Poetry Friday: Science Verse (by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith)

I am thrilled to share this week’s poetry collection—Science Verse (by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith).  These two authors know how to turn things upside down and make your rethink how you look at everything from fairy tales to science!  This collection is no exception.   The book begins with a group of children in class.  Their science teacher tells them that if they listen closely they will “hear the poetry of science in everything.”  One of the students is zapped with a curse of science verse.  He begins to think of everything in the form of a poem.  The poems and pictures that follow are his journey through the world of science and language.   

The duo uses nursery rhymes, popular songs, and famous adult works as models for their entertaining, educational, and, at times, irreverent poetry.  “Lovely” parallels Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees.”

“Lovely”

I think that I ain’t never seen

A poem ugly as a spleen.

A poem that could make you shiver,

Like 3.5 … pounds of liver.

A poem to make you lose your lunch,

Tie your intestines in a bunch.

A poem all gray, wet, and swollen,

Like a stomach or a colon.

Sometimes like your kidney, lung,

Pancreas, bladder, even tongue.

Why you turning green, good buddy?

It’s just human body study.

This next selection follows the rhythm of the children’s song “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”

“Food Chains”

“I’ve been working in the food chain,

All the livelong day.

In the middle of the food chain,

I’ve got no time to play.

Can’t you see the green plants growing?

That’s energy, okay?

Consumer eats up the producer,

Predator eats prey.

Who’s for lunch today?

Who’s for lunch today?

Don’t you just wonder, who’s for lunch today?

Predator or prey.

Predator or prey.

Eat or be eaten, that’s the only way.

Under “Why Scientists Don’t Write Nursery Rhymes” is a “Mary Had a Little Lamb” parody.

“Mary Had A…”

Mary had a little worm.

She thought it was a chigger.

But everything that Mary ate,

Only made it bigger.

It came with her to school one day,

And gave the kids a fright,

Especially when the teacher said,

“Now that’s a parasite.”

As the book comes to a close, it is revealed that the student with the science verse curse was asleep (in class) the whole time!  Science Verse is witty and entertaining, but it also has several educational tie ins.  Subjects covered are evolution, water cycle, human body, space/astronomy, dinosaurs, food chains, chemistry, scientific method, senses, matter, and life cycles.

Teaching Opportunities:

• Poetry:  students can write their own poems using nursery rhymes, children’s songs, or other poems as models.
• Sound Devices:  identify rhyme, alliteration, consonance, and so forth
• Figurative Language:  identify and discuss examples (similes, puns, personification)
• Science:  use a poem to begin a science lesson or unit study; discuss what is revealed through the poem about the subject
• Critical Thinking:  look carefully together to distinguish fact from fiction in the poems

 Today is Poetry Friday!  Check out other great poems and anthologies at the round up at Book Talking. 

Picture Books (Science): Human Body

For non-fiction Monday, I am highlighting two books and one series on the human body.  To check out other non-fiction titles, hop over to Apples With Many Seeds.

My Body (ages 4-10) by Angela Royston 

This vibrant oversized book is perfect for a home or a school exploration of the human body!  It is broken up into sections: heart and lungs, bones and teeth, brain, digestive system, and skin.  Basic facts are presented about these various systems and organs interspersed with activities and experiments (usually no preparation required) that prompt children to become familiar with their bodies.  There is a huge emphasis on how to keep the body systems and organs healthy.  Colorful backgrounds and active photographs of children fill every page.   Simple diagrams are periodically included.  The large font text is clear and understandable.  Older children will be able to read it themselves.   My Body is a highly interactive book, appealing to children of all ages and learning styles. 

The Busy Body Book (ages 5-10) by Lizzy Rockwell 

Like My Body, the focus of The Busy Body Book is on keeping bodies healthy.  Cartoon drawn children jump, twist, and twirl through the pages.  Each of the body systems is covered:  skeletal, muscular, brain and nerves (nervous), stomach and intestines (digestive), and lungs (respiratory).  The diagrams are outstanding introductory teaching tools on the human body.  Key areas are labeled with quick facts, such as Ribs protect your heart and lungs, Teeth are the only part of the skeleton that you can see, and Thigh Bone is the longest bone in your body.  My children and I reviewed them numerous times.   The kids enjoyed competing in oral “pop quizzes” on them.  Whether you want to do a brief introduction to body systems and health or go more in depth, check out The Busy Body Book.

