Cross-Curricular Teaching with Feathers by Melissa Stewart

I wrote this post three ago as I was preparing a lesson for a class I taught entitled Content and Pedagogy for Elementary Science and Social Studies. For years I lamented having to combine two subject areas in one class, feeling neither got the attention it deserved. Since the regulations regarding the preparation of teachers in Virginia finally changed, I can happily say that I now have separate methods classes for science and social studies and that I'm teaching both of them this semester.

The up side to teaching science and social studies together was all the opportunities there were to show how the curriculum can be integrated in a natural way. Since I spend a lot of time integrating children's literature in my courses, I thought that I'd try to begin a series of posts that focuses on these ideas for integration.

FEATHERS
Feathers are a unique physical adaptation found only in birds. But what are they? What are they used for? You'll find these answers and much more in this terrific informational book.

Feathers: Not Just For Flying

written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

Melissa has a Pinterest board with lots of teaching ideas and resources for using the book in the classroom. You'll also find a Teacher's Guide on her web site, as well as a Readers Theater script, math activity, and more.

On her blog, Celebrate Science, Melissa has a post entitled Behind the Books: Curriculum Connections. In this one you will find a number of ideas connected to this book.

You can pair Melissa's book with this podcast from BirdNote. This just-under two minute segment describes how down feathers serve to keep bird's warm (insulate them) in very cold weather.

This podcast mentions how "People learned years ago how well goose-down insulates and began stuffing comforters, sleeping bags, and clothing with it." This use of feathers as a natural resource provides a connection to economics and another book.

Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story

written by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Laura Seeley

In this story, Agatha explains to a young boy visiting her shop that “everything comes from something”—silk from silkworms, cotton from cotton bolls, wool from sheep, and linen from flax. She tells him:

"Everything comes from something,
 Nothing comes from nothing.
 Just like paper comes from trees,
 And glass comes from sand,
 An answer comes from a question.
 All you have to do is ask."

That evening, a group of naked geese wake her from her sleep and remind her that “everything comes from something,” and that her new feather bed is made from their feathers. (Please note that I am not endorsing the use of down, just highlighting it as a historically accurate use of a natural resource. Please read Can Down Be Ethical or Green to learn about ethical options to down feathers. )

• Peachtree Publishing has a helpful Teacher's Guide for this book.
• KidsEconPosters has a page on the book that explores how it can be used to teach economics concepts that include natural resources, goods & services, economic wants, productive resources, capital resources, and human resources.
• You might want to consider making an "Everything Comes From Something" resource kit so students can see the natural resources used to make everyday items. 
• You can also try this lesson from Virginia's Ag in the Classroom program entitled Resource Round-Up.

*****
So, what do you think? Are there other connections we can make to this book? If you have ideas or resources to contribute, please share them in the comments.

The Science of Story Time

Last week on Science Friday there was a segment entitled The Science of Story Time. While it begins with a discussion of a study that shows reading with kids has positive effects ranging from increased vocabulary to greater success reading independently, it ends with experts and callers sharing favorite books for science-curious kids.

Visit the Science Friday site for a list of books discussed.

How Many Trees Are There On The Planet?

Last week I was interested in a story I heard on NPR. It began with the question "How many trees are there on the planet?" I started to think about how one would make such an estimation. My guess was 100 billion. Was I close? No. The actual answer is closer to 3 trillion. That's TRILLION, or 3 x 1,000,000,000,000. 

You can hear the story at NPR in the post entitled Tree Counter is Astonished By How Many Trees There Are.

And while this sounds like a huge amount (no, we don't have enough), the researchers found that the Earth has lost nearly half its trees since the start of human civilization. We also know that we are losing 10 Billion trees every year. All of this is pretty disturbing. 

These numbers teach us a lot about habitat loss, how much carbon dioxide is being absorbed from the atmosphere, how water is recycled in an ecosystem, and how we can preserve and replenish our forests. Take a minute to learn more in this video.

You can read more about the study that produced these data at Live Science in the article Earth Lost Half Its Trees to Humans.

Honeybees and Hexagons

"Honeybees are some of nature’s finest mathematicians. Not only can they calculate angles and comprehend the roundness of the earth, these smart insects build and live in one of the most mathematically efficient architectural designs around: the beehive."

Learn more by viewing the complete Ted Ed lesson by Zack Patterson and Andy Peterson.

After viewing this you may want to check out this book on patterns and shapes in nature.

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails: Patterns & Shapes . . . Naturally (2008), written by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Steve Jenkins explores surprising and hidden shapes and patterns in nature. Poetic text and cut paper collage illustrations serve as a beautiful vehicle for introducing young readers to these concepts. On a page depicting a snake, a spider hanging from a thread, a snail shell, a bee in flight, an ant, and goose silhouetted against the moon, the text begins this way.

In the day
and the night,
on the land
and in flight

tucked in hollows
of trees,
in the tide pools
and seas,

you'll find patterns and shapes—
from the snakes to the bees!

