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Science, Trade Books & Natural Curiosity
The natural curiosity and wonder of young children is truly amazing. They are forever mesmerized by the everyday events of the world and often ask that
frustrating question "why." Very often one might need a set of pocket encyclopedias to answer the many questions the children have. Parents and teachers wish to answer the students' questions but may not always have the
answers. Trade books are often the perfect device by which to answer many of these questions, as books allow students to investigate and explore many topical areas in either a cursory overview or an in-depth view. Many of the
students' questions revolve around natural objects, daily events, phenomena, and other science topics. The use of children's trade books can answer many of these questions for both the child and the adult as well as provide
an opportunity to develop science-process skills.
Science-process Skills
Science-process skills are those skills that allow scientists—regardless of their age—to conduct investigations and reach conclusions. Although many young
students and children do not realize they are "conducting investigations," as they usually do not have the prerequisite discipline, they are in fact investigating natural phenomena or objects in their lives. Science-process
skills are also important because they allow students to develop problem-solving skills and answer questions they may have. By answering their own questions and adding to their knowledge base, they are at the same time learning
new information.
The first science-process skill that can be developed through the use of trade books and natural curiosity is observation. Observation is the ability to notice
or perceive different qualities or traits about a situation or object and make non-judgmental statements about it. No inferences or conclusions should be made. Everything that we currently know about the world comes through the
skill of observation. Observations are based on the physical properties of the object in question: its color, size, height, temperature, number, etc. Students and younger children can practice making observations about anything
they find in the outdoors. Flowers, clouds, a handful of dirt—all become objects to observe and, at the same time, possibly answer the many questions a student has. One can take the skill of observing a step further by having
the students create a log in which they record the changes that they observe. How many flowers have poked their head through the surface each day? By comparing observable changes, students can begin to understand the cycles
that accompany the natural phenomena.
A second science-process skill with which one can utilize trade books is communication. Communication is a skill that younger children as well as elementary-age
students can spend more time developing. The art of communication is a skill that follows us into our adult lives. The better we are at communicating our thoughts and feelings, the better we are at interacting with others. Two
forms of communication exist and can be developed through the use of trade books. First, verbal communication is the ability to tell or discuss what happened using vocabulary, expression, inflection of the voice, and recall of
events. Allow students to tell you what they observed during their walk, as they were playing on the playground, or during outdoor "quiet time." Their ability to relay their observations along with carefully phrased
questions from the adult helps improve this skill. Second, written communication, although often difficult for students in preschool through grade three, can be developed in more detail as well. Allow the children to use
pre-writing or picture drawing along with a few words to tell the story of what they have seen. Teachers could select a few words a day related to the children's book to help develop vocabulary while working on
written-communication skills.
Connection to Daily Life
Natural events, daily objects, and observable phenomena all have a connection to daily life. The need to understand more about events in our daily lives is
often the root of that rather frustrating question "why." Even young children have a desire, although not always the cognitive development, to process the answer and to explore and understand their surroundings. Trade books
offer that source of information that can help children explore their surroundings, process the information when appropriate, and understand their world, while at the same time posing new questions for their natural
curiosity.
Possible Trade Books for those Upcoming Questions this Fall
The following are but a few trade books that could be utilized during the upcoming fall and
winter months. At this time the Northern Hemisphere begins to undergo a change, the days get shorter, the temperature begins to drop, animals prepare for winter, and people do not venture outdoors as much.
A is for ….?A Photographer's Alphabet of Animals*by Henry Horenstein (Gulliver Books). This picture book shows different close-ups of
animals, each representing a letter of the alphabet. A great resource to begin the old game of "Eye Spy."
Autumn Leaves* by Ken Robbins (Scholastic). This book provides close-up pictures of various types of trees and what their leaves look like.
The Cloud Book
by Tommy dePaola (Holiday House). A wonderful book written for young students that explains the different types of clouds and the weather brought by each type.
Earth, Sky, Wet, Dry: A Book of Nature Opposites
by Durga Bernhard (Orchard Books). Through single words on a page, this book helps the reader identify opposites in our natural world and is a useful tool to help young students see the contrasts that nature presents throughout the year.
A Handful of Dirt*by Raymond Bial (Walker and Company). This book investigates soil and provides information through colorful photographs on the
importance of soil to our world. It explores what types of organisms live in the soil and the value of this natural resource.
The Pumpkin Book*
by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House). This wonderful book explains how pumpkins grow and what they are used for once harvested. A great book for the time many children take a trip to the pumpkin patch.
Snowflake Bentley* by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian (Houghton Mifflin). This is a biography of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, a self-taught scientist who studied and photographed snowflakes. The book also provides information about snowflake formation.
* Selected as an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, a cooperative project of the National Science Teachers Association and The Children's Book
Council (www.cbcbooks.org/html/bibliographies.html).
Christine Anne Royce is the Academic Dean at Bishop Hannan High School in Scranton, PA, where she also teaches earth and space science. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Science Education at Temple University, where her research is focusing on the use of children's literature to teach elementary science. She was a member of the 1998-2000 book review panel to select the NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children.
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