Body Systems series (ages 5-10) by Kay Manolis  

(Early Reader) 

When researching at the library for books on the human body, I found this remarkable series by Scholastic.  There are six books covering the following systems:  circulatory, digestive, muscular, nervous, respiratory, and skeletal.  Children are introduced to key terms and a basic overview of each system in concise, clear language.  Each page has only 2-5 sentences, making the information easy to digest.  Vibrant photographs, clear diagrams, and rich backgrounds make this series visually appealing.  It is a Level 4 Reader: Early Fluent.  Listeners as young as 5 may enjoy this series as well.  This series does not appear to be currently available, though I cannot imagine why.  Check your local library for these books. Search by author and system name.

For other non-fiction titles on this blog click HERE.

Concept Books: General (Learning Numbers & Counting)

Even though counting books are geared for preschool aged children, older kids will often enjoy them too.  My nine year old looked at One Boy several times because it is so creative and entertaining.  He also enjoyed Over at the Castle and One Tractor.   Check out my favorite counting books (general). 

One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Using a peek-a-boo window, children can practice counting, identifying words with in words, and predicting.   This clever book begins with a simple phrase on the left side and a window looking on to the next page on the right side.  As you turn the page, the phrase creatively continues and uses parts of the previous one.  In addition, more of the original picture is revealed.  It is sure to bring children back over and over!  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numeral Words, Prediction, Words with in Words  *My Top Pick 

Over at the Castle by Boni Ashburn

Using the familiar “Over the Meadow” folk song, a picture of castle life is illustrated.  A mother dragon and her child wait for the right moment to make their entrance.  Meanwhile, groups of lords, servants, chefs, weavers, knights, and others are seen doing their daily work.  Written in beautiful rhyming quatrains and coupled with vivid pictures, the dragons appearance makes a glorious glow in the sky.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numeral Words, Rhyming, Alliteration, Poetry, Castle Life, Middle Ages, Dragons

One Tractor by Alexandra Siy

Little boys will love this imaginative counting book!  A boy sees a toy tractor on this grass which he imagines is out of gas.  From there, he imagines his interaction with other forms of transportation like planes, boats, dump trucks, trains, and buses.  Each are in groups from two to ten with pirates (and a single mouse) driving, flying, running, swimming, hoisting, and more.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numeral Words, Transportation, Pirates, Rhyme, Alliteration, Poetry, Imagination 

One Sister Smiling by Lucy Coats

From breakfast with one smiling sister to pick-up timeby ten happy parents, a joyful preschool day is described with lots of fun activities and happy faces in the illustrations.  The children are seen painting with five pots, eating six donuts, skipping in a group of seven, and much more.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numerals Words, Rhyme, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Poetry, School, Daily Schedule  

The Baker’s Dozen: A Counting Book by Dan Andreasen

This delectable book counts to a baker’s dozen, thirteen.  A baker is illustrated with creating his delicious desserts, such as four sticky buns, five gingerbread cookies, six jelly rolls, seven heart-shaped tarts, and so forth.  Then, all the desserts are shown again for more counting practice.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numeral Words, Rhyme, Baking, Shapes 

 

Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson

Various construction vehicles are shown in action, such as earthmovers scraping up a load, bulldozers reshaping the ground, and backhoes scooping up the gravel.  Little boys will love watching these amazing vehicles in action in this backwards counting story.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Construction Vehicles, Transportation 

Carlo Likes Counting by Jessica Spanyol

Carlo, a giraffe, loves counting.  He walks around to many different places like a farm, a toy store, a park, a diner, a garden, and a construction site.  In each scene there are several groups of items for one specific number.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Animals, Vocabulary Building (each group of items is labeled) 

Ten Red Apples by Virginia Miller

Bartholomew Bear loves his apple tree.  He climbs it, hugs it, swings on it, and shakes it as he watches the apples ripen.  Watch as a new apple turns red on each page until there are ten in all (Children can also feel the smooth texture of the red ones!).  Then, Bartholomew and his mother make an apple pie with them and enjoy it together under the tree.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Bears, Baking, Apple Picking

