STEM Tuesday

STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Writing Tips & Resources
June 16, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

It’s summer! I know everyone is busy, so here’s a short and sweet STEM Tuesday Writing Tips & Resources post in place of my normal rambling dissertation on the beauty and significance of STEM in a literary world. I am the son of an engineer, a civil engineer. My dad was an engineer to his very core. He thought like an engineer. He fixed things, like our bikes, broken baseball bats, toys, etc., with an engineer’s approach. He packed the trash and the garbage cans every week with an engineer’s efficiency. He wrote everything in that classic engineer’s script—an engineer to the core. Me? I am not an engineer. I am a microbiologist. My approach to life is messier than my father’s, and my handwriting is nowhere near the neat and precise handwriting of an engineer. However, that is not to say I did not learn a thing or two from him. In fact, I gleaned many things about...
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STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– In the Classroom
June 9, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

For this month’s theme, I read two books about bridges and read/wrote two books about skyscrapers. Two of these books were on this months book list and two were “bonus” books. Here’s what I read/wrote. Skyscraper by Lynn Curlee Skyscraper is presented in picture book format and includes beautiful illustrations. It follows the history of skyscrapers in general and then focuses on specific, noteworthy skyscrapers. Through this history, Skyscraper explores advances in design, construction, and materials that facilitated the building of the world’s tallest structures. This book is a bit older, so some of the later information is a bit outdated. The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York by Peter J. Tomasi, illustrated by Teo Duvall If you like graphic novels and want to fully immerse yourself in Washington and Emily Roebling’s story, read The Bridge. This book follows the design and construction of the Brooklyn...
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STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Book List
June 2, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

Bridges and skyscrapers are some of the most incredible structures humans have ever built. Bridges connect people across rivers and valleys, while skyscrapers stretch high into the sky and shape city skylines. These giant structures are engineering marvels that combine creativity, science, math, and teamwork to solve amazing challenges. Bridges written by Magda Garguláková and illustrated by Jakub Bachorík A beautifully illustrated nonfiction book about bridges around the world. It explains how bridges are built and why they are important, while showing different designs and styles. Readers learn how bridges connect places and help people travel more easily. It’s a clear, engaging book for curious young learners. Science Comics series: Bridges: Engineering Masterpieces written and illustrated by Dan Zettwoch Skyscrapers: The Height of Engineering written and illustrated by John Kerschbaum The first graphic novel is a detailed and fun look at...
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STEM Tuesday (Math) It’s a 2-for!
May 26, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! This month we’ve got a treat: TWO author interviews for the price of ONE! And, of course, they’re both free. First up, we’ve got Stephanie Gibeault, author of Calculating Chimpanzees, Brainy Bees, and Other Animals with Mind-Blowing Mathematical Abilities. Andi: Where did you get the idea to write a book about animals and math? Stephanie: In a way, the idea for a book on animals and math stretches back a long time. I studied animal behavior in graduate school and was a founding member of the Comparative Cognition Society. So the way animals think and how that varies between species has always been fascinating to me. Although math wasn’t my favorite subject, even back in grad school I was asking, can’t animals count? Doesn’t a bird know if one of her eggs is...
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