Posts Tagged science

STEM Tuesday– Coding– Book List

By on June 6, 2023   /   Coding, STEM Tuesday  

 

Coding is an essential skill in our fast-paced digital world. With activity books, reference guides, historical narratives, and fiction, this month’s book list is sure to inspire readers to take the next steps in their coding journey.

 

cover image of "Code This" featuring a teenage girl

Code This!: Puzzles, Games, Challenges, and Computer Coding Concepts for the Problem Solver in You 

by Jennifer Szymanski

Code This! contains many puzzles, games, and quirky characters that highlight programming concepts in kid friendly ways. Readers will be engaged as they find hidden treasures, decode ciphers to read secret messages, and more. All in all, a great introduction to coding.

 

 

 

cover image of "The History of the Computer" with icons on black background

The History of the Computer: People, Inventions, and Technology that Changed Our World

by Rachel Ignotofsky

 

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the computing machines that have changed our world, from the abacus to the smartphone. Everyone knows how much computers have impacted our lives, but this book goes on to answer questions like who created them, why, and how they have transformed the way we interact with our surroundings and each other. It’s also packed with fun facts and engaging illustrations.

 

 

book cover featuring a portrait of Ada Lovelace on purple

DK Life Stories: Ada Lovelace 

by Nancy Castaldo

 

In 1843, Ada Byron Lovelace wrote the first computer program… long before technology was advanced enough to try it out! Part of DK’s “Life Stories” series, this engaging biography brings to life the curiosity, imagination, and scientific contributions of this coding pioneer. Sidebars, quotes, definitions, maps, and photos give readers more historical context about the world where she grew up.

 

 

three books. The top one is purple and is titled "Kids Get Coding"Kids Get Coding 

by Heather Lyons and Elizabeth Twedale

This Lerner series includes eight short, illustrated books that bridge the gap between unplugged activities and computer-based skill development. Some of the titles in the series include “Learn to Program,” “Coding, Bugs, and Fixes,”  “Online Safety and More,” and “Coding in the Real World.” A character named Data Duck walks kids through basic concepts within each book, and a companion site gives readers the chance to try out their new skills with book-specific projects.

 

 

cover image of "Book Cover" with nine women on red backgroundGamer Girls: 25 Women Who Built the Video Game Industry 

by Mary Kenney, illustrated by Salini Perera

 

Gamer Girls introduces readers to the dynamic women who created iconic video games and changed the industry forever. From Roberta Williams to Mabel Addis Mergardt, this book highlights the history of how women got started in this industry, and then profiles 25 of them. The text is easy to read and engaging, and it’s accompanied by eye catching illustrations.

 

 

book cover of "My Life as a Coder" featuring a cartoon boy typing at a computerMy Life as a Coder 

by Janet Tashjian, illustrated by Jake Tashjian

 

My Life as a Coder is the ninth book in Janet Tashjian’s fictional My Life series. It stars reluctant reader Derek Fallon. In this particular book Derek receives a new laptop. However, it has no Wi-Fi so he can’t use it for gaming. If he wants to play computer games, he’ll have to learn how to code them himself. This premise will inspire readers as they watch Derek struggle but eventually get the hang of the world of tech and coding.

 

 

cover image of the book "Girls Who Code"Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World 

by Reshma Saujani

 

Girls who Code champions females and girl-empowerment. The book includes easy to grasp explanations of various coding principles as well as real life stories of girls and women who work for such companies as Pixar and NASA. It goes on to detail what a huge role computer science plays in our lives and how much fun it can be. It also features bold illustrations on every page.

 

 

yellow book cover with text, "Coding Games in Scratch"Coding Games in Scratch: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide to Building Your Own Computer Games 

by Jon Woodcock 

 

For students who are just getting started with coding, Scratch is a great block-based program to use. This practical guide provides illustrated tutorials that show readers not just what to do but also why!  It introduces strategies for problem solving, collaborating, and thinking creatively.

 

 

cover image of the book "Get Coding!" featuring two cartoon people, a computer, and a dogGet Coding! Learn HTML, CSS & JavaScript and Build a Website, App, and Game

by Young Rewired State

 

The beginning of this book contains a plea for help from the fictional Professor Harry Bairstone, who has just found a precious gem called the Monk Diamond. As readers progress through the chapters, they will embark on a quest to help him keep the Monk Diamond safe from nefarious jewel thieves. Along the way, they will complete short coding projects and learn how to use three of the most important programming languages used in web development and design: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

 

cover image of "Python for Kids"Python for Kids, 2nd Edition: A Playful Introduction to Programming 

by Jason R. Briggs

 

This kid-friendly guide aims to make Python fun to learn and use! Python is one of the most widely used text-based computer programming languages in the world, and this book walks students through the basics of text-based programming in a comprehensive but digestible way. The sample code problems feature everything from gorillas to secret agents, and the main text is accompanied by colorful illustrations, puzzles, definitions, and a section on troubleshooting.

