Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs (From the “Flip the Flaps”)

By Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries   Kingfisher (2008) ISBN: 9780753464960

Dinosaurs is an introduction to what dinosaurs are, their history, their life, and their death. The book is easily organized according to sections such as:

·         How to say dinosaur names

·         When did the dinosaurs live?

·         Food

·         Fighting back

·         Big and small

·         Babies

·         What happened to the dinosaurs?

  ·         How do we know about dinosaurs?

On each page within each section, there are flaps that when flipped reveal the answers to three informative questions.

Quantitative: Lexile Level-NA; ATOS--NA

Qualitative:  This book would be a good choice for second and third graders. Because of Dinosaurs informative nature, students would be building lots of vocabulary—some of it using context clues, but some, like the dinosaurs’ names, must be simply memorized. Because the structure is very clear and easy to follow, this book can be read in one sitting or in chunks depending on the section. With each section having a dedicated “checking for understanding” portion, it’s easy for students to stay engaged and interact with the content. Since many students already have prior knowledge of dinosaurs, this book adds to the details in order to build upon their previously acquired knowledge.

Content Area: Science--Biology

Next Generation Science Standards:

2-ESS1-1.

Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly. [Clarification Statement: Examples of events and timescales could include volcanic explosions and earthquakes, which happen quickly and erosion of rocks, which occurs slowly.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of timescales.]

2-LS4-1.

Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the diversity of living things in each of a variety of different habitats.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific animal and plant names in specific habitats.]

Curriculum Suggestions:

Dinosaurs would be best taught or used during a science lesson on fossils, dinosaurs, lizards, evolution, etc. Teachers could use the opportunity to connect the book with another text or a field trip experience.

Additional/Digital Content:

·         DinoKids.com--http://www.kidsdinos.com/

·         Smithsonian: Museum of Natural History--http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/

·         Wonderopolis: Search for “dinosaurs”-- http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/

Personal Thoughts: Students never lose their fascination with dinosaurs. The study of the “terrible lizards” highlights just how old the earth is and opens up discussion about creatures that still roam the earth that are related to dinosaurs.

*Meets the “Reading for Pleasure Picture Book” requirement

The Year of the Flood

The Year of the Flood

By Margaret Atwood     
Nan A. Talese Doubleday (2009) ISBN: 9780385528771

Set in an eerily familiar, but futuristic world, the second book of Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, The Year of the Flood, tells the story of the waterless flood--a disease pandemic--that strikes the earth during the year twenty-five and destroys almost all human life. According to God’s Gardeners, a religious sect led by Adam One,  the waterless flood is meant to restore the earth from the devastation that the corporations created. The “flood” draws upon biblical undertones and modern-day concerns of global destruction, both from disease and environmental destruction. After the flood, the Gardeners share how they survived the flood by relying on their “old world” methods of survival. Among the survivors are: Toby, a young girl who was trapped in a world-class spa, and Ren, an exotic dance who was trapped in an upscale gentlemen’s club. Reluctant to remain imprisoned, Ren and Toby attempt to navigate this new world, complete with genetically modified creatures.

Quantitative: Lexile Level--NA; ATOS--6.2

Qualitative:  Atwood uses two literary techniques that make this book hard to comprehend. One--A dual narration makes the story more complex for a novice reader. This, coupled with the use of biblical language and allusions, would make this book more appropriately suited for high school students. Two--”Time travel” within the book could complicate the narrative for a reader. Atwood employs flashbacks and flash-forwards that draw from the first novel, Oryx and Crake. Furthermore, the novel’s plot relies heavily on the surviving characters and their development. Because of the novel’s access points related to environmental destruction and religion, prior knowledge may be necessary to fully comprehend the novel’s themes. The Year of the Flood and its sister books would be best for high school students.

Content Area: English; Science--Biology; Environmental Science; Government.

