Are you looking for top-notch science books for middle-grade-aged children? Here are my picks for some of the best of 2012.
Sometimes a science book may have a lot of large color illustrations and look like a picture book. However, the text and reading level of these books are intended for children roughly 9-12 years old. (If you are looking for picture books for younger kids, try this previous post about science picture books.)
Note: “My review” links take you to full reviews of the books at Wrapped In Foil blog, many with suggestions for hands-on activities. “Related science activities” links take you to posts here at Growing With Science, often inspired by the book. Linked titles go to Amazon for further information.
* I do have a slight reservation about this book, due to a few errors (tigers are not found in South America, for example). Others, however, have been very positive about it.
Do you have any favorite science books for middle-grade-aged children that were published in 2012? We’d love to hear about them.
We are pleased to be hosting STEM Friday this week, a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books for children. The theme for today is wildflowers, so be sure to click through the link and check it out. (This post contains affiliate links to Amazon).
We are fast approaching the the centennial of Lady Bird Johnson’s birth, December 22, 2012, and it seemed like a perfect time to pull out Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt and illustrated by Joy Fisher Hein. This is a beautiful picture book biography that overflows with the beautiful wildflowers that Lady Bird Johnson enjoyed so much. (For a full review of the book, see our sister blog, Wrapped in Foil.)
You may wonder how a picture book about a former first lady who loved wildflowers could be used as a jumping off point for STEM. Here are just a few ideas:
Construct two weather stations and compare the weather in a wildflower garden versus a parking lot
Engineering:
Wildflower seeds come in many different sizes and shapes. Investigate how wildflower seeds are planted, harvested, processed or threshed, and packaged for sale. Can you think of a machine to do this in a better way?
Math:
Look for patterns and shapes in a wildflower garden (see free .pdf curricula to download at the Wildflower Center)
Investigating wildflowers can be a wonderful way to promote all aspects of STEM.
Lupine life cycle
Let’s take a look at the life cycle of one of Lady Bird Johnson’s favorite flowers, the bluebonnet or lupine. Her favorite was Lupinus texensis, the Texas bluebonnet. We are showing the arroyo lupine, Lupinussucculentus, which is a similar plant.
Lupine seeds
sprout into seedlings. The first two smooth oval “leaves” are actually the cotyledons.
Soon the regular leaves emerge and the plants begin to grow.
In a few short months the lupines begin to flower.
Honey bees and other pollinators pollinate the flowers. When the flower has been pollinated, the white part turns red.
Now the petals fall off and the seed pods begin to form. You can see the dark green seeds forming inside.
When they are mature, the pods turn brown. Do you see the ones towards the bottom of the photograph that are twisted? The pods burst open when they are mature and send the seeds shooting through the air. Hopefully, the seeds will land in a good location and grow into new lupines the following year.
Plant some wildflowers so you can follow your own plant life cycles. In the Sonoran Desert the time to plant wildflowers flowers for a spring bloom is right now (November).
Related activities/information:
Be sure to check either Kathi Appelt‘s (click on the icon next to the “brand new” image) or Joy Fisher Hein‘s websites for a beautiful and fun activity kit (in .pdf) to download that accompanies the book. The kit includes a word search, card matching game and many ideas for hands-on learning.
“My review” links take you to full reviews of the books at Wrapped In Foil blog, many with suggestions for hands-on activities. “Related science activities” links take you to posts here at Growing With Science, often inspired by the book. Linked titles go to Amazon for further information.
We’re hosting STEM Friday this Friday, so look for more about science books for kids all week!