Posts Tagged STEM Tuesday

STEM Tuesday — NSTA Linking Literacy Special Edition & Contest Winners

By STEM Tuesday on April 2, 2019 / Common Core & NGSS, Cross-Curricular, STEM Tuesday

Hello STEM Tuesday Readers! I am delighted to welcome Carrie Launius to the STEM Tuesday blog. Carrie is one of the teachers that is spearheading the brand new Linking Literacy Event at the National NSTA event this year in St. Louis, MO. This is a brand new event offered at the National Science Teacher Association conference that allows teachers and trade authors to mix, mingle, and learn from each other.

I thought it might be fun to ask Carrie a few questions about how the Linking Literacy event was designed.

Hi Carrie. Thanks for joining us. What gave you the idea to create the Linking Literacy event at NSTA?

I have been in education for a long time as a classroom teacher, science coordinator, and an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. I have been in districts that are very successful and other districts that struggle. Having this background and having the opportunity to work closely with E. Wendy Saul, Ph.D., truly to “guru” of literacy and science, I believe the integration of literacy is valuable in all content areas. We often hear teachers say math and science go together while ELA and social studies go together. I think all contents support each other. We do not live our lives in silos nor do students live in them. I have had enormous success, especially with lower socio-economic students enriching science using high-quality trade books. With Dr. Christine Royce president of NSTA (Christine is a huge proponent of literacy integration and writes a monthly column “Teaching with Tradebooks” for NSTA), I approached her and asked if I could try to bring authors to the conference to talk about their books and how science trade books enhance science instruction. She 100 % supported the idea. She not only supported me, she worked closely with me to make the event happen.

Why is using trade children’s books about STEAM/STEM a great way to do this?

Margaret Anastas says, ” A good picture book tells a compelling story.” Using high-quality trade books opens the world of possibilities. Today, we are teaching students for careers that have not even been thought of, so why not allow them the opportunity to use both convergent and divergent thinking and the opportunity to wonder, hope and dream? Where else besides a book can one really understand the thinking stance of a character? Television and movies don’t do this. Students use so many skills while reading nonfiction books way beyond learning to read. Good nonfiction trade books push readers to think in a new way, to imagine what they have never been able to before and helps them make sense of the crazy world around them.

You are also the one who helped to create the NSTA’s Best STEM book award. What was the drive to do that? How is it different from the Outstanding Trade Science Book Award that NSTA gives?

At one time I was working with Dr. Saul and writing for a non-profit, Springboard to Learning. My task was to create a STEM-based curriculum. As I always do with any writing, I look for books to enhance the curriculum. I tried to find books that were STEM-like. What I quickly found was that people called books “STEM Books” but I could see no rhyme or reason to why. Descriptions of books would say, “Great STEM Book!” So I decided to do research to find out just what that meant, I quickly found out it meant nothing. So I called the editor of NSTA, at that time, David Beacom and said, “You really need to have a Best STEM book Award. What you are calling STEM is not STEM!” He took me up on the idea and told me to start researching. I reached out to three colleagues – all amazing educator and fellow book enthusiasts, Wendy Saul, Christine Royce, and Juliana Texley. We spent many hours thinking about what exactly was a STEM book. Christine came up with the idea to look at what is NOT a STEM book. Wendy coined the phrase, “Inviting readers to examine someone’s thinking stance.” Juliana was NSTA president at that time. She pulled together other groups to look at what I wrote, then shared with my “posse” then with the group. We came up with clear criteria and we started the award.
OSTB and BSB are very different. Content, content, content, is what makes an OSTB book great. Thinking is what makes a BSB great. Identifying a STEM book is much more subtle. While the criteria for OSTB is very black and white, BSB is truly gray. BSB does not have to be nonfiction, it does not have to have perfect pictures but it does need to show innovation, inventing, creating or change.

Do you see Linking Literacy events at future NSTA Events?

