Synergy: Animals Using Tools

From birds and fish to insects and cephalopods, mammals including humans aren’t the only animals who use tools for work and play. Animals use tools to achieve specific goals such as grooming, defense, communication, and food gathering. Primates are particularly known for their use of tools in hunting, gathering, shelter, and self-defense.

Read the informational picture book for youth, then learn more at the websites:

ORANGUTAN HATS AND OTHER TOOLS ANIMALS USE by Richard Haynes and illustrated by Stephanie Laberis is an informational picture book sharing the many ingenious ways that creatures use tools for a wide range of activities. The book is divided into chapters exploring tools for hygiene, health, defense, gathering food, comfort, and fun. The author concludes with a useful glossary and index. This well-organized work of nonfiction would be useful to teaching about the parts of an informational book. Use this engaging picture book to jumpstart an inquiry-based experience focusing on an animal and its use of tools.

INCREDIBLE TOOL USE IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM is an online article from the BBC that includes text, images, and video sharing the many ways animals use tools.

To read the article, go to https://bbc.in/3uEsYYq.

THE ANIMAL’S TOOL BOX from the Davidson Institute of Science Education is an online article that defines tool and provides many examples of tool use among animals around the world. Many video examples are embedded.

To read the article, go to https://bit.ly/3fVqyiZ.

ARC courtesy of Candlewick Press.

Book Review: Let's Go to the Hardware Store

LET’S GO TO THE HARDWARE STORE by Anne Rockwell tells the delightful story of siblings who accompany their father on a trip to purchase tools and supplies.

After moving into a bigger house, the family realizes repairs need to be made. Two children and their father visit the local hardware store to gather supplies. Along the way, the siblings learn about different types of hammers, screwdrivers, and other building supplies. When they arrive home without one item from their list, they head back to the store again for another adventure.

Regardless of whether children live near a small town hardware store or a big name brand megastore, librarians will find many children empathize with the story. The colorful illustrations and many visuals depicting hardware products in the store will stimulate lots of classroom conversation. Create a display featuring the book along with some of the tools described in the story. Or, build a makerspace station devoted to construction and repair projects.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.annerockwell.com/.

To learn more about the illustrator, go to http://www.melissaiwai.com/.

Published by Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan on March 22, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

App Review: PBS Students

PBS STUDENTS by PBS LearningMedia is an app designed to help learners access educational content and create storyboards to share their ideas.

The app was designed to complement the PBS LearningMedia Student portal website. Providing access to thousands of resources across subject areas, students can watch videos, play interactives, download images, and complete activities. Favorite programs including those by Ken Burns, Jim Henson Company, NOVA, National Archives, NASA, and many more are available through the app.

Learners explore content by subject area or search for a topic. Local resources can be accessed by state and community. Students can create an account so they can store favorites and build interactive web pages called Storyboards to share what they’ve learned.

Librarians will find this app to be an effective way to provide access to PBS content in a controlled environment. The easy-to-use building tools are an interesting way for students to create and share an interactive poster containing media, images, a background, and text. A URL is generated that students can share with their teacher.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pbs-students/id972063192.

Website Review: Teacher's Guides for Using Primary Sources

TEACHER’S GUIDES FOR USING PRIMARY SOURCES from the Library of Congress are an engaging way to help learners analyze historical documents and other materials.

Ten guides are currently available for analyzing primary sources including motion pictures, political cartoons, books and other printed text, newspapers, sheet music and song sheets, manuscripts, oral histories, sound recordings, maps, and photographs and prints. A general guide to primary sources is also available.

Each one-page guide encourages students to observe, reflect, and question. In addition, ideas are provided for further investigation.

A Primary Source Analysis Tool is also available. This online tool allows students to enter notes that can be downloaded, printed, and/or emailed.

Librarians will find these one-page handouts and easy-to-use tools to be useful when addressing standards related to the analysis of primary source documents and informational reading.

While many teachers are familiar with these tools, the Analyzing Newspapers guide is new. Use this guide with the Chronicling America collection available at http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

To explore these Teacher’s Guides, go tohttp://loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/guides.html.

App Review: Chemcrafter

CHEMCRAFTER is a science game app from the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

This creative app lets users build a chemistry lab and try out fun experiments. Users drag and drop combinations of chemicals to create amazing reactions. The Chem-o-convertor measures energy released and unlocks new levels. Users collect tools and chemicals to expand their experiments. Characters help guide users through different types of chemical reactions.

Although designed as a game, the app is a great way to spur interest in science. Involve students in logging their results and learning more about the chemicals and reactions used in the game. Create a display of nonfiction books that students can use as resources to learn more about the chemicals and experiments experienced in the games.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chemcrafter/id839552862.

Technology Review: National Gallery of Art

The NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART’s a website and apps that provide a wealth of resources and activities for youth of all ages.

The website Education area provides access to areas including Teachers, NGAkids, Families, and Teens.

The Teachers area is a place where educators can connect to useful educational resources including lesson plans, teaching packets, and videos. Teachers can also download posters and artwork. The NGA Images link provides access to 45,000 open access digital images for use in teaching and learning.