The next page reveals the genius behind a beehive. This is one of my favorite spreads in the book—not only do I love the text, but I could spend hours staring at the bees on the hive. The layers upon layers of paper used to create the illustration are stunning. The text that accompanies it reads:

Study a beehive
and you will see
the mathematical genius of the bee.

The hexagons
you'll find inside
fit side
by side
by side
by side.

This math is passed
mysteriously
from worker bee
to worker bee!

*Swoon* Beautiful images and beautiful words—what better tools are there to introduce nonfiction to young readers? None that I can think of. 

Franco and Jenkins next explore moths, the stunning symmetry of a spider's web, the dazzling feathers of the male peacock, the familiar V of migrating geese, the teamwork and formation of members of an ant colony, the geometry of animal tracks (a mouse in the snow), the shapes on diamondback snakes, the radial symmetry of sea stars, the shape of a puffed-up puffer fish, and the spirals of a snail shell. The text/poem on the shell page is written in the same spiral form displayed by the shell.

The text ends with the same background as the opening spread, though presented at nightfall with some different animals on the page. There are eyes inside a hole in the tree, sea stars on a rock, a moth flitting in the moonlight, and a spider now resting on a completed web. The text reads:

So there you have it . . . .
I think you'll agree

that creatures
on land,
in the air,
in the sea

make patterns and shapes
quite naturally!

Text ©Betsy Franco. All rights reserved. 

The end matter of the book is titled New Angles on Animals and provides a brief bit of information on each of the animals highlighted in the pages of the text.

While I plan on using this book for math to talk about shapes and patterns, I can also see it being used in science to discuss camouflage and other animal adaptations. This is a gorgeous book in both writing and illustration. I highly recommend it.

Finding Math in Van Gogh's Starry Night

Turbulence is a concept that is difficult to model and understand. Amazingly, Van Gogh captured it in his work Starry Night.


Learn more by viewing the complete TED Ed lesson by Natalya St. Clair.

Dead Stuff: The Secret Ingredient In Our Food Chain

Here's a terrific video on "the brown food chain." Watch it and learn how pond scum and animal poop contribute enormous amounts of energy to our ecosystems.


Learn more by viewing the complete TED Ed lesson by John C. Moore.

Should We Eat Bugs?

Here's how this TEDEd lesson by Emma Bryce opens.

"What's tasty, abundant and high in protein? Bugs! Although less common outside the tropics, entomophagy, the practice of eating bugs, was once extremely widespread throughout cultures. You may feel icky about munching on insects, but they feed about 2 billion people each day (Mmm, fried tarantulas). They also hold promise for food security and the environment. Emma Bryce makes a compelling case for dining on bugs."

For more information, check out these resources.

• Time for Kids: Good Enough To Eat
• National Geographic: We Are What We Eat: Documenting Dinners Around the World
• Hungry Planet Family Food Portraits
• IAF: What is Entomophagy?
• Why Eat Bugs?
• 7 Insects You'll Be Eating In the Future

I've eaten crickets (chocolate covered, so a bit of crunch and salt with sweet) and silkworms. I'm not much more adventurous than that, but maybe I should be. Imagine debating this topic in your science class!

Science Poetry Pairings - Posts From National Poetry Month

During the month of April I celebrated National Poetry Month (at my other blog, The Miss Rumphius Effect) by posting a set of related poetry and children's books on science. Here's a list of my topics for the month with links. Enjoy!

1. Darwin and the Galapagos 
2. Frogs and Toads
3. Nature of Science
4. Volcanoes
5. Going Green
6. Dinosaurs 
7. Birds 
8. Nocturnal Animals
9. Food Chains
10. The Ocean
11. Animal Senses
12. Animal Dads
13. The Moon  
14. Extinction
15. Butterflies 
16. Bugs 
17. Seasons
18. Animal Collectives
19. Forests
20. Rain
21. African Animals
22. Animal Homes
23. The Human Body 
24. Geography
25. Camouflage
26. Museums
27. Water
28. Water (Again!)
29. Assorted Science In Poem and Verse
30. All Things Science

For Earth Day - A Thematic List on Trees

I started this list back in early March when the trees outside my office were still absurdly naked. I was waiting for winter to relinquish its grip and thinking about blooming trees made me happy. A LOT of time has passed since then and spring has taken center stage in all its glory.

Now that Earth Day is finally here, it seems like the perfect time to share some of my favorite titles on trees.

Poetry
Poetrees, written and illustrated by Douglas Florian - A treerific book of 18 poems about all manner of trees (coconut palm, baobab, paper birch) and tree parts (seeds, leaves, bark). Includes a glossatree.

Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems, written by Kristine O'Connell George and illustrated by Kate Kiesler - This collection of 30 poems captures the beauty of trees in a range of settings and throughout the seasons. Nothing escapes George's notice in this volume, not even the materials of the beaver dam.