It is my hope that Linking Literacy will become a part of NSTA Conferences. I hope every author takes a Sharpie and saves the dates April 2 -5, 2020, Boston. Linking Literacy is to support teachers, but more importantly to support kids. I have already asked (begged) Wendy, Christine, and Juliana to consider staying on this journey with me and working to create more experiences by growing the event in Boston and beyond.

Anything else you want to add?

I would be remiss if I did not tell you how amazing and supportive NSTA staff has been in making this happen. They have allowed us to bend the rules just to make a difference for teachers. Delores, Dayna, Jason, Kim and Kim- thanks for all you do!

If you haven’t considered going to the NSTA event, you should! It’s going to be EPIC. Click Here for information about the National Science Teacher Association conference and how to register for it.

Besides, if you decide to go, you will be able to meet a few of the STEM Tuesday bloggers who are featured authors there:

Heather Montgomery, Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, Patricia Newman, Carolyn DeCristofano, Mary Kay Carson, and me (Jennifer Swanson)

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And now, the winners of the STEM Tuesday Search Party Contest…. (drum roll please….)

STEM TUESDAY SEARCH PARTY PRIZE WINNERS!

(A HUGE “Thank You” to all who entered and deep gratitude to the wonderful STEM authors who donated books!)

Amy M. O’Quinn (Winner – Nancy Furstinger)

MARIE CURIE FOR KIDS

Sarah Albee (Winner – Anitha Kuppuswamy)

POISON: DEADLY DEEDS, PERILOUS PROFESSIONS, AND MURDEROUS MEDICINES

Natascha Biebow (Winner – Summer Tobald)

THE CRAYON MAN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTION OF THE CRAYOLA CRAYON

Nikole Brooks Bethea (Winner – Eric)

SUPER SCIENCE FEATS (4-book Series from Pogo Books published by Jump!)

THE FIRST FLIGHT, THE MOON LANDING, THE INTERNET, CELL PHONES

Donna Janell Bowman (Winner – Suzanne Larsen)

STEP RIGHT UP: HOW DOC AND JIM KEY TAUGHT THE WORLD ABOUT KINDNESS, illustrated by Daniel Minter (Lee and Low, 2016)

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S DUELING WORDS, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Peachtree, 2018)

Susan M Latta (Winner – Beth)

BOLD WOMEN OF MEDICINE: 21 STORIES OF ASTOUNDING DISCOVERIES, DARING SURGERIES, AND HEALING BREAKTHROUGHS.

Janet Slingerland(Winner – Joan Swanson)

EXPLORE ATOMS AND MOLECULES! With 25 Great Projects

Miranda Paul (Winner – Rani)

Donating TWO prize packages:

Book Set #1 (plus a set of water stickers and a set of new baby stickers!)

WATER IS WATER

NINE MONTHS (Advance F&G copy only)

Book set #2 (plus a few bookmarks!)

I AM FARMER: GROWING AN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN CAMEROON

ONE PLASTIC BAG: ISATOU CEESAY AND THE RECYCLING WOMEN OF THE GAMBIA

Kate Narita (Winner – Heather Macchi)

100 BUGS!

Laurie Wallmark (Winner – T Dionne)

(Author of Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, and Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine)

A classroom prize pack of:
* bookmarks
* stickers
* STEM-related word searches
* pencils

Dianne White (Winner – Rebecca Smith)

WHO EATS ORANGE?, illustrated by Robin Page (Beach Lane/S&S, 2018)

(The STEM TUESDAY Mary Kay & Jen Bundle Winner – Mandy Davis)

Mary Kay Carson

MISSION TO PLUTO

Jennifer Swanson

A 3-pack of:

ASTRONAUT-AQUANAUT

ABSOLUTE EXPERT: DOLPHINS

ZOOLOGY: COOL WOMEN WHO WORK WITH ANIMALS

STEM Tuesday– Celebrating Women’s History Month– Interview with Catherine Thimmesh

By STEM Tuesday on March 26, 2019 / Common Core & NGSS, STEM Tuesday, Women's History Month

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

Today we’re interviewing Sibert-winner Catherine Thimmesh about Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women. This new edition of her classic 2000 book has been revised and updated. Horn Book says, “Today’s readers will find a laudable increase in the subjects’ diversity as well as a more contemporary focus…A resource as informative as it is empowering.”

