Engineering a Good Book!

Funded May 6, 2022

Thank you so much for funding my Engineering a Good Book Project. Students love science especially hands on science activities that we call STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In my project, I asked for books that would be geared towards not o my reading but science and math as well. The students have thoroughly enjoyed reading and looking at all the new books that you so generously donated. In my pictures you will see my students taking one of the purchased books and putting it to great use. We read aloud What's in your Pocket by Heather Montgomery. The book is about nine different scientists who as children loved to explore and discover things outdoors. It all started by o serving nature and the things around them. Yes, my students did recognize some of the famous scientists but it also introduced them to new ones they were not familiar with. After reading the book, my students and I went on a nature walk around the school campus observing the different parts of nature. We discovered a bird's nest, a locust exoskeleton, a big red dragonfly, several different butterflies, snails, feathers, spiders and webs, various native plants and many more things. After taking pictures and discussing the neat things that had been observed, the students then created drawings and writing about their discoveries. The plan is not just to house these books in my classroom library but to use one every few weeks to incorporate further learning experiences. Another book that we had the privilege of reading was The Dinosaur Lady. It is about paleontologist Mary Anning , and how she discovered dinosaur bones. However, she wasn't making huge charges in the field of paleontology. While doing this she was overcoming the stereotype of women of that era. My female students particularly liked this book because it encourages them to chase their dreams and to believe in themselves. The students were then given dinosaur figures. They were asked to research and name each one and sort them by their various characteristics. Classifying is a science standard. Another book we are going to be looking at next week will be The Stuff Between the Stars. I. Science we learn about the solar system and other objects in space. This book will tie into that. It is about a young girl named Vera Rubin who was fascinated with night sky. She made her own telescope from cardboard and a lens. This sparked her interest in astronomy which later led to many discoveries. The students will read the book then become engineers by building and creating their own telescopes from recycled materials. As you can see these books will be a great addition no only to my classroom library for students to read but to be used as learning opportunities, to teach my students in various ways, while giving them an activity that would further spark their interests and have them involved. Thank you again for this wonderful gift. It is truly appreciated!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Hobbs