The Tremendous Tree Book, written by Barbara Brenner and May Garelick and illustrated by Fred Brenner - Tree history, tree facts, tree seeds, tree colors, tree treats and many other topics related to trees are covered in this simple introduction, written in rhyme and verse.

All About Trees
Tree (EYE KNOW), by DK Publishing - Written for younger readers but appropriate for all elementary grades, this title is PACKED with information and includes gatefold pages, cut outs to peer through, flaps to lift, and eye-catching photographs.

Trees (Field Guides), written and illustrated by Maria Angeles Julivert - Hands-down my favorite reference book on trees, this title has front endpapers on drawing trees and back endpapers on the tools needed to observe trees. In between readers will learn about the distinctive features of trees, from shape, bark, and leaves to flowers and fruits.

Are Trees Alive?, written by Debbie S. Miller and illustrated by Stacey Shuett - In the introduction the author explains how this book was inspired by her daughter asking the title question. When Miller answered yes, her daughter then asked "But how do they breathe; they don't have noses?" To answer the title question, Miller looks at the parts of trees and how they function to keep trees alive. The illustrations depict many different tree species. The back matter includes information about the trees pictured in the book.

Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids, written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons - Gibbons has written a fairly neat guidebook to trees. While this volume contains basic information about trees, what they look like inside, their parts, and more, the real interesting piece here is the section on identifying trees. Each tree is identified with a sketch of its overall shape, its leaves, and bark. Seventeen common species are identified. There are also instructions making a tree identification book.

Be a Friend to Trees, written by Patricia Lauber and illustrated by Holly Keller - This stage 2 book in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series explores the role of trees in the environment and the many uses of trees.

A Tree is a Plant, written by Clyde Robert Bulla and illustrated by Stacey Shuett - This stage 1 book in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series looks at how trees grow and change through the seasons.

Seasonal Trees and Life Cycles

A Tree for All Seasons, written by Robin Bernard - This title from the National Geographic Society has gorgeous photos that document the life of a maple tree through the seasons.

Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art, written and illustrated by Thomas Locker - Over a series of fourteen paintings, Locker presents the same tree changing with the seasons. The text is short and lyrical. Beneath each section of text is a question about the painting that accompanies it. The back of the book has a section on connecting art and science which addresses the questions posed about each painting from the perspective of both disciplines.

A Grand Old Tree, written and illustrated by Mary Newell Depalma - This is terrific book for young readers that tells the life cycle story of a dogwood tree. We see the tree (given a female persona) grow through the seasons and years as she flowers, bears fruit, has many children, and ultimately dies. The simple text and gorgeous illustrations make for a winning combination.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert - In simple text and vibrant illustrations, Ehlert tells the story of a sugar maple and the child who planted it.

Winter Trees, written by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Leslie Evans - In this book a child and his dog share a walk through a snowy woods while observing six different species of tree. Each double-page spread contains four lines of simple verse and block prints decorated with watercolor and collage. The book ends with a description of the different characteristics of the trees in winter.

Fire!: The Renewal of a Forest, written and illustrated by Celia Godkin - Are all forest fires bad? Godkin's book looks at fire as a natural force that keeps the forest healthy. Fires are often times as essential to forests as rain, releasing the mineral nutrients locked up in old trees. This is an essential book for looking life stages of an ecosystem and how life returns to a forest after a fire.

Trees as Habitats
One Small Place in a Tree, written by Barbara Brenner and illustrated by Tom Leonard - What happens to a tree once a bear sharpens her claws on the trunk? Readers find out as they follow the growth of a microhabitat in the tree as the claw marks cut the bark and begin a hole. Over time the space is inhabited by a variety of creatures.

The Gift of the Tree, written by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Henri Sorensen - This is another story of the life cycle of a tree. This one focuses on an oak tree that has stood in a forest for more than 100 years. It grows weaker over time as it is feasted upon by termites and ants. Fungus enters the heartwood and rot spreads inside the healthy bark. Branches fall during winter storms and finally a hurricane splits the trunk. However, animals still make a home in the fallen trunk.

Oak Tree, written and illustrated by Gordon Morrison - This one focuses on an oak tree and its inhabitants. Two levels of text, a story of the life cycle of the tree and short informational bits describing the parts of the tree and the animals living in it, make this one a splendid introduction to trees as habitats.

Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab, written and illustrated by Barbara Bash - The life story of a baobab is told from the folklore of its planting (upside down by a hyena, which is why its branches look like gnarled roots), through its role as a home for many species in the savannah, to its death and the birth of a new tree.

The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle, written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry - When the propagule (seed) of a mangrove falls into the sea and finally comes to rest on the shore of a faraway lagoon, it takes root, sprouts and begins to grow. What follows is the story of that tree's life and the ecosystem that springs up around it.

Logs
What's Under the Log?, written and illustrated by Anne Hunter - This little gem fits nicely in your hands and begins by asking the question in the title. Hunter then introduces readers to ten animals living beneath the log. The book ends with a short description of a tree's life cycle, reminding us that a rotting log not only provides a home for many creatures, but also returns important nutrients to the soil as it decays.

