Using Picture Books to Teach Science and Other Subjects

For my post today, I thought I would share with you how you can use picture books to science and other subject areas.  I chose a few picture books that are currently on the shelf at my home.  Some of what I might share is obvious, but in other books, you might have to engage your child by using questions about the story to lead to learning in other areas.  What I really hope you take away from this are ideas about how to use picture books for activities other than just to teach your child to read.  Depending on the child, you could potentially use picture books as a supplement all the way up through middle school.  Let's get started!

 

Curious George in the Snow by Margaret & H.A. Rey: 

In this story, George and the man with the yellow hat are visiting a winter sports competition.  As usual, George and his curious ways leads to some interesting activities.  In this book, it is sledding down the hill on different contraptions, including a giant pizza pan!  From this story, you could develop a variety of science activities.  You and your child could investigate snow, or winter sports, or even how an inclined plane works.  Based on the age and ability of the child, you choose how technical you get.

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren

God Gave Us You is a sweet picture book about a conversation between a polar bear mama and cub.  This book could be used as part of your Bible lesson curriculum.  The story includes a repetition of the phrase, "God Gave Us You," with the polar bear mama teaching the cub that God was the reason she was part of their family.  That is really the message of the book.  But you could also use it to teach about life in the arctic.  There are many animals in the book including polar bears, seals, foxes, whales, penguins, and caribou.  The illustrations are beautiful and this book would be great if you wanted to study different biomes or climates and the wildlife that live there.

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff

Laura Joffe Numeroff has written a series of "If You Give" books and they are a great tool to teach reading.  But there are many other wonderful things hidden within the stories too.  If You Give a Moose a Muffin lends itself to teaching about baking, making homemade jam, gardening, sewing, and painting.  There are so many fun and creative activities you can create with this particular picture book.  I once used of her other books in the series, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, as a springboard for a writing activity.  I read the book to my sixth graders, then had them rewrite the story about something that was interesting to them.  They had to follow the "If You Give" format, and bring the story full circle, like the author does in the book.  That was probably the most fun writing assignment I worked on with my students ever.

 The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Snowy Day is a very simple story about a little boy going out in the snow to play, the adventures he finds and what happens to a snowball he brings home with him.  This story would be a great tool to teach about different types of matter and what happens when something changes from a solid to a liquid.  You might even perform a science experiment with this book during the wintertime if you live in a snowy area.



There are so many fun ideas and activities and lessons you can draw from picture books.  It also works the other way around.  If you want to teach a certain subject area, google whatever your lesson is about and the term picture books.  This will work for many subject areas.  There are even picture books that will help children with mathematical concepts!

I hope this simple little post has sparked your imagination with different ways to include picture books in your lessons and make learning fun, yet simple for kids.  Blessings to you on your homeschool journey and happy reading!



~Beth

This post originally appeared at Growing Your Homeschool.

Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage by Allison Vesterfelt

"When everything doesn't fit, you have to get rid of some of it."-Allison Vesterfelt, Packing Light

Talk about challenging.  This book was very challenging for me.  I am already an aspiring minimalist, but this book added a new aspect of minimalism for me, my emotions.  In Packing Light, Allison Vesterfelt takes a 50 state journey and learns not only what it means to pack light physically, but emotionally, and spiritually as well.

I love learning about minimalism and implementing it into my life. That is why I ordered this book.  I became acquainted with Allison through a blog post traveling in the minimalist circles.  I expected another book on "how to", but I got so much more.  

To give a concrete description of the book, Packing Light is a memoir about a teacher/writer who travels all 50 United States with a friend who is a musician.  She takes a step of faith and goes on a journey because it something she has always wanted to do.  But it is not just a memoir, it is a journey of letting go and embracing something new.

Inside the pages of Packing Light you will find thought provoking ideas that will make you assess your own life.  Why do I believe what I believe about the nature of God?  Is what I believe correct?  Can I hang on to this painful event in my life and still move forward?  Is there something for me to do that is deep in my heart, but I haven't had the courage to step forward into yet?  These are some questions that came up in my own mind as I read. I was also reminded that even as I let go of some things, God desires to add good to my life.

If I were a young adult (which I still am but now with a family), this book would have set me on fire! It still opened my heart and thinking to new possibilities, but being a single person, you have only yourself to be responsible and care for, and when you start adding a spouse and children, the dynamic changes.  

 I love the insight she brings into Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler.  I have always heard it taught from the perspective of the rich young ruler and his money, but Allison raises some more questions about their encounter as well.  What if the rich young ruler would have let go of all that he had, so he could embrace all that Jesus had for him?

I recommend this book to people who are interested in the minimalist lifestyle.  You will enjoy this read.  I also recommend this book to people who are trying to figure out where they are going in life.  If you have dreams buried in your heart, this book might help them to surface.

