Posts Tagged craft

STEM Tuesday — STEM in Sports — Writing Tips & Resources

By on July 20, 2021   /   STEM in Sports, STEM Tuesday  

 

Title Talk

A good title can do a lot of work for both the reader and the writer. Of course the title conveys the subject of the book but it has many more jobs to do. It conveys the tone of the book. It gives clues to the scope of the book. Most importantly, it must hook a reader. All of that in just 1-5 words (and sometimes a subtitle).

Our STEM Tuesday book lists are a great place to study what titles can do. Take a look at just the titles of this month’s STEM in sports books:

Sports Science & Technology in the Real World

Super Gear: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up

The 12 Biggest Breakthroughs in Sports Technology

STEM in Sports: Engineering

Learning STEM From Baseball: How Does A Curveball Curve? And Other Amazing Answers for Kids!

STEM In Sports

Science Behind Sports

The Secret Science of Sports: The Math, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering Behind Every Grand Slam, Triple Axel, and Penalty Kick

STEM Jobs in Sports

Sports Medicine: Science, Technology, Engineering

The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science: 54 All-Star Experiments

Start asking questions: Why were those specific words chosen? The word “sport” is used frequently but in different positions. How does word placement matter? Who chooses the titles? Surprisingly, in many cases the title/subtitle are developed by the marketing team, not the author. Why might that be?

Here are a few ways you can look at what titles can do.  In the nonfiction area of the library, sit down in front of one shelf. Find a section of 5-10 books that are all on a closely related topic. (For this exercise it is best to not use a series of books). Write down all of the titles and subtitles in a list.

A Reader’s Reaction

  • Which titles draw you in? Why? Is it the subject or some other element?
  • Looking at your title list, are there any particular words that hook you?
  • Skim the books. For each book ask: Did the title/subtitle give you an accurate idea of what was inside the cover?

More than The Subject

Search for how the titles  subtly or not-so-subtly convey more than the basic subject. Consider these elements (and add your own):

  • Subtopic: Does the book focus on one specific topic within the subject?
  • Angle: Has the author selected a unique angle from which to approach the topic? Can you determine that from the title?
  • Tone: Is this book humorous? Academic? Lyrical? Does the title convey that?

Make it Visual

Upload your title list into a word cloud generator and see what other discoveries you can make.

  • Do one or more words dominate the titles?
  • If so, are there any titles that do not rely on those words? How are those titles unique? How are those books unique?

Compare and Contrast

  • Do the titles on your list vary drastically or are they all fairly similar? Some things to analyze: content, length, specific words, presence of a subtitle, etc.
  • In a new section of the library, pick a subject area which is very different (for example if your first list is about space, maybe go to the art section).
    • Create a new title list. Repeat one or more of the above exercises.
    • In what way is your new list similar to/different from your previous list? How much do you think the book’s subject affects that?
    • Separate your books into two piles based on main purpose: to entertain or to inform. In what ways might that impact the choice of title?

Titles can do a lot of work for the reader and the writer.  Enjoy taking a closer look at all the titles in your future!

 

Heather L. Montgomery writes for kids who are wild about animals. Studying titles and subtitles in the library helped her create a few fun ones of her own:  BUGS DON’T HUG, SURPRISING SCIENCE FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, and SOMETHING ROTTEN. You can learn more about here wacky titles at www.HeatherLMontgomery.com

O.O.L.F

Here are some ways to add some STEAM into your work with titles:

  • Pick one book from your list and create at least 3 alternate titles.
  • Using your stack of books, create a spine poem. Feel free to add other books to your pile as needed.
  • Using your title list(s), create a blackout poem. Is it easier to do with one list than the other? Why might that be?

New to spine or blackout poems? Kristen W. Larson explains how in this post: https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/stem-tuesday-stem-activity-books-writing-tips-resources/

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STEM Tuesday — STEM in Sports — In the Classroom

By on July 13, 2021   /   STEM in Sports, STEM Tuesday  

While school may be out, there are plenty of sports science activities that kids can try at home. After reading the books on this month’s list, try some of these activities (or ones found in the books) or check out the list of resources to learn about drag, body fat, torque, sports medicine, and much more!

 

Super Gear: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up by Jennifer Swanson

Nanotechnology and sports? Using a fun voice, easily understood analogies, and great graphics, this book explores the molecular properties of nanoparticles and the amazing developments that scientists have made in using harnessing them to improve the clothing, shoes, and equipment of athletes. Side bars and “Science in Action!” experiments help demonstrate and explain this cutting-edge science.

Activity

Do some historical research on sports equipment of the past versus modern equipment. Look at the first footballs, old tennis rackets, and tennis balls. See if you can find some old sports equipment at an antique or thrift store, or check out an online museum gallery (such as the National Museum of American History Sports &. Leisure collection: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/subjects/sports-leisure). Make an evolution timeline of a certain piece of sports equipment, noting how the materials have changed and why. Use images to illustrate how much that piece of gear has changed over time.

Check this out!

Super Gear Discussion and activity guide: https://jenniferswansonbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/super-gear-discussion-activity-guide.pdf

 

Sports Science & Technology in the Real World by Janet Slingerland

Discover how scientists, engineers, and mathematicians are using science to help athletes – and how this same technology is being used in everyday applications. This book provides a peek into the cutting-edge technology being developed and includes primary source sidebars and discussion questions.

 

Activity

Technology is designing better gear to protect athlete’s bodies. You can try too–design a better bike helmet! Analyze your bike helmet: what kind of padding does it have? How is it shaped? How do you think it could be better? Read about how bike helmets work too (try this article: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/bike-safety.html). Draw your dream bike helmet, labeling all the ways it can better protect your head.