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

Author Lydia Lukidis

Lydia Lukidis is the 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) and THE BROKEN BEES’ NEST (Kane Press, 2019) which was nominated for a Cybils Award. 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 DeanCallie Dean is a researcher, writer, and musician living in Shreveport, LA. She writes stories that spark curiosity and encourage kids to explore their world. For more information, please visit https://www.calliebdean.com.

 

 

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STEM Tuesday– Material Science– Interview with Author Jennifer Swanson

By on May 23, 2023   /   Material Science, STEM Tuesday  
Super Gear Book

 

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today, I’m delighted to interview the founder of STEM Tuesday, Jennifer Swanson!

Jennifer is a huge fan of STEM and loves to write about technical topics. She did just that in her SUPER GEAR: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up! book with Charlesbridge Publishing.

Super Gear Book

 

 

A book about nanotechnology and sports… how did you put those two topics together? 

  Well I’ve always loved technonogy and I love sports, too. In fact, I’ve played tons of sports my whole life. Those I haven’t played, I’ve watched. I’m a huge fan of the Olympics, too. We used to watch it as a family. Do you remember when Michael Phelps wore that full-body swimsuit in the 2008 Beijing Olympics? I do! It was fabulous and he won tons of medals with it. So did his teammates. Sooo many records were broken that year. I was definitely intrigued. What was that amazing swimsuit made of? Turns out, it was developed with nanotechnology. 

Did you know anything about nanotechnology at the time? 

Not much. But as I said, I was very intrigued by the suit, so I set about learning more. That’s how I am with pretty much all of the topics I write. I read about something cool in the news and I just have to learn more about it. You know, understand how it works and also WHY it works. Usually as I learn more, I get really excited about the technology and all of the applications it has and then, well, I have to write about it. That’s what happened with this book!

Nanotechnology is a pretty technical topic. Was it difficult to sell this idea?

Sort of. I mean, when you have a fairly technical topic, you really have to come up with a great hook. One that will cause even people who aren’t interested in STEM to be intrigued by your topic. The best way I’ve found to get editors and agents interested in technical topics is to put the hook in the title. A great title grabs their attention fast! And that gets them to read the rest of your proposal. So, that’s a good first step. (Of course, the writing is everything, so the rest of your proposal has to be written well, too). 

What are some cool things you learned about sports and the nanomaterials that are used in them?

First of all, this book came out a few years back, so the applications for nanomaterials have actually expanded significantly since then. Nanotechnology is used to create almost all of the materials in many different sports. It allows for stronger, more durable, and yet flexible materials, which then support athletes in their performance. 

For example, golf is one sport that uses a lot of nanotechnology in its materials. Everything from the dimples on the ball, to the core inside the golf ball, to the head and shaft of the golf club is specially designed with nanomaterials, like carbon fibers. This allows players to hit the ball farther, higher, and with much more accuracy than ever before. Just do an internet search of golf balls and nanotechnology and see how many different balls use the words nanotech or carbon fibers, or graphene. It’s pretty incredible. 

Nanotechnology is in so many other objects, too. How did you decide on sports as your focus? 

Well, aside from loving sports, I figured that was my biggest hook. Yes, nanomaterials are used in many objects in medicine, recycling, and even in energy. But the one topic I thought might most resonate with kids was sports. 

And then I played up that connection in my proposal. I did a search for sports words and phrases like Team Up! and Play Ball and Tee it Up, etc. I find that makes people smile when they read and also shows that I did my research on the topic. 

 

What would you like readers to take away from your book? 

I hope they find nanotechnology as exciting as I do. That they learn about these cool materials and also that they think about the engineering that made them every time they pick up a bat, golf club, tennis racket or put on a swimsuit. 

 

Author Jennifer Swanson

Jennifer Swanson’s love of science began when she started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer’s passion for science resonates in the fascinating 45 nonfiction books she has written for children.

Learn more about Jennifer at www.jenniferswansonbooks.com

 

 

Check out her two new STEM books releasing this year!

