Picture Perfect Science and STEM Mini Kits for grades K-6 are interesting, engaging and easy to use!

But what is meant by “Picture Perfect”?  Glad you asked! The Picture Perfect Science and Picture Perfect STEM, (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), books were written by authors Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan who are both former elementary teachers who’ve honed their approach to teaching science in an engaging, kid-friendly way. They provide easy-to-grasp background in Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Sciences, and Engineering Practices.

These units present ready-to-teach lessons, complete with student pages and assessments, that use high-quality fiction and nonfiction picture books to guide hands-on science inquiry. The authors included comprehensive background notes to each chapter and new reading strategies. They show you exactly how to combine science and reading in a natural way…everything you need is at your fingertips!

Why use picture books? Picture books give students a context for the concepts they are exploring in the science classroom. They often have interesting storylines that can help students understand and remember concepts better than they would by using textbooks alone, which tend to present science as lists of facts to be memorized. In addition, the colorful pictures and graphics in picture books are superior to many texts for explaining abstract concepts. As a result, both reluctant scientists and struggling readers will quickly find themselves absorbed in scientific discovery.

Inquiry learning contributes to better understanding of scientific concepts and skills. Within an inquiry-based lesson, students work collaboratively to brainstorm questions, design procedures for testing their predictions, carry out investigations, and ask thoughtful questions.

The Learning Commons has three books that include all of the lessons: Picture-perfect Stem Lessons K-2, Picture-perfect Stem Lessons 3-5, and Picture-perfect Science Lessons Gr. 3-6.

To make the lessons more accessible, the Learning Commons has created 40 Science and STEM mini Kits which include one lesson plan and the coordinating picture books so you have everything you need!  You can take out several units to use over your 10 week loan period and cover many of the subjects for Science and ADST!

The Changing Moon, Day And Night  Gr. K-6

Learners make observations of the Moon each night for a month, model how the Moon changes shape, and illustrate a picture book with scientifically accurate Moon phases. Using a model, learners explore time zones and what causes day and night and how time zones change. Learners observe the position of the Sun in the sky at different times of day and relate those positions to the rotation of the Earth.

Space Exploration  Gr. 6

By exploring the history of various scientific discoveries about space, students will recognize a fundamental understanding of the nature of science—scientific knowledge is open to revision as new evidence is discovered. They will also learn about the criteria and constraints involved in developing space exploration technologies by playing a board game.

Robots Everywhere ADST Gr. K-2

Big Idea: Technologies are tools that extend human capabilities.
After sharing what they know about different types of robots, students model how robots are programmed to perform tasks. They learn that every robot is designed for a specific job, and that job determines what a robot looks like. They also make a labeled drawing of a robot that could complete a particular task in their own home or at school, and they compare it with another technology designed to solve the same problem.

Bionic Animals – ADST Gr. 6

After hearing the true story of a young bottlenose dolphin who injures her tail and is helped by a team of dedicated prosthetists, students are challenged to design, build, and test a prosthetic part for a wind-up toy animal. In the process, they learn how biomedical engineers design everything from life-saving medical devices to life-changing prosthetic limbs. They also learn how the fast-growing field of three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology is helping both people and animals with limb differences.

To find and book the kits, log in to the Search Portal. Click on the TOPIC search icon which will take you to a visual search of curated lists. Click on the  Unit Study Kits icon. The Picture Perfect Science and Stem Mini Units are listed by grade.