Fabulous Field Trips: Step into Science
RSSBarbara Wysocki -- School Library Journal, 09/22/2009
Summer’s over. Though school’s just back in session, it’s never too early to plan your winter field trips. This year consider coordinating classroom subjects such as astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics with a visit to a science center or natural history museum. Whether you are planning pre- or post-trip lessons and activities there are a host of nonfiction titles and Web sites that will enrich the experience.
To make it real for elementary school students, Jake Mendelssohn and the staff at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford recommend Marvin N. Tolman’s “Hands-On… Activities for Grades K-6” series. The titles focus separately on Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science (2006, all Jossey-Bass). Designated teacher and student activities are outlined and offer materials lists, information on procedures, background facts, and recommendations for interdisciplinary possibilities. Janice VanCleave’s Super Science Challenge: Hands-On Inquiry Projects for Schools, Science Fairs, or Just Plain Fun! (Wiley, 2008; Gr 4-7) presents 50 concepts to spark explorations in the sciences. The author provides readers with the information to plan and analyze independent, inquiry-inspired activities. There’s lots here for kids to enjoy.
Digging into a science center’s Web site can support students and teachers. Check first with your destination’s education department, but also access the American Museum of Natural History Web site to open the door to more than 1100 instructional options. Its “Resources for Learning” section includes activities, articles, booklists, curriculum guides, and artifact evidence covering the fields of anthropology, astronomy, biology, earth science, and paleontology. Tools allow users to narrow their searches by subject, materials, grade level, and lesson length. It’s well worth a virtual visit.
Astronomy
Space shuttle flights and questions about what makes a planet a planet have energized space studies. Filled with facts and colorful photos and drawings, Louie Stowell and Peter Allen’s The Story of Astronomy and Space (EDC, 2009; Gr 3-7) offers brief but intriguing specifics about the universe. The eight fact-filled chapters on the stars, sun, planets, and space journeys will appeal to a broad range of students. The book concludes with constellation diagrams and a time line starting at the big bang. Simon Basher offers a series of popular introductions to science disciplines including Astronomy (Kingfisher, 2009; Gr 4-8), which presents one-page, first-person descriptions and definitions. (“Pluto: After being thrown out of the main planets’ club in 2006, I was demoted to a mere dwarf planet.”) Comments by the “cosmic characters” and bulleted facts face colorful illustrations. The attractive format, conversational text, and cartoon art will draw readers.
Carole Stolt’s Mission: Space… (DK, 2008; Gr 4-7) declares its goals with a provocative subtitle: A Full-Throttle Tour of the Universe. A collection of brilliant photographs and a straightforward text capture the colors and textures of major and minor celestial bodies. The two- and four-page sections also highlight current telescope technology. Stickers, cards, and a star poster complete the package, which is bound in a round case.
Beyond: A Solar System Voyage (Abrams, 2009; Gr 8 Up) transports astute middle and high school students to the unmanned probes that captured the book’s compelling photos. Michael Benson presents haunting images and fascinating questions against black backgrounds and concludes with short endpaper descriptions of a dozen of the original space vehicles.
Add art to astronomy lessons for secondary enthusiasts with Paper Galaxy: Out-of-This-World Projects to Cut, Fold & Paste (Sterling, 2005; Gr 6-10). M. D. Prins opens his activity book with general instructions, then delivers diagrams and directions for more than 40 three-dimensional creations, including meteorites, comets, alien spaceships, and black holes. Challenging, yes, but amusing and inspiring too. This book offers an alternative approach to the topic for tweens and teens who benefit from hands-on experiences.
Imagine the ultimate field trip. Messages from Mars by Loreen Leedy and Andrew Schuerger (Holiday House, 2006; Gr 2-5) shadows six people and a robot as they explore our neighboring red planet in the year 2016. A clever combination of small photos and engaging drawings illustrates the information that is expressed as emails. A time line chronicles recent Martian exploration and a concluding page clarifies fact and fiction. Launch a similar faux adventure for students in your classroom.
