Poetry Friday: Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars (by Douglas Florian):

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars (by Douglas Florian):

As with many of Florian’s other books, this space-themed collection incorporates science facts with the  rhyme, rhythm, and imagery of poetry.  The illustrations are a wonderful blend of painting, collage, text, and simple die cut shapes.  The collection begins with general poems about the universe and our solar system.  Next, each planet has its own poem.  Other space elements are covered, such as moon, comets, constellations, black holes, and the great beyond.   The “galactic glossary” explains in prose format, that both compliments and expands the poems, more about each of the objects. 

This collection is ideal for educators and parents teaching about the solar system.   Children get a fun introduction or reinforcement of facts.   They can be challenged to create their own space poems using information that an adult provided or that the children researched.  The illustrations could be used as a spring board for child-created painting/collage depictions of our solar system.   For other solar system books and activities, visit my Pinterest collection. 

“Venus”

Scalding-hot surface,

Nine hundred degrees.

Nothing can live there,

No creatures,

No tree.

Poisonous clouds

Of acid above.

Why was it named for

The goddess of love?

“The Comet”

Ice, rock, dirt,

Metal and gas—

Around the sun

A comet may pass.

A dirty snowball

Of space debris.

The biggest snowball

That you’ll ever see.

Check out other great poems and poetry anthologies at Random Noodling in honor of Poetry Friday.  

Picture Books (Science): Planet Series (by L. L. Owens)

A Child’sWorld has an impressive series of non-fiction books on the planets in the solar system called Space Neighbors.    Each planet, and the sun, has a book devoted to it.   I reviewed 3 books in the series:  Saturn, Mercury, and Pluto and Other Dwarf Planets. 

Author L.L.Owens begins each book by placing the planet in the night sky.  Key vocabulary words are in bold, such as solar system, orbit, and telescope.  Next, a sweeping two-page layout displays all of the planets in relation to the sun and each other.  In the left-bottom corner, Fun Facts are provided that include distance from sun, size, planet number, and facts unique to the planet.   The follow pages include large, bold pictures of the plant and information about the speed of rotation and revolution, surface, atmosphere, temperature, exploration, and much more. 

Owens uses simple text (second grade reading level) which makes this series fantastic for children in the primary grades (1-4).  She offers context for many of the facts with child-oriented comparisons, like the distance around Mercury’s middle is “longer than 100 million hot dogs placed end to end” or the shape of the planet is “more like a football than a baseball.”  Some of the core information about the definitions of rotation, revolution, and the solar system are reviewed in each book.  The books include a glossary of important terms to build science vocabulary. 

The illustrations and photographs are eye-catching.   The planets are viewed from different angles and distances, extending the written text.  Other photographs and illustrations are included to round out the fascinating facts presented to the young readers.  I recommend the Space Neighbor series for ages 6-10. 

I created a Pinterest board of some amazing ideas on the web to teach about the solar system.  

This post is linked up at Momto2PoshDivas for Sunday Showcase and Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom.

Picture Book (Science): Meet the Planets (by John McGranaghan)

Summary of Meet the Planets:    

Coming to you live from the Milky Way, Pluto (former ninth planet) emcees the first ever Favorite Planet Competition.   Pluto begins by introducing the inner plants—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.  These solid, rocky planets are closest to the sun.  Who is your favorite?  The fastest planet—Mercury?  The brightest one—Venus?  The “mother” of life—Earth?  OR The red-faced planet, named after the god of war—Mars?  Next up, the outer plants—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.  These gaseous planets have their own rings!  The question is:  Does one of them deserve to be the winner?   The largest planet—Jupiter?  The light on his feet—Saturn?  The slanted one—Uranus?  The beautiful blue planet—Neptune?  The judges cannot come to a decision.  So that means that YOU will decide the Favorite!

Evaluation:

Author John McGranaghan creatively introduces readers to the planets in the Milky Way using the competition framework. The fast-paced text offers up an intriguing glimpse into the unfathomable world of outer space.  Captivated readers will be eager to learn more about space and the Greek mythology references.  The imaginative illustrations by Laurie Allen Klein depict astronomers, scientist, mathematicians, and other historical figures related to the study of space.  She cleverly incorporates famous works of art and historical objects.  Sylvan Dell’s across the curriculum teaching guide identifies all the figures and connections, prompting research and learning opportunities.  There are so many layers to this book that each time through can be a new experience, depending on the level, age, and interest of the participants.  Meet the Plants is an out of this world journey through space and learning. 

For more excellent teaching opportunities, check out the Sylvan Dell’s teaching guide and book page.