I’ve always enjoyed enhancing our science units with unusual books.  This week I’d like to share some of our favorites.  We recently enjoyed “Boy of the Deep” as part of our electiricty/alternative energy/coal unit.

 And, check out the poetry books – science and poetry – it’s a fun combination!  I purchase blank books from Miller Pads and Paper every year at our state convention.  This year my daughter decided to use one to start an animal poetry book.

Hurry and the Monarch:  A fun story that chronicles the annual monarch migration to Mexico.  Hurry is a tortoise who befriends a Monarch on the way south.  Hurry then witnesses the entire butterfly life cycle and eventually has to say good-bye to a newly transformed Monarch.  The watercolor illustrations are colorful and educational – including a map depicting the migration route and the stages of the Monarch life cycle.  ISBN  0-375-83003 0   Ages 3-8

Cardinal and Sunflower:  If you’re studying plant life, birds or the seasons with your youngest scientist, this is a good read.  A mother and child drop sunflower seeds on the snow to provide for the birds.  Some of the seeds are eaten, yet others make their way to the soil as the winter snows melt and give way to Spring sunshine.  As the young sunflower seeds sprout, so, too, the mama and papa birds hatch and raise their broods.   As summer arrives the full grown birds enjoy the mature sunflower plants that once were scattered upon the snows.  ISBN 0-06-026222-2  Ages 3-8

Cool Time Song.  A perfect storybook for a unit on the African savannah.  Although the theme of this book is to remind us to love and protect the earth, it is a great way to help young children learn the name of African animals, including kudus, zebras, giraffes, elephants,hyenas and lions.  Plus, small tidbits of information about each animal are subtly woven into the story, “…elephants must crust themselves with layer upon layer of dust to protect their tough, thick skins….”  ISBN 0-670-05928-8  Ages 3-7

Loon Lake.  A young girl and her father enjoy a visit on the lake near their campsite.  A family of loons entertains them.  We also meet an otter and a beaver.  Jonathon London helps the reader see each movement as a fascinating wonder of the animal world.  There is a 2-page section in the back about loons.  A good book if studying birds or ponds/lakes.  ISBN 0-8118-2003-3  Ages 4-8.
 

Boy of the Deep.  This is a story my daughter especially enjoyed as we studied coal mines as part of our electricity and alternative energy unit.  A young boy reaches the age where he can finally go to work with his father deep in the mines.  The story is set before modern day automation.  Father and son experience a minor cave in. ISBN 0888996608.  Ages 5-10.

The next series of selections are poetry collections centered on science-related themes.  What a neat way to mix science and literature!

Polar Bear, Arctic Hare:  Poems of the Frozen North  Each poem introduces the reader to a different Arctic animal, including: the musk ox, ptarmigan, snowy owl, arctic wolves, narwhals, Beluga whales, and even snow fleas!  Plus, each season is depicted, along with some of the native plants.  Definitely an effective way to learn interesting facts.  After we read this book, my children had a fun time writing their own animals poems about the birds in our backyard (and our house cat!).  ISBN:  1-59078-344-1 Ages 4 – 9

Make Things Fly:  Poems About the Wind  A neat addition to a weather unit.  This is a compilation of poems from various poets, including A. A. Milne, Robert Louis Stevenson and modern day poets such as John Ciardi and Norma Farber.  Even more fun than the poems are the line drawings.  They help the reader feel the wind blowing!  ISBN:  0-689-81544-1  Ages 4-12.

 
Bird Watch  We really enjoy Jane Yolen’s books, and Bird Watch is no exception.  Each poem truly reflects the personality of the bird it honors.  Our favorite was “Old Tom” about the turkey that no one could bear the cook with yams!  ISBN:  0-399-21612-X  Ages 4-10.

Thank you for visiting.  See you next week!

 
Michelle and her husband have been homeschooling for 10 years and enjoy life in a tiny southern town.  They are the owners of Treasure Box Press.  Michelle holds a Master's degree in Child Development and Family Studies. She serves as the Judge Advisor for the North Carolina FIRST (www.usfirst.org) Lego League and a judge for the www.FIRST.org World Festival.  She is the author of numerous Sam's Science Adventures, including "RIC: Robots in the Classroom", all available through www.TreasureBoxPress.com.  She spent 15 years in the biotechnology industry before turning her heart toward home.