Is the Earth the center of the solar system? Is Pluto a planet? Three books answer these and other questions about the galaxies. Begin by looking at the way scientific theories have evolved over the centuries with Kathleen V. Kudlinski’s Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System (Dutton, 2008; Gr 2-4). Perfect for primary grades, the simple text and amusing cartoon illustrations trace astronomical understandings from 500 B.C.E. to today. For more detailed discussions on major and minor sun-orbiting spheres, try David R. Aguilar’s 11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System (National Geographic, 2008; 
Gr 4-6). Earth is allotted a six-page chapter, while all the other planets and comets are covered in two to four pages each of photos and facts. The volume concludes with comparison charts and a grocery list for a solar system model. Elaine Scott’s When is a Planet Not a Planet? (Clarion, 2007; Gr 3-6) is another upper-elementary gem. Subtitled The Story of Pluto, the book elaborates with details on celestial discoveries and how planet criteria have been rewritten over hundreds of years. The attractive layout featuring plentiful drawings, diagrams, and photos will appeal to report writers as well as browsers.
Biology, Ecology, and Geology
Want to link the study of the universe to that of our planet? Start with Pamela S. Turner’s Life on Earth–and Beyond: An Astrobiologist’s Quest (Charlesbridge, 2008; Gr 5-8). In this book, students can follow NASA’s Dr. Chris McKay to extreme environments including Antarctica and Africa’s Sahara Desert as he researches conditions that may also exist on Mars or the moon. Useful maps and excellent color photos bring a you-are-there perspective to these engaging journeys.
Add evolution to the coverage of the earthbound cells that create animals of all types and plants of all shapes in What’s Biology All About? (Usborne, 2009; Gr 4-6) by Hazel Maskell. Every page is crammed with drawings and facts about life cycles. Though the information is brief, it’s organized by questions such as “How Do Bodies Work?" and “Where Did Life Begin?” Slightly older students will gravitate to Simon Basher and Dan Green’s quirky and engaging Biology (Kingfisher, 2009; Gr 4-8). The book’s cartoon illustrations and humorous definitions will garner fans.
Chock-full of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s enticing aerial photos of fields, rivers, glaciers, and more, Our Living Earth: A Story of People, Ecology, and Preservation (Abrams, 2008; Gr 5 Up) takes a visual approach to the exploration of environmental issues. Chapters on water, biodiversity, ocean, land, cities, people, food, and climate by Isabelle Delannoy highlight the challenges sustainability presents; both the text and David Giraudon’s illustrations suggest ways in which current trends can be reversed. Equally appealing is Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself (Nomad, 2008; Gr 4-7). Useful facts and step-by-step projects (some extending to space studies) with definitions are set amid jaunty, black-and-white illustrations that heighten the lesson adaptability of Kathleen M. Reilly’s text.
Seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by some form of water. Rochelle Strauss views all these liquid variants as One Well: The Story of Water on Earth (Kids Can, 2007; Gr 4-6), briefly presenting related, intriguing facts on habitats, pollution, and dependent species. Soft, colorful paintings by Rosemary Woods offer a backdrop to the text. Pupils will find details such as the amount of resources required for food production fascinating and will appreciate the volume’s visual delights. Beatrice Hollyer’s Our World of Water (Holt, 2009; Gr 3-5) zeroes in on six children from around the world and how they and their families use water every day. Color photos depict scenes in Ethiopia, Peru, Tajikistan, and other nations, and emphasize the scarcity of this resource in many locations. Need phenomenal photos of H2O? Grab Walter Wick’s A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder (Scholastic, 1997); it’s a classic.
Land is solid, yet sometimes spectacularly shifty. Catherine O’Neill Grace follows scientists who study the Forces of Nature: The Awesome Power of Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tornadoes (National Geographic, 2004; Gr 4-8). The book employs dramatic photos and engaging diagrams to introduce students to basic concepts on these natural disasters. Our Powerful Planet: The Curious Kid’s Guide to Tornadoes, Earthquakes, and Other Phenomena (Lobster, 2008; Gr 2-4) by Tim O’Shei adds weather-borne problems such as floods, ice storms, hurricanes, and even tsunamis. Double-page sections include simple explanations plus intriguing facts complete with photos and occasional diagrams. Gail Gibbons prefers to examine storms one variety at a time in Tornadoes! (2009) and the forthcoming Hurricanes! (November, 2009; both Holiday House; K-3). 
For upper grades, check out Robert Winston's Evolution Revolution: From Darwin to DNA (DK, 2009; Gr 4-8) and Erica Kelly and Richard Kissel's Evolving Planet: Four Billion Years of Life on Earth (Abrams, 2008; Gr 5-8). Both books are extensively illustrated. The first title favors photos, while Evolving documents a spectacular exhibit at The Field Museum in Chicago with drawings. Use either for browsing before a trip, or afterward for reports.
