Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Mechanimals by Chris Tougas
Awesome Dawson by Chris Gall
Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
BONUS: Visit an SURC-ET: Southern Utah Robotics Coalition event OR be involved in the Junior First Lego League @ North OR visit an automotive or mechanic shop
In class we will be building and engineering with PVC pipes, legos and snap circuits. Get ready to “gear up for success”, because this is your “shortcut to awesome” in science class.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”~ Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 to October 18, 1931) was an American inventor who is considered one of America’s leading businessmen. Edison rose from humble beginnings to work as an inventor of major technology, including the first commercially viable incandescent light bulb. He is credited today for helping to build America’s economy during the nation’s vulnerable early years.
Inventor Thomas Edison created such great innovations as the practical incandescent electric light bulb and the phonograph. A savvy businessman, he held more than 1,000 patents for his inventions.
“Edison’s inventions and improvements on already invented equipment let people live more comfortably. His inventions provided entertainment. The telegraph let people send messages quickly. In war time or emergencies, telegraphs saved lives. When the Titanic sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, a telegraph alerted rescuers to the disaster. ~ Easy science for kids
“Science is part of the reality of living; it is the what, the how, and the why of everything in our experience.” ~Rachel Carson
“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again? ~ Rachel Carson
Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. She first alerted the world about the environmental impact of fertilizers and pesticides.
A marine biologist and nature writer, Rachel Carson catalyzed the global environmental movement with her 1962 book Silent Spring. Outlining the dangers of chemical pesticides, the book led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides and sparked the movement that ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ~ womenshistory.org
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Harriet’s Home at Sea by Evelyn Wang
Smokey Bear: The Cub Who Left His Pawprints on History by Karen Signell
One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies and Jane Chapman
The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Cassandra Morris & Polly Adams
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky & Frank Stockton
The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: A true-story of survival against the odds by William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer
BONUS: Go recycle bottles, paper and other items and drop it off at CMS recycling drop offs OR plant a tree
In class we will be learning all about ecosystems, food webs, pollution, and talking about humans affect on the Earth and what we can do to improve it. We will be learning about the Brianhead fire and its aftermath. The students will participate in an oil spill challenge and some Lorax activities and games.
I love learning about how to help save the planet. It can be in small ways that can make a big impact- like turning off the lights at home, not wasting water and turning it off while we brush our teeth and not watering our lawns when it is super hot outside, recycling, etc. I hope the students know they they can make a difference.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ The Lorax
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks. The mountains are calling and I must go.” ~John Muir
Naturalist, writer and advocate of U.S. forest conservation, John Muir founded the Sierra Club and helped establish Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.
John Muir was born April 21, 1838, in Dunbar, Scotland. As early as 1876, he urged the federal government to adopt a forest conservation policy through articles published in popular periodicals. In 1892 he founded the Sierra Club. He served as its first president, a position he held until his death in 1914.
The Muir Woods National Monument is named after him. It is located just north of San Francisco. I have been there and it is one of the most beautiful places I have seen, with towering Redwood trees that you can actually stand in. They are ginormous and amazing and one of my very favorite things about northern California.
Marty Mcguire Digs Worms by Kate Messner and Brian Floca
The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch
Lucas and His Loco Beans: A Bilingual Tale of the Mexican Jumping bean by Romona Moreno Winner
Fraidyzoo by Thyra Heder
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
There’s a Hair in my Dirt by Gary Larson
Darwin Bonus: Go visit Ladybug nursery/greenhouse OR plant something in your garden OR find me an Earthworm and bring it to science class.
In our unit on Biology we will be learning all about plants and how Biology is the study of life and how living things survive and change. We will be dissecting flowers in lab, planting seeds, making plant diaries, observing earthworms and learning all about them by holding them, measuring them, and filling out an observation sheet.
Go get some ladybugs, a flower or a plant or find a worm in your yard and have fun with biology.
“I love fools’ experiments. I am always making them.”
In Class we will be studying earthworms and planting seeds, growing beans and dissecting plants
