Technology: STEM

Many favorite folk and fairy tales offer a perfect segue for introducing young children to early STEM concepts. Children explore ways to help the Gingerbread Man cross the river, design sturdy homes for the Three Little Pigs, build a wolf-proof fence for Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother, and more. Each folk and fairy tale comes with three STEM activities and companion recording sheets. A joyful way to spark a love of science in little learners!

Research shows that activities associated with the arts can enhance creativity, problem-solving, memory systems, motor coordination, and analytical skills. Best-selling author David A. Sousa and veteran arts educator Thomas J. Pilecki demonstrate how arts education is integral to the development of the brain and to students′ overall academic achievement. This book provides: " Classroom-tested strategies and techniques for both integrating the arts in STEM instruction " Data from schools that have already integrated the arts into STEM subjects, plus anecdotes and student success stories " How-to′s for organizing curriculum and instructional strategies to allow for the integration of STEM subjects and the arts " Strategies for getting the entire staff and community involved in STEAM initiatives

More than 85 activities that support and extend children’s learning in the four STEM disciplines Stimulate and engage children’s thinking as you integrate STEM experiences throughout your classroom. These engaging, developmentally appropriate activities maximize children’s learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Each experience combines at least two STEM disciplines and incorporates materials and situations that are interesting and meaningful to children. Use this book to discover the many possibilities for teaching STEM to young children, including ideas for Learning centers Cooking, art, music, block play, and sensory table activities Outdoor time Project-centered curriculum Quick activities that require minimal preparation on your part Field trips With the growing focus on early childhood mathematics and science, this book is a much-needed resource for every early childhood classroom. It will encourage you to think differently about STEM education, and you will see how easy it is to accommodate curriculum goals and learning standards in math and science activities. Sally Moomaw, EdD, is an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Cincinnati. She is the author of eight other Redleaf Press books and a frequent presenter at workshops and conferences across the country. Much of Dr. Moomaw’s research and teaching is in the area of STEM education.

Inspire young scientists with the biographies of 50 fascinating women in science past and present, each paired with a hands-on experiment that brings the history and principles of science to life.

From racing wind up cars to making music with a homemade guitar, STEM Lab will excite and inspire curious young minds. STEM Lab is packed with 25 exciting STEM activities, perfect for firing up kids' imaginations. Explore and discover beautifully illustrated science activities with an easy to follow guide that will explain how science, technology, engineering and math shape the world around us. A perfect balance between education and fun, STEM Lab teaches young readers through each experiment, describing the science behind it and providing engaging STEM facts. The richly illustrated activities promote further thinking by suggested "Test and Tweak" notes. Encourage young readers to take their projects to the next level, while furthering their understanding of the science behind it. Each activity has its own 'How It Works" section covering STEM principles to help young minds understand answers to their science curiosity, exercising cognitive thinking and problem-solving skills. Learn The Science Behind 25 Amazing Projects Science activities for kids that can be done at home. Leap into the exciting world of STEM where Science, Technology, Engineering and Math combine in 25 fun and easy-to-do projects. STEM Lab teaches young readers how to make impressive insulating gloves, stunning spaghetti towers, amazing automations, and explores many more educational activities. STEM subjects are a crucial part of a child's education. STEM Lab helps kids to practice STEM principles in a fun and engaging manner, while exercising motor skills and cognitive thinking. The four subject areas this book is based on are interrelated, and by combining them new insights, ideas and solutions to problems emerge. STEM Lab will teach you the principles of engineering and the science behind it. This STEM filled activity book is organised into four sections: - Forces and Motion - Liquids and Reactions - Shapes and Structures - Light and Sound STEM Lab combines fun and learning with hand-on activities that engages STEM principles.

