2018-2019-STEAM-Superheroes - Flipbook - Page 37
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
• The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy
Montgomery (2016).
This best-selling popular science book explores the similarities and differences between humans
and octopuses. There are several books of this variety about other animals, so depending on
which animal(s) your students choose to study, books like this could accompany Super Natural.
A children’s librarian will be able to help you find quality books about the animals you choose.
• You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey (2012)
You Are Stardust introduces readers to how connected we are to all of the world around us.
The book starts by telling the listener that each atom in our body originated in a star that
exploded well before anyone was born. How humans learn and grow is compared to animals
and plants. The poetic text challenges even the youngest child to think about big ideas, use
their imaginations, and marvel at the wonders of the natural world.
• Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M. Benyus (2002).
This informational book will help the reader see the cleverness of nature, and how scientists
and engineers can utilize that cleverness in their designs.
Medical Marvel
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010).
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: The Young Reader’s Edition by Gregory Mone (adapter),
Rebecca Skloot (author), (2013).
The until then untold story of the woman whose very cells changed the way we practice
biological science. This gripping nonfiction story will raise ethical questions and inform future
scientists. There are resources for teachers on the author’s website: http://rebeccaskloot.com/
the-immortal-life/teaching/
• Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw
(Author), Matt Carr (Illustrator) (2017).
This humorous nonfiction book will be a good entry point for young students who are curious
about living with a disability.
• Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator is Changing the World by Jack Andraka with Matthew
Lysiak (2015)
When a family friend died of pancreatic cancer, Jack Andraka decided to work on a method for
early detection. By the age of fifteen, he had created a strip of paper, costing only four cents
that is able to detect pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancer four hundred times better than any
previous method. His story is one of success, but also of his personal struggle to persevere
and deal with bullying. He encourages young people to be creative, look for solutions for
problems and to make their voice heard.
• Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman (2004)
Phineas Gage worked as a construction foreman for a railroad. One day while blasting through
rock, a thirteen pound metal rod flew through his brain leaving a hole in his head. He survived a
very changed man; for the next eleven years became a subject of study on how the brain
controls who we are as humans.
• The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas (1978).
This short book of nonfiction essays masterfully demonstrates the art and humanity in cell biology.
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