7 STEM Books to Use With Novel Effect

 7 STEM Books to Use With Novel Effect

I remember coming home from a conference a year or so ago and introducing my young sons to this “new app”, Novel Effect.  We added the app to my phone and looked for a story to try. They immediately picked Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a childhood favorite. The boys loved hearing the beachy vibe and the waves in the background. They were amazed at the sounds of the coconuts and the effects when the alphabet letters climbed up and eventually falling down from the tree.

The app truly enhanced our reading experience at home, prompting me to share it with the students in the schools that I serve. With my passion for STEM education, I especially love the books in the STEAM category within the Novel Effect app.

This post will share seven of my favorite read aloud selections that can be used with the app. In addition, I share some possible “after reading” activities that extend student thinking and give learners the chance to engage in hands-on learning connected to great literature. 

 Mae Among the Stars by Rosa Ahmed

This is an inspirational story of an amazing woman in STEM. Mae Jemison dreamed about being an astronaut. Her teacher tried to deter her from pursuing this dream, but Mae didn’t give up. With great determination, Mae continues to work towards achieving her dream. She gets support from her parents, pushing her to reach her dream of seeing Earth from space.

After reading:

●       Design and construct their own spacecraft including movement, lights, or sounds

●       Build a model of outer space using recyclables

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca

When Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become a well-respected voice in science. She was a determined visual thinker transforming her ideas into inventions. Temple felt in tune with animals, helping her invent improvements for farms around the globe. Her unique perspective and innovative thinking are shared in this story.

After reading:

●       Brainstorm ways you might help different kinds of animals

●       Prototype an invention from an idea that you came up with

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

This is a story of a girl and the important lesson that she learns from her grandmother. Students will reflect on the importance of water in their lives. The Ojibwe people tell the story of a black snake that will one day destroy their land and poison their water. The girl discovers that this “black snake” has already come in the form of an oil pipeline through their land. She takes action to protect their water supply.  Becoming a water protector means doing whatever it takes for the sake of the environment and the people, plants, and animals of the Earth.

After reading:

●       Create a digital poster telling about the importance of water

●       Build a model showing a important source of water where you live

The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield

As a child Chris loved rockets and pretending he was a brave astronaut. He didn’t feel so brave though, because was afraid of the dark. After watching the moon landing on TV, he knew that he had to become an astronaut one day. Chris goes on to be the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space. He flew in two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station.

After reading:

●       Construct a rocket and a mechanism to launch it

●       Design an invention to help kids who are afraid of the dark

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk

Pearl and her robot want to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over. They decide to do it using code. Breaking the problem into smaller steps, Pearl uses conditionals and loops to tell Pascal what to do. They find that building a sandcastle isn’t as easy as it sounds when lots of things get in their way.

After reading:

●       Build a robot that can move through a maze (or use your favorite robot like ozobots or Dot and Dash)

●       Try some unplugged coding activities

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

This book is meant to serve as a guide to life on Earth. The author created it for his son as a lesson for how we should take care of our world. Whether on land, in the oceans, or in outer space, it is our responsibility to care for the plants and animals that live here. With a focus on kindness, this is a great book for kids of all ages.

After reading:

●       Encourage your students to take action. Make a short video to tell others about taking care of the Earth.

●       Design a new planet. What would it look like? What special features would it have?

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. The unique illustrations of both under water and sky will interest young learners. With minnows darting, beavers diving, and tadpoles growing, we can see different creatures who make up this rich ecosystem. 

After reading:

●       Research and create a model of a different type of ecosystem

●       Design divided illustrations (like in the book) where you can see over/under or inside/outside of different things 

From coding to space travel to sustainability and the environment, there are so many great STEM topics to share. Novel Effect has a library of books that keeps on growing! They have books connected to all subject areas and many different themes, perfect for the elementary classroom. 

Pairing great books with STEM activities is a part of what I call “remaking” our literacy practices. This approach offers hands-on strategies to connect with children’s literature, helping students to engage more in reading, writing, and vocabulary, but also activating their creative thinking. For more ideas like these, check out the book Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning.

Choosing Books to Remake Literacy

Sir Ken Robinson said, “Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” While I would never argue with the wisdom of the late Sir Ken, educators are skillfully integrating literacy AND creativity in ways that can exponentially expand student understanding and innovative thinking. 