A Log's Life, written by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Robin Brickman - An oak tree in the forest provides a home for many creatures. When the tree is felled during a storm it becomes a giant log and serves as a home for a whole host of new creatures. This one follows the log through several seasons until the rotting log becomes a mound of rich soil, and the perfect place for an acorn to take root and grow. (Take a closer look inside this book.)

People Who Planted Trees
Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, is a biography of Mathaai told in clear, simple text and accompanied by vibrant acrylic illustrations. Readers see the landscape of Kenya change from barren to beautiful as a result of efforts by Wangari and the women who embraced her Green Belt Movement. It is a story full of hope and beauty. The author's note in the back provides more information about Wangari and the Green Belt Movement she started in 1977. (For more information, read my review.)

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Mathaai, written and illustrated by Claire Nivola, is a more detailed biography that is accompanied by intricate pen and watercolor illustrations. Nivola uses words and pictures to show Mathaai's connection with nature developed as a youth, and how this connection inspired her environmental practices as an adult. This one also includes an author's note with additional information on Wangari and her life.

Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jim Burke - Who was Johnny Appleseed? Legends and tall tales abound, but when it comes to separating fact from fiction, answers aren't always easy to find. Yolen explores the myth and brings some of that elusive truth to light. (For more information, read my review.)

Johnny Appleseed, written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg - The history and legend of Johnny Appleseed are told in this charming tale. The author's note at the end of the book attempts to clarify where history ends and legend begins. Also included is a map of Johnny Appleseed's life-long journey.

The Story of Johnny Appleseed, written and illustrated by Aliki - A very simple and kid-friendly text introducing readers to the life and legend of Johnny Appleseed.

The Man Who Planted Trees, written by Jean Giono and illustrated by Michael McCurdy - This is the story of Elzéard Bouffier, a man who planted trees after seeing the land was dying for lack of trees. He planted hundreds of thousands of trees and slowly saw the community of humans and animals come back to life around him.

Fiction
Redwoods, written and illustrated by Jason Chin - When a boy finds a book about redwoods and begins to read, he soon finds himself in a redwood forest. I hate to categorize this one as fiction, but the story told through the illustrations is fantasy. The text, however, is informational with tons of facts about redwoods. (Perhaps we could call this faction!) For more information about the book, see the review at Seven Imp and check out the book's web site.

Cherry Tree, written by Ruskin Bond and illustrated by Allan Eitzen - On the way home from the bazaar a young girl eats all of the cherries in her possession. Her grandfather suggests she plant one of the pits. The seed sprouts and after surviving rain, munching animals and other mishaps, the tree blossoms some years later.

Aani and the Tree Huggers, written by Jeannine Atkins and illustrated by Venantius J. Pinto - Based on a true story, Aani wraps herself around a when the tree cutters come to her village to take them down. The importance of trees to the environment is not lost in the midst of this powerful story.

Someday a Tree, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ronald Himler - When a family discovers the area around their favorite tree has been poisoned, they work with others in the community to try and save it. Despite their efforts, the tree dies. Don't worry though, the ending is hopeful as acorns are planted in healthy soil.

The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree, written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons - In this story, Arnold and his dog play in and around their apple tree throughout the year. In the spring they build a swing and smell the apple blossoms, in summer they build a tree house, in fall they rake leaves and pick apples, and in winter they build a fort.

Once There Was a Tree, written by Natalia Romanova and illustrated by Gennady Spirin - When a woodsman finds a broken tree, he saws it down so that only a stump remains. However, that stump still serves a purpose and is used by ants, a bear, a titmouse, a frog, an earwig and others.

Additional Resources
Here are a few resources to expand your thinking about trees and the many things they give us.

• The Arbor Day Foundation has some terrific resources for teaching about trees.
• Maple Syrup: A Taste of Nature - This full color pdf explains how maple syrup makers create their product and traces each step of production from maple seed to breakfast table.
• The Sustainable Forestry Teacher Resource Center has a series of lesson plans on forestry and natural resources.
• The International Paper Company has posters and teacher's guides as well as a booklet on The Life of the Forest.
• Try these online hidden picture activities where you must find paper products hidden in a forest scene and classroom scene. You can also download print versions for the forest scene (pdf) and the classroom scene.
• The EarthAnswers page from Paper University answers questions about paper and the environment in a series of downloable pamphlets. Questions include "Are We Running Out of Trees?", "How is Paper Recycled?", "What's In a Tree?", and more.
• The Minnesota DNR has a Teachers' Guide to Arbor Month that contains activities on trees and natural world for grades K-8. (In case you are wondering, Arbor month is May!)
• What kind of products come from trees? Take this quiz and find out!

Have I missed one of your favorite tree books? If so, let me know so I can add it to the list. Anything but The Giving Tree (sorry, personal bias here!) will be added.

Pairing Science and Poetry

Over at my other blog, The Miss Rumphius Effect, I'm celebrating National Poetry Month by posting each day on a set of related poetry and children's books. The first 20 days of the month will focus on science.