Chemistry and Physics
Even these sophisticated subjects are built on simple concepts. In Matter (21st Century Bks, 2008; Gr 4-8), Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein Nunn begin with basic explanations of atoms and continue with a discussion of the periodic table of elements. Though photos are few and diagrams and sidebars are small, all of them will be useful to students. Steve Parker’s lavishly illustrated and engaging Chemicals & Change (Chelsea House, 2005; Gr 5-8) examines atoms, elements, and interactions. Simple experiments and the diagram of human chemical composition are among the pages that will trigger positive reactions.
Want to make chemistry accessible? Try these two experiment books. Classes will Fizz, Bubble and Flash! (Williamson, 2003; Gr 4-8) with Anita J. Brandolini’s volume, filled with perky black-and-white drawings by Michael Kline. The subtitle, Element Exploration & Atom Adventures for Hands-On Science Fun, says it all. Most of the investigations center on the commonly known gases, liquids, and solids such as hydrogen, calcium, lead, silicon, and gold, but the lesser-known boron, zirconium, and terbium are also included. Or, for a slightly younger set, dig into Cool Chemistry Concoctions: 50 Formulas that Fizz, Foam, Splatter & Ooze (Sterling, 2005; Gr 3-6). Authors Joe Rhatigan and Veronika Alice Gunter recommend ingredients and methods for creating foods and items such as “rock-my-world candy,” “soda slobber,” and “bendable bones.” Amusing color illustrations by Tom LaBaff add to the subtly instructive fun.
Magnet Power! (Sterling, 2006; Gr 2-5) by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone will also attract curious students. Drawn to the double-page question-and-answer activities and to Steve Harpster’s sprightly colored drawings, youngsters will be eager to set up the equipment and follow the simple instructions. Finish up with the five silly game and craft ideas to answer the final question, “Can magnets make me laugh?”
For more fun with facts, On the Scale, a Weighty Tale (Millbrook, 2008; Gr 2-5) incorporates Brian P. Cleary’s bouncy verse and Brian Gable’s bright, tongue-in-cheek artwork to demonstrate American and metric weights. Examples include everyday items such as a bagel and a paper clip. This is a great resource to introduce ounces and grams to primary grades, and will liven up discussions of difficult concepts.
Keep gravity simple with Vicki Cobb’s I Fall Down (Harper Collins, 2004; K-Gr 2). Young children will be interested in the experiments utilizing household objects. This title features full-page illustrations by Julia Gorton and will work as a read aloud or as an introduction to science activities.
Not only Can You Feel the Force? (DK, 2006; Gr 5-8) in Richard Hammond’s generously photo- and diagram-populated book, you can start Putting the Fizz Back in Physics as the subtitle promises. The kid-friendly text includes time lines and explanations of related subjects and concludes with mini biographies of Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, and a dozen other scientists. Simon Basher and Dan Green’s Physics (Kingfisher, 2008; Gr 4-8) is another title in their popular series offering descriptions and definitions of important concepts. It’s just the ticket for students who prefer their science with a dose of humor.
A bit of history and increasingly complex experiments are found in Robert Gardner’s Bicycle Science Projects: Physics on Wheels (Enslow, 2004; Gr 7 Up). The author begins with a discussion of basic bike operating systems, then transitions to activities that can be conducted outdoors, supported by lists of required materials and simple black-and-white drawings.
If one picture is worth a thousand words, the vivid photographs in John Farndon’s Experimenting with Physics (Marshall Cavendish, 2008; Gr 4-8) may be worth millions. These full-color snapshots add verve and information to chapters on energy, motion, simple machines, gravity, flight, electricity, and magnetism, and illustrate procedures.
And while no field trip, book, or Web site can fill in all the blanks in a science unit, the combination adds depth to studies. Whether your students explore basic concepts in a range of topics or delve deeply into one field, the chance to experiment and investigate will add to their learning experiences. Gathering relevant facts, discerning patterns, and drawing conclusions are skills applied across the curriculum.
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While separate articles listing the titles available for students could be written on any of the above topics, we do have three in particular to recommend. No visit to a natural history museum is complete without a look at the dinosaurs. "Gone But Not Forgotten” provides an extensive list of oft-requested books on dinosaurs for students in kindergarten through grade eight. Charles Darwin spotlights books on the naturalist. This article also includes material on the evolution vs. intelligent design controversy. And finally, the 2009 anniversary of the first moon walk has prompted enormous interest in extraterrestrial exploration. For material related to that topic, take a look at the books, Web sites, and media recommended in “One Small Step....”–Ed.
