Posts Tagged Common Core & NGSS

STEM Tuesday– Tiny Worlds (Microscopic/Nanotech)- In the Classroom

This month’s STEM Tuesday theme revolves around the small, the tiny, and the microscopic—from nanotechnology to microorganisms. Microbes and fungus may be small, but their effects in the world are far from that. They are vital to Earth’s complex, constantly cycling systems, which range from microscopic to monumental. What could microbes do? Try this activity in the classroom to help students understand how microorganisms can have big effects.

 

Yeast + Sugar Balloon Experiment

Student Prep

Read through Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies and It’s a Fungus Among Us: The Good, the Bad & the Downright Scary by Carla Billups and Dawn Cusick as a class. Then tell students that microbes are in everything from the soil to our bodies to even our food. Explain that they will be doing a microbial experiment using yeast (a microorganism that is a member of the fungi kingdom). Then distribute materials to groups of students.

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies

This book is perfect for the curious kid who wants to know how microbes work. All around the world—in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body—there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant’s antenna. They’re busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and helping to make the air we breathe.

It’s a Fungus Among Us: The Good, the Bad & the Downright Scary by Carla Billups and Dawn Cusick

All about Fungus! Who wouldn’t want to read this book? In It’s a Fungus Among Us, you’ll meet the wild group of organisms that can turn ants into zombies and eat trillions of pounds of feces every day. They’re not all gross though, these are the same types of organisms that make cheese stretchy, add sour tastes to candy, and make bread rise!

 

Materials

  • empty clear water bottle
  • yeast packet
  • balloon (stretched out by inflating a few times)
  • warm water
  • 1 tsp. sugar

Steps

  1. Have students empty the yeast packet into the water bottle. Then tell them to pour some of the warm water inside. Students should move the bottle a bit to mix the yeast and water.
  2. Ask students to stretch the balloon over the water bottle opening and observe what happens in the next 5 minutes. They should record their observations.
  3. Next have students carefully remove the balloon. Tell them to add 1 tsp. sugar to the bottle and mix. Students can now put the balloon back over the bottle opening.
  4. Have students observe the mixture and the balloon over the next 20 minutes. They can record their observations ever 5 minutes.

Conclusion

As the yeast consumes the sugar in the warm water mixture, the microbes produce gas that inflates the balloon at the top of the bottle. Tell students that this process is called fermentation, which is a process used to make all kinds of foods that we eat. Bread becomes light and airy due to fermentation. Milk turns into yogurt or kefir because of fermentation. The fermentation process also helps humans and animals digest food. This is just one of the many examples of how microbes affect us on Earth.

 

Need more ideas for teaching middle-school students about microbes? Check out these resources:

  • BioEd Online, Science Teacher Resources from Baylor College of Medicine, Microbes
    This site has 12 lessons to help students investigate microbes related to health (bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses). Students will learn that microbes have important roles in humans, and that some help while others cause diseases. http://www.bioedonline.org/lessons-and-more/lessons-by-topic/microorganisms/microbes/
  • Microbiology Society, Microbe Passports
    Students can check out a virtual microscope on this site to study different microbes—from Bifidobacterium (which lives in human intestines) to Geobacter metallireducens (a metal-eating microbe that lives in muddy riverbeds).
    https://microbiologyonline.org/students/microbe-passports-1
  • Science News for Students, The dirt on soil
    Read all about the microbes in soil on this online science news publication site run by the Society for Science and the Public. It includes a glossary of “Power Words,” links for further reading, and a downloadable wordfind worksheet.
    https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/dirt-soil

 

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Karen Latchana Kenney loves to write books about animals, and looks for them wherever she goes—from leafcutter ants trailing through the Amazon rain forest in Guyana, where she was born, to puffins in cliff-side burrows on the Irish island of Skellig Michael. She especially enjoys creating books about nature, biodiversity, conservation, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries—but also writes about civil rights, astronomy, historical moments, and many other topics. Her award-winning and star-reviewed books have been named a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, a 2015 Book of Note from the TriState Review Committee, a 2011 Editor’s Choice for School Library Connection, and Junior Library Guild selections. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and son, and bikes, hikes, and gazes at the night sky in northern Minnesota any moment she can.