Here are the posts to date.
April 1 - Darwin and the Galapagos
April 2 - Frogs and Toads
April 3 - Nature of Science
April 4 - Volcanoes

I hope you'll join me!

Wolves in Yellowstone

Here's a fabulous video on the ecological impact of returning wolves to Yellowstone after an absence of nearly 70 years.

If you want to read more about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, check out one of these titles.

When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone, written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent with photographs by Dan and Cassie Hartman, provides a historical account of the changes to the Yellowstone ecosystem by both the loss and reintroduction of the wolves. The gorgeous photographs of the Hartmans are accompanied by black and white images from the National Park Service. The text is written on two levels, with short, simple sentences on the left page, with paragraphs of more detailed information on the right page. At the end of the text, an illustrated page entitled "The Wolf Effect" looks at the connections among plants and animals in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Also included are an index , list of resources for kids, and a photo quiz.

The Wolves are Back, written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor, shows the restoration of the Yellowstone ecosystem through the eyes of a wolf pup. It begins with the pup looking over the landscape, then taking in a meal in which other animals also share the food. The next page reads:

Where had they been?

Shot. Every one.

Many years ago the directors of the national parks decided that only the gentle animals should grace the beautiful wilderness. Rangers, hunters, and ranchers were told to shoot every wolf they saw. They did. By 1926, there were no more wolves in the forty-eight states. No voices howled. The thrilling chorus of the wilderness was silenced.

The wolves were gone.

What follows is a look at how the reintroduction of the wolves brought positive changes back to the ecosystem. Near the end, the wolf pup grows up and heads south where he meets a mate from another pack. Minor's illustrations are exquisite and show the beauty of the landscape and its inhabitants.

Resources for Teaching about Extinction

I'm preparing to teach controversial issues in the classroom. As I plan for discussions of geologic time, evolution, extinction, and climate change, I'm sitting on the floor of my office, pulling books from the shelves, papers from the file cabinet (yes, I am "old-school" in some ways!), and searching for web resources on my iPad while thinking about how to put them all together. I thought this might be a good time to share a few excerpts and some of the resources I'll be using in my lessons.

Resources for Teaching about Extinction

Nonfiction

CAN WE SAVE THE TIGER?

written by Martin Jenkins and illustrated by Vicky White

The world's quite a big place,
you know. But it's not that big,
when you consider how much
there is to squeeze into it.

After all, it's home not just to billions of people, but
to the most amazing number of other kinds of living
things, too. And we're all jostling for space.

We humans have changed the world a lot over the
years, to make room for ourselves and to produce the
things we need.  We've turned forests into farmland,
dammed rivers, and built towns and cities to live in.
Some of the other animals and plants that we share
the Earth with have coped with the changes very
well.  But some haven't.

In fact, some have coped so badly that they're not here
anymore.

They're extinct.

Text ©Martin Jenkins. All rights reserved.

Poetry

Swan Song: Poems of Extinction 

written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Christopher Wormell

The 20 poems in this book pay tribute to species that have disappeared since crossing paths with humankind. The book opens with these disturbing words.

More than ninety-nine percent of all species that have ever lived are now extinct.
. . .
On Earth, six animal species die every hour, many of the most recent due to climate change, habitat destruction, or human greed, carelessness or indifference.

A timeline runs across the bottom of the pages, with the poems ordered by when a species became extinct. You'll also find its scientific name and where it once lived. The first poem is to the aurochs, a species from which modern cattle descended that died out c. 1627. The last poem is to Miss Waldron's red Colobus monkey, a species that died out in 2000. In between you'll find familiar and unfamiliar animals, like the dodo and the blue buck.

The Arizona Jaguar

Description: Loner; nightfall eyes;
Coat of spots on spots (disguise);
Once the New World's largest cat;
Mountain, grassland habitat;
Fed on any kind of meat;
Stumbled down a one-way street;
Color of a jealous sun.
Status: Nowhere. Future: None.

Poem ©J. Patrick Lewis. All rights reserved.

The book concludes with a series of endnotes describing each animal in further detail.

Here's another poem about extinction that is particularly powerful.

The Animals are Leaving
by Charles Harper Webb

One by one, like guests at a late party
They shake our hands and step into the dark:
Arabian ostrich; Long-eared kit fox; Mysterious starling.

One by one, like sheep counted to close our eyes,
They leap the fence and disappear into the woods:
Atlas bear; Passenger pigeon; North Island laughing owl;
Great auk; Dodo; Eastern wapiti; Badlands bighorn sheep.

Read the poem in its entirety.

Video

After watching this, check out this LiveScience article entitled 

Dodo Tales: 17th-Century Observations Suggests Later Extinction Date.

Hands-On Activities/Simulations

The Mammoth Extinction Game

Scholastic Lesson Plan - Learning the Causes of Extinction

Web Sites

Scholastic Study Jams - Population Growth

National Geographic - Mass Extinctions: What Causes Animal Die-Offs?