Supporting STEAM education initiatives and the Maker Movement, the National Parenting Publication Award-winner Maker Lab includes 28 kid-safe projects and crafts that will get young inventors' wheels turning and make science pure fun. Each step-by-step activity is appropriate for kids ages 8-12, and ranked easy, medium, or hard, with an estimated time frame for completion. Requiring only household materials, young makers can build an exploding volcano, race balloon rocket cars, construct a lemon battery, make sticky slime, and more. Photographs and facts carefully detail the "why" and "how" of each experiment using real-world examples to provide context so kids can gain a deeper understanding of the scientific principles applied. With a foreword by Jack Andraka, a teen award-winning inventor, Maker Lab will help kids find their inner inventor and create winning projects for school projects, science fairs, and beyond.

This DK children's book for ages 11-14 is brimming with exciting, educational activities and projects that focus on electronics and technology. Keep your siblings out of your room with a brilliant bedroom alarm, power a propellor motorboat, make a thermoelectric phone charger, build a set of speakers, and construct a crane by following step-by-step instructions and using affordable equipment. Tech Lab will engage budding scientists and engineers as they experiment, invent, trial, and test technology, electronics, and mechanics at home. Simple steps with clear photographs take readers through the stages of each low-cost project, with fact-filled panels to explain the science behind each one, and to fascinate them with real-world examples. With an increasing focus across school curricula on encouraging children to explore STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and maths), Tech Lab is the perfect companion for any inquisitive child with an interest in how the worlds of science experiments and technology work, and why."

A new and exciting pick-your-path STEM adventure for emerging readers! This series starter takes emerging readers on an expedition to the ocean's twilight zone in search of a giant squid. But giant squids are hard to find. Readers will need to join the expedition and help make choices along the way.   First they'll pick their submersible. And then their pilot and dive site. They'll need to be careful--not every path leads where it seems, but whatever path they pick, they'll see and learn amazing things!

"A loving tale inventively and informatively told." --Kirkus (starred review) "A uniquely told story that will delight all readers. Highly recommended." --School Library Journal (starred review) "Clever, whimsical, and jam-packed with details" --The Horn Book (starred review) "A friendship story chronicled through charts, graphs, and maps." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) This is THE next book for fans of Mapping Sam and My Map Book! Told exclusively through charts and graphic illustrations, infographics designer Lalena Fisher explores the touching friendship of Ana and Harwin and how they work through their emotions when one friend learns the other is moving far away. Friends Beyond Measure explores the world of infographics, including maps, diagrams, charts, timelines, and so much more! From the chart showing how to make fairy tea to the Venn Diagram of the friends' personalities, every page is filled with delicious details for the reader to pore over. Ana and Harwin's friendship has been off the charts since day one! But when Harwin learns her family is going to move far away, the duo isn't sure how their friendship can survive the move. See how their friend-o-meters calibrate in this imaginative, heartwarming story by beloved picture book creator and infographic designer Lalena Fisher.  An ideal read-aloud for classrooms, libraries, and homeschooling, this book includes backmatter that explains all about the different types of charts and graphics in the book and gives suggestions for readers to create charts of their own.   Readers will love all the fun details in this rich and visual story! And they'll engage in critical thinking while analyzing and evaluating the images.

Do you know a little bit of land? It could be smaller than you expect. But its importance is bigger than you know. From the prehistoric past to the dramatic environmental change of right here and now, the land has countless stories to tell. You, too, are a part of the land. Listen, and you will understand what it needs to stay in balance. A breathtaking exploration of the connections between life and land central to the past, present, and future of our planet, Little Land invites young readers to think about ways in which they engage with the environment in their own lives.

Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree and globally renowned shark scientist Melissa Cristina Marquez teams up with award-winning illustrator Devin Elle Kurtz to create an informative, powerful picture book. With lyrical writing and gorgeous art, this moving story explores Melissa's personal journey from inquisitive ocean-loving child in Puerto Rico to becoming the Mother of Sharks. As the sun sets over another gorgeous day at la Playita Del Condado in Puerto Rico, Meli doesn't want to go home. She loves the ocean more than anything, and with only five minutes left at the beach, she knows exactly where her last stop should be- the tidal pools. They are small universes of their own teeming with critters and creatures of the ocean. While looking into the pools, she meets a crab, Jaiba, who takes her on a dreamlike underwater adventure, teaches her about the importance of shark conservation, and reveals Meli's ultimate destiny- to become the Mother of Sharks. Blending the autobiographical with the fantastical, Melissa Cristina Marquez shares her incredible story not only to dispel myths about these misunderstood creatures but also to pave the way for Latinas in STEM. Paired with Devin Elle Kurtz's vibrant, emotive illustrations, this picture book is an irresistible journey through the wonders of the ocean and, above all, a rallying cry for marine conservation.