 

 

cover art shows an astronaut in full gear against a dark background with title in neon letteringLEGO AMazing Earth book

 

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STEM Tuesday– Material Science– Writing Tips and Resources

By on May 16, 2023   /   Material Science, STEM Tuesday  

Materials Science is a new category for me. My research turned up intriguing connections with arts activities because much of it is about discoveries. So, this blog post is about some Very New research on materials and a Very Old technique for science exploration that is wonderfully flexible, easy and inexpensive, and makes use of recycled and sustainable materials.Neri Oxman photo

I was particularly pleased to find the Very New in the work of Neri Oxman. She blurs the line between science and design. Wikipedia describes her work as “embodying environmental design and digital morphogenesis*, with shapes and properties that are determined by their context.” Yes*, I had to look it up too. It means, according to Merriam-Webster – a branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants. There have been a number of good books on Materials Science in the previous May STEM Tuesday blogs. Ms. Oxman’s writings and articles are in anthologies and scholarly journals, so instead I have included a link to her documentary “Nature x Humanity,” with the hope that you will find her take on Materials Science to be worth following in the future.

She says that 2020 is the year in which the anthropomass (manufactured materials) will exceed the biomass on our planet. Current building practices are the main culprits. She offers alternate building materials and structures that will break down. For instance, one building material she helped to develop can be disposed of by dropping it into the sea. It will dissolve and provide nutrients for fish.

I emailed her and in her kind response, she sent a link to the documentary about sustainable architecture and protecting the earth’s resources (see below). It’s for adults and older students and very thought provoking. Imagine structures built from apple peels and shrimp shells (what do you suppose Legal Seafoods thought when she asked for all their discarded shrimp shells?). Or imagine a glass structure that can heat your home without conventional fuel, constructed on a 3D printer.

Here is the link to “Nature x Humanity.” The description says, “We are pleased to present our documentary entitled Nature x Humanity. The documentary debuts at a critical juncture when the anthropomass—the mass produced by humans—has exceeded that of the living biomass on our planet. Through the lens of five projects and their related material systems, we propose five tenets for a new Material Ecology: glass, polymers, fibers, pigments, and cellular solids. Motivated to unite the grown and the made, we demonstrate how each material system and the technology invented to shape it embodies and advances Nature’s way while continuing to promote human progress.”

I see such an imaginative approach to science as an argument in favor of including arts with the science curriculum. The processes for creativity and scientific inquiry are very similar – except creativity is much more flexible in verification. When curiosity and ideas reign without stress over outcome, the mind is freer to wander and invent. The kind of creativity that envisions new uses for alternate materials is developed though practice, making connections, and often, no stress over the outcome.

Real invention comes from dreaming and imagining.

Papier Mache Style book coverWhich brings me to the Very Old technique for science activities – papier-mâché. You might think, oh please, we did that in kindergarten. However, the technique deserves a second look in this current world where sustainability and recycling are essential. It’s inexpensive to do. It makes use of throw-away materials – newspaper (if you can find any), brown paper bags, junk mail, plastic bottles, even cloth scraps and shred.

Papier-mâché first appeared in China c. second century AD, where it was used for warrior helmets and pots. It spread along trade routes to the middle east and Europe. Lacquering and papier mâché became a popular and highly-prized art form.

Today it can be used as a great craft technique to design and create scientific models for a better classroom experience. The possibilities are endless – 3D botanical illustrations, bones, insects, display boxes, buildings. Here are some photos of one of my previous classes where we studied historic castles and made models. The students also wrote an accompanying history of their chosen castle. And you can see the imaginative recycling that engaged the students.papier mache clock

There are many recipes for mâché. My all-purpose fallback is cheap white school glue mixed 3 parts glue, 1 part water. That recipe makes a structure that is rigid. If you want flexibility (such as a book cover or mask) use Sobo Glue. I have seen others use glue made with flour, joint compound, and other materials. You can purchase ready-made “paper clay,” which is a delight to work with – and expensive. The paper clay is good for small pieces.

My standby book has been Papier Mâché Style by Alex MacCormack. (Krause Publications, 1994). There are many books available as well as websites and videos. It’s a real smorgasbord of great ideas. You really need no art experience to use papier-mâché, but need to be willing to be adventurous and persistent. And yes, it is messy and needs time to dry. But the results are well worth it.

Student papier mache castle in process. Art and design are essential for communicating science. The best content in the world is useless if nobody reads or looks at it. That means it has to be visually enticing. It also generally invites students to participate in their own learning in a more active way.

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Margo Lemieux is professor emerita at Lasell University, Newton, MA. She recently helped organize an exhibit and donation of fine art prints at the DaNang Museum of Fine Arts in Vietnam.

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