Discovery Science - Top 10 Extinct Species

Animal Planet - Extinct Animals

Oxford University Museum of Natural History - Learning Zone: Extinct and Endangered

TEDx Event on DeExtinction

National Geographic - De-Extinction: Bringing Extinct Species Back to Life

Other Books to Keep on Hand

The Extinct Alphabet Book

written by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Ralph Masiello

Gone Forever: An Alphabet of Extinct Animals

written by Sandra and William Markle and illustrated by Felipe Davalos

I hope you found this list helpful. If you have any terrific resources for teaching about extinction, I hope you'll share them.

Thinking Small

When the Virginia Standards of Learning for Science were revised in 2010, nanotechnology was added to the content of the 3rd and 5th grade study of matter. Here's how it reads.

Nanotechnology is the study of materials at the molecular (atomic) scale. Items at this scale are so small they are no longer visible with the naked eye. Nanotechnology has shown that the behavior and properties of some substances at the nanoscale (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter) contradict how they behave and what their properties are at the visible scale.

In 5th grade they include the above information and add the following sentence.

Many products on the market today are already benefiting from nanotechnology such as sunscreens, scratch-resistant coatings, and medical procedures.

Since elementary school students are just grappling with our number system and how it's constructed, understanding the math of the nanoscale (negative exponents!) can be difficult. One of the best ways to approach this topic is to make comparisons that kids will understand. This UC-SD-TV program is one of my favorite resources on nanoscience.

If you want to play around a bit with the nanoscale, check out this McREL site.

Finally, if you are looking for some teaching resources, check out my Pinterest board on nanotechnology.

Making Cartesian Divers

If you have an interest in math and science and don't subscribe to the AIMS blog, Math & Science Sandbox, you should! They post all kinds of ideas for teaching math and science, as well as a bunch of challenging problems to solve.

Back in May they posted this terrific video on making Cartesian divers.

Check out the Interesting Science Objects post to download a PDF about Cartesian divers.

Do You Know Physics?

Yes, I know usually write about elementary science topics, but I'm still coming down from my NSTA conference high and have so many great things to share. Here's some food for thought from Henry Reich, creator of MinutePhysics.

What's Eating You? - Food Chains and Food Webs

A food chain shows the ways in which the organisms in an ecosystem interact with one another according to what they eat. When a series of food chains weave together in an ecosystem they are collectively known as a food web. While there are many good nonfiction books about food chains (just ask your school  librarian for some suggestions), I am partial to picture books and poetry on the subject. Here are some books and web resources that can support instruction in this area.

Books

Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web. By Victoria Crenson. Illus. by Annie Cannon. 2009. 34p. Marshall Cavendish, (9780761455523). Gr. 2-5.
While mainly about a shoreline food web on the Delaware Bay, this book also does a fine job describing the life cycle of the horseshoe crab.  Horseshoe crab eggs serve as an important component of a web in which migrating shorebirds, fish, and other animals feed on the eggs. While these animals feed on the eggs, they are in turn eaten by predatory birds (herons and a falcon).

Pond Circle. By Besty Franco. Illus. by Stefano Vitale. 2009. 32p. Margaret K. McElderry, (9781416940210). Gr. 1-3.
Using a form that follows "The House that Jack Built," this rhyming text explores a food chain around the pond near a young girl's house. Here is an excerpt. "This is the frog / the loud bullfrog / that gobbled the beetle / that ate the nymph / that nibbled the algae / that grew in the water / that filled the pond / by Anna's house."

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard. By Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. Illus. by Priscilla Lamont. 2012. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40p. (9780517709900). Gr. 2-5.

This book opens in the spring with a family of four (mom, dad, son, daughter) preparing to plant a garden. The soil is prepared, seeds are planted, and then watered. Narrated by Alice, the young girl in the story, readers are lead through the many stages of growth of in the garden. The two chickens, Maisy and Daisy, appear throughout the book and provide information on everything from composting, to the plant parts we eat, to food chains and food webs, and more.

The Story Goes On. By Aileen Fisher. Illus. by Mique Moriuchi. 2005. 32p. Roaring Brook Press, (9781596430372). Gr. preK-3.
This book begins with a seed, which sprouts and is then is eaten by a bug, which is grabbed by a frog, which is swallowed by a snake, and so on, and so on up the food chain. In the end, it's the decomposers that get to work on what remains.

Trout Are Made of Trees. By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Kate Endle. 2008. 32p. Charlesbridge Publishing, (9781580891370). Gr. 1-4.
What happens when leaves fall from a tree and land in a stream? "They ride in a rush above rocks and over rapids. They snag and settle soggily down." From here they become food for bacteria and a home for algae. They are further broken down by little critters, like crane flies, caddisflies, shrimp and stoneflies. These critters are eaten by predators. Guess where those leaves are now? When the predators are eaten by trout, the trout are made of trees.

