What I'm Reading: Women's History Month
In honor of Women's History month, here are two new picture book biographies to add to your reading list. One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World's Oldest University by M. O. Yuksel illustrated by Mariam Quraishi Harper (HarperCollins Children's Books), 2022 One Wish shares the life of Fatima al-Fihri, a Muslim woman born around 800 CE in Tunisia. Her family fled to Fez, Morocco when Fatima was a child, and she spent the rest of her life there. Fatima had an unquenchable thir


Signs of Spring: Celebrating the Equinox
Yesterday (March 20, 2022) was the vernal equinox, the official beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Or as I should say, "astronomical spring." I recently learned that there is also a "meteorological spring," which follows the calendar and is based on the annual temperature cycle. For the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological spring runs from March 1 to May 31. I assume that climate change will affect the dates of the meteorological seasons at some point, while the a


New Book! Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms
Updated 3/21/22: Congratulations to Janelle Holland! She won a copy of Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms! Winner has been contacted by email. I'm thrilled to share that my latest book, Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms, is finally available from the NSTA Bookstore! 10 years in the making and four years in the actual writing and revising, this labor of love gives you a glimpse into my elementary science classroom and my students' actual science no


Experiential Learning: Arctic Tern Migration
Recently, I brought back one of my all-time favorite lessons: an experiential learning activity about the incredible migration of the Arctic Tern. I conduct this activity with my second grade students as it perfectly blends our studies of habitats and adaptations (with a special focus on birds). First, some background knowledge. Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) The Arctic Tern is a small white and grey bird with a black head, red bill, and red legs. It makes the longest annual