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Science & Math Resource Round-Up


These are resources I've shared with my teachers over the last few months for Science & Math.

Children’s Literature & Science


If you’re looking for a way to introduce a science topic, or want to add some opportunity for cross-curricular planning, check out “Using Children’s Literature to Teach Science” by Patricia Bishop McKean.  Click through the links in gray on the right side of the screen to see the book suggestions.  She has lists for topics dealing with: Earth Science and Astronomy, Math Connections, Physics, Chemistry, & Process Skills. 
For each book listed, when you click on the link, you will find a summary of the book and some lesson activities.  You could, for example use The Cat in the Hat, in honor of Read Across America Week, as an introduction to force & inertia.  By examining the end of the story and the Cat’s apparent magical manner of cleaning up, we could ask “Is it an accident that the fish landed safely in the pot or was there a greater force at work?”  Check out the lesson to see this question explored in as an experiment!
 
Check out McKean’s Additional Resources page for more sources explore
 

More Fun Science Resources

Science—Pollination Video
 
Someone shared this awesome video on pollination with me.  The visuals are really stunning—and this could be a fun introduction to the topic, inspiration for a writing assignment/ assessment, or it might make for an interesting discussion of multimedia elements and how they contribute to meaning. Catch the video here
 
Science Experiment on Erosion
I saw this science experiment on Pinterest.  The experiment uses three bottles cut open and packed with  different compositions of soil to show the effects of erosion.  The preparation for the experiment could also be used to demonstrate  plant growth.
The original website is in another language, but there is a link to the English version that uses Google Translator. The photos included really help to illustrate the directions for the experiment, and it’s really worth a look. Check out the link below.
Soil Erosion

Use Picture books to Teach Math!

Have you read The Math Curse by Jon Scieska or any of the Sir Cumference books by Cindy Neuschwander?  These kinds of books could be a great way to introduce tough math topics to students.  You can find the Sir Cumference books in the library and in eBook format on Tumblebooks.  Check out your local public library to see if they subscribe to this service.  For a list of other fun picture books that focus on math concepts—check out this article: “Teach Math with Picture Books”
 

Infinity and Me

The book Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford, is an excellent introduction to the very difficult concept of infinity.
 
In the story, the young character, 8 year old Uma, feels overwhelmed by the concept, and attempts to find the personal in infinity by asking others what infinity means to them.
 
 
The illustrations cleverly incorporate the infinity symbol and provide a sense of whimsy to the story.
 


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