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MackinVIA Science Books
Science is all about figuring things out and literacy is how we communicate it out!
MackinVIA offers students and teachers fiction and non-fiction books in a wide range of topics. Within Keystone AEA’s MackinVIA, books are organized to support the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in easy to access groups. What a great way to add literacy to support science! The possibilities are endless! Just think, student can choose any book within the DCI being studied, teachers can use them as mentor texts or as read-alouds to reinforce or even launch science investigations!
In the elementary, why not support a science unit using time within the literacy block to learn and apply reading and writing skills related to the topics in the science investigations? This resource of science ebook groups can help you do just that! Science is all about figuring things out and literacy is the way we research or communicate it out
DID I MENTION, TOO… all of the resources curated into the groups have been reviewed and selected by Iowa teacher librarians! They carefully select books based on a variety of reviews and a selection process, which included cross-referencing key ideas and terms of NGSS!
If you are OUTSIDE the Keystone AEA region, you may not have the DCI science groups available in your VIA, but you do have access to the Statewide books listed on the alignment spreadsheet (see below). Happy reading!
Additional Resources to get you started!
Access MackinVIA
Spreadsheet of books by DCI
If you are an Iowa teacher outside the Keystone AEA region, linked here is the spreadsheet of books organized by Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI) of the NGSS Science Standards.
How about more ideas for integrating literacy into science units?”Picture-Perfect Science Lessons and More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, published by the National Science Teachers Association, have helped teachers deepen their content knowledge and integrate science and reading in a meaningful way.” – from the Picture Perfect Science website
As teachers search for the time to address both science and literacy standards in their classrooms and students continually look for relevancy in what they do in school, Picture-Perfect Science Lessons provide an excellent resource for teachers to address key science skills and content while providing opportunities to expose students to both fiction and non-fiction text in a meaningful way. The materials used for student investigations are common items that are easily accessible for elementary teachers on a budget and the lessons provide a variety of options for assessments.
Picture-Perfect Science
Picture-Perfect Science Bibliography
- Check out the Bibliography to see a list of all of the books used in the Picture-Perfect Science series as well as how to order the books from the Keystone AEA Media Library.
Picture Perfect Science and the NGSS (K-5) Alignment by Grade Level
Check out the complete lessons in the volumes listed below:
- Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, grades 3-6, 2nd Ed, Keystone Order #94435
- More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, Grades K-4, Keystone Order #93364
- Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry, grades K-5, Keystone Order #95416
Picture-Perfect STEM
Picture Perfect Science and the NGSS (K-5) Alignment by Grade Level
Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, K-2: Using Children’s Books to Inspire STEM, Keystone Order #96923
- Check out the bibliography to see a list of all of the books used in the Picture-Perfect Science series as well as how to order the books from the Keystone AEA Media Library.
Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, grades 3-5: Using Children’s Books to Inspire STEM, Keystone Order #96924
- Check out the bibliography to see a list of all of the books used in the Picture-Perfect Science series as well as how to order the books from the Keystone AEA Media Library.
Eureka! Science Activities and Stories
Eureka! Grade 3-5 Science Activities and Stories, Keystone Order #97098
Eureka, Again! K-2 Science Activities and Stories, Keystone Order #97097
- Check out the bibliography to see a list of all of the books used in the Picture-Perfect Science series as well as how to order the books from the Keystone AEA Media Library.
FOSS Recommended Reads
Workshop resources
STEM-ifying Storybooks- Online PD Offering (March 25, 2020)
STEM-ifying Storybooks is all about generating ideas for incorporating STEM in the classroom. Linked here are the resources from our online PD session held on March 25, 2020.
Webinar Recording
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TtoT3xXDuH0mr7HzJvbjwqk9LULwPvCp/preview
Slides used in the webinar
Other resources referenced in the webinar
- Google Jamboard Tutorial (remember, your IT contact may need to enable the feature in the Google Admin dashboard.)
- Picture Perfect Science author website.
STEM-ifying Storybooks- ITEC overview
STEM-ifying Storybooks is all about generating ideas for incorporating STEM in the classroom. This presentation is from ITEC 2019 and will also be a workshop option at Keystone AEA in the future! Stay tuned for dates!
STEM-ifying Storybooks in the school library!
The school library is a natural space to connect picture books, science and STEM learning! In this workshop, we shared how the school library standards support the STEM-ified approach.
Novel Effects! Add sound effects to your read aloud!
Novel effects is a bank of sound effects for popular children’s storybooks. As you read the story, the sounds reflect what is happening on the page! Learn more at https://noveleffect.com/educators/.
Looking for a great pairing: MackinVIA and Novel Effects! https://www.youtube.com/embed/_xZc0BhkaB0
Please contact either E-MailJason Martin-Hiner (Science consultant), E-MailBev Berns (STEAM/Tech Integrationist), or E-MailMindy Reimer (Teacher Librarian) for more information about using these resources in your classroom or with any questions you have.