Posts Tagged book lists

YOUNG PEOPLE WORKING FOR CHANGE

 Several new books have come out featuring young people working for change in their communities and the world. Child leaders have emerged in almost every activist movement today. Though too young to vote, they organize, draw public attention to issues, and often can get laws and policy changed. The causes they champion directly impact the quality of their future lives. These include water rights, human rights, and especially climate change.
Here are some of the  books designed to inform and encourage young readers who want to make a difference. .
The Climate Book (2023) is by 19-year-old Greta Thunberg,  an internationally known and respected leader in the movement to combat climate change. This has been her focus ever since she demonstrated outside the Swedish parliament with a hand-made sign at age 15. In this book, she outlines the urgent need for accurate information and effective , and she provides both. She calls on the wisdom and knowledge of hundreds of scientists, indigenous leaders, historians, engineers, and mathematicians. Her book includes graphs and illustrations, and suggests paths for real step-by-step change. Also see Greta’s Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went on Strike to Save the Planet by Valentina Camerini (2019)

We Have a Dream: Meet 30 Young Indigenous People and People of Color Protecting the Planet (2022) is by Mya-Rose Craig.” Mya-Rose,    British Bangladeshi ornithologist who was awarded an honorary science degree from Bristol University at age 17. She has created “Black to Nature” camps to encourage indigenous people and people of color to fight for equal rights and environmental protection, since they are the most affected. This book profiles thirty young people around the world, including the US, who are already taking action.

Also see Young Native Activist: Growing Up in Native American Rights Movements  by Aslan Tudo. Alsn is  a 13 year old member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas. When he was 8 and again at 11, Aslan went to South Dakota to join the protests of Lakota Sioux against construction of a oil pipeline at Standing Rock. In this book, he describes native American causes in which he continues to be active.

In Movement Makers: How Young Activists Upended the Politics of Climate change (2022), author Nicke Englefried interviews over 100 youth leaders.  She  tells the background story of how youth climate campaigns have drawn attention, changed the national discussion, and become a mass movement.

Saving Animals: A Future Activist’s Guide (2021), is by Catherine Kelaher, founder of New South Wales’ Hen Rescue.  Her organization  rehomes chickens and other animals from factory farms. This well-researched guide is full of  ideas about how to protect and make the world a better place for pets, farm animals & wildlife . It includes stories of empathetic young people who are doing just that.

Glimmer of Hope: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement (2018), is by the founders of March For Our Lives. On Valentine’s Day in 2018, a mass-shooter killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida. Surviving students channeled their grief and anger into a youth movement to end gun violence.  The students of the movement provide a blueprint, showing how they took action in rallies, on social media, in voter registration drives, and with a march on Washington.

Tomorrow Begins Now: Teen Heroes Who Faced Down Injustice (2022) is by Ava Lorelei Deakin. It features stories, ranging from the 1950s to today, of 11 teens fighting for their civil rights and liberties. Their  issues include school segregation, sports equality, censorship, unjust deportation, and others.

Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World (2018) is  by Eric David Dawson, who at age 18 founded a non-profit called Peace First.  Peace first is  based on the idea that young people can change the world now. Putting Peace First is his handbook for would-be peacemakers, with step-by-step explanations of how peacemakers have achieved their goals

STEM Tuesday– Genetics– In the Classroom

This month’s theme ties in with a few of my interests/hobbies. An amateur genealogist, I was recently reading about the use of genetics in genealogy. As a nature lover and Environmental Science merit badge counselor, I’m constantly hearing about the effects of biodiversity (or lack thereof) on the environment. These interests impacted the books I chose to read this month.

Book Cover for Saving The Tasmanian Devil

Saving the Tasmanian Devil: How Science Is Helping the World’s Largest Marsupial Carnivore Survive by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Tasmanian devils are threatened by a disease that defies genetics. This book follows the author as she learns about the disease and how scientists are working to save the species.

 

CRISPR: A Powerful Way to Change DNA by Yolanda Ridge, illustrated by Alex Boersma
The book delves into CRISPR technology and how it can be used to modify DNA. It’s packed with interesting scenarios and questions about ethics.

 

BIODiversityBiodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth with Environmental Science Activities for Kids by Laura Perdew, illustrated by Tom Casteel
Biodiversity is the variety of living things in an environment. This book explores biodiversity with a host of hands-on activities.

 

Bonus – This topic also ties in with a book I read for October’s STEM Tuesday theme.
Champion, The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree by Sally M Walker
To read about this book, check out this post: https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/stem-tuesday-extinction-in-the-classroom

Some of this month’s books have activities built into them. There’s a lot to explore there. Here are a few more ideas to extend or add to those.

Research and Speculate or Debate

There are lots of questions asked in CRISPR. For instance, in Chapter 4, while discussing the options available for modifying mosquito genes to get rid of malaria, there are the following questions:

“[S]hould humans really get to decide whether an entire species will live or die? Who decides which pests are pesty enough to get rid of, and who makes sure the technology is limited to bugs?”

Mosquitoes are carriers for some serious diseases, but what if editing their genes wiped them out? What would that do to the food web? Do a little research to see if you can find out what role mosquitoes play in the ecosystem.

How are other animals impacted by the diseases mosquitoes carry? What would happen if we wiped out those diseases? How would biodiversity be impacted?