STEM Tuesday– Tiny Worlds (Microscopic/Nanotech)- Book List

 

This month we delve into the world of the TINY… the microscopic even. Then we go even further to the world of the nanoparticle. Dive into these books and learn about the world that you can’t even see with your own eyes but is found all around you.

 

Microscopic

 

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies

This book is perfect for the curious kid who wants to know how microbes work. 

All around the world—in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body—there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant’s antenna. They’re busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and helping to make the air we breathe.

 

It’s Catching: The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes by Jennifer Gardy 

Good for readers who want to learn all about germs

Don’t be afraid to delve into the good, bad, and sometimes truly ugly world of germs. Microbiologist Jennifer Gardy, who calls herself a disease detective, picks up her microscope to bring expert insight to the microbes that are all around us but are too small to see.

 

 

Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth by Nicola Davies

A great companion book to the Tiny Creatures book above.

The more we study the world around us, the more living things we discover every day. The planet is full of millions of species of plants, birds, animals, and microbes, and every single one — including us — is part of a big, beautiful, complicated pattern.

 

 

Hidden Worlds: Looking Through a Scientist’s Microscope (Scientists in the Field Series) by Stephen Kramer

Ever wonder what you’ll find looking through a microscope? This book can help with that!

There are hidden worlds in nature—places you can visit only with a microscope. For more than twenty-five years, Dennis Kunkel has been exploring these worlds. Through the lenses of powerful microscopes, he has examined objects most people have never even thought about: a mosquito’s foot, a crystal of sugar, a grain of pollen, the delicate hairs on a blade of grass.

 

 

It’s a Fungus Among Us: The Good, the Bad & the Downright Scary by Carla Billups and Dawn Cusick

All about Fungus! Who wouldn’t want to read this book? 

In It’s a Fungus Among Us, you’ll meet the wild group of organisms that can turn ants into zombies and eat trillions of pounds of feces every day. They’re not all gross though, these are the same types of organisms that make cheese stretchy, add sour tastes to candy, and make bread rise!

 

 

Nanoparticle level 

 

Super Gear: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up by Jennifer Swanson

A fun look at the science of nanotechnology and something the majority of us do every day — play sports! 

Take a close-up look at sports and nanotechnology, the cutting-edge science that manipulates objects at the atomic level. Nanotechnology is used to create high-tech swimsuits, tennis rackets, golf clubs, running shoes, and more. It is changing the face of sports as we know it.

 

 

Nanotechnology (Cutting-edge Science and Technology) by Janet Slingerland

Nanotechnology — it’s everywhere! Check out this great book to learn more! 

Examines the current status of the field of nanotechnology, including recent work and new technological developments, and discusses noted individuals and controversial issues.

 

 

Looking for a way to STEAM up the month? Take a listen to this rap about photosynthesis by Mr. D. Learn some amazing facts about the microscopic processes of how plants get energy.

 

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Jennifer Swanson is the creator and administrator of the STEMTuesday blog. She is also the award-winning author of over 35 nonfiction books for kids. A self-professed science geek, Jennifer started a science club in her garage when she was 7 years old. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer’s passion for science and writing is evident in her many books and also her presentations at the World Science Festival and the National Book Festival (2019). You can find Jennifer through her website, www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com

STEM Tuesday– WELCOME to our new STEMTuesday Team Members

 

STEM TUESDAY is adding some STEM-tastic new team members!

 

We are thrilled to announce the addition of the following new members to our team. All of these awesome women are highly experienced authors, bloggers… and the one thing they have in common? They are all excited about STEM/STEAM children’s books. Check out their bios and click on their websites to find out what they do in the STEM kidlit world.