Curriculum Suggestions: When a book has as many layers as The Year of the Flood, it is relatively easy to formulate the various ways this novel can support curriculum:

For English—1) Students can examine Atwood’s use of time and how it either adds or detracts from the narrative as a whole. Students can then write their own piece of fiction where they mimic Atwood’s technique.

2) Bible and literature—Analyze the various hymns, Bible verses, and Noah’s encounter with the Great Flood. How does the Bible deepen students’ understanding of Atwood’s novel? Compare and contrast the stories and connect the ideas and concepts presented.

For Science—1) Due to the book’s presentation of global devastation, students could research the various concerns scientists have regarding the Earth’s health. How off-base is Atwood’s futuristic construct? Why is does the book resonant with readers when looking through a scientific lens?

2) Genetic Engineering—Scientists have been experimenting with cell division and regeneration for quite some time. Students could conduct research on the animals and plants that have been created as a result. How has science mimicked God? How far-fetched are the creatures Atwood imagines in the novel?

For Government—Students could read the novel through a political lens. By considering the aspects of the dystopian society presented in The Year of the Flood, students can compare forms of government and the lessons we learn from them. With parallels to Huxley’s A Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984, the novel serves as a thematic extension of these core literature texts.

Common Core Standards: RST 11/12.1-5; 9

Additional/Digital Content:

• The Book of Genesis--http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/genesis.htm

• Genetic engineering and its dangers-- http://online.sfsu.edu/rone/GEessays/gedanger.htm#ESSAYS ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD

• Global climatechange, research explorer-- http://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/

MaddAddam Trilogy-- Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam

*Meets the “Reading for Pleasure HS/MS” requirement

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By Rebecca Skloot   Crown Publishers (2009)        ISBN: 9781400052172

When Rebecca Skloot was 16, she first heard of HeLa and the woman responsible for the immortal cells, Henrietta Lacks. Since that day, Skloot could not shake the desire to learn more about Henrietta and her mysterious cells. In her book, Skloot’s investigation of the world famous HeLa cells only led her down a path of discovery that goes way beyond the realm of science.

HeLa, represents the first two letters of Henrietta Lacks’ name. In the 1950s and just shy of her 30^th birthday, Henrietta was diagnosed with “Epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix, Stage I.” The fatal cervical cancer proved voracious, spreading throughout Henrietta’s body despite weekly radiation treatments. It was during her initial treatment that Dr. George Gey, head of tissue culture research at John Hopkins Hospital, extracted a sample of Henrietta’s tumor without her knowledge. Under Gey’s ambitious guidance, HeLa was born—the immortal cell culture that will lead to the discovery of the polio vaccine, various cancer treatments and AIDS (among others).

When Henrietta died, she left behind five children. Those children—now in their 50s and 60s and some gone from this earth—grew up poor, uneducated, abused, neglected, and totally ignorant of their mother’s cells being used for science. In fact, the Lacks children never saw a penny of the money made from their mother’s cells. Skloot exposes the Lacks’ children torment and distrust of white people associated with HeLa, unearths some of the ghastly practices of the pre-Civil Rights Movement era, and questions behind scientific practices.

Quantitative: Lexile Level--1140L; ATOS--8.0

Qualitative: Despite the quantitative reading levels, I find The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is so rich in language, history, and science that students ages 14-17 would be able to access the book better, depending on scaffolding. This book really tells two stories. The first revolves around HeLa and how it has been used for scientific advances. The second focuses on the Lacks family—what they endured after losing Henrietta, how they coped with the deception involved with HeLa, and why they never knew anything substantial about their mother. Because of the shifting narrative, this book may pose serious difficulty especially as a reader interprets both stories and how they truly do enhance one another. In addition, language in the form of scientific terms and the Southern dialect the Lacks family uses to communicate make The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a challenge for any high school student.

Content Area: English; Health--Prejudice; Health—Deadly Diseases; Biology—Cells; U.S. History; Information Literacy

Common Core Standards: Since biology is generally taught in the 10^th grade, I have applied 10^th grade standards.

