Posts Tagged teachers.

STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Book List

By on October 7, 2025   /   STEM Tuesday, Zombies  

Zombies, monsters, and mummies – oh my! These are the stuff of nightmares… or of awesome Halloween costumes! But are they real? Let’s use science to find out.

Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson

Zombies are real … but so far, the zombie-makers don’t attack humans. Yet. They do take over the brains and bodies of spiders and ants, flies and snails, and even rats. Not only that, some of these zombies are too small to avoid, until it’s too late. Like the teeny tiny wasps and fungal spores, and the totally invisible viruses. And then there are the brain worms! A must-read for anyone planning to hunt for zombies in their backyard!

Monster Science: Could Monsters Survive (and Thrive!) in the Real World? by Helaine Becker

Monsters aren’t real… are they? For the most part, no – although there ARE zombies among us. This book shows the real science relating to the monsters of myth and legend: genetics and electricity, for Frankenstein’s monster, and hybrids and genetic engineering for possible werewolves. And (as in the case of zombies) sometimes we’re surprised when the real monsters do show up!

Frightlopedia: An encyclopedia of Everything Scary, Creepy, and Spine-Chilling, from Arachnids to Zombies by Julie Winterbottom

An encyclopedia of scary stuff with horrifying hands-on activities. From bird-eating tarantulas to vampire bats and zombies this book will definitely make you shiver. Learn how to make fake blood and send coded messages to aliens. Tucked amongst the science are a handful of ghost stories and mythology and some bits about killer bees, stonefish, and Komodo dragons.

Animal Zombies! And Other Bloodsucking Beasts, Creepy Creatures, and Real-Life Monsters by Chana Stiefel

Full of eye-catching, vividly detailed, photographs which delve into the living dead, bloodsuckers, creeps from the deep, animal aliens, and animal monsters. Each chapter also profiles a “Mad Scientist” offering insights into how they got started, their research, and interesting or unique things to know about their field. It also includes a look at pop culture and myths surrounding zombies, vampires, kraken, aliens, and werewolves.

Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control by Mindy Weisberger

This is for older readers or those looking for additional information on insect zombification. Using an engaging conversational voice, pop culture references, vivid descriptions, and a dose of the macabre, the book explores the horror and science of zombie ants, flies, beetles, cicadas, spiders, roaches, and ladybugs from around the world. And shines a light on the responsible fungi, viruses, wasps, flies, and worms.

MUMMIES TELL NO LIES…

Secrets of the Dead : Mummies and Other Human Remains From Around the World by Matt Ralphs

In most environments, when someone dies their flesh decays, leaving only bones. But not mummies. With mummified remains, we can learn about the person and their culture, the foods they ate, diseases they suffered from. This book brings nearly 20 mummies to life – so to speak.

Mysterious Mummies by Ron Knapp

Some mummies are the result of mindful preservation: the drying and wrapping of bodies as a way to honor the dead. Other mummies resulted from accidental freezing, being tossed into a bog, or burial by volcanic ash. Dive into the mysteries behind these mummies.

MONSTERS OF THE DEEP

Catching Cryptids: The Scientific Search for Mysterious Creatures by Kim Long

The Loch Ness monster. Kracken. Giant turtles. What some people call monsters, others call cryptids: an animal whose existence is not yet substantiated by science. The emergence of DNA technology, SONAR, bioacoustics and more has allowed cryptozoologists of every stripe to seek – and sometimes discover – the species behind the monster myth.

What Do We Know About The Kraken? by Ben Hubbard

Before orcas battered yachts, the kraken terrorized sailors. This book fills in the details of how seafarers and scientists hunted for, and studied the giant squid they thought to be the kraken of mythology. But in the vast and still unexplored depths of the ocean, nothing can be certain…

Here There Be Monsters: The Legendary Kraken and the Giant Squid by HP Newquist

This book is divided into three parts. The first section celebrates tales of the sea serpents – the monsters at the edges of the maps. In part two, we follow the scientists who start to find bits of giant squid, and begin wondering: is this a kraken? The final section focuses on the search for the giant squid, and the research on cephalopods.

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

Sue Heavenrich is an award-winning author, blogger, and bug-watcher. A long line of ants marching across the kitchen counter inspired her first article for kids. When not writing, she’s either in the garden or tromping through the woods. Her books for middle-grade readers include Funky Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More and Diet for a Changing Climate. Visit her at www.sueheavenrich.com

Maria Marshall is a children’s author, blogger, and poet who is passionate about making nature and reading fun for children. She is a judge for the Cybils Awards and the #50PreciousWords. Four of her poems are published in The Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2017, 2016, and 2014-2015 anthologies. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. Visit her at www.mariacmarshall.com.

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STEM Tuesday– National Parks– Writing Tips & Resources

By on September 16, 2025   /   National Parks, STEM Tuesday  

 

I was delighted to see this month’s topic is National Parks. I was fortunate to have taught drawing workshops at two national parks in the early 2000s. Both were offered by the Park Service free to everyone and I had received a grant to cover expenses for supplies from the university where I taught. The park rangers were helpful and interesting and both times, I was able to take advantage of the natural environment as the centerpiece of curriculum.

One was in the southwest. Since it was July, it was too hot to work outside but we had the natural history museum at our disposal. After instruction and strategies, the participants spread out and were treated to an array of plants and animals as models. The other was in the Appalachians, and we had vistas of mountains and fields. Everyone went away with drawings of their National Park experience.

The National Park Service website currently has an extensive section on Education & Training. It has topics such as Teaching with Historic Places, Museum Collections, Archeology, Land Preservation, and Youth Training Programs. Some books are available through the website as of the date of this article. You may find some that would be valuable resources to supplement the great list of books recommended for September’s STE(A)M Tuesday.

