STEM Summer Reading: Part 1

Ah summer.  You elusive, long-sought-after, short-lived summer.  The thought alone brings a smile to my face.  Teachers get such short summers nowadays.  Don't get me going on the joke about "June, July, and August".  Most teachers I know get two months off from regular teaching, yet, many work summer jobs (summer school, school improvement, etc.).  And many others go back early for pre-service and training.  Since moving into the STEM Curriculum position, I don't even get that anymore.  But, that's not going to stop me from summer reading.  

Recently, I spoke with some STEM experts about what they are reading for summer.  Below is a list of what we are reading:

More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan

This is the second book in a series of 3 books for elementary teachers.  Ansberry and Morgan have paired picture books with science lessons.  While not a "STEM" book, the authors definitely give you enough content to start a STEM unit.  The true beauty of this book is that the first 5 chapters are devoted to the pedagogy of using picture books to teach science concepts.  They explain student engagement strategies and literacy components.  Although the lessons are fully-scripted for teachers, don't feel bound to use those specific picture books.  If you don't have the particular book the authors used, feel free to use another book that you do have on hand.

Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI): The Power of the Well-Crafted Lesson by John R. Hollingsworth and Sylvia Ybarra

"We used this book as a grade-level studies and would cumulate on our reading during our data dialogue days.  We broke the book down in sections, just as we did the STEM Lesson Essentials book.  The EDI book broke down how to design effective lessons and get 100% student engagement across all disciplines.  Even I, as a seasoned educator, found this book refreshing and use the contents in designing my lessons.  It also used real classroom examples at the end of each section to help you connect with the content." Lynette Charlie, M.Ed. STEM Coordinator Salt River Elementary School

Science and the Bible by Donald De Young

While teachers may be busy catching up on their reading, students might be attending Vacation Bible School in their summer hours.  And some teachers might be writing STEM Vacation Bible School lessons.  The books in this series take Science concepts and link them to Biblical examples.  Again, not "STEM" per se, but it's a start and you can add your own Tech, Engineering, and Math. 

What are you reading this summer?  Join the conversation at SRodriguez@STEM-Ready.com 

Read the whole series:

STEM Summer Reading: Part 2