Science Learning Through Picture Books

 

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

• Keystone AEA teachers

   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. 

• At a glance spreadsheet: Books within each of the DCIs

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.

 

Please contact either Jason Martin-Hiner (Science consultant), Bev Berns (STEAM/Tech Integrationist), or Mindy Reimer (Teacher Librarian) for more information about using these resources in your classroom or with any questions you have.