Vulture View. By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. 2007. 32p. Henry Holt and Co., (9780805075571). Gr. K-3.
Scavengers and decomposers play a very important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. In helping to break down dead organisms, they are responsible for returning basic nutrients to the soil so that they may reenter the chain. In this book, we get a glimpse of the scavenging role that vultures play, along with some poetry and interesting facts about these oft maligned birds.

What's For Dinner?: Quirky, Squirmy Poems From the Animal World. By Katherine Hauth. Illus. by David Clark. 2011. 48p. Charlesbridge, (9781570914720). Gr. 2-5.
This collection of 29 poems examines what animals eat and are eaten by.  Not for the faint of heart, or squeamish, the poems provide a realistic, albeit humorous look at  the natural order of things. Included in the back matter is an explanation of some of the more difficult concepts and vocabulary (symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, etc.). Readers will also find includes information on the subjects of the poems.

Wolf Island. By Celia Godkin. Illus. by the author.  2006. 32p. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, (9781554550081). Gr. 3-6.
What happens when a top predator in well-balanced ecosystem disappears? This story highlights the changes that occur on an island after a family of wolves accidentally leave the island for the mainland. Without predators, there is nothing to keep the deer population in check. When it swells, the deer eat so much grass that rabbits and mice have fewer young. This results in less food for foxes and owls. This is a terrific resource for demonstrating how the balance of an ecosystem can easily be upset. It also does a fine job of explaining why the top predators in a food chain are so important.

Videos

Antarctic Ocean Food Web

This site contains a series of short videos that describe different organisms in an ocean food web. 

Energy Pyramid
This page includes a video that describes the energy pyramid in an ecosystem. It defines producers, herbivores, and carnivores. Once students review this information, they can learn more about energy pyramids of the forest, prairie, and ocean.

Scholastic StudyJams - Food Chains

Here's a video from Scholastic on food chains. Also includes links to key vocabulary and a "Test Yourself" feature.

Scholastic Study Jams - Food Webs

Here's a video from Scholastic on food webs. Also includes links to key vocabulary and a "Test Yourself" feature.

Wild Kratts: Up the Ocean Food Chain!

This short, entertaining video from PBS describes the organisms in a simple ocean food chain.

Web Sites
BBC Bitesize Science - Food Chains Activity

In this activity, kids try to discover the organism at the top of the food chain in a land and sea ecosystem. As the parts of the chain are filled in, information about the animals appears on the screen.

BrainPOP Jr. - Food Chain Lesson Ideas
This page includes background information on food chains and food webs, as well as ideas for teacher activities and family activities. Links to BrainPOP videos are included, but keep in mind that even though one video a day is free, these are generally available only to subscribers.

Chain Reaction - Build a Food Chain
After reading a bit about the organisms that make up the food chain, kids get to try building a chain that might be found in a forest or a northern ecosystem (think Arctic).

The Food Chain Game
Kids drag parts of the food chain into the correct position. Once the chain is complete (and correct), kids can watch it come to life and see the chain in action.

Food Chains
In this activity kids learn about various living things, sort them into different categories and discover where they fit into the food chain. Habitats explored include ocean, forest and desert.

My Science Box - Food Chains
In this food chain lesson, students review the concepts of food chains and the roles of organisms in a food chain through a sorting activity. Cards representing different organisms in a California ecosystem are first sorted by what they eat (herbivore, carnivore, etc.) and then are reordered to create several food chains.

Science NetLinks: Cycle of Life - Food Chain
This lesson focuses on the food chain by helping students understand that almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants and that the sun is the ultimate source of energy needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow.

For Teachers

Background Information from the VA SOL Curriculum Framework

Grade 3

• A food chain shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment.
• Terrestrial organisms are found on land habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and forests. Aquatic organisms are found in water habitats such as ponds, marshes, swamps, rivers, and oceans.
• A green plant makes its own food using sunlight, air, and water. Green plants are producers.
• A consumer is an animal that eats living organisms (plant or animal).
• Certain organisms break down decayed plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms. These organisms are decomposers.
• A food chain, which shows part of a food web, can have an animal that eats only plants (herbivore). It can have an animal that eats only other animals (carnivore). It can also have an animal that eats both plants and animals (omnivore).
• An animal can hunt other animals to get its food (predator). 
• An animal can be hunted by another animal for food (prey).

Grade 4

• Populations of species that live in the same place at the same time together make up a community.
• The organization of communities is based on the utilization of the energy from the sun within a given ecosystem. The greatest amount of energy in a community is in the producers.
• Within a community, organisms are dependent on the survival of other organisms. Energy is passed from one organism to another.
• All the populations and the nonliving components in an environment that interact with each other form an ecosystem.
• The sun’s energy cycles through ecosystems from producers through consumers and back into the nutrient pool through decomposers.

Grade 5

• Plankton are tiny free-floating organisms that live in water. Plankton may be animal-like or plant-like. Animal-like plankton are called zooplankton. Plant-like plankton (phytoplankton) carry out most of the photosynthesis on Earth. Therefore, they provide much of Earth’s oxygen. Phytoplankton form the base of the ocean food web. Plankton flourish in areas where nutrient-rich water upwells from the deep.
  