Many blessings to you on your journey and wherever He takes you.  It is all about Jesus.

~Beth

Disclosure:  I received this book free as part of Moody Publishers Blogger Program.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

To learn more about Allison Vesterfelt, you can visit her here at her blog.

Homeschooler, You Are Different! It's a Good Thing!

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.-2 Corinthians 10:12

We live in a culture of diversity.  Everything is different.  There are lots of choices when it comes to virtually just about everything.  No two people are alike, with the exception of identical twins.  Sometimes even they look different because of environment and other factors.  So, why should our expectations for homeschool be any different?

In the United States, there are a variety of school types to choose from preschool up through high school.  You have Montessori schools, Charter schools, Public schools, and Private schools, the latter of the two of which I am going to discuss.

I have worked in both private and public school.  There were extremely different.    In the public school, students were allowed to wear clothing of their choice.  In the private school, students wore a uniform, except on special days.  In the private school, classes were smaller, giving the teacher a little more control and freedom.   Public school classrooms are often filled to maximum capacity.  Public school students attend school for free.  Private school students pay tuition to attend school, giving everyone involved a little higher standard of accountability.

Within both school settings you had teachers teaching different grades.  Those teachers had different backgrounds.  They went to different colleges.  They came from different cities.  They had different life experiences.  They had been teaching for different amounts of time.

When I student taught, I taught 7th grade and 3rd for my final practicum.  There were three 3rd grade teachers.  I was only supervised by one, but I got to go in all three classrooms.  Each one was different.  They had different personalities and different things they liked.  Each of their students was different-different life experiences, different interests, and different abilities.

So, why I am telling you all of this?  As a homeschooling parent, you will be different than the homeschool mom you like on facebook.  You don’t have the same qualities, intent, or purpose as her.  Your children and your family do not have the same personalities, likes or dislikes, and purpose for your life as theirs.  You might be tempted to compare yourself to her and other homeschooling moms along the way.  This is not helpful to you.  The Bible has something to say about comparing ourselves to others and about thinking of ourselves in the correct way. God’s purpose for you, your child, and your family, is not the same as my purpose, or my child, or the purpose for my family.  So, why should our educational focus and goals be the same?

Let’s look at one family in the Bible.  In the book of Genesis, we read the story of Joseph. He and his brothers were shepherds.  But it seems as though Joseph developed some other skills along the way.  We know that God gave him the ability to interpret dreams.  He also seemed to have wisdom and leadership skills either given to him by God, or developed in him by his life with his family.  Later on, after he was sold into slavery in Egypt, those abilities proved to help him.  The skills he possessed eventually propelled him to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt, thus enabling him to keep the Hebrew nation alive by saving them from famine. (See Genesis 37-50.)  God has a purpose for every person and family.  You and your family are no different.

So, when you feel tempted to compare yourself to another homeschooling family, remind yourself of the differences in the current educational system. Remind yourself that just like those differences, there are no two homeschools alike.  And most importantly remind yourself that God has a plan for you and your family that is significant to only you.

Many blessings to you on your homeschool journey wherever it may take you!

~Beth

(This post was originally published at Upside Down Homeschooling)

Get to Know King David by Nancy I. Sanders

And David said, "The Lord saved me from the paw of the lion. He saved me from the paw of the bear. And he'll save me from the powerful hand of this Philistine too." -(1 

Samuel 17:37, NIrV and excerpt from Get to Know King David)

Recently I had the opportunity to review Get to Know Mary, one of the books in a series of Get to Know books about people found in the Bible by Nancy I. Sanders.  My next choice was Get to Know King David.  

Get to Know King David is a pocket-sized paperback biography for kids ages 6-10.  It contains an incredible amount of information about the life of King David, Israel's second and most well-known king.  Inside you will find artwork, artifacts, maps, and photographs all pertaining to the life and times of King David.  Some of the chapter titles include  A Shepherd Boy, The Giant Killer, Crowned as King, and Temple Plans.  

I really like this book.  There was a LOT of information!  It is really nice to have all of this information about him consolidated in one place.  It is a wonderful Bible study and resource too.  All of the photographs, maps and pictures of artifacts makes the text of the Bible come alive!

I would recommend this book to anybody who wanted to do further Bible study of the life of King David.  It would also be a great resource for homeschoolers.  This is not a book to read through quickly.  A large amount of time could be devoted to studying his life.  And it all leads up to Jesus...

Many blessings to you all as you grown in God's Word!

~Beth

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for a review.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions her are entirely my own.

To learn more about the author, Nancy I. Sanders, please visit her at her website nancyisanders.com.

To learn more about other books in the Get to Know series, visitwww.zondervan.com.