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STEM Tuesday
  • STEM Tuesday: Snow and Ice-- Writing Tips & Resources
    STEM Tuesday: Snow and Ice– Writing Tips & Resources
    November 21, 2023 by
      Accordions and Information The five-paragraph essay. Love it or hate it, it’s a thing. One of the reasons it is so hard to teach? Young writers rarely see pure examples in their pleasure reading. Still, this formulaic approach can help young writers learn to organize their thinking and writing. So, how do we teach them to use this tool? Step By Step My favorite is the accordion method. Start by printing each of the sentences below on a separate sheet of colored paper. Green paper: Bugs have wicked cool mouthparts. These mouthparts allow insects to chow down on their favorite food. Yellow paper: Some bugs have hypodermic needles for mouths. A few insects use sponges for mouths. And, others have strong grinding jaws. Post those in random order on the board or wall. Challenge students to physically re-arrange them into a logical paragraph. This can be done together on the board or students can copy onto sticky notes and...
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  • STEM Tuesday: Snow and Ice-- In the Classroom
    STEM Tuesday: Snow and Ice– In the Classroom
    November 14, 2023 by
    What can we learn by studying ice and snow? From chemistry to poetry, try these classroom activities to get your students excited about the cold!   Mission: Arctic: A Scientific Adventure to a Changing North Pole by Katharina Weiss-Tuider and Christian Schneider   Until now, the world of the Arctic was a mystery. This guide follows the 2019 MOSAiC expedition whose mission was to let their vessel freeze in the sea ice and drift to the north pole. Why? To study how the Arctic is changing. Featuring photographs, facts, diagrams and more; the thrilling world of the Arctic will come alive as readers discover its secrets.   Student Activity The MOSAic expedition site has a whole list of educational activities for elementary to high school students. They can learn more about the Arctic ecosystem, make ice cores, and much more. Find the entire list here: https://mosaic.colorado.edu/activities. Also check out educational...
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  • The Good Luck Book by Heather Alexander
    Feeling Lucky with Author Heather Alexander
    November 10, 2023 by
    Welcome to MUF, Heather Alexander, author of The Good Luck Book: A Celebration of Global Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore (DK Children), out November 2023. Heather Alexander is the acclaimed author of more than 70 books for children, and she also works as a children’s book editor, packager, and literary scout. Here, she talks to MUF contributor Andrea Pyros about luck, her research process, and why we really cover our mouths when we yawn.  Mixed-Up Files: Tell us a little bit about The Good Luck Book. Where did the idea for this come from? Heather Alexander: THE GOOD LUCK BOOK is a large, illustrated, middle-grade nonfiction book that explores fascinating traditions and superstitions from all over the world. Kids will discover how and why they started, why people still do them today, if they hold up to science, the good luck charms we share, and the unique ways we wish for...
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  • STEM Tuesday: Snow and Ice-- Book List
    STEM Tuesday: Snow and Ice– Book List
    November 7, 2023 by
                Kids of all ages wonder at the world of snow. Listed here are some great resources to learn more about it. From blizzards to ice ages, these books have something for everyone fascinated by snow and ice.   Curious About Snow by Gina Shaw The very basics of ice and snow. With great photographs, this book starts with the basics, right from what ice is, how it is formed, what snowflakes are, right up to blizzards and snowstorms and how people have fun in the snow!           Ice: Chilling Stories from a Disappearing World by various authors (DK publishers) This beautiful big book full of stunning photographs is a deep dive into the frigid regions of our earth. It gives readers a complete picture of our icy world, from prehistory, to the geography of these lands, to the flora and...
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Photo of Christine Taylor Butler

Christine Taylor Butler

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Biography

Christine Taylor-Butler has been a prolific consumer of public
libraries from an early age. A consummate tinkerer it was deemed
advisable she study engineering at MIT for job security. Years later she made a break for the corporate door and delved into children’s literature hoping to write stories about talking animals when a sneaky editor at Scholastic conned her into writing non-fiction for children. She’s been writing science books ever since, and is now also writing
science fiction (The Lost Tribes) which hides real science between the
pages. Christine lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her husband,
daughters and cats who think she’s both servant and head of their pride.