Science and Literature

Susan Matthews

RE 5140

April 27, 2010

How does literature help young children develop the language to talk about science topics?

Research Question:

Research says: “Well-written and developmentally appropriate literature not only provides content knowledge and fosters science process skills; it also awakens children’s curiosity and offers opportunities for inquiry (Sackes, M., Trundle, K., & Flevares, L., 2009).”

“Well-written, developmentally matched literature provides a tool that facilitates and enhances the discovery process (Zeece, P., 1999).”

“Elementary students can read about science in order to learn new content, to gain new science-process skills, and to increase their motivation to read (Abell, S., 2008).”

Participants:

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

What we know about plants. What we want to know about plants.

What we learned about plants.

They grow.

They have black soil and white things.

They grow in the garden.

Grow little flowers

They have a seed.

There are different kinds.

They have honey.

They have nectar.

They have roots in the ground.

You have to water them.

How does a plant sprout?

How do they grow flowers?

How do plants die?

How do plants grow?

How do you take care of plants?

What are plants?

How do you plant plants?

How do they change colors?

Do plants break easily?

How do their leaves fall off?

Plant unit: We started out with a KWL chart

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

Checklist for books

Sudol and King (1996) developed a checklist for evaluating expository trade books and they should include the following:

• accuracy•organization and layout•cohesion of ideas•specialized vocabulary•reader interest

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

Books we read. Book Titles and Authors

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Roots by Vijaya Khisty Bodach

Seeds by Vijaya Khisty Bodach

Leaves by Vijaya Khisty Bodach

Flowers by Vijaya Khisty Bodach

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

From Bud to Blossom by Gail Saunders-Smith

Plants Grow From Seeds by Rachel Mann

Stems by Gail Saunders-Smith

Seed to Plant by Melvin & Gilda Berger

From Seed to Pumpkin by Jan Kottke

From Acorn to Oak Tree by Jan Kottke

Sunflower Life Cycle by Jeff Bauer

The Big Seed by Ellen Howard

Plants we Know by O. Irene Sevrey Miner

How Does Your Salad Grow by Francie Alexander

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

What we learned about plants.

How does a plant sprout? It grows a little bit. The roots go down and the plant goes up.

How does a plant die? When you don’t give them water, when they don’t get sunlight, or when they have too much water.

How do plants grow? The grow out of the seed and they have roots, stems, and leaves.

How do you take care of plants? Give them water, soil, and sunlight.

What are plants? They are seeds that grow from the ground. They have roots, stems, leaves, and sometimes they have flowers.

Do plants break easily? Yes they break easily. When you pick them it is not hard.

How do you plant plants? You need a seed. You need soil. Need water. Dig a hole and put the seed in the hole. Cover the seed up. Pour water on it. Give it sunlight.

This is a list of the plants that the children named when we were talking about what we had learned: rose, flower, sunflower, bean, daisy, corn, peas, tomato, trees, bushes (shrubs), grass and vines.

Plants can be big or small.

Trees are the biggest plant.

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

Discussion:• Literature does help children develop the language to talk about science topics.

• Students were able to add more detailed information about plants at the end of the unit.

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students. seven Hispanics, one African-American, two Multi-Racial, and twelve Caucasian students.

Resources

Abell, S K. (2008, November). Children's literature and the science classroom. Science and Children, 54-55.

Sackes, M., Trundle, K C., & Flevares, L M. (2009). Using Children's literature to teach standard-based science concepts in early years. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36, 415-422.

Sudol, P., & King, C. (1996). A Checklist for choosing nonfiction trade books. The Reading Teacher, 49(5), 422-424.

Zeece, P D. (1999). Things of nature and the nature of things: natural science-based literature for young children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(3), 161-166.