I call this mix of learning—Remaking Literacy.  It is a way of thinking that creates new experiences around literacy teaching and learning through creativity and design.  It includes the integration of STEM, STEAM, and Maker Education in meaningful ways connected to quality literature.  

We know that good readers are active readers.  They think, question, consider, and reflect.  They put themselves into the minds of the characters or the author as they analyze dialogue, make predictions, and solve problems.  Students are doing this in classrooms around the world through discussions, research papers, charts, and notetaking.  But what if, instead they could take their understanding of reading and writing and develop it in visible, creative, and engaging ways through hands-on making? 

I have shared in previous posts a number of ways to engage students in "remaking" that is connected to text. Through tinkering with different materials, thinking and planning, and engaging in the engineering design process, our students can engage in learning that activates their curiosity. As educators, we can thoughtfully select books that foster student creativity while also building on important skills in literacy.

Books for Tinkering

The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers
Extra Yarn by Mac Bennett
The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier
Building Books by Megan Llyod
Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler
Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones
The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong
The Nest Is Noisy by Dianna Hutss Aston
Ojichan’s Gift by Chieri Uegaki

Books for Thinking

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

Drawn Together by Mihn Le

Agi and The Thought Compass by Betsy O’Neill-Sheehan

The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield

Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

A House That Once Was by Julie Fogliano

Save the Bees by Bethany Stahl

Just How Long Can a Long String Be? by Keith Baker

Books for Design

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff

Betty Builds It by Julie Hampton

The Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone

Pandamonium at Peek Zoo by Kevin Waldron

If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen

Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin

Inky’s Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery

Across the Bay by Carlos Aponte

Stay tuned!

In future posts, I will share lesson ideas for these books including hands-on ways to "remake" our literacy practices. Adding quick design thinking exercises or including an engineering twist to a book, students will not only engage more in the classroom, but chances are they will also build vocabulary and comprehension skills along the way.

In addition, students will tap into their creativity as they brainstorm, design, engineer, and collaborate with others. If you are interested in more ways to incorporate tinkering, thinking, and design into your classroom, check out my book:

Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning, Grades K-5; Classroom Maker Projects for Elementary Literacy Education

8 Ways to Spark Creativity

Have you tried the 30 Circle Challenge?

This is a great tool to use in classrooms with students (I also use it when I am providing professional learning for teachers and school leaders). This simple challenge created by Robert McKim, Professor Emeritus at Stanford's Department of Mechanical Engineering and popularized by Kelley brothers at IDEO is a fun way to spark some creativity.

 

The template for the 30 Circle Challenge can be used in different ways that extend beyond the opportunity to provide a quick, creative jumpstart. With simple directions to turn as many as the blank circles into recognizable objects in three minutes, this can be a great warm-up exercises for learners of all ages.

The template doesn’t have to include 30 circles either.  You can create a grid with any number of circles depending on the level/age of the learner or the nature of the activity.  12 or 20 circles work just fine! You could also try it with squares, triangles, or a mix of shapes.

 Whether creative thinking is your focus or you are working within a specific content area, there are other ways to use and adapt the 30 circles. Here are some different options for using the template in other subject areas and for other purposes throughout the school year. 

●    Getting to Know You

       This can be used for back-to-school time or as a class icebreaker. Ask students to fill the circles with things that tell about themselves.  Ideas might include pictures or names of family members, hobbies, pets, friends or places to visit. Students can then share 1-2 circles with different classmates as a way to get to know one another.

●    Magic Number

      Use the circles in math to show different ways to represent the value of a number.  For example, if the magic number is 12 students can show addition or subtraction equations that equal 12.  They might write the word “twelve” or show twelve tally marks.  They might use dice or a clock or Roman numerals.

●    30-Word Summary

      After reading a story, watching a video, or listening to a speech, students can write a summary with exactly 30 words. Summarizing can be a challenging skill for some students. Reading (or listening) and then capturing the gist of the text provides practice for students. 

●    Poetry

       Write a poem with 30 words.  It can include rhyming, be free verse, or any other style.

●    Make an Observation

      Students can use the template as a way to document things they observe, in the classroom, on a nature walk, or at home.  Draw or write about the things that you see, hear, and feel. This is a great fit for the end of a science lesson or an exit ticket for an art class.

●    Word Study

      Write as many words as you can that mean the same as the target word.  For example, write words that are synonyms for the word "good".  This will help students to develop vocabulary and create a bank of stronger or more descriptive words for use in their writing.

