Posts Tagged Common Core & NGSS

STEM Tuesday — Inventions that Changed the World — In the Classroom

By on September 10, 2024   /   Inventors / Inventions, STEM Tuesday  

 

Inventions are new ideas or things that people create to make life easier or more fun. They help solve problems and improve how we live, like how light bulbs give us light or airplanes help us fly. Inventions make the world a better and exciting place! How have inventions changed your life? These books explore inventors and their inventions. They make a great starting point for invention classroom discussions and activities!

Invent It!
Written by Rob Beattie

This fun and informative guide walks readers through the entire invention process, from brainstorming and prototyping all the way through production and marketing. Kids can follow along with their own ideas, learning practical tips along the way while being inspired by some of history’s best breakthroughs…and biggest flops!

 

Classroom Activity

We use inventions every day, at home, work, and school. Ask students walk about the classroom and write down the inventions they find. Have each student pick one invention and answer the following questions:

  • What is the invention?
  • What problem does it solve?
  • How was this problem addressed before this invention existed?
  • What else solves this problem?
  • How does this invention make life easier?

Tell students to imagine the invention does not exist. Have them brainstorm an alternate way or new invention to solve the problem.

 

Engineered!: Engineering Design at Work
Written by Shannon Hunt & illustrated by James Gulliver Hancock

This book is eye-opening because it shows young readers that engineering can solve many problems, from how to land a rover on Mars to saving a herd of caribou from potential extinction. A helpful seven-step flowchart of the engineering design process is also featured, encouraging future engineers.

Classroom Activity

Everyone can be an inventor! Most inventions are created to solve a problem. Have students identify a problem and brainstorm possible solutions. Students can design an invention to solve the problem. Students should follow the step-by-step engineering design process. Next, students can build a prototype of their invention using common classroom or home materials. When the prototypes are built, students can demonstrate them for the class. In their classroom demonstration, students should answer the following questions: How does their invention work? What problem does it solve? How will their invention make life easier?

 

Black Inventors: 15 Inventions that Changed the World
by Kathy Trusty

This biography compilation chronicles the journeys of 15 incredible inventors who changed the world with products like hair brushes, traffic lights, and home security systems. Each chapter includes a short biography of an inventor, information about the significance of their invention, and follow-up questions for reflection and further investigation.

 

How to Become an Accidental Genius
Written by Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky, & illustrated by Jenn Playford

Structured as a how-to guide for would-be inventors, this fun book cultivates the mindsets needed for innovation. The chapters are organized to highlight the role that experimentation, failure, and coincidences can play in the engineering process and the importance of being open to new possibilities. The inventor profiles feature a mix of well-known pioneers, like George Washington Carver; lesser-known historical figures, like Hedy Lamarr; and contemporary young people, like Hayley Todesco.

Classroom Activity

Inventors have changed the world with their inventions. Students can select a famous or lesser-known inventor to research. Ask them to investigate their inventor’s personal history, challenges, and contributions to the world. Using the information they have learned; students can create a homemade replica of one of the inventor’s inventions. Students can create a presentation about their inventor and his/her inventions for the class.

 

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Carla Mooney loves to explore the world around us and discover the details about how it works. An award-winning author of numerous nonfiction science books for kids and teens, she hopes to spark a healthy curiosity and love of science in today’s young people. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and dog. Find her at http://www.carlamooney.com, on Facebook @carlamooneyauthor, or on X @carlawrites.

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MG Novel and Nonfiction Study: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Strategies

By on September 5, 2024   /   For Teachers  

Writing JournalDo you enjoy maps and diagrams more than directions told to you aloud? Do you love listening to an audiobook while driving, cooking, or gardening? Do your hobbies include crafting, sculpting, building models, woodworking, or jigsaw puzzles?

