Posts Tagged STEM

STEM Tuesday — NSTA Linking Literacy Special Edition & Contest Winners

By 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

 

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

By 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

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National Geographic Welcomes MG Explorers Back for Another Thrilling Adventure

By on March 22, 2019   /   Articles, Giveaways, New Releases  

Join Cruz Coronado and his friends at The Explorer Academy as they travel around the globe training to be the next generation of explorers and uncovering Cruz’s family’s dangerous past. This is the second adventure in which Cruz and his teammates use real-world science and technology to solve mysteries and outwit their enemies. The first in the series is The Nebula Secret.

 

Welcome Back to the Explorer Academy!

Welcome to Day #5 of the Explorer Academy: The Falcon’s Feather Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of Explorer Academy: The Falcon’s Feather by Trudi Trueit on March 19th, blogs across the web are featuring special content from Trudi and the Explorer Academy team, as well as 5 chances to win an Explorer Academy DRONE Prize Pack!

Ten Terrible Titles for Explorer Academy Book 3

The rules of the game are: “Scroll through the manuscript and stop on a random place. Whatever you land on becomes one of ten terrible titles.”

1. Guess It Wasn’t Such a Brilliant Idea After All

2. Is the Spot in the Corner a Pit or Not?

3. The Eye of the Birsh!

4. Photo 51: It’s Only the Most Important Photograph Ever Taken

5. It Could Be a Temple, or a Tomb

6. A Drawer! It Had to Be a Secret Drawer!

7. Nature Was Random

8. Most Certainly the Mummy Inside

9. After All, We Are Trespassing

10. Your Life is…Complicated

Of course, the real title for Explorer Academy #3, the sequel to The Falcon’s Feather, is…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available September 3rd, 2019!

Blog Tour Schedule:

March 18th – BookTrib

March 19th – Big Shiny Robot

March 20th – Always in the Middle

March 21st – Novel Novice

March 22nd – From the Mixed Up Files

“A fun, exciting and action-packed ride that kids will love.”

—J.J. Abrams, director of Star Trek, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lost and Alias

“Explorer Academy is sure to awaken readers’ inner adventurer and curiosity about the world around them.”

—LeVar Burton, host of “Reading Rainbow”and “LeVar Burton Reads”

 

Buy: National Geographic | Amazon | Indiebound

Add on Goodreads

Visit the Explorer Academy Official Site

Educator Guide

 

 

 

 

Follow Trudi: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Follow National Geographic Kids: Website | Twitter | Books Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

It’s an adventure of a lifetime when Cruz Coronado sets sail for the shores of Iceland and Norway aboard the Explorer Academy ship to continue his studies at sea. But, things take a turn while exploring the icy north, when he embarks on a dangerous mission to uncover the first piece of an important puzzle his mother left behind.

In the exciting follow-up to The Nebula Secret in the 7-book Explorer Academy series, Cruz, Sailor, and Emmett, along with their new ally Bryndis, embark on their first globe-trotting mission aboard the ship Orion. Cruz jumps right back into school and starts using the latest technology in submersible underwater dives, but is soon reminded of the dangers of exploration when his equipment fails and he almost drowns. Determined to keep his eyes on the prize, Cruz sneaks away to try to find answers, but unknowingly lures his friends into bigger trouble. When a friend of Cruz’s mom meets an untimely end, Cruz’s luck really seems about to run out and the questions multiply. What does the message mean? Where will it lead? Who is following him? And why?

This captivating book is the sequel every Explorer Academy fan is waiting to read!

About the Author: Author Trudi Trueit is a gifted storyteller for middle-grade audiences. She has written more than 100 books for young readers, both fiction and nonfiction, including The Sister Solution, Stealing Popular and the Secrets of a Lab Rat series. Trueit lives in Everett, Washington.

GIVEAWAY

 

  • One (1) winner will receive SIGNED copies of Explorer Academy books 1 and 2, an ADVANCE copy of Explorer Academy Codebreaking Activity Adventure (not otherwise available to the public until May!), an Explorer Academy pin, baseball cap, t-shirt, and bag, and a Quadcopter DRONE!
  • US/Canada only
  • Ends 3/31 at midnight ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Plus! Enter to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip!

One lucky family of four will embark on a spectacular ship-based adventure, just like the students at Explorer Academy. Experience the remarkable beauty of Alaska’s famed Inside Passage on this thrilling 8-day voyage, courtesy of National Geographic Expeditions. Get up close to icebergs and calving glaciers. See orcas and humpback whales, then listen to them with the ship’s hydrophone. Visit Glacier Bay National Park, learn about Alaska’s rich Native American heritage, and pass islands teeming with wildlife, including brown bears, sea lions, sea otters, and perhaps the world’s highest density of nesting bald eagles. Visit natgeoexpeditions.com to see a detailed itinerary for Alaska’s Inside Passage Cruise. Enter here!

Explorer Academy: The Falcon’s Feather Author Tour

Friday, March 22, 2019

Kepler’s Books

1010 El Camino Real

Menlo Park, CA

Event details:

6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.— Public event with talk by author Trudi Trueit and National Geographic Explorer Erika Bergman, followed by book signing. Purchase tickets in advance.

 

 

 

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