Reading and Exploring All Summer Long

 

Reading and Exploring All Summer Long

Summer is a great time to explore the wonderful world of books from amazing authors with your child. I love introducing my students to different authors.  One of my favorite authors is Patricia Polacco.  She has a website with a list of the many wonderful stories that she has written and illustrated. You can access her site at http://www.patriciapolacco.com/ to explore her expansive list of stories.  It was tough, but I picked three of Patricia Polaccco’s stories, that I highly recommend and listed them below with follow-up science investigations I enjoy with my K students during the school year. Children in lower elementary grades, K – 2, are beginning to understand the world around them and the role they play in it.  By providing them with inquiry-based experiences in science, we can assist them in unlocking their natural curiosity and understanding the world around them in a fun and engaging way. I hope you have a chance to explore three of my favorites by Patricia Polacco.

When Lightning Comes in a Jar – This is a delightful story of Trisha who remembers the food, fun and games of her childhood family reunions. Trisha remembers the magic Gramma created when she “called up” fireflies from the grass. Trisha carries on this family tradition with the current generation of children. The children are amazed when Trisha produces “lightning in a jar”.  

Follow-up investigation – This is a great time to explore why lightning bugs “light up”.  Light production in fireflies is called bioluminescence.  Young children love to learn “big” words and it’s fun to explore bioluminescence.  This short video clip is a great introduction to how fireflies’ glow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfuOQZJ_MIM  Organisms that produce light are referred to bioluminescent beings.  Bioluminescence is the process wherein light is produced by a chemical reaction which originates in the organism.  Bioluminescence is mostly a phenomenon found at the bottom of the ocean floor, but fireflies also possess this ability. They emit a soft light and are often called "lightning bugs" because of the way they flash their light on and off.  An excursion outside at dusk to observe fireflies in their natural habitat is a great way to spend an afternoon.  If you are lucky, you may be able to catch a few and have your own lightning in a jar.  A fun activity is to create glow jars. If you are feeling adventurous you can make the ones listed below on Steve Spangler’s site: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/glow-jars-fireflies-in-a-jar/  however to simplify things in my busy classroom, I buy glow sticks from the local Dollar Tree, cut them and pour the liquid inside into the jars. Children can decorate the jars before you add the contents from the glow sticks. You can add more or less according to how much “glow” your child desires.

Following up with a writing activity is always fun. My students love to write and illustrate their writings about fireflies. Even younger students can use inventive spelling to create a sentence about fireflies.

Rechenka's Eggs – This story is about Babushka, Russian for grandma, who is known for her beautiful hand-painted eggs.  Babushka finds Rechenka, a wounded goose, and takes her home to care for her. When Rechenka is ready to try her wings and fly again, Rechenka accidentally breaks all of Babushka's hand-painted eggs, however just when things look a mess, Babushka awakens to a miraculous surprise.

Follow-up investigations - I like to introduce the word oviparous and discuss animals that come from eggs. Your child will be amazed how many animals are oviparous.  Have you ever really observed an egg? I allow my students to use their five senses to explore hard-boiled eggs.  Children can explore how eggs look, feel, taste, smell and of course you can get really quiet and use your sense of hearing to explore if you can “hear” an egg.

You can conduct a fun experiment by creating a rubber egg. All you need is a hard-boiled egg and a glass container large enough to hold the egg and vinegar. Place the egg in the glass or jar adding enough vinegar to completely cover the egg. Observe the egg daily. In my K class, my students like to journal about their observations.  What will you see?  You will observe tiny bubbles coming off the egg as the acetic acid in the vinegar attacks the calcium carbonate of the eggshell. Also, over time the color of the egg may change, as well. Allow the egg to remain in the vinegar for a week. When the week is up, remove the egg and gently rinse the shell off of the egg with tap water. How does the boiled egg feel? Predict what will happen if you try bouncing the egg on a hard surface. How high can you bounce your egg?

Another great activity is to explore if eggs float. Here’s a site to assist with your investigation, as well other science experiments. https://www.highlightskids.com/science-experiment/do-eggs-float            You can use eggs to explore density, as well.

The Bee Tree – The main character in this story is a young girl named Mary Ellen who is bored with her reading. In comes Grandpa with a remedy for Mary Ellen’s boredom. Grandpa decides a hunt for a bee tree is just what Mary Ellen needs. So off they go on an exciting chase as most of the town joins in on the hunt. When Mary Ellen returns home, she concludes that even the sweetest of things must be worked for.

Follow-up investigation – Introduce the word pollination after reading the text. A short video clip on pollination for children to watch can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy3r1zlC_IU    

Follow-up investigation – Investigate how pollination occurs by using Cheetos with your child. You can make a simple bee finger puppet to fly over the flower that contains "pollen" (Cheetos). When the children touch the Cheetos, the dust clings to their fingers which represents (the bees' legs) and then they fly to the next flower to pollinate it. When they land their bee puppets on the next flower, the "pollen" comes off.  You can cut flowers from paper, as well as the bee puppet. If you prefer just use your index finger as the “bee” and fly flower to flower. Have your child explain what he/she is doing as he /she flies from flower to flower. This simple activity is a great visual for young children to explore pollination.

In closing, I hope this summer your child has time for open-ended and active exploration, play, and investigation of the real world. It is wonderful to see the world through the eyes of a child. Have a safe and fun-filled summer learning and exploring the wonderful world of books and science.

Karen Kelley Parrino

Mrs. Parrino is a kindergarten teacher at North Live Oak Elementary in Livingston Parish. She is a National Board-Certified educator in early childhood and holds a Master’s + 30 in curriculum and instruction, as well as her Reading Specialist and Teacher Leader Certifications.  Mrs. Parrino is eager to begin her 29^th year this August.