It’s been theorized that our interests, preferences, and hobbies may point to a “type” or “style” of learning we enjoy. Different theories about learning styles exist; for example, multiple intelligence theory discusses our different “intelligences” (pathways that help us learn) such as logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, and inter- and intrapersonal. And researchers continue to study the possible ways that areas of the brain might be responsible for different styles of learning.  

Another much-discussed learning styles theory is the VAK typology: visual, auditory, kinesthetic. While evidence has not proven that overall learning is greatly impacted by one particular style of gaining knowledge, offering a variety of learning strategies with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic components may promote interest in lessons and activities, including novel and nonfiction study.

The study of charts, graphs, and tables, for example, is generally considered a visual learning technique; taking notes, typing, and flipping flashcards can be ways to get “in touch” with tactile learning options. And individuals who prefer read-aloud time or a lecture may gravitate toward auditory learning techniques.

Teachers, parents, librarians, and homeschoolers of middle graders as well as writers looking for new ways to promote their MG works might consider kicking off the new school year with some reflection on the VAK model and how it relates to a middle grader’s experience with the text in their hands. Since some readers may enjoy different “types” of learning, a varied approach with options for strategies and assessment may be most helpful in promoting interest and engagement.

As with all classroom suggestions, be sure to account for sensitivity considerations for those with individualized learning needs.

Strategies and Activities for Kinesthetic Skills Practice:

  • Use sticky notes to handwrite annotations and reader reactions; peel and stick in place in a class copy of a novel. Trade copies with a partner to flip through their thoughts.
  • Build a model of a setting. What tactile materials might be used, for example, to represent the rocky desert conditions near Alamo Lake in Dusti Bowling’s Across the Desert? What objects could be used to show main character Jolene’s path to rescue Addie and escape from the desert?
  • Copy physical descriptions from the text onto paper, then cut and paste individual descriptive phrases onto a drawn or 3-D model of a key figure, an object, or a setting. Three-dimensional models work well to show different sides of a character and the ways they change throughout the story.
  • Construct prototypes or to-scale models for nonfiction units on inventions, planets, technology, and many other subjects.

Strategies and Activities for Visual Skills Practice:

  • Find, create, study, or model artwork associated with a text, such as select Vermeer works for those reading Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer.
  • Study and compare the cover art for a novel with different editions.
  • Offer texts with some illustrations at the MG level, as well as texts with a typeface that offers a change of pace – think David Walliams’s Demon Dentist with its whole-page boldfaced character reactions, its use of page layout for onomatopoetic effects, and its use of bulleted lists.
  • Read, write, and share graphic novels. Kelly Yang’s Finally Seen may lead to exploration of several published graphic novels as main character Lina becomes a fan.
  • Chart or graph the visual context clues in illustrations from a graphic novel that are not included in the text.

Strategies and Activities for Auditory Skills Practice:

  • Turn dialogue into a script for dramatized oral readings.
  • Incorporate discussions and Socratic seminars for small and large classroom groups.
  • Record an exciting passage of a novel read aloud, using vocal tone, pace, and pauses to represent suspense.
  • Perform a radio show-style scene from the MG work, complete with sound effects and music cues. A spooky tale might work nicely here, or a paranormal adventure like Joe McGee’s The Haunted Mustache.

 

Thanks for reading, and a great school year to all MG readers, writers, teachers, and parents!

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STEM Tuesday — Inventions that Changed the World — Book List

By on September 3, 2024   /   Inventors / Inventions, STEM Tuesday  

Inventions make the world go round and allow technology to evolve. This book list not only highlights such remarkable inventions (including those made by children), but also encourages critical thought. By fostering an analytic mind that enables one to understand how things work and how problems can be solved, readers can inspire to make their own inventions.

Kid-ventors: 35 Real Kids and their Amazing Inventions

Written by Kailei Pew & illustrated by Shannon Wright

This is an especially inspiring book because it chronicles a slew of inventors who are children, proving that even the youngest people can change the world. From Popsicles® to swim fins to robots and glitter shooting prosthetics, sometimes, it takes the imagination of a child to create something new.