Consider  following  them on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, too.  We are delighted to have them on board and we know our blog will be even better because of their presence.

 

Week 1 new members:

Sue Heavenrich

www.archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com

 

 

Sue Heavenrich writes about science for children and their families,
from space to backyard ecology. Bees, flies, squirrel behavior—things
she observes in her neighborhood and around her home—inspire her
writing. A long line of ants marching across the kitchen counter
generated one of her first articles for kids. When not writing, you can
find her committing acts of science from counting native pollinators to
monitoring water quality of the local watershed. Her most recent book
is  Diet for a Changing Climate (2018).

 

 

Maria Marshall

The Picture Book Buzz

Twitter: MariaMarshall_

 

Maria is a children’s author, blogger, and poet passionate about making nature and reading fun for children. She was a round 2 judge for the 2018 & 2017 Cybils Awards. And a judge for the #50PreciousWords competition since its inception. Two of her poems are published in The Best Of Today’s Little Ditty 2016 and 2014-2015 anthologies. She is the parent of two amazing adults and lives in the Pacific Northwest with two Pixie Bob cats. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes.

 

 

 

 

Week 2 new members:

Carla Mooney

www.carlamooney.com

Twitter: @Carlawrites

Facebook: @carlamooneyauthor

 

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. When not writing, she can often be spotted at a hockey rink for one of her kids’ games.

 

 

 

 

Janet Slingerland

website: www.janetsbooks.com
Facebook: @JanetBooks

Twitter: @Slingsong

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetslingerland

 

 

Janet Slingerland grew up studying animals and conducting science experiments before pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. She spent 15 years writing code for things like submarines, phones, and airplanes before deciding to share her passion for knowledge and STEM with others. Janet now has more than 20 published books for readers in grades K through 12, including Explore Atoms and Molecules! With 25 Great ProjectsEngineering the Eiffel Tower, and The 12 Biggest Breakthroughs in Sports Technology. Her books have been recommended by PSLA (Pennsylvania School Librarians Association), NSTA (National Science Teachers Association), School Library Connection, and others.

 

 

Week 3 new member:

Kirsten W. Larson

 kirsten-w-larson.com 

Twitter and Instagram @KirstenWLarson

 

 

Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes about both science and history for kids. She is the author of 25 nonfiction books, including the Robotics in Our World series (Amicus). Calkins Creek will publish her debut picture book, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane (illus. by Tracy Subisak) in 2020. Originally from Virginia, Kirsten lives near Los Angeles. 

 

 

****  A FEW REMINDERS about STEM TUESDAY ****

 

The STEM Tuesday blog is searchable! Have a topic that you want to find more books on, click on our STEM Tuesday home page and searchfor it.

If we don’t cover a topic you want, let us know. Send an email to stemmuf@gmail.com. We will definitely consider adding it.

DON’T FORGET! The last Tuesday of every month we giveaway a FREE autographed copy of one of the books of the month. All you have to do is to leave a comment in the post and you will be considered. (Hint: we usually only get less than 10 entries, so the odds of winning are HIGH)

Look for STEM Tuesday in other places on the web:

Reading with your Kids STEM Tuesday podcast

 

 

MG Book Village Blog for STEM Tuesday Spin-Off 

 

 

 

STEM Tuesday is now on Instagram!  Follow us at STEM_Tuesday 

STEM Tuesday is on Pinterest, too

Finally, Watch for our Second Annual Co-STEM Contest to celebrate our second anniversary. Details will be released in late July or early August!

GO STEM!

 

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Jennifer Swanson is the creator and administrator of the STEMTuesday blog. She is also the award-winning author of over 35 nonfiction books for kids. A self-professed science geek, Jennifer started a science club in her garage when she was 7 years old. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer’s passion for science and writing is evident in her many books and also her presentations at the World Science Festival and the National Book Festival (2019). You can find Jennifer through her website, www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com