One Beautiful Baby by Martine Oborne  

A mother is seen waking her baby boy for the day's activities.  The first thought is his one sweet smile.  As she feeds him, she thinks of his two adorable eyes.  She counts things for him like three bananas at breakfast and four diaper during changing time.  The baby plays with his five soft toys before his mother buttons him up for a trip to the park to feed eight ducks and have a picnic.  When you put all of these parts of his body and day together, the end result is "one beautiful baby!"  Teaching Opportunties:  Counting, Number Words, Ducks, Park, Body Parts

City Lullaby by Marilyn Singer

In this backwards counting tale, a baby is sleeping while being strolled through a noisy city.  Horns beeping, cell phones ringing, dogs barking, and trash cans bashing are amoung the many loud sounds the baby sleeps soundly through.  Ironically, when a single bird twitters, he awakens with a smile.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Onomatopoeia, Rhyme


You Might Also Enjoy:

Circus 1-2-3 by Megan Halsey  

Beginning with a dynamic ringmaster, members of circus acts are grouped from two to ten.  Two spunky mice lead the way through the acts as elephants do somersaults, bears dance, acrobats defy gravity, seals balance, clowns amuse, and much more.  Each page has a number and a single word describing the acts.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Circus Acts, Vocabulary Building 

Concept Books: Bedtime Stories (Learning Numbers & Counting)

These concepts books focus on counting backwards in rhythmic, soothing prose or poetry to help calm down babies and small children to prepare them for bedtime or naptime.  Some are silly (Cha-Cha Chimps).  Others chronicle children’s sleepy time rituals (Counting Kisses) or animals preparing for bed (Turtle Splash!).  All of them are perfect bedtime companions. 

Counting Kisses by Karen Katz  

Beginning with ten kisses on the teeny tiny toes and ending one last kiss on a sleepy, dreamy head, this interactive book is a tender way to end a child’s day.  Parents, grandparents, and siblings are shown interacting with the baby.  The illustrations and text capture a picture of unconditional love and security that every young child needs to experience.  Teaching Opportunities: Counting, Number Words, Numerals, Body Parts, Family  

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang
Numbers from ten to one are counted down as a father lovingly helps his little girl gets ready for bed.  Common bedtime rituals are illustrated numerically, such as 10 small washed toes, 9 soft friends, 8 kisses and hugs, and so forth.  Calming rhymes are utilized to sooth babies and young children as they are put to bed for the night. Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Bedtime Rituals, Rhyme, Family 

One Wide Sky: A Bedtime Lullaby by Deborah Wiles  

Two groups (squirrels and boys) have a day of backyard adventures side by side.  Then, it slowly comes to an end as moonlight fills the sky and sleepy heads prepare for bedtime—all under one wide sky.  This story counts to ten (day) and then back down to one (night).  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numeral Words, Squirrels, Back Yard Exploration 

Turtle Splash! Countdown at the Pond by Cathryn Falwell

Ten timid turtles lounge on a log as the day comes to a close.  Each is startled by noises near the pond, such as a leaping bullfrog, a scampering squirrel, and loud ducklings, which prompts it to jump into the water until they are all at the bottom of the water resting for the night.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Number Words, Pond Life, Animals Forest, Habitats  

Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango  

In this countdown, ten little chimps sneak out to cha-cha-cha at Mambo Jamba’s.   Following a rhythmic pattern, one by one, they leave the group to dance another type of jig with one of the other animals.  Their mother catches them and rounds them up for bed.  After kissing and tucking them in, she calls a babysitter, so she can cha-cha-cha at Mambo Jamba’s.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Onomatopoeia, Repetition, African Animals, Poetry, Rhyme, Alliteration 

Ten Little Sleepyheads by Elizabeth Provost

Written in rhyming quatrains, this poetic book illustrates ten little bugs falling asleep one by one.  The little bugs lie quietly, have a snack, giggle with each other, play peek-a-boo, cuddle with family, read a bed time story, take a bath, climb into bed, and finally, breath soft and slow until everyone is fast asleep.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Poetry, Rhyme, Alliteration, Insects, Bedtime Rituals 

One Bear at Bedtime by Mick Inkpen  

A little boy declares he only needs one bear at bedtime.  There are many other animals that make his bedtime mischievous and memorable.  For instance, three kangaroos jump on his bed.  Five lions mess around with the shampoo, and eight crocodiles use up all the toothpaste.  Despite all these imagined distractions, the little boy settles down with his one bear for the night.