"Mind-expanding and hilarious!-- I got smarter reading this!" Jeff Kinney, author of the international bestselling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cosmos meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Oliver's Great Big Universe, an original illustrated middle-grade fiction series that blends science with narrative from the Emmy Award-nominated creator of PBS's Elinor Wonders Why. I know what you're thinking. What makes an average 11-year-old kid qualified to tell you anything about the universe? Am I famous scientist? No. Am I a super-genius at everything? Not really. Oliver has a lot going on starting his first year of middle school--new friends, new classes, new everything. But at least there's one thing that still makes sense: science! Determined to be an astrophysicist one day, Oliver explains everything he learns--like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs, and most important, how the Big Bang is basically just like a fart in the school hallway. (Also, there are time-bending black holes, exploding supernova stars, and aliens! Well, there could be aliens.) Oliver finally feels like he's starting to figure things out . . . but can he stay out of the principal's office or catch a break from his annoying sister? With laugh-out-loud humor and cartoon-style illustrations from the bestselling writer and creator of PHD Comics, Jorge Cham, Oliver's Great Big Universe is a STEAM-themed, diary-style series following an 11-year-old who's taking on the whole universe--if he can survive middle school first.

The most curious museum on Earth isn't on the earth at all; it's on the moon. A 2024 Notable Poetry Book, National Council of Teachers of English Honor Award, 2024 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (Pennsylvania State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book) Nominee, Intermediate Division, 2024-2025 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Awards "The poetry and facts complement each other and make for a nice flow of information and fun, resulting in sometimes goofy poetry....A lovely picture book that mixes poetry and history about the moon."--School Library Journal? "A provocative tally of treasures and trash." --Kirkus Reviews Footprints forever etched in time. A commemorative patch from a tragic flight. Two golf balls, still lodged in frozen dust 238,900 miles away. From the amusing to the poignant, The Museum on the Moon introduces readers to the mysterious objects left on the lunar surface since humans arrived in 1969. Part history, part poetry, heartwarming and haunting, and illustrated with breathtaking graphite drawings, The Museum on the Moon is a moving exhibit of humankind's most famous quest for knowledge and our place in the universe.  From the book: The primary goals of the United States' NASA Apollo program (1961-1972) were to establish space technology, carry out scientific exploration of the moon, and to develop ways for humans to work in the lunar environment. Six missions--Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17--landed American astronauts on the moon. The astronauts carried with them a variety of items that are now artifacts--some personal mementos, some tools and equipment for the purpose of moon transport and experimentation, and other things, like human waste products, unavoidable. Because the moon has virtually no atmosphere, these things remain on the moon, just as they were, and will presumably continue to be there for years to come. The moon truly is a museum!

This timely book details the importance of vaccines and how they were developed throughout history, as well as how they work to protect your body and keep it healthy. "A lively, informative introduction to vaccines." --Booklist, STARRED REVIEW "Authoritative and reassuring." --Kirkus Reviews "Authoritative and approachable, these pages work hard to supply a measure of calm and common sense to readers." --Publishers Weekly Do you remember every time you've been sick? You may not, but your body does! With many illnesses, you can't get sick more than once because your body remembers and fights it off before you get sick again. But what if your body could recognize germs that you've never had before so you don't get ill? There's where vaccines come in! This book comes complete with extensive back matter all about types of germs and vaccines.