The NGAkids Art Zone includes over a dozen engaging art interactives for children including Sea-Saws, Brushster, Faces & Places, Jungle, Still Life, Dutch House, Photo Op, Collage Machine, Flow, Paintbox, Swatchbox, Wallovers, 3-D Twirler, Mobile, and Pixelface. These easy-to-use online learning activities focus on art and art history.

Eight of these interactives are also available through the NGAkids Art Zone mobile app. There’s also an app focusing on the Hobby Horse exhibit.

The Adventures in Art area of NGAkids Art Zone features highlights of the collection presented in a kid-friendly, interactive style.

The Families area contains resources of interest to youth of all ages. An Eye for Art is an online resource that explores 50 artists in the collection and Family Guides online booklets share insights into the collection.

The Teens area provides links to current exhibitions and installations. It also connects with audio and video programs associated with art and art history. Many of the interactives from the kids section would be of interest to teens too. The Your Art app provides information about over 130 popular artists and their works.

Librarians will find a wealth of resources for use in the art curriculum. Also, consider this resource when designing STEAM activities that connect art with science, technology, engineering, and math. Weave artwork into social studies and history classes through the use of the NGA Images collection.

To learn more, go to http://www.nga.gov.

Website & App Review: Curious George

The CURIOUS GEORGE website and apps provide endless hours of fun and learning for young children.

The free website is attractive and easy to use. The GAMES section contains 18 games featuring Curious George. While some activities focus on a learning activity such as matching or patterns, others seem to have little educational value. The STORIES section contain a few e-books to read online. The CREATE section contains fun writing, drawing, recording, music, and art activities. The CURIOUS ABOUT.. section provides a collection of activities based on a theme such as zoo animals. Questions are provided for adults working with children. The PARENT and TEACHER sections include lots of on- and off-computer ideas.

Eleven apps are available with the Curious George character. They include an interactive story builder, interactive books and games, literacy learning activities, drawing tools, an interactive picture dictionary, and a reader collection. The Curious Reader app contains a collection of interactive books with read-to-me and read-to-myself options. The books are purchased separately.

Both the website and apps are published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The website is free, but the apps are sold individually or in two, 4-app bundles.

To explore the website, go to http://www.curiousgeorge.com/.

To access the apps, go to http://www.curiousgeorge.com/store/apps.

Website Review: 24/7 Science

24/7 SCIENCE is an engaging online resource from The Lawrence Hall of Science that combines hands-on science activities with online tools and interactives. Apps are also available.

From building bridges to picking the best beak, learners are encouraged to design, experiment, and test out ideas through engaging hands-on science experiments.

The games and activities section of the website contains web-based interactives related to earth and space science, nano technology, and other areas of science.

Some activities are now available as free apps. The DIY Sun Science app focuses on investigations related to the sun, while the DIY Nano explores nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.

To learn more the activities, go to the 24/7 website at http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/kidsite/.

To download the apps, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-lawrence-hall-of-science/id462994550

Website and App Review: Biodigital Human

THE BIODIGITAL HUMAN is an outstanding 3D human anatomy interactive. Available as both a website and app, it’s an excellent way to explore the human body and health topics. Although a premium version is available, the free version is all most students will need. The free version contains over 1000 anatomy and health condition models, detailed descriptions, editing tools, and interactive quizzes. The premium version contains more models, tools, and customization.

Increasingly, library computers and iPads are offering a cluster of high-quality, subject area references and resources. This visually rich informational resource is perfect for middle school and high school science students.

An iPad version is available through iTunes.

To learn more, go to BioDigital Human at https://www.biodigital.com/.

Website & App Review: Professor Garfield

PROFESSOR GARFIELD is a free website containing interactives that allow students to explore, create, read, and play. 

The READ! section includes a wonderful selection of e-comics such as theaward winning THE BIG NO-NO!, the 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner. These e-books are available in five languages. The Storyline Online section contains dozens of videos featured celebrities reading favorite picture books aloud.

The CREATE! section provides a variety of online tools children can use to create their own comics.

Of particular interest to teacher librarians are the many interactives in the EXPLORE! section focusing on topics related Cyberbullying, Forms of Media, Fact or Opinion, and Online Safety. Many of these lessons are also available at the iTunes App Store as apps.

To learn more, go to PROFESSOR GARFIELD at http://www.professorgarfield.org/

Website Review: SAS Pathways

SAS Curriculum Pathways is a free resource for educators and students. Containing hundreds of interactives in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, and more, the online service is easy to use and search. The tutorials include text, images, audio, and video elements. In addition, most tutorials end with a quick quiz or self-check. In addition to the tutorials, the system also includes interactives and tools such as an Interactive Atlas that allows users to create their own maps. The Data Depot provides a long list of datasets that students can download on topics such as Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Population Trends.

Of particular interest to school librarians are tutorials in the English/Language Arts section related to topics such as “how to read nonfiction”.

In addition to the website, SAS Curriculum Pathways has an increasing number of Apps available through the iTunes App Store.

To learn more, go to the SAS: Curriculum Pathways website at https://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/