RI.9/10.1-9 (Skloot includes countless primary sources)

RH.9/10.1-9

Curriculum Suggestions: The most exciting aspect of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is the angles and approaches to using it in the classroom. Here are some ideas:

• Because Skloot is open about her research process, teachers could use her explanation as a way to introduce the research process to students. By examining the types of resources and methods Skloot used, students can see how the book comes to be, especially since it all started with a question: Who is Henrietta Lacks?
• Explore Southern culture and race relations prior to the Civil Rights Movement—How were blacks treated? Why? What was the result?
• Examine aspects of medical practices including patient confidentiality, Nuremberg Code, Hippocratic Oath, research laws, or major medical cases that involved the mistreatment of patients including the “Night Doctors” myth.
• Investigate poverty and how it impacts communities.
• Investigate child abuse and the impacts in has on the children as adults.
• Students could engage in a family tree project where they research their roots, just as the Lacks children had to discover their mother’s story. Similarly, students might want to investigate a family mystery.
• Create an info. graphic related to any of the topics listed above.

This text lends itself very easily to cross-curricular collaboration and activities.

Additional/Digital Content:

• Lesson on Medical Ethics—http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/immortal-life-henrietta-lacks/
•  University of Maryland, Lesson—http://fyb.umd.edu/2011/lesson-plan-henrietta-lacks-context.html-
• Study: Stereotypes Drive Perceptions Of Race-- http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/02/11/275087586/study-stereotypes-drive-perceptions-of-race   

Personal Thoughts: First off, I didn’t include a ton of additional content since most of it is geared towards college-level students, which seems to be the place where teachers are utilizing the book most. I think this book is totally captivating. It can be used in full or in excerpts. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks allows teachers to use it as little or as much as they like in addition to targeting specific topics the text brings to light. With the CCSS emphasis on having the text take center stage, Skloot’s books is powerful example of how the CCSS can be addressed.

*Meets the “Meets the Science Title for HS” requirement

Crickwing

Crickwing

By Janell Cannon Harcourt, Inc. (2000) ISBN: 0152017909

Crickwing is a story about a cockroach who endures bullying by his fellow insects, only to later behave in the same manner as his aggressors. Crickwing earns this unfortunately nickname after a near-death experience with a hungry toad left his wing twisted and mangled. After this incident, Crickwing avoids the other creatures to avoid being tormented. All he wants to do is build sculptures using colorful leaves, roots, and petals, but his natural predators help to destroy his artwork.

Still angry from being picked on and having his sculptures destroyed, Crickwing stumbles across a group of worker ants. He takes his anger out on the ants. Just as he had his sculptures destroyed, Crickwing proceeds to destroy the ants’ work. Eventually, the ants retaliate, capture Crickwing, and present him to their queen. As punishment, the prisoner was slated to be sacrificed to the army ants. Feeling compassion and regret, the worker ants release Crickwing who then helps them to defeat the army ants. Filled with joy, the worker ants invite Crickwing to join their colony--he agrees.

Quantitative: Lexile Level--AD590L; ATOS--4.2

Qualitative: Crickwing poses great complexity especially when considering the descriptive language used in the book. Words like ravenous, clobbered, cowering, exoskeleton, among others could prove challenging for young readers. Given this use of vocabulary, Crickwing would be best for students in the 3rd to 5th grade range. Prior knowledge may be required due to the introduction of various animals like the ocelot and, again, words directly related to entomology. Although the book provides a notes page that elaborates on the traits of cockroaches and ants, further information maybe useful.

Content Area: English; Health--Relationships; Health--Bullying; Science--Biology, Art--Sculpture

Common Core Standards: RL4.1-3

Next Generation Science Standard--Grade 4:

LS1.A: Structure and Function

Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. (4-LS1-1)

Curriculum Suggestions: Because of the content and message, teachers could choose to use Crickwing to focus on either the study of insects or healthy relationships or both. With the CCSS, this book allows teachers to instruct across the curriculum using one resource.  

