Product Overview
This monthly handbook contains the following features:
- 6 activities: two each in reading, writing, and math
- A note about the theme and the skills it builds
- Picture book suggestions
- Skill-specific information for the teaching adult
- A planning box for each activity
- Note pages for planning and reflection
About the Books
Genius! The Most Astonishing Inventions of All Time
Takes young readers inside the lives and minds of the greatest inventors in history Genius! tells the stories behind the amazing inventions that helped shape our modern world. Young readers are introduced to the technologies developed by thinkers and inventors such as Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci, Gutenberg, James Watt, the Wright brothers,...
What’s the Big Idea? Inventions that Changed Life on Earth Forever
This lively book by an award-winning author brings to life the history of human innovation for young readers. What's the Big Idea? focuses on those inventions that help fulfill people's six basic needs: food, sleep, security, shelter, companionship, and good health. Main spreads feature a specific invention such as the wheel and axle, paper,...
Glitter Everywhere
If you love glitter, this book is for you. If you hate glitter, this book is also for you.Everyone seems to have an opinion about glitter. But how much do you know about the tiny, shiny confetti? What makes glitter glitter? Why does it stick to everything? Who invented it? How is it made? Is glitter bad for the environment?Chris Barton’s...
Minecraft Epic Inventions: Builds to Spark Your Imagination
Twelve mind-blowing Minecraft builds to spark your imagination.Epic Inventions contains twelve incredible builds to inspire you to construct the most inventive builds in Minecraft. There's an intergalactic space station, an ancient temple, a kawaii waterways course, a giant meeple bedroom, an animal sanctuary, plus many more.
The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring
With magnificent dioramic illustrations, Gilbert Ford captures the joy, creativity, and determination behind the invention of an iconic, one-of-a-kind toy: the Slinky!One day, a spring fell from the desk of Richard James, an engineer and a dreamer. Its coils took a walk…and so did Richard’s imagination. He knew right away that he had stumbled...
A History of Just About Everything: 180 Events, People, and Inventions That Changed the World
From Buddha and Muhammad to King and Mandela, from the discovery of fire to the invention of the World Wide Web, and from Romeo and Juliet to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, this is a thorough and thoroughly entertaining compendium of important people and events.
The Genius of Islam
The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. Did you know that:• The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention?• The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East?• You are drinking orange...
DK Eyewitness Books: Inventions
The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in-depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures. A fascinating look at the world's earliest simple machines — wheels, gears, pulleys, and levers — to today's complicated telephones and plastics, Eyewitness: Invention...
The Chinese Invent Papermaking
Where would we be without paper? We’d have no books or magazines, no paper money, and no material on which to paint or draw. But fortunately, paper has been around for thousands of years―and we have ancient China to thank for that! This detailed volume explains the history of paper, from its likely origins with hemp fiber to its use for books...
Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature
Discover how the natural world inspires innovation in science and technology to create the latest and greatest breakthroughs and discoveries in this exciting book.Did you know that scientists have developed a bionic tool shaped like an elephant's trunk that helps lift heavy objects? Or that the needle-like pointed beak of the kingfisher bird...
A Native American Thought of It: Amazing Inventions and Innovations
Everyone knows that moccasins, canoes and toboggans were invented by the Aboriginal people of North America, but did you know that they also developed their own sign language, syringe needles and a secret ingredient in soda pop? Depending on where they lived, Aboriginal communities relied on their ingenuity to harness the resources available to...
Awesome Minds: The Inventors of LEGO Toys
Everyone has played with LEGO® toys, but not many people know who is behind this awesome invention. This fun and engaging book tells the story of how a Danish carpenter and his family turned a desperate situation into the most popular toy in history. With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome...
50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History: Weird Inventions That Seem Too Crazy to be Real
With 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History, history has never been so fun--or wacky! Have you ever heard of a bike TV? Or a bird diaper? 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History describes 50 inventions that seem too crazy to be true—but are! Whether useful, entertaining, or just plain silly, these mind-boggling inventions and gadgets from...
50 Things You Should Know About Inventions
In the ancient world, philosopher Archimedes designed new machines for farming. During the Renaissance, artist Leonardo da Vinci sketched his ideas for wondrous flying machines. Scientist James Watt provided ideas that would power the Industrial Revolution, while American inventor Thomas Edison patented more than 1000 inventions that would shape...
Who Was Nikola Tesla?
Get ready for the electrifying biography of Nikola Tesla--part creative genius, part mad scientist, and 100% innovator.When Nikola Tesla arrived in the United States in 1884, he didn't have much money, but he did have a letter of introduction to renowned inventor Thomas Edison. The working relationship between the two men was short-lived,...
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
Celebrate the inventor of the Super Soaker in this inspiring picture book biography about Lonnie Johnson, the maker behind one of the world's favorite toys.You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners,...
What Color Is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book. Offering profiles with fast facts and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a tribute to black inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance...
All Aboard!: Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine
In the second of Tundra's Great Idea Series, biographies for children who are just starting to read, Monica Kulling presents the life of an extraordinary man. There were few opportunities for the son of slaves, but Elijah McCoy's dreams led him to study mechanical engineering in Scotland. He learned everything there was to know about engines -...
Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions
A fresh, intriguing look at the stories behind great toy inventions, by Don Wulffson and illustrated by Laurie Keller."Originally, Play-Doh only came in white. There's a good reason for this. You see, Play-Doh didn't start out as a toy. It started out as a product for cleaning wallpaper."Have you ever wondered who invented Lego, Mr. Potato Head,...
Nikola Tesla for Kids: His Life, Ideas, and Inventions (With 21 Activities)
Finalist for the 2020 AAAS / Subaru SB&F Excellence in Science Book exemplifies outstanding and engaging science writing and illustration for young readersNikola Tesla was a physicist, electrical engineer, and world-renowned inventor whose accomplishments faded into oblivion after his death in 1943. Some considered this eccentric visionary to be...
