Once Upon a Raindrop: The Story of Water

Product Information

In my experience, using books across STEM subjects can be effective in two ways. With pupils who are reluctant to read, using a subject they may be more familiar, comfortable or confident in can help to nurture their reading confidence or interest. For those pupils who are more interested in books and reading, books linked to science can develop their interest and love of STEM subjects. with the BSA OR sign up to our Educator's newsletter to hear about the latest news, upcoming events Explore watery science from floating and freezing to colour-mixing, dyeing and chromatography – search online for activities to suit your kids. This year’s British Science Week theme is ‘journeys’ which has really got me inspired to share some excellent books to use during the Week. Books may not be your first thought for a science week, but they can really be a great spark for scientific enquiry and can support children acquiring new scientific knowledge and understanding. Reading really is STEMsational and it can help to build children’s science capital! Studying pollination? This book, with clever cut-outs, follows the journey of a bee. Use the power of story and Britta’s amazing illustrations to help children really understand this process. Night-time Around The World: Moon and Molly’s Moon Mission

Pleasing aesthetics are a key feature of this lovely book. Every word, every blank space, every drop of ink has been carefully considered for maximum effect, and Nomoco’s stylishly understated illustrations are a particular delight. Heather Wright is a primary school teacher, with 15 years experience across KS1 and KS2. She is currently a year 5 teacher, KS2 team leader and English Lead.keep reading their work aloud - to see how it sounds, whether it makes sense and is interesting, whether it repeats itself… Sun heats sea which turns to clouds that trail the sky and drift around... and over land those clouds will cool and spill their rain in puddles, pools… lakes and streams and rivers too, then on to feed the sea anew” Curious about exploring the journeys in biology? As We Grow is a beautiful narration on the changes a human goes through in their life. A lovely read which takes a look at the stages of life in a thoughtful way. Now which child doesn’t find poo interesting? The Clue is in the Poo explores the poo (amongst other interesting scientific things!) of many animals. You can discover the food they eat and the journey it takes through them. Fun! Finally, Human Body Odyssey is another great choice which explores the wonders of the human body. Totally Wild Chase, When the Whales Walked The great beauty and diversity of the coral reef is explored in this stunningly beautiful picture book, which is a true work of art. The rhyming non-fiction text scans well and the information about coral reef conservation is pitched at the right level. Dripping, dropping, gushing, pouring… observe water on the move - as rain, in streams, or disappearing down the plughole - and collect words and phrases to describe it. Use your wordhoard to help you compose your own poems ( kennings? haikus? water-droplet shape poems?) then illustrate.

When you’ve finished reading, talk about the book. What did you like best? Did anything surprise you? How do the illustrations make you feel? Are they good illustrations for a watery book? Why?Is this a realistic depiction of a river? Why do you think Nomoco painted the trees blue, and why did she leave so much blank space? Nomoco, also working under her full name Kazuko Nomoto, was born in Fukuoka, Japan and graduated from Osaka University of Arts, Japan, subsequently graduating from London College of Communication, and Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Nomoco has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions in London, Milan, Tokyo, Singapore, New York and Mexico City. Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his...

How do your kids enjoy themselves in the water, and how do they stay safe when they’re playing or swimming? How and why is water important for good health? How do we collect water and make it safe for use? And how can we conserve water and reduce our consumption? After fifteen years of writing, performing and recording music (whilst doing a series of jobs from job centre interviewer to recruitment consultant), James went off to Reading University to do a B.Ed degree in primary education and an MA in children's literature.

Format

Totally Wild Chase has a fun and interesting format, as you follow Wifred and Olbert on their journey to be the first to discover a new creature. This book would make a great book to share with Year 6, when learning about classification. When the Whales Walked is another great choice for Year 6, going on the journey of Evolution. Find more ideas to go with Totally Wild Chase here. Nature’s Tiny Miracle Bee Explore the movements made by ‘cloud, rain, river, sea’, then add sound effects and music to help you act out the water cycle. Add watery costumes and props to create your own performance! Cut rolls of inky-blue paper into wave-shaped strips and tape into position on a wall, using Nomoco’s endpapers to guide your design. Ask children to draw or paint themselves swimming or playing in the waves and add their cut-outs to your frieze. Find out about the life story of a river and make a list of features you find at different stages along its course ( source or spring, valley, rapids, waterfall, meander, floodplain, estuary…) The format of the explanations is very accessible and would provide a great model for children to write their own journey explanations. Amazing Animal Journeys, North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration and We Travel So Far

Have a go at making frozen water-based lollies, then steam some vegetables or dimsum. Invent recipes for your own water-based fruity drinks, then taste-test your results. Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap...Involving children as you readThe text accompanying the image of the earth orbiting the sun would make a great chant - cloud, rain river, sea, water cycles endlessly– or you could ask children to respond with water cycles endlessly (making a rotating action with both hands) when they hear the words cloud, rain river, sea. And how about inviting them to dip their fingers in a bowl of water to touch the world-wide wet...? Alternatively, Molly’s Moon Mission is a great narrative choice which could start off some science learning on light and shadows. Find some suggested activities here.