Science

Science can be difficult to define because it covers so many different topics, but it is often defined as gaining knowledge through study or practice. There are many different possible fields of study within science. Most of those fields fall under either Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth Science. Science in the elementary classroom will include lots of experimentation, hands-on learning, and inquiry practice. Informational science texts can easily be incorporated into the learning and help give students some background knowledge if introduced prior to activity. Science books can also be kept in the classroom library for students to use as references. Books full of simple experiments will also be an excellent resource. Since there are so many different types of science, I plan on having a wide variety of options in my classroom library. I will need books on space, the human body, animals, rocks and minerals, plants, experiments, and so much more. With these type of informational texts, it is very important for the information to be up-to-date, reliable, and presented in an appealing manner. Looking at author reliability is also a factor in choosing Science texts. National Geographic will be a good source to use, with their wide variety of books on different subject areas. They are always full of useful information and presented in a way that appeals to students.

Some of my favorite book choices:

Amazing Giant Wild Animals
By: Marie Greenwood & Polly Appleton

Greenwood, M., & Appleton, P. (2013). Amazing giant wild animals. New York, New York: DK Publishing.

Interest Level: K-4
Grade Level: Not available
Lexile: Not available
Guided Reading: Not available

 
Amazing Giant Wild Animals is educational, fun, and interactive. There are animal fact files on each animal that include information about their size, habitat, and diet, as well as many other random facts. Students will learn a lot about these animals with all the interesting, uncommon facts provided. This book  is an animal lover's dream! Each animal has a 2-page spread full of interesting information, and is well organized so that the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed. There are beautiful illustrations and real photos for each animal, with fold-out flaps for an interactive aspect. This would be best used in a unit on large animals, or to study animals on different continents. Students could compare and contrast the different characteristics of each animal and come up with hypotheses on why they think some of these facts hold true.




Ultimate Bodypedia
By: Christina Wilson, Patricia Daniels, and Anne Schreiber

Wilson, C., Daniels, P., & Schreiber, A. (2014). Ultimate body-pedia: an amazing inside-out tour of the human body. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.

Interest Level: 2-5
Grade Level: Not available
Lexile: 1000L
Guided Reading: Not available


This fun, kid-friendly journey through the human body and all its systems answers kid's questions and keeps them engaged with health tips, top 10 lists, simple experiments, amazing facts, photos, illustrations, and diagrams. Students will find age-appropriate facts about their bodies. The pages are all bright and vibrant, and there is so much excellent information that all you have to do is open a page to learn something! This is one of the most visually appealing and informative books I have ever come across: an elementary classroom library must-have! Boys and girls alike will be engaged by this text. The information presented may be slightly difficult both in concept and text complexity, so it may be a book that requires some teacher instruction or explanation. Published by National Geographic Kids, this text can be used during a unit on the human body. Students can use it for reference material or the class can focus on certain sections together.