The Science Makerspace at the East Boston Early Childhood Center is buzzing with lively activity from our Young STEAM Inventors!
Cultural Explorations of “Why” and “How” Things Came to Be
During our study of Animals 2×2 Foss Science Unit, I will introduce Native American author and illustrators Joseph Bruchac and his son James Bruchac. Their children’s books share share Native American folktales known as “Pourquoi (pour kwah) Tales.” Students will learn the characteristics of a pourquoi tale, or why, tales, a type of folktale that usually explains something in nature and is found in most world cultures. We will explore puppetry with animals from these stories and connect to our outdoor “Forest School” learning space.
Articles and Resources I Have Recently Explored
Huyck, David and Sarah Park Dahlen. (2019 June 19). Diversity in Children’s Books 2018. sarahpark.com blog. Created in consultation with Edith Campbell, Molly Beth Griffin, K. T. Horning, Debbie Reese, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, and Madeline Tyner, with statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison: http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/pcstats.asp. Retrieved from https://readingspark.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/picture-this-diversity-in-childrens-books-2018-infographic/.
- “Sisters read bedtime stories on Facebook Live so kids can fall asleep to a story each night” by Tony Morrison (Rest In Power) and Chris Cirillo for Good Morning America
- “Guide for selecting anti-bias children’s books” by Louise Derman-Sparks for the Social Justice books website
- “Secret power of the children’s picture book” by Megan Cox Gurdon for The Wall Street Journal
- “Preschoolers who practice phonics show stronger math skills, study finds” by Sarah Schwartz for Education Week Teacher
- “Elementary education has gone terribly wrong” by Natalie Wexler for The Atlantic
- “Literacy expert Nell Duke argues for more science and social studies education”
- “Barbie releases pilot and engineer dolls to encourage young girls into STEM subjects” by Laura Hampton for Evening Standard
- “Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter?” by Christopher P. Brown for The Conversation
- “We Have Ruined Childhood” by Kim Brooks for The New York Times
