Tuesday, March 2, is Read Across America Day, which celebrates the joy of reading. What could make celebrating reading even better? Combining STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) with books! Books have an incredible ability to inspire and spark your imagination. Not only can they take to worlds of make-believe, they can also encourage you to discover and create through experiments! Combining science and real-world experiences with literature is an amazing way to keep your young reader engaged while expanding and strengthening their learning.
I still remember my first experience with connecting science to story. When I was in elementary school, my teacher read Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss. After she finished the book, she showed us how to make oobleck and the different ways to have fun with the Non-Newtonian fluid. I was amazed that I could make something real from a fictional story! Oobleck is a great introduction to a science experiment for little learners.
Oobleck is not a solid or a liquid. When you apply pressure, it will feel hard. When you release the pressure, it will act more like water.
Store in a sealed plastic bag or container. When you finish with your oobleck, do not dispose down the sink–it can cause clogs.
Here are some other wonderful books that you can connect to STEAM to encourage your learner to innovate and discover while building literacy skills.
Mix it Up by Hervé Tullet
Using no special effects other than the reader’s imagination, simple directions lead the reader to experiment with mixing and changing colors on the printed page.
Iggy Peck, Architect (Questioneers series) by Andrea Beaty
Ever since he was a baby, Iggy Peck has built towers, bridges, and buildings, which comes in handy when his second grade class is stranded on an island during a picnic.
Marsha is Magnetic by Beth Ferry
Marsha tries scientific experiments to attract friends she can invite to her birthday party, but concludes that the best way to draw others is by being herself
Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda
Loosely based on the folktale about the three little pigs, these three pigs have a different surprise for the wolf who is trying to blow their houses down. The reader is asked to huff and puff into a die-cut hole in each page.
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
To an imaginative bunny, a box is not always just a box.
How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk
“Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they’re going to do it using code.”– Provided by publisher.
Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton
Chronicles the life and achievements of the NASA engineer and inventor, from his childhood to his accidental invention of the Super Soaker water gun.
Pitter Pattern by Joyce Hesselberth
Lu and her friends spot patterns in their daily activities, including patterns found in music, weather, time, play, shapes, nature, math, and language.
Arithmechicks Add Up: A Math Story by Ann Marie Stephens
As the Arithmechicks slide down the slide, swing on the swings, and play hide-and-seek, they don’t realize that a lonely mouse is copying them, longing to join in. However, when their basketball becomes stuck, the chicks discover that a two-inch-tall new friend is exactly what they need.
Lia & Luís: Who Has More? By Ana Crespo
Two Brazilian American siblings, Lia and Luís, are always competing, even when it comes to their favorite Brazilian snacks from their family’s store; they want to know which of them has more, and they use various mathematical techniques to pick a winner–and then share the delicious results.
Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall
Jabari is making a flying machine all by himself, but when it doesn’t work the way he imagined, he learns about perseverance and problem-solving.
All descriptions from Novelist unless otherwise indicated.
With 8 locations throughout Vanderburgh County, EVPL is ready to discover, explore, and connect WITH you! We encourage you to uncover new things, revisit old favorites, and to engage with us along the way.
200 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Evansville, Indiana 47713
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