Synergy: Everyday Science

Everyday science connects children with the natural world and advances in technology through stories and activities that spark curiosity and discovery. Hands-on experiences, explorations and experiments bring a child’s surroundings to life.

LET’S FLY A PLANE! and LET’S RIDE A WAVE! by Chris Ferrie are the latest two books in the EVERYDAY SCIENCE ACADEMY SERIES. Each book features Red Kangaroo and his friend Dr. Chris as they explore science questions. The engaging narrative highlights key vocabulary and incorporates everyday experiences into the scientific explanations. Each book concludes with a glossary, questions, and hands-on experiments. The topics in this series align with the STEM curriculum.

The NASA STEM @ HOME RESOURCE is a new website focusing on a wide range of activities that families can do together at home. Divided by grade level (K-4, 5-8, 9-12), the project also includes sections specifically focused on students working from home with resources such as e-books, family activities, virtual tours, and podcasts that “bring the universe into your home”. The Aeronautics @Home section is just one example of how the Everyday Science Academy Series books easily connect with the NASA resources.

To visit the website, go to https://www.nasa.gov/stem.

ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks.

Synergy: 1789

The year 1789 is a landmark year around the world including the start of the French Revolution. In the US, George Washington was elected the first President of the United States in February. The first Congress met in March to declare the Constitution in placed in effect and the beginning of the United States.

Read the recently published middle grades book, then learn more at the website:

1789: TWELVE AUTHORS EXPLORE A YEAR OF REBELLION, REVOLUTION, AND CHANGE by Marc Aronson and Susan Campbell Bartoletti is an anthology featuring a dozen narratives written by award-winning nonfiction authors. While some focus on rights and freedoms in the US, others explore issues of enslavement, change, and struggles from around the world.

Wikipedia’s timeline pages provide a useful starting point for exploring key years both in the United States and around the world.

Visit the global 1789 website at https://bit.ly/3bvJPop
Visit the US 1789 website at https://bit.ly/334lwdk

ARC courtesy of Candlewick.

Synergy: Principles of Tolerance

In its Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, UNESCO defines tolerance as “respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference.”

Read the recently published children's picture book, then learn more at the website:

FOR BEAUTIFUL BLACK BOYS WHO BELIEVE IN A BETTER WORLD by Michael W. Waters and Keisha Morris tells the inspirational story of a boy growing up in a world of racism and gun violence who learns the importance of hope and activism. This timely, honest picture book includes a discussion guide to jump-start conversations about respect, nonviolence activism, and diversity.

The TEACHING TOLERANCE website helps parents and educators start difficult conversations about topics such as racism and violence.

Visit the Teaching Tolerance website at https://www.tolerance.org/.
Visit the UNESCO website at https://bit.ly/3lUZ6UI.

ARC courtesy of Flyaway Books.

Synergy: Visualizing Poetry

Visualizing poetry involves analyzing the language, structure, mood, and theme of a poem, then creating a visual connection through drawing, watercolor, paint or other visual medium. Or, creating a mental image. Comics poetry blends aspects of comics and poetry.

Read the recently published children's book, then learn more at the website:

POEMS TO SEE BY: A COMIC ARTIST INTERPRETS GREAT POETRY by Julian Peters is an anthology of classic poems presented for a new generation of readers through a rich variety of visuals. Exploring twenty-four English-language poets, the book examines six themes: seeing yourself, others, art, nature, time, and death.

COMICS AS POETRY is an online article by Ivan Brunetti (January 30, 2020) that explores the connection between comics and poetry.

Read the article at https://bit.ly/2F6MJ72

ARC courtesy of Plough Publishing.