Mary Kay Carson: Why did you write this book?

Catherine Thimmesh: I’ve always been drawn to the idea that creativity is not something “merely” relegated to the arts, but that it is a tool used across disciplines and particularly for problem solving. To me, “inventing” is just one word taking the place of three: “creative problem solving.” Also, I’ve always felt strongly about how society treats and depicts (or ignores) women and girls, and so I set out to write a book combining these two interests of mine.

MKC: How did you decide who to profile?

Catherine: The inventors I chose to feature meet subjective criteria I have: do I find this invention cool and fascinating? Do I think kids will find this invention cool and fascinating? Can I make the invention relevant in some way to today’s reader? Will the invention itself expressly turn away boy readers? (Which I don’t want — boys like these stories too, despite the title — and it’s important they see stories of women and girls inventing, not only stories of men.) And, importantly, can I show as much diversity as possible within the pages? (In the original, I didn’t have the internet as a research tool and it was exceptionally difficult to find inventors of color. The new version has a more balanced mix of inventors of different ethnicities and of different countries.

MKC: What makes inventors such an engaging topic for kids?

Catherine: I think kids like reading about inventions and inventors because they recognize themselves in the pages. Even if a kid has never physically invented something, and never tinkers in a maker space, kids think about these things all the time. They’re inventing things in their minds and in their creative play. And they are wildly inventive. So, I think they connect with the idea that anyone, at any age, can invent. And, possible invent something others would use, and maybe even make money!

Catherine Thimmesh is the author of many creative nonfiction books for children, including the Sibert medal-winning TEAM MOON: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon and CAMP PANDA: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild — a Sibert Honor recipient. She lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. www.catherinethimmesh.com

MKC: Do you choose to write STEM book or have a STEM background?

Catherine: Girls Think of Everything (2000 edition) was my first book. At that time, STEM (as STEM) didn’t even exist. I don’t technically have a STEM background — I have a liberal arts degree, but I took my fair share of required, and many elected, STEM related classes. I love science! But with my books, I don’t approach them as “STEM books” or “this would fit in with STEM curricula” — and thus, in the writing process I’m never trying to write to any guidelines. I choose my book topics in almost the very same way I chose who to include in the inventor’s book: What topic am I excited about/or passionate about/or intrigued with? What topic am I really curious about? What topic do I think kids are curious about? Excited/passionate/or intrigued with? Does my curiosity/interest overlap with kids’? Can I make the topic relevant and accessible to kids? Actually, I think it’s kind of interesting that the majority of my books are STEM books, though I don’t set out to write STEM books. I just set out to satiate and better understand my curiosity. But isn’t that exactly where scientists begin? With curiosity? And isn’t that what kids’ have in abundance?

Win a FREE copy of Girls Think of Everything!

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below. The randomly-chosen winner will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (within the U.S. only) to receive the book.

Good luck!

Your host is Mary Kay Carson, author of Alexander Graham Bell for Kids, Mission to Pluto, Weird Animals, and other nonfiction books for kids. @marykaycarson

STEM Tuesday– Celebrating Women’s History Month– Writing Tips and Resources

By STEM Tuesday on March 19, 2019 / Common Core & NGSS, STEM Tuesday, Women's History Month

Begin at the End

Two-time Pulitzer prize winner Jon Franklin, author of Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction, writes “The story doesn’t pivot on the beginning, it pivots on the ending – so write that first.” I’ve discovered that the same trick works when I need to read like a writer.