Naming Winter Storms

Photo by Jason Meredith.

I was a bit surprised last week when the winter storm that was heading for the northeast was dubbed "Nemo." Since when do we name winter storms? As someone who grew up in western New York and lived through plenty of lake effect snow storms and big blizzards, I don't remember a storm getting named unless it was a huge event, and even then they weren't name until AFTER they passed through. And let's face it, the names weren't very creative—the Blizzard of 1977 being a prime example.

Apparently the Weather Channel has decided that we should name winter storms. Here's an excerpt from their web site addressing this issue.

Hurricanes and tropical storms have been given names since the 1940s. In the late 1800s, tropical systems near Australia were named as well. Weather systems, including winter storms, have been named in Europe since the 1950s. Important dividends have resulted from attaching names to these storms:

• Naming a storm raises awareness.

• Attaching a name makes it much easier to follow a weather system’s progress.

• A storm with a name takes on a personality all its own, which adds to awareness.

• In today’s social media world, a name makes it much easier to reference in communication.

• A named storm is easier to remember and refer to in the future.

The article raises some really interesting issues. Of course, the teacher in me wants to know how this fits into the curriculum. I do think this topic provides a nice teachable moment.

You can read more about this issue at Why The Weather Channel is Naming Winter Storms.

STEM Friday - Secrets of the Garden

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard, written by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont, is a fine example of informational picture book that works on many levels. It is gorgeously illustrated, interestingly told, and chock full of science.

Let's start with the actual story. It opens in the spring with a family of four (mom, dad, son, daughter)—five if you count the cat, and seven if you count their amazingly smart chickens—preparing to plant a garden. The soil is prepared, seeds are planted, and then watered. Narrated by Alice, the young girl in the story, her observations and wonderings immediately set the stage for the science that is to come. Here's an excerpt.

I try to imagine what's going on under that soil. Are our seeds alive and growing? Every morning we hurry out of bed and check to see if anything has sprouted. But days go by and still our garden looks like an empty patch of brown.

Alice leads readers through the many stages of growth of in the garden, spending time closely observing everything that unfolds. She spots a rabbit munching on the vegetables, a hawk swooping down and snatching an unsuspecting grasshopper, many insects eating plants or other insects, and a robin capturing and eating an earthworm. As fall arrives, the vegetables are harvested and many are put up for the winter.

Complementing the story are Lamont's beautifully rendered pen and watercolor illustrations. There is a tremendous amount of detail in them, giving readers much to look for. In addition to the main illustrations that support and help to tell the story, there are small boxes and bits of informational drawings and text scattered throughout. 

While the CIP data for the book indicate that this is fiction, there is a TON of information in it. First, there are two chickens, Maisy and Daisy, who appear throughout the book and provide information on everything from composting, to the plant parts we eat, to food chains and food webs, and more. There are also speech balloons where the characters describe what they are seeing. All the concepts in the text are explained in kid-friendly, highly accessible language. One of my favorite illustrations in the book is nothing more than a rendering of worm trails in the soil. However, the trails are filled with worms and information! Here's what you'll read and learn when you follow the trails and turn the book upside down and around.

Worms are a special part of the food chain. When plants die, they fall to the ground and begin to rot. The worms eat the rotting plants. As the worms tunnel around, they leave digested plant matter behind in the soil. The digested plant matter returns important nutrients to the soil. The worms also loosen up the soil as they tunnel. Then water and air get down to the plants' roots more easily. Worms help the plants grow.

Near the end of the book, Alice describes her home and compares it to their summer home, the garden.  She explains that while only their family lives in their wooden home (house), their garden home includes others, like rabbits, birds, spiders, and beetles. One the opposing page, one of the chickens reads from a book that defines ecology. In the speech bubble we read these words.

Ecology is the study of all the living things in one area, or environment, and how the relate to teach other. The word "ecology" comes from the Greek word oikos, which means "house" or "home." Any living thing's environment is its home.

There is so much to love in this book, from the simple story of a family living and working together to tend the garden, to thoughtfully integrated science, to the lovely illustrations. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Book: Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard

Author:  Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld 
Illustrator: Priscilla Lamont
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 2012
Pages: 40 pages
Grades: K-5
ISBN:  978-0517709900
Source of Book: Personal copy

This review was written for STEM Friday. 

Book Review - Potatoes on Rooftops

Today over at The Miss Rumphius Effect you'll find a review of POTATOES ON ROOFTOPS: FARMING IN THE CITY, written by Hadley Dyer. If you have a moment, please stop by and check it out.

Book Review - World Without Fish

Today over at The Miss Rumphius Effect you'll find a review of WORLD WITHOUT FISH: HOW KIDS CAN HELP SAVE THE OCEANS, written by Mark Kurlansky and illustrated by Frank Stockton. If you have a moment, please stop by and check it out.