●    Character Analysis

      Use the template to write or draw ideas connected to a character including things like character traits, important quotes, phrases, or pictures.

●    Connecting Ideas

      Draw lines connecting circles together to create a visual timeline, word web, or story map.  Add colors to show ideas that are related and dotted lines to show your thinking path.

      These represent just a few ways to utilize the 30 Circle Challenge in your classroom. What other ways have you tried? Share your comments below!

      If you are interested in more ways to spark creative thinking with your students, check out my book Unlock Creativity: Open a World of Imagination With Your Students. 

 

 

How to Start a STEM Library

*This post was previously published by Carly and Adam.

 How to Start a STEM Library

Kids love the story Inky's Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home. The brightly illustrated book engages students as they learn about octopus and other undersea creatures. They gain empathy when Inky is captured in the lobster trap and they root for him when he attempts to escape the aquarium. The story of Inky provides knowledge in science through the exploration of the ocean. It also provides a glimpse into different STEM-related jobs (fisherman, marine biologist, zoo/aquarium workers).

The story can also offer an opportunity for students to engage in hands-on STEM learning after they read the book. Designing a lobster trap, planning for a class fish tank, or constructing a model of a coral reef, students can extend their STEM learning through additional experiences. This story (and so many others) can support STEM learning in a variety of ways. Obtaining a few STEM read alouds is your first step in starting your STEM library.

What exactly is a STEM library?

A STEM library is a collection of children’s books that support STEM content and foster student thinking, design, and exploration. These may be books that are used for classroom read aloud selections, used in learning centers, or ones that students can read on their own. Building these resources in your school or classroom can increase student engagement in both the language arts and the STEM content.  Adding read alouds to your STEM learning can offer many benefits including sparking creativity, promoting more reading, and building student understanding. 

Why is a STEM library important? 

Access to quality reading materials is critical for every child to develop and grow as a reader. Whether you are a classroom teacher, STEM teacher, or a librarian, adding books that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math will create connections across subject areas and deepen student understanding. STEM read aloud selections can also develop other skills and dispositions in our students like flexibility, perseverance, and cooperation.

Where do I start?

Start small. Look through the books that you already have and pull out ones that are connected to science, technology, engineering, and math. Think about STEM-related topics like weather, plants, animals, or machines. These may be some of your first additions to your STEM library. Begin using those as your classroom read alouds or add them to a learning center where students can read them on their own. (You can even add some manipulatives so that students can design, build, and experiment after exploring the books.) 

Books on a Budget

Don’t have much of a book budget? There are lots of ways to find books without spending a ton of money. Be on the lookout for book sales. Online publishers offer a $1 sale every few months, which is a great time to stock up on books. Local public libraries also have book sales. (I’ve been able to grab some great used books for as low as 25 cents!) Don’t forget yard sales as another way to pick up used books to add to your STEM library.

If you don’t have a budget at all, hit up the public library. Librarians can also be a great resource to suggest STEM books. You might also plan a book drive. Ask parents and community members to donate books to your classroom. Sometimes your school book fair can also be set up to allocate book donations directly to your classroom. You might suggest topics or accept any donations of any type. Lots of teachers have discovered the benefits of Donors Choose and #ClearTheLists. These are other ways that you can get support for your STEM library. Posting your projects or lists allows people to see ways that they can donate to help your students. Lastly, be on the lookout for grants. Even if you are writing a grant for technology or STEM equipment, always include some funding for books. 

Ready to Build Your Library?

There are so many great STEM books, it is hard to just recommend a few. Here are some with links to simple STEM activities that are connected to each book.

• The Most Magnificent Thing is a great book to add to your STEM library. With a focus on the engineering design cycle and persevering through challenges, the story is the perfect way to start the STEM conversation in your classroom. 

• One Plastic Bag can be connected to different STEM challenges connected to the environment, sustainability, and the importance of recycling.

• Mr. Ferris and His Wheel provides some history about the invention of the Ferris Wheel, prompting students to build one of their own.

• Mae Among the Stars is the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American female in space. Students will be asking to design and build rockets after reading this story.

Need more book ideas?

When we connect children’s literature to hands-on learning, not only do we see a rise in student engagement, but also in student understanding. We can incorporate a read aloud to introduce a science concept or align a story to an engineering design challenge. We can add building blocks, circuits, and coding to our read alouds. (Check out Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning for different ways to connect STEM and great children’s books.)