Check this out!

ABDO Booklinks, Sports Science & Technology: http://www.abdobooklinks.com/browse/title/?pid=21894

 

Learning STEM From Baseball: How Does A Curveball Curve? And Other Amazing Answers for Kids! by Marne Ventura

Numerous sciences play a role in baseball. From physics to virtual reality, engineering to woodworking this book does a great job of introducing many of the ways science, math, and technology have interacted throughout baseball’s history. The in-depth endnotes offer great resources for further exploration.

 

Activity

Baseball is all about physics—with the right force, you can get motion—a fast pitch or a home run hit! But gravity is always pulling down, so angle matters too. Try seeing how far you can throw a baseball by adjusting the angle you throw it. You need a baseball, objects to mark where the ball lands, a measuring tape, and a notebook/pencil. First throw the ball straight forward as hard as you can three times. Mark where it lands and measure the distance. Record the results and average the distances. Then try this with a slight angle upward three times. And then with a steep upward angle three times. Why method of throwing made the ball go the farthest? Why do you think that method worked best? How do you think that gravity affected the ball with the different kinds of throws?

Check this out!

Exploratorium, Science of Baseball: https://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/

Further Resources

Check out these sites for more fascinating and fun STEM sports resources:

 

author Karen Latchana KenneyKaren 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. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and son, and bikes, hikes, and gazes at the night sky in northern Minnesota any moment she can. Visit her at https://latchanakenney.wordpress.com.

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Get Your Summer Science On with STEM Tuesday!

By on June 29, 2021   /   STEM Tuesday  

Did you know that the ‘S’ in Summer stands for Science?  Okay, maybe it doesn’t,  but we here at STEM Tuesday think that it should!

So when you have days where your kids are wondering what to do or ask tons of questions about how things work, dive into our archives. We have posts on practically every STEM topic (and if we don’t have a topic you want, leave us a comment to suggest it). We have TONS of ways to keep your kids engaged, excited, and inspired about all things STEM/STEAM. After all, science is all around you.

Just go to our home page HERE and use the drop down menu to search for the topic you want.

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the tab indicated by the red arrow above. There are SO MANY topics to choose from.

Here are just a few to get you started.

 

 

 

 

 ACTIVITIES with ANIMALS

Have kids that love BIRDS? Check out this post HERE about How to Build a Birdhouse, Make a Bird Feeder and even start a Bird Journal by Janet Slingerland Hammond has LOTS of great stuff for current or future birders

If your kids love elephants and want to learn more, you won’t want to miss this interview with author Patricia Newman about her Eavesdropping on Elephants book.  This interview by Mary Kay Carson is sure to get kids interested. You can even have them listen to Elephant sounds at the Elephant Listening Project HERE

OR if your kids want to experience what it’s like to be a REAL scientist and do some Field Work, check out this post by Heather L. Montgomery about creating your own Field Journal. It’s SO COOL!

And of course, don’t miss the awesome list about Books that relate to Field Work. Download and take it with you to your next library outing.  Nancy Castaldo and Patricia Newman did a great job compiling this extensive list

 

FUN with Exploration!  

Perhaps your child is interested in learning more about how humans explore the universe. All types of exploration– from the depths of the ocean to the extreme regions of space (and everything in between)– is found in our fun topics!

Start out with this great list of Exploration books here

Then move to this post by Carolyn DeCristofano which gives tips for kids to explore on their own.

Want to learn more about women in space? Check out this awesome interview post by Christine Taylor Butler with author Tanya Lee Stone and her book Almost Astronauts: 12 Women Who Dared to Dream.

Learn about the teams of scientists and engineers that make space travel possible from this post by Mike Hays.

Exploration is not just space and the ocean, but also dinosaurs and fossils. Check out this awesome book list by Sue Heavenrich and Maria Marshall for books all about paleontology and archaeology.

Karen Latchana Kenney has a FABULOUS post with activities for that junior paleontologist in your house!

 

Diversity in STEM/STEAM

STEM/STEAM works best when people of all backgrounds contribute and collaborate on projects. A good knowledge of just how important it is for everyone to participate in STEM is a great reminder to all of us. Take a look at some of these posts to see how that happens.

Kirsten W. Larson does a great job of showing us the author’s purpose in writing a book about STEM/STEAM in this post. What were they really thinking? What point of view were they trying to get across? This is a great discussion for a rainy day or dinner table activity.

Looking for fun activities to do with STEM books that highlight diversity? Carla Mooney has a wonderful list of activities in this post 

And don’t miss this fantastic interview by Mary Kay Carson with Catherine Thimmesh, author of Girls Think Of Everything
Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women

 

And finally, where would STEM/STEAM be without an Epic Achiement or Fantastic Failure?

Kids of all ages need to understand that regardless of whether you succeed or “fail”, in STEM/STEAM its all about the process and learning from your outcome.

Take a look at this post by me (Jennifer Swanson) where I discuss one of my most epic failures  in my career and how I learned from it. Use this as a discussion topic for your dinner table or just to have fun with your kids to see what they have learned from their mistakes.

 

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE ON THE STEM TUESDAY SITE!

Take a look. If you don’t see a topic you’re interested in, let us know. Leave a comment below or send us an email at stemmuf@gmail.com

Have a GREAT SUMMER!

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Jennifer Swanson  is the award-winning author of over 35 books for kids, mostly about science, technology, and engineering. She loves learning new things but still cannot make a plate of agar correctly the first time. But she keeps trying!  You can find her at www. JenniferSwansonBooks.com   Check out her awesome podcast for kids  Solve It for Kids! www.solveitforkids.com

 

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