Maya: Amazing Inventions You Can Build Yourself
Revised for 2012 Maya: Amazing Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers ages 9-12 to the world of the ancient Maya, the most advanced and mysterious civilization of the New World. From ceremonial masks to hieroglyphics, and calendars to musical instruments, Maya: Amazing Inventions You Can Build Yourself gives readers a chance to...
Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself
Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers to the life, world, and incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects that explore his invention ideas. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime?they remained sketches in his famous notebooks. Amazing Leonardo da Vinci...
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
Award-winning duo Catherine Thimmesh and Melissa Sweet inspire a new generation of innovators in this fascinating celebration of women inventors from diverse backgrounds. For fans of Women Who Dared and Women in Science. In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have...
Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
The inventions and inspiration of Benjamin Franklin and how they've stood the test of timeWhat would you do if you lived in a community without a library, hospital, post office, or fire department? If you were Benjamin Franklin, you'd set up these organizations yourself. Franklin also designed the lightning rod, suggested the idea of daylight...
Making Contact! Marconi Goes Wireless
The fifth book in Tundra's Great Idea Series, Making Contact! tells the story of Guglielmo Marconi, who became the father of wireless communication. As a boy, Marconi loved science and invention. Born in 1874 in Bologna, Italy, to a wealthy family, Marconi grew up surrounded by books in his father's library. He was fascinated with radio waves...
Kid Innovators
Moving, funny, and totally true childhood biographies of Bill Gates, Madam C. J. Walker, Hedy Lamarr, Walt Disney, and 12 other international innovators. Throughout history people have experimented, invented, and created new ways of doing things. Kid Innovators tells the stories of a diverse group of brilliant thinkers in fields like technology,...
Groundbreaking Scientists: Black Icons in Science Who Changed the World
A celebration of the lives and achievements of inspirational black people through history who made a differenceBlack Stories Matter: Groundbreaking Scientists explores the important contributions that black people have made to the field of science throughout history, as well as today. From astronomer and inventor Benjamin Banneker to...
George Washington Carver: Botanist and Inventor
George Washington Carver wasn't just an inventor. He was also a botanist, a farmer, and a professor. Young readers will discover how this teacher not only improved the way people farmed, but introduced the world to more than 300 uses for the peanut.
The Fantastic Ferris Wheel: The Story of Inventor George Ferris
The World's Fair in Chicago, 1893, was to be a spectacular event: architects, musicians, artists, and inventors worked on special exhibits to display the glories of their countries. But the Fair's planners wanted something really special, something on the scale of the Eiffel Tower, which had been constructed for France's fair three years...
Earmuffs for Everyone: How Chester Greenwood Became Know as the Inventor of Earmuffs
Award-winning nonfiction picture book creator Meghan McCarthy tells the story of how Chester Greenwood went from having cold ears to becoming a great inventor in this nonfiction picture book.Earmuffs keep people warm and cozy on cold days, but who invented the wintertime accessory?In Meghan McCarthy’s trademark easy-to-follow narrative voice,...
The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Idea and Brand-New Color
A discovery that made the world a brighter place!Joe and Bob Switzer were very different brothers. Bob was a studious planner who wanted to grow up to be a doctor. Joe dreamed of making his fortune in show business and loved magic tricks and problem-solving.When an accident left Bob recovering in a darkened basement, the brothers began...
Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni’s Ice Machine
When Frank Zamboni, along with his brother and cousin, opened their own skating rink in 1940 in Paramount, California, it could take an hour and a half for a crew to resurface the ice. They had to level the surface by shaving down the pits and grooves with a tractor, remove the shavings, wash the ice and find a way to give the rink its shining...
The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Bare
Today, the video game industry keeps growing, with ever more platforms available to fans. But how did the very first system come about? This picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US, introduces kids to a great inventor AND the birth of the first home console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside...
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth
An inspiring true story of a boy genius.Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to “make pictures fly through the air.” This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by...
Rosie Revere Engineer
Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish, Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats: Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them. Afraid of failure, she...
Papa’s Mechanical Fish
Clink! Clankety-bang! Thump-whirr! That's the sound of Papa at work. Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly, and that's because he hasn't yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?"―and...
The Most Magnificent Thing
Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog.The girl has a wonderful idea. “She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she...
Melia and Jo
Melia and Jo will be to STEAM what Rosie Revere is to STEM.Melia is scientific and loves to create things in her backyard laboratory, but something is missing. Her inventions just aren’t quite right. Enter Jo, her new friend with an artistic spirit. When you add the arts to sciences, something magical happens! This whimsically illustrated...
Mary Had a Little Lab
A funny, modern take on a classic nursery rhyme featuring a crafty, science-minded girl. Mary is an enterprising young inventor. One day she realizes she has no friends, so she decides a pet will do the trick. But the pet Mary wants isn't one she can easily buy...so she makes one―and it's a sheep, of course! Soon Mary, her sheep, and her new...
The Extraordinary Mr. Qwerty
Mr. Qwerty worries that his ideas might seem strange, so he keeps them under his hat. But extraordinary ideas refuse to stay hidden for long.Norman Qwerty is a man of many ideas, and none of them are the least bit ordinary. He’s quite certain that no one else thinks the way he does, and this makes him keep to himself. But when his ideas get too...
The Invention Hunters
Learn about electricity the fun way! The Magic School Bus meets The Way Things Work in this kid-friendly guide to understanding the basics of electricity, perfect for budding engineers.The Invention Hunters travel the globe in their flying museum collecting the world's greatest inventions! This time, they've landed in a kid's backyard, and these...
