Students in the United States are not doing well in science - in fact, only about 1/3 of students graduate high school at the proficient level in science. One way to improve students' science knowledge is to start them early. Teachers can integrate science content with their literacy instruction in early grades - through picturebooks! Fortunately, there are many picturebooks focused on science content.
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
This book is amazing! In the front of this book, you will find a timeline of the women pioneers of science. This is a useful tool for teaching children about graphic organizers and sequence. Then, each woman is provided a page of detailed information. As a teacher, this is a book that could be used all year long to inspire and motivate kids. The teacher could choose to talk about a different science pioneer each day, or each week. This is also a great book to pair with others, that are more specifically about certain women or their contributions. Finally, I like this book for independent reading. It is the kind of book that kids could read cover to cover, or just pick up a read a few pages of. Either way, it is a great addition to any classroom.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
This book is part of a trio of books that I love - all about people who do great things. In this one, we meet a young girl, Rosie, who turns every day items into something great. She views herself as an engineer and is ingenious in how she approaches things around her. Best of all, she understands that things don't work out perfectly the first time. Sometimes, it takes failure and trying again for things to work. I love those lessons for kids. In real scientific inquiry, failure is part of the game. Teaching children this from a young age can inspire them to work hard and not become discouraged. I also like the inspiration and creativity of Rosie, which many kids can relate to. It shows them that their thoughts and opinions are valued.
What do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
This book and its newer counterpart What Do You Do with a Problem? are great for introducing students to the scientific process. They are wonderfully illustrated, using color to emphasize major plot points, a way to help striving readers better understand the story. In this book, our main character has an idea. The idea begins small and only emerges occasionally. Over time, the idea grows and looms over the boy constantly. This is a metaphor for how we approach ideas - they start out small and insignificant, but as we think on them more, they grow. Eventually, they become a part of our life and we have to act on the idea. This is also how the scientific process begins - with an idea. It is important for children to understand that their ideas are worthwhile and important. I recommend using this book to get students thinking about ideas and what they can do with them. What Do You Do with an Idea? is both inspiring and motivating, so use that to your students' advantage. It can also be a great ice-breaker when getting students interested in scientific inquiry.
Students need to start thinking about and reading science at a young age, and each of these books is a great way to get students' interest started.
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