Narrative, expository, opinion pieces – no matter the approach – informational texts are written to convey something. Be it a concept, a scientific process, personal growth, an abstract theme, a historical truth, whatever, the entire text builds towards it. So, if I want to understand the building blocks an author uses, it makes sense to read the conclusion first to know were the book is going.

Try it.

The books in this month’s list provide a perfect opportunity; they are all about women’s history and offer great comparison opportunities.

Pick up one of the books and read the final chapter – not the author’s note, or any of the back matter, but the chapter intended as the official conclusion. Ask yourself: What do I notice? Who are the characters? What is the tone?

Ask: What is the point of this book? List some questions that reading the conclusion first brings up.

I picked up Hidden Figures Young Readers’ Edition, by Margo Lee Shetterly. I knew that the book was about multiple women who had an impact on space exploration, so what struck me was how the ending focused on one of the characters, Katherine Johnson. Why? I leafed through the rest of the book and saw that, although mentioned earlier, Katherine’ story doesn’t really begin until page 93. Why? This had me charging back to the beginning of the book to read straight through to figure out just how and why Shetterly built to that particular conclusion.

When thinking about the structure of a text, I try to sketch shapes as representations. In Hidden Figures would I find a triangular structure, pointing to Johnson? A chain of interlocked links? A circle where the conclusion brings us back to the beginning?

This is inquiry.

This is close reading!

With this shape idea in mind, I flipped to the end of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins. The book is written in verse. The title of the last one was “The Wider World” which sounded like a conclusion, but as I read, I realized the entire verse was about one character. Where were the other two girls? How could this be a conclusion for the entire book?

Driven by that question, I read the book. I sketch three pillars; one for each story. Each stands independently, illustrating the life of one girl. But together those pillars support a bigger idea, a universal idea that the last verse just happens to illustrate perfectly. Now that’s skill: conveying a universal truth that a reader laps up before they even realize it!

Speaking of universal truths, Jon Franklin instructs “if those truths seem like clichés . . . so much the better.” That surprised me at first, but then I compare a few of the books and it starts to make sense. Universal truths are eternal truths, messages we have all heard before but still need to hear again and again.

I figured this collection of women’s history books will all hit on the same universal truths and might use very similar approaches. Again, those conclusions had something to teach me. In Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared To Dream, Tanya Lee Stone uses a brand new character and open ended questions to shine a light into the future of women in math and science. In Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific, Mary Cronk Farrell uses reflection and a character who we met on the first page of the book.

When I picked up Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh, I was intrigued to find the book concluded with “Your Turn.” This segment uses direct address and includes specifics on how to apply for a patent. An indirect challenge to the reader to get busy inventing!

It wasn’t till I skimmed through the rest of the book, though, that I realized another gem of the conclusion. It took the book’s premise (female inventors) up a notch. It highlighted an inventor who was not only female, but also a young female. By that point I was totally jazzed to dig into the intro to see how Thimmesh set up the book for this romp through chocolate chip cookies, Liquid Paper, and space bumpers, leading us to the universal truth of the power of girls as inventors.

So, I challenge you. Pick up a book and begin at the end. You might be amazed at where I takes you!

Heather L. Montgomery writes books for kids who are wild about animals. How does she conclude her books? With a story of a kid who discovered a new species, an insect who eats his sister and her own close encounter with the skin of a skunk!

Learn more at www.HeatherLMontgomery.com

O.O.L.F

Some authoritative works on crafting nonfiction:

Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by a Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner, by Jon Franklin, which focuses on crafting an effective structure for narrative nonfiction

The Art of Creative Nonfiction: Writing and Selling the Literature of Reality, by Lee Gutkind, in which the guru of creative nonfiction looks at the genre, immersion techniques, framing devices, essays, and more

Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction, by Jack Hart, which provides a balanced look at topics such as structure, character, dialog, reporting and ethics

Anatomy of Nonfiction: Writing True Stories for Children, by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas, which dissects the research process and provides guidance on submitting to the children’s market

Posts Tagged STEM Tuesday