You can continue to build your STEM library over time. You don’t need to have hundreds of books right away. You might even consider partnering with other teachers in your grade level or on your team and share books with one another. In time, your library will grow. Surrounding your students with quality STEM books will help them to continue to thrive in their literacy skills and their STEM skills, too!

 A Good Kind of Tired

We all know that “teacher tired” is a different kind of tired, especially at the beginning of the year or on a Friday. Pure exhaustion! There is another kind of tiredness, it’s the exhausted feeling that you feel after an educational conference. This is a good kind of tiredness that means you have used all of your senses to fully engage in all that comes with attending a conference. 

This is how I felt after attending the FETC conference in New Orleans last week.  It’s the feeling that your brain has been working hard to process new ideas. It’s the feeling that your heart is full from connections with your PLN. It’s the feeling that your body needs to rest after walking to lots of great sessions and your arms need to relax after plenty of waves, handshakes, and hugs. It is when you realize that your ears need some quiet to process the content and conversations that filled your days and nights.  

Attending a conference can overload the senses, especially after a period of time when we have functioned in isolation (with social distancing and all that came with living through years of a pandemic.) This sensory overload can tire you out while at the same time rejuvenate you and propel you forward into new learning.

Some say that you just need a little R&R; rest and relaxation. While those are good, after a conference, I say that you need 3 Rs: recuperate and reflect then renew. 

Recuperate

After a conference, you may need to take a few days to recuperate. Long days of presenting or attending sessions and late nights enjoying a new city with friends, taking advantage of networking events, can also mean a little less sleep than normal. Recuperating might mean taking a relaxing bubble bath, loading up on Vitamin C, or taking an afternoon nap.

It’s also time to wind down from the hectic pace of conference life and assimilate back into life as parents and spouses, teachers, and leaders. Transitioning back to these other roles can be challenging. Shifting from conference-mode to mom-mode is always tough for me! As you do, it will be time to process all of the information that you have taken in during conference time and begin to consider what to do with it all.

Reflect

Let’s face it, if you start each day with a keynote and attend a full schedule of sessions, things can get overwhelming. That is a lot of information to process! Taking time to reflect can mean reminiscing as you scroll through your photos and post to social media. Reflecting might also mean reviewing those all-important nuggets of learning and figuring out how you will incorporate those into your work moving forward.

During the conference, I was invigorated by the ideas that were shared in the conference sessions by rockstar educators. Reading through my notes, revisiting slides, and conference resources, I reflected on new ideas and a validation of existing beliefs. I considered things I might try and decided on what ideas to let go.

I was engaged by the expanse of vendors who shared the latest and greatest of all things educational technology. I returned home more excited to share the cool features of Canva, Novel Effect, and Book Creator with the school districts that I serve. The incredible social events hosted by companies like Flip, Wakelet, Zoom, and Logitech made the conference experience even better. I was elated by the connections that I made with educators, librarians, tech coaches, and school leaders. As I reflect on the conversations, I am filled with appreciation for the new friends I’ve made and the ones I have had for years. Spending quality time with those who make you better is critical to personal and professional growth.

One takeaway from my personal reflection was to return to blogging--thus this post! For me, writing has always been a vehicle for reflection. It allows me to process through my thinking and share my ideas with others. I hope to write more in the coming months and continue this tool for reflection.

Renew

Sometimes we feel a sense of renewal in the new year or after a special milestone. Renewal can feel motivating. It can come in the form of an energy surge. After a conference, I usually feel a bit of both.

After the conference I felt a sense of renewal in a few ways. My motivation to learn and grow was renewed through the amazing people that I met and the new things that I learned. For a period of time, I lost my interest in socializing. Once I was able to reconnect with old friends, my interest in people was renewed. 

In my role as an educational consultant and instructional coach, I visit schools across the country, but no longer have a “home district”. Sometimes my sense of belonging is skewed by my lack of connection with a district to call my own. However, at the conference, I was reconnected with my tribe and rediscovered the sense of belonging that makes me feel joyful, supported, and inspired.

For now, I am going to live in this fulfilling, yet tired feeling and wait for the next big conference!

5 Read Alouds to Support STEM and SEL: Relationship Skills

*Adapted from a post was previously published by Carly and Adam. It is based on STEM and SEL content that I developed.

5 Read Alouds to Support STEM and SEL: Relationship Skills

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has always been important, but we are at a critical turning point of understanding just how important these skills are for our learners. 