"If you've got a good idea, and you know it's going to work, go ahead and do it." The inspiring story of Grace Hopper--the boundary-breaking woman who revolutionized computer science--is told told in an engaging picture book biography.   Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, naval leader--AND rule breaker, chance taker, and troublemaker. Acclaimed picture book author Laurie Wallmark (Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) once again tells the riveting story of a trailblazing woman. Grace Hopper coined the term "computer bug" and taught computers to "speak English." Throughout her life, Hopper succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly was "Amazing Grace" . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys. With a wealth of witty quotes, and richly detailed illustrations, this book brings Hopper's incredible accomplishments to life.

This middle grade edition of the groundbreaking bestseller by Doug Tallamy will inspire kids to use their backyard to help save the planet.  In Nature's Best Hope (Young Readers' Edition), Tallamy empowers kids to use their own yards to help combat the negative effects of climate change. He does so by breaking down complex concepts into simple terms and real-world examples that kids can easily grasp. Black and white photographs help further clarify concepts. In addition to sharing the science, Tallamy encourages kids to take direct action. Some of these ideas include planting an oak tree at home. If that's too large of a task, he suggests they can plant asters--a beautiful flower whose pollen bees use to feed their young.  By helping the next generation see that they have power and agency over our collective future, this empowering book will drive home the positive point that kids are truly nature's best hope.

A kid-friendly, accessible, and humorous picture book about the sometimes complicated task of eating while in outer space--spoiler: it's not as simple as it seems! Without a kitchen, plates, or cups, eating in space isn't easy. When food floats (and so do you), remember: 1. Be patient: Preparing a meal without gravity's help takes time. 2. Avoid crumbs: They get everywhere! 3. Clean up after yourself: Today's stray snack could become tomorrow's smelly surprise. Once you learn the dos and don'ts, you'll be eating like an astronaut in no time!   This fact-filled look at the sometimes complicated task of eating while away from Earth will show young readers what it's really like to live on the space station, with engaging back matter that takes a deep dive into the topic and features photos of real NASA astronauts!

A 2024 Skipping Stones Honor Award Winner Hi!! I'm Epi Dermis, but my friends just call me Skin! Raise your hands if you sweat, tan, itch, have hair, or have freckles!   I've been feeling pretty sensitive lately because everybody has something to say about me. But people don't always tell the truth. My color doesn't make me fast, strong, smart, or scary. I just want to shout, "It's just skin, silly!"  "[A]n irresistibly brilliant, pitch-perfect page-turner that should be a must-read in every Pre-K and Elementary School in our country." -- Henry Louis Gates Jr An illustrated children's book on the evolution of skin color, based on a collective 40+ years of peer-reviewed research from expert anthropologist Dr. Nina Jablonski and historian Dr. Holly Y. McGee, with a special foreword from celebrated literary critic and historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Meet Epi Dermis, your kid's quirky, clever guide to the origin of skin color! Using simple science and interactive activities, Epi takes readers on an adventure through human history to find out why skin is the hardest working organ in the body business. Whether it's how migration and climate changed our skin's need for melanin, to why sweat is your body's secret superpower, Epi's got all the facts--and uses them to challenge false narratives about race and give kids the information they need to do the same.

This lively peek into the amazing world of microbes, replete with a kid-pleasing "ick" factor, is chock-full of facts, humor, and fun illustrations. Microbes are everywhere: outside, indoors, on your body, in your body. In fact, only about half of our bodies' cells are human cells--the rest are microbes. Whether helping people digest their food or using mind-control techniques to lure mice into the path of hungry cats (no, really), microbes form an unseen jungle all around us. Through zany facts, hilarious and sometimes disgusting illustrations, and interviews with experts in their fields, aspiring young scientists (or kids who just want to be grossed out) will discover a hidden world in which your health depends on a myriad of microbes, houseflies get zombified by fungi, and termites are saving the planet one fart at a time. With such extras as sidebars, limericks, and even a lesson on how to draw E. coli, this "eww"-worthy treasure trove for kids is an engrossing romp into the microbe drama unfolding where you might least expect it.

From the computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code comes this lively and funny story introducing kids to computer coding concepts. All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they're going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever! With renowned computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code, Josh Funk and Sara Palacios use humor, relatable situations, and bright artwork to introduce kids to the fun of coding.