Once you’ve done a little research, speculate or debate. Speculate on what you think might happen in the different scenarios where genetically modified mosquitoes are unleashed on the world. Debate whether or not you think we have the right to do so.

If you don’t want to explore this topic, pick one of the other topics raised in one of this month’s books. (Each chapter in CRISPR has at least one topic worthy of a deep-dive.)

Go Sci-Fi

“What If?” is a common question to ask when plotting fiction stories. Many “What if?” questions come to mind when reading up on the topic of genetics. Chapter 10 of CRISPR includes a few futuristic scenes that could be used as a Sci-Fi writing prompt. Pick a genetics-based What If? and write a science fiction story based on it.

Here’s a blog post that gives some good advice: https://writingcooperative.com/how-to-write-a-science-fiction-story-3f04782d243c

Explore Family Genetics

One fun way to explore genetics is to look into inherited traits. There are many published activities out there. Here are a few to start with.
This page – https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/activities – has several genetics activities. Perhaps start with “An Inventory of My Traits.”

If you want, explore traits among family members. “A Tree of Genetic Traits” from the previous website does this. Another similar activity is: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/seeing-pedigree-science-making-a-family-tree-of-traits.

Even if a child is adopted, they may share inherited traits with their adoptive parents. If not, maybe they can predict which traits they are likely to pass on to any children they might have.


Janet smiling while holding a butterflyJanet Slingerland is the author of over 20 books for young readers. Her latest project involves increasing the biodiversity in her yard by planting a wide variety of native plants. To find out more about Janet and her books, check out http://janetsbooks.com.

STEM Tuesday– Genetics– Book List

 

 

Genes play an important role in determining what makes us us. Dive right into these books, which are great resources on genes, DNA, and cutting-edge technology that holds a lot of promise for the future.

Genetics (A True Book: Greatest Discoveries and Discoverers) 

by Christine Taylor-Butler

Scientists now know that genes are the blueprint for life, but many years ago they didn’t. They discovered it when they attempted to change the traits of living things by altering their genes. Learn about the a-ha moments these scientists had; and more, with this engaging text

 

 

 

The DNA Book

by Alison Woollard

A colorful, interesting book with an in-depth look at DNA and its role in our lives: what DNA does, why we look like our parents, how DNA evidence helps catch criminals, genetic engineering, and more.

 

 

 

The Human Genome

The Human Genome: Mapping the Blueprint of Human Life

by Carla Mooney, illustrated by Tom Casteel

All about the human genome, and how understanding it has added to our knowledge in fields like medicine and human history. With hands-on STEM activities, and discussions on the social and ethical issues of genomic science, this book is a fascinating peek into the world of genetics.

 

 

 

The Code Breaker -- Young Readers Edition

 

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand our Genetic Code

by Walter Isaacson, Adapted for young readers by Sarah Durand

An account of how Nobel Prize Winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched CRISPR, a tool that can edit DNA, and a discussion of its potential, and the associated moral implications.

 

 

 

 

CRISPR: A Powerful Way to Change DNA

by Yolanda Ridge, illustrated by Alex Boersma

An engaging book, with detailed illutsrations that explains CRISPR, and the potential it has in the fields of medicine, food and conservation.

 

 

 

Blood, Bullets and Bone: The Story of Forensic Science from Sherlock Holmes to DNA

by Bridget Heos

A history of modern forensic science right from the 1700s to modern times, with its advanced technology, including DNA testing, which has changed the world of forensic science.

 

 

Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth with Environmental Science Activities for Kids (Build It Yourself)

by Laura Perdew (Author), Tom Casteel (Illustrator)

Calling all middle schoolers who are curious about life on earth and its biodiversity. This hands-on STEM-based book is filled with activities to engage critical thinking, as well as lead readers to explorations of the biodiversity around them. 

 

I Can Be a Science Detective: Fun STEM Activities for Kids 

by Claudia Martin

Simple hands-on experiments on how to catch a thief, extract DNA from strawberries, and much more!

 

Extract DNA with Rosalind Franklin: Women in Science Interactive Book With Illustrations

Rosalind Franklin is a known chemist and x-ray crystallographer who is passionate about DNA. She loves sharing her knowledge about this fantastic discovery:  she was the first person to discover the shape of DNA! With her expert guidance, readers will be able to experiment at home and make discoveries for themselves. 

 

 

 

She Persisted: Rosalind Franklin

 

She Persisted: Rosalind Franklin

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator), Gillian Flint (Illustrator)

A biography of the amazing woman who persisted in following her dreams to become a scientist and played an important role in the discovery of the shape of the DNA.

 

 

 

 

Saving the Tasmanian Devil: How Science is Helping the World’s Largest Marsupial Carnivore Survive

by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

This book describes how scientists are working to prevent and eradicate genetic diseases, and helping to save Tasmanian Devils, which are dying in large numbers due a deadly disease.

 

 

 

De-Extinction: The Science of Bringing Lost Species Back to Life

by Rebecca E. Hirsch

This book explains how scientists are trying to reverse extinction and bring back species to life, using techniques like cloning. It also discusses the pros and cons of de-extinction.

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Summers is a wildlife enthusiast and an author. Contact her at: https://susan-inez-summers.weebly.com/

 

 

Shruthi Rao is an author. Her home on the web is https://shruthi-rao.com