Congratulations to our own Jen Swanson, whose book SAVE THE CRASH TEST DUMMIES has made the longlist for the AAAS/Subaru 2021 Middle Grades Science Book Awards.
The Prize celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults and is meant to encourage the writing and publishing of high-quality science books for all ages.
I’m so excited to reveal the cover for the newest entry into the Big Fat Notebook series: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ACE CHEMISTRY IN ONE BIG FAT NOTEBOOK, by MUF and STEMTuesday contributor and National Science Teacher Award-winner Jen Swanson.
Chemistry is one of the most feared subjects in high school, but fortunately, Jen has broken down this daunting subject into accessible and memorable units, from how to conduct an experiment to the Laws of Thermodynamics.
About the process of writing a book on Chemistry, Swanson told MUF, “I love learning about how things react and why. As a kid, I went through 5 or more chemistry sets. In fact, we found a few, many years later, still stuck under my bed (good thing all of the chemicals were inert). But for me, the excitement is in the discovery of how things interact. That is also why I probably loved cooking as a kid. Chemistry and cooking are basically the same thing.”
CHEMISTRY is one of two new high school entries in the popular series; all five of the other entries are written for middle school readers. All books are organized by key concepts, summarized in easy-to-understand language. Important ideas are highlighted in marker colors, all definitions are explained, and illustrations help describe some of the more complicated ideas.
The books meet Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and state history standards, and are vetted by National and State Teacher of the Year Award-winning teachers.
About writing this book, Swanson says, “Chemistry is a much more difficult science to learn. There are so many different concepts. The trick is to mimic the curriculum to make sure that you’ve set a good base knowledge before moving forward. For example, readers must know and understand the periodic table and the hows and whys chemicals are located there, ie. the groups (the vertical columns) and periods (the horizontal columns) before you can really talk about how two chemicals will react with each other. While most of science works from this idea, in chemistry it is much more important. If students don’t understand the chemical make-up of an element, say Oxygen, then they can’t predict how it will interact with other elements … it was challenging to write this book. Mostly because I took chemistry over well, let’s just say a LONG time ago in college.”
And at last … drum roll… we reveal the cover for EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ACE CHEMISTRY IN ONE BIG FAT NOTEBOOK. Ta-da!
Science ROCKS! And so, do Jennifer Swanson’s books. A self-professed science geek, Jennifer is the award-winning author of more than 40 books for children, mostly about STEM. She is also the creator and administrator of the Mixed Up Files own STEM Tuesday blog, and the creator of STEAMTeam2020. You can learn more about Jennifer at her website, www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Don’t forget to check out her NEW STEM podcast starting in May 2020!
Yes. It’s April–National Poetry Month. Yes. It’s STEM Tuesday, and our theme this month is STEM in verse. Yes, our book list for the month includes books with poetry in them that are devoted to STEM themes.
But April is also the time when the National Science Teachers Association holds its annual conference, and the usual STEM Tuesday post in line for this week is all about connecting STEM books to the classroom. This year NSTA did something bold and exciting that is begging for recognition on this particular post, so that’s what this week is all about.
With J. Carrie Launius coordinating, NSTA invited a slew of nonfiction authors who write on STEM themes to participate in a 5-hour Linking Literacy event over two days–including 5 panel discussions, an opportunity for science educators and authors to mingle, and a book signing. Wow! As you can imagine, it was an opportunity to revel in creativity, caring, and collegiality. After a kick-off panel discussion featuring Steve Light, Melissa Stewart, Jennifer Swanson, Tracy Nelson Maurer, Shanda McCloskey and presiders Jacqueline Barber and E. Wendy Saul, four break-out panels delved into various themes.
There was a lot happening, often simultaneously. As I was a panelist and mixing-and-mingling author, I’m quite sure I missed a bunch, but still, I hope to share some of the take-aways from the conversations that took place informally and in some of the panels. I’ve tried to stick to the topics that most directly connect to bringing STEM books into the classroom.
STEM-themed biographies and scientist stories are for everyone. Laurie Wallmark, 
biographer of women in STEM, reminded us that while it is great to share books about women, people of color, or other underrepresented groups in STEM with girls or kids of color only, it’s even better—and vitally important—that we share these stories with all children (and adults). It’s also key to break out of biographies and include stories for middle grade readers of scientists doing science. Need some examples? How about Patricia Newman’s Eavesdropping on Elephants or Mary Kay Carson’s The Tornado Scientist?
Cross-disciplinary content is a natural part of many STEM books, especially those that feature topics that lure children in. Cheryl Bardoe, who writes picture book
biographies, pointed out that individual STEM thinkers are specific to their place, time, and social contexts. Meanwhile, books about technology, including, for example, my Running on Sunshine or Jennifer Swanson’s Super Gear, root conceptual information in strong, motivating contexts. (It was wonderful to chat with teachers who appreciate the connections between their curriculum about “the sun” and solar energy technologies. This is just the type of connection-making that the NGSS emphasizes.)
The rich visual imagery in STEM books can help readers connect to content and spark their interest and imagination. Of course, this is true of the illustrations in picture books, such as Steve Light’s Swap! But there’s more to look for. Keep your eyes peeled for primary source materials in picture books, such as photographs related to a remarkable discovery in Darcy Pattison’s Pollen. Keep in mind–as Jen Swanson pointed out–there’s also powerful imagery in books for middle grade readers.
It’s important to consider the whole range of roles that various STEM books can play in education.
E. Wendy Saul and Jacqueline Barber’s thoughtful questions and insightful reflections helped us consider some of these roles. Some books are great at fostering curiosity before a classroom unit on a given topic, while others are perfect resources to bring in after children have had a chance to try to make sense of their first-hand experiences and are looking for factual resources. STEM reading can inspire children to see themselves as competent STEM learners and future STEM professionals. Putting the right book in the hands of a particular child may be a pivotal moment in that child’s life, honoring and responding to his or her curiosity, interest, or moment of need.
Educators check out simulated canine vision with Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (center).
Weaving my way through the tables during Linking Literacy’s informal time, I was struck by the many ways we authors link our books to opportunities for readers to experience the world. Of course, we generally provide teachers’ guides, but we also offer dynamic activities and interesting artifacts. I saw evidence of the added value of visiting with an author. For example, I showed visitors how I simulate stars orbiting mystery objects and how that relates to finding black holes. In addition, to extend the content of Dog Science Unleashed, Jodi Wheeler-Toppen provides customized Viewmasters that offer comparisons of human and canine vision. Meanwhile, Heather Montgomery shows off a fox pelt (among other artifacts) that she prepared as part of her research for Something Rotten. Truly, STEM authors can bring their own brand of multi-dimensional learning experiences and inspiration to the NGSS’s emphasis on 3D learning.
The STEM stories we share are a powerful aspect of creating a culture that honors STEM literacy. Do you have a story to share—some way in which you have used a STEM book in a middle grade classroom or out-of school setting? Let us know; leave a comment below. And keep your eyes open for NSTA ’20 (in Boston). Hopefully, Linking Literacy will be a recurring and integral component of future conferences!
Six of the STEM Tuesday crew at NSTA19!