Asian Reflection on The American Landscape
Book

Under the Archeology section you can find it divided into headings for Teachers, which includes links to lesson plans, activities and professional development. The KIDS heading includes activities for use within the parks and online activities. Some of the materials have been translated into Spanish.

If you don’t have the option of traveling to a National Park, many of the activities can be adapted to local sites. Many towns and smaller communities (as well as large, of course) have historical centers or societies, state and local parks and historic sites, interesting geological features – even urban areas provide environmental and historical opportunities. The NPS webpage also has a list of about a hundred related sites of interest. Making a journal is always a good way for students (and adults!) to document discoveries and experiences.

There is a special section that provides information on “Telling All Americans’ Stories.”

Books, pamphlets, and links are available to previously completed stories and activities.

In the past, I planned student activities where they could explore their own culture. But be sensitive. Some students have painful histories or don’t even know. I always gave the option – use your own history, someone you know and can interview, or pick a culture you admire and would like to find out about. That erases any stigma that may come with tricky family situations but allows a dive into personal history.

This website is a treasure. As of this writing, the materials were still available, and I hope that continues.

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Margo Lemieux is a retired university professor and is currently amusing herself by writing, doing art, and playing bluegrass music. Oh, and reading!

 

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STEM Tuesday– Plants– Book List

By on July 1, 2025   /   Plants, STEM Tuesday  

Rooted to the ground, plants are pretty much stuck in place. Most of them get their energy from turning sunlight into food – which makes them a target for hungry animals. But some plants fight back, and some turn the food web completely on its head. These books might inspire you to think about plants in a different light.

Rooted to the ground, plants have to find nutrition, fend off predators, and survive whatever conditions the environment throws at them. From water lily leaves that could serve as rafts to a flower that smells like a rotting corpse, meet the plants that thrive by using brilliant and bizarre adaptations.

Beware the killer plants – the leaves that sting, the jaws that trap. This book, not for the faint-of-heart, is the perfect read for kids who want to know about the bird-catching plant, vampire vines, and corpse flowers.

For older readers, Hirsch has an engaging, conversational, almost conspiratorial, text invites the reader on an exploration of the “science, history, and true crime coverage” of fourteen poisonous plants, seeds, and fungus found around the world. Gorgeous taxonomic illustrations, photos, and “Deadly Details” sidebars help highlight some innocent and more sinister encounters with these plants.

Plants gather energy from the sun and turn it into leaves, flowers, fruit. Animals, who can’t produce their own food, eat the plants. But what happens when you turn the food chain upside down? When the plants are the hunters and animals the hunted? In this book you’ll meet sticky traps, trigger traps, and pits of death. There’s also a handy survival manual for carnivorous plants.

Plants don’t have brains, but they can sure fool animals – even humans! They have ways to defend themselves from harsh weather, being stepped on, and from being eaten. Some plants fake leaf damage and one plant plays dead to discourage predators. And some plants turn the tables and hunt insects.

Plants can’t move when conditions get tough, like little to no water, extreme cold, or high levels of ultraviolet radiation. Yet, some of the largest, oldest plants (some 3,000 to 5,000 years old) thrive in these harsh conditions with unique structures and ingenious lures for both pollinators and prey (using sticky, snap, and suction traps). Great photos and graphics, “Fun Fact” sidebars, and a STEAM Challenge to create a model of a “new plant species” help explore these extraordinary plants.

Explore forty-nine of the world’s most incredible plants, from prehistoric species (which have existed for around 300 million years) to giants (both in height and width), from spectacular leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots to some  truly unusual plants. The fascinating illustrations also depict the flora, fauna, and environments interacting with these amazing plants and provide a wonderful, global indexed map.  

What good is a dead plant? Examining dried specimens, farmers can learn about weeds and ecologists can study plant diversity and see how plant populations have changed in the past 200-plus years. Readers will learn how plants are collected and preserved, and be inspired by a kid who discovered a new species in his backyard.

From trees to rice, tea to spice, plants are central to our day-to-day lives. In graphic novel-style, this book explains how plants, from corn to potatoes, shaped human history. First, a grounding in plant essentials: photosynthesis, food web, and a fun graphic table of contents. Chapters focus on wood and wheat, tea and tulips, potatoes, peppers, cotton, corn, and rice.

GENERAL/ OVERVIEW:

An introduction to the Plant kingdom, how plants grow, leaves, and seeds. One section dives into ferns, conifers, and other nonflowering plants. A longer section highlights flowering plants, pollinators, fruits, and grasses. Filled with photos and sidebars that explain concepts such as photosynthesis.

This book begins by comparing your body to that of a plant. Where we have skeletons, plants have stems, trunks, branches. Where we have toes, plants have roots. One chapter focuses on leaves, others on flowers, pollinators, fruits, and seeds. Activities range from making fruit shakes and salad to leaf prints, seed sprouting, and finding fibers.

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

Sue Heavenrich is an award-winning author, blogger, and bug-watcher. A long line of ants marching across the kitchen counter inspired her first article for kids. When not writing, she’s either in the garden or tromping through the woods. Her books for middle-grade readers include Funky Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More and Diet for a Changing Climate. Visit her at www.sueheavenrich.com

Maria Marshall is a children’s author, blogger, and poet who is passionate about making nature and reading fun for children. She was a round 2 judge for the 2018 & 2017 Cybils Awards, and a judge for the #50PreciousWords competition since its inception. Two of her poems are published in The Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2016 and 2014-2015 anthologies. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. Visit her at www.mariacmarshall.com.

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