Additional/Digital Content:

• Literature Lesson-- http://www.thedailycafe.com/Crickwing%20Lit%20Lesson%201.pdf  

• Lesson using Strong Language to Express Precision-- http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResource/Preview/36335

• Animal Planet Cockroach Cam--http://www.apl.tv/cockroaches.htm

• National Geographic Army Ants Video-- http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/worlds-deadliest-ngs/deadliest-army-ants

Other Books by Janell Cannon:

• Stellaluna
• Trupp: A Fuzzhead Tale
• Verdi

*Meets the “Reading for Pleasure Picture Book” requirement

Who Would Win? Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark

Who Would Win? Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark

By Jerry Pallotta Scholastic, Inc. (1996) ISBN: 9780689802072

In this fun, science book, the battle between Killer Whales and Great White Sharks is put forth with helpful graphics and scientific facts. Pollotta makes the book subject for discussion by posing questions for inquiry that require students to draw upon the facts presented. By looking at the physical composition, length, brain size, navigation capabilities, strength, and speed, a reader can answer the question, “Who would win?” with reliable information. At the end of the book, there is a checklist for students to quantify their answer.

Quantitative: Lexile Level--AD620L (Adult Directed--read to a child by an adult rather than read alone by a child); ATOS--4.1

Qualitative: This book is best served for elementary students, specifically 3rd -5th grades. This book not only teaches students about the anatomy and abilities of these two sea beasts, but also builds academic vocabulary including their scientific names and parts of their anatomy--it is truly learning in context. The illustrations are complemented by actual pictures and “life-size” representations of teeth.

Content Area: Science--Biology; Information Literacy

Curriculum Suggestions: The book can serve as a model for a mini-research project. A teacher could have students work collaboratively to create a factual presentation with graphics that examines the attributes of two animals that could potentially be adversaries. After the presentations, students would decide who would win based on the facts. This would be a great way to utilize a school’s library and its resources. Also, it could be a way to incorporate experts with the lesson by having students write to scientists or even have an expert talk to the class via Google Hangouts or Skype.

Common Core Standards: RI 4.1-4, 6-7

Next Generation Science Standards:

3. Interheritiance and Variations in Traits: Life Cycles and Traits

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

3-LS1-1.	Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. [Clarification Statement: Changes organisms go through during their life form a pattern.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of plant life cycles is limited to those of flowering plants. Assessment does not include details of human reproduction.]
3-LS3-1.	Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. [Clarification Statement: Patterns are the similarities and differences in traits shared between offspring and their parents, or among siblings. Emphasis is on organisms other than humans.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include genetic mechanisms of inheritance and prediction of traits. Assessment is limited to non-human examples.]
3-LS3-2.	Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. [Clarification Statement: Examples of the environment affecting a trait could include normally tall plants grown with insufficient water are stunted; and, a pet dog that is given too much food and little exercise may become overweight.]
3-LS4-2.	Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. [Clarification Statement: Examples of cause and effect relationships could be plants that have larger thorns than other plants may be less likely to be eaten by predators; and, animals that have better camouflage coloration than other animals may be more likely to survive and therefore more likely to leave offspring.]

Additional/Digital Content:

• National Geographic Gallery--http://natgeotv.com/uk/killer-whale-vs-shark

• Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark video--

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/killer-sharks-killer-whales-18625402

• Wildlife Conservation Society--http://www.wcs.org/

• Jerry Pallotta “Who Would Win?” Series--

http://alphabetman.businesscatalyst.com/WhoWouldWin

Personal Thoughts: This book series presents an excellent model for encouraging inquiry and information literacy skills while teaching content. To me, under CCSS teachers will need to thoughtfully choose texts that initiate conversation and allow students to engage in with 21st Century learning skills.

*Meets the “Science Picture Book” requirement