This academic year (17-18) I've been fortunate to go back to teaching a stand alone science methods course. This means I have 14 full weeks to spend with preservice teachers thinking about best practices in teaching elementary science. One of skills we develop is in keeping a scientist's notebook. In addition to using it for close observations, wonder questions, experimental data, nature observations, and more, we are using it to compare our work to the work found in the notebooks of naturalists and scientists. In doing this, I've been sharing a number of books about scientists. Here are just a few of my favorites. I hope you consider sharing these with your future scientists.
written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Raúl Colón
written by Matthew Clark Smith and illustrated by Giuliano Ferri
written by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Jessica Lanan
written by Jim Ottaviani and illustrated by Maris Wicks
written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley
written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens
written and illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson
written by Jeannine Atkins
written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky
written by H. Joseph Hopkins and illustrated by Jill McElmurry
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I'm sticking to 10, though I do want to cheat and throw in a few more. I guess that just means I'll need to revisit this topic.
You can read more about nf10for10 at It's Coming: February's Nonfiction Picture Book Event.