 

 

Invent It!

Written by Rob Beattie

This fun and informative guide walks readers through the entire invention process, from brainstorming and prototyping all the way through production and marketing. Kids can follow along with their own ideas, learning practical tips along the way while being inspired by some of history’s best breakthroughs…and biggest flops!

 

 

Engineered!: Engineering Design at Work

Written by Shannon Hunt & illustrated by James Gulliver Hancock

This book is eye-opening because it shows young readers that engineering can solve many problems, from how to land a rover on Mars to saving a herd of caribou from potential extinction. A helpful seven-step flowchart of the engineering design process is also featured, encouraging future engineers.

 

 

How to Become an Accidental Genius

Written by Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky, & illustrated by Jenn Playford

Structured as a how-to guide for would-be inventors, this fun book cultivates the mindsets needed for innovation. The chapters are organized to highlight the role that experimentation, failure, and coincidences can play in the engineering process and the importance of being open to new possibilities. The inventor profiles feature a mix of well-known pioneers, like George Washington Carver; lesser-known historical figures, like Hedy Lamarr; and contemporary young people, like Hayley Todesco.

 

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor

Written by Temple Grandin

This book was voted as a Teacher’s Pick on Amazon. Not surprising, as it’s written by world-renowned autism spokesperson, scientist, and inventor Temple Grandin. She successfully chronicles personal stories, inventions, and facts in a way that both educates and inspires. She encourages young readers to ask questions and follow up by researching the answers.

 

 

How Things Work: Discover Secrets and Science Behind Bounce Houses, Hovercraft, Robotics, and Everything in Between

Written by T. J. Resler

This book encourages critical thought, with the simple question of “how does it work” as the perfect springboard. The book includes true stories, biographies of real scientists and engineers, diagrams and illustrations, accessible explanations, trivia, and fun features. Sometimes, you just need to take something apart to figure out how it works!

 

 

The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci

Written by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan & illustrated by Micah Rauch

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the world’s most captivating and enduring inventors. This book chronicles his achievements in art, engineering, anatomy, mathematics, astronomy, and aeronautics, while weaving in important scientific and historical context. Each chapter includes hands-on activities, which allow readers to follow in da Vinci’s footsteps using a homemade “inventor kit.”

 

 

Inventions and Discoveries series by Capstone Press

Various authors and illustrators

Eye-popping images and engaging, short, snappy text allow these inventions to come to life in this graphic novel series. Some books focus on classic moments in history, like how the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, while others focus on lesser known figures, like how the Z-Boys skateboarding team influenced modern skateboarding.

 

Black Inventors: 15 Inventions that Changed the World

by Kathy Trusty

This biography compilation chronicles the journeys of 15 incredible inventors who changed the world with products like hair brushes, traffic lights, and home security systems. Each chapter includes a short biography of an inventor, information about the significance of their invention, and follow-up questions for reflection and further investigation.

 

 

1001 Inventions and Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization

by NatGeo Kids

This book was created as a companion to the award-winning “1001 Inventions” exhibit, which has traveled the globe to raise awareness about the golden age of Arabic science. Each spread is packed full of eye-catching photographs and fascinating facts about everything from pottery to architecture to the elephant water clock. It features female innovators prominently, who contributed to the development of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and the arts, among others. Find the teacher guide at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pdf/1001-muslim-inventions-ed-guide.pdf.

 

This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Author Lydia Lukidis

Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023), which is a Crystal Kite winner, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, and Cybils Award nominee. A science enthusiast from a young age, she now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program. For more information, please visit www.lydialukidis.com.

 

 

author Callie Dean

 

Callie Dean is a researcher, writer, and musician living in Shreveport, LA. She writes stories that spark curiosity and encourage kids to explore their world. Her first picture book will be published in 2026. For more information, please visit https://calliebdean.com.

 

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