The elementary STEM classroom is a great place to begin teaching students the foundational relationship skills needed to be successful in all other areas of their lives. Relationship skills allow your students the opportunity to put other SEL skills like self-awareness (how they feel) and social awareness (how others feel) into action (collaboration).

What is Social Emotional Learning?

CASEL’s Social Emotional Learning Framework include 5 core competencies which present a strong alignment to the work done in STEM. When students are taught relationship skills, they are better able to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, and work collaboratively to problem solve. As they develop their skills, they begin to learn how to negotiate conflicts constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands, and build leadership skills.

Relationship Skills also include:

• Developing positive relationships
• Demonstrating cultural competency
• Resisting negative social pressure
• Showing leadership in groups
• Seeking or offering support and help when needed
• Standing up for the rights of others

Relationship Skills

Relationship skills are important for our students because they are often asked to work in small groups. It’s easy to take for granted that the students may or may not already know how to work together in these situations. Teaching relationship skills to the students in your classroom will allow them to think about:

• What does it look like to work within a group?
• What is my role within the group?
• What happens if my group fails?
• What happens if my group is successful?
• How do I agree with my classmates?
• How do I disagree with my classmates and still remain respectful?

Incorporating Read Alouds

Integrating SEL in our classrooms doesn’t have to be another thing that we add to our already packed schedules. SEL skills and strategies can be incorporated into the content we are already teaching. There are many connections between the goals of meaningful STEM learning and the tenets of social emotional development.

Here are some great read aloud selections to introduce relationship building. Each book also has a connection to STEM, incorporating ways for students to apply their relationship skills while working collaboratively with others.

Coding to Kindness

Coding to Kindness by Valerie Sousa is about three friends who sometimes get into disagreements. As they navigate these sticky situations, this interactive picture book allows friends to use coding to find solutions. 

In Coding to Kindness, the characters use the directions and sequence of their code to listen to each other, share with one another, and solve problems. Just like friendships, coding takes multiple steps before the code. Each step we take towards being kind to others helps to build our friendship with them.

The book offers some unplugged coding activities for students. Students can also engage in the engineering design process by designing and constructing a model swing for the friends in the story to play on.

Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker

Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker by Christianne Jones is the story of an owl who talks and talks. She talked all day and all night until one day, she lost her voice. This unexpected disruption in her day made her realize just how much she was missing out on by talking too much and not listening enough.

With a focus on communication, one partner builds something with building bricks, without showing the final product to their partner. Then, the write down the directions to build an identical item. Then, their partner gets the same set of building bricks and tries to construct the same object. Will the directions clearly communicate the steps?

Rulers of the Playground

Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler is the story of Jonah who decides to rule over the school playground as his personal kingdom. Everything was going just fine until another friend decided that she also wanted to rule the playground. With divided loyalties, the playground was no longer a fun place to be. 

Using recyclable materials (think: cardboard, clean plastics, or other available craft materials) students will design a playground with inclusion in mind. They are challenged to think about things that kids of different ages would like to play on, incorporate structures that are wheelchair friendly, and include toys for individuals and groups.

The Giant Jam Sandwich

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord is a clever, rhyming storybook of the townspeople of Itching Down who came together to solve a problem. Their town was invaded by wasps, but they had a plan. Each person played their role to come together to create a giant jam sandwich that doubled as a wasp trap.

Putting together a giant jam sandwich took a lot of work (and an entire town!). Engaging in problem solving and design, students can brainstorm solutions for how they might trap the wasps. 

Zach Apologizes

In Zach Apologizes by William Mulcahy, Zach makes a mistake by pushing his brother, Alex, for taking his favorite toy. When Zach was in trouble, nothing seemed right, not even playing with his toys, but putting his apology into action made everything right again. Zach’s mom walked through the four-square apology to teach him how to apologize to his brother.

With inventing in mind, your students can help Zach apologize by making a toy for his brother. Using recyclable materials, students will sketch their ideas and build a prototype, working through the engineering design process.

STEM and SEL

In schools across the globe, we are working to develop opportunities for our students to build social emotional skills that will benefit them in school and in social settings. While we can teach them these skills, it is even more important to give them the chance to apply and practice these skills in a safe environment. By connecting children's literature that focuses on relationship building with STEM experiences where they can work with others to design, build, and problem solving, we can not only foster SEL development, but also promote STEM learning, as well.