed-Up Files Member

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“I nominate Hermione Granger. She’s the smartest character out there, level-headed, strong, and would have the country running at peak efficiency in no time!”

 

 

 

Rosanne Parry, Author of Heart of a Shepherd, Second Fiddle, Written in Stone, and The Turn of the Tide and Mixed-Up Files Member

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“I’d nominate Tenar from the Wizard of Earthsea series if I was choosing from my childhood reads.”

 

 

 

 

Janet Sumner Johnson, Author of The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Club

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org“Mikayla (Mickey) Delgado (from TAKEDOWN by Laura Shovan). She works harder than anyone to accoplish her goals, and doesn’t give up when things get hard. Best of all, she inspires others to stand up for themselves, too.”

 

 

 

Which Middle Grade character would you nominate for President this Presidents Day? Please share below, so we can add them to our list. And, if you’re looking for a more traditional Presidents Day book list, check out this one by Michele Weber Hurwitz.

 

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