Picture Book Biographies and the Science and Engineering Practices
I've always been a fan of picture book biographies, and there has been a veritable explosion of titles in the past few years. I've been doing a lot of reading, both for my own classroom and in search of mentor texts for my own writing. As I've read, I've thought about how helpful it would be to have a list of STEM picture book biographies aligned to the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. So, here's my stab at such a list.
For simplicity's sake, I've chosen to list each title only once. However, most books include reference to multiple (if not all) Science and Engineering Practices. I've gone back and forth on where to list some titles, and still might be persuaded to classify them differently with a good discussion. Let me know in the comments!
I'll add to this list as I continue to read!
Asking Questions and Defining Problems
The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes by Julia Finley Mosca
The Boy Whose Head Was Filled with Stars: A Life of Edwin Hubble by Isabelle Marinov
The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto by Elizabeth Rusch
The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just by Mélina Mangal
The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang
Developing and Using Models
Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh
Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean's Biggest Secret by Jess Keating
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies
The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Life of Charles Henry Turner by Janice Harrington
Beatrix Potter, Scientist by Lindsey H. Metcalf
The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz Marshall
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson
What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett
The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe by Sandra Nickel
Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker
Margaret and the Moon by Dean Robbins
Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Dougherty
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca
Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson
The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs by Kate Messner
Engaging in Argument From Evidence
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet by Elizabeth Rusch
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor
Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez
Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas by Sandra Neil Wallace
And finally, these picture book biographies don't align neatly with the Science and Engineering Practices, but are certainly worth sharing with your students!
Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter by Christine Evans
The Astronaut With a Song for the Stars: The Story of Dr. Ellen Ochoa by Julia Finley Mosca
To the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space by Carmella Van Vleet and Dr. Kathy Sullivan
Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon by Jeannine Atkins
When Sue Found Sue: Sue Hendrickson Discovers Her T. Rex by Toni Buzzeo
Night Walk to the Sea: A Story About Rachel Carson, Earth's Protector by Deborah Wiles
Were I Not a Girl: The Inspiring and True Story of Dr. James Barry by Lisa Robinson and Lauren Simkin Berke
The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty
Have you used one of these titles to illustrate a different Science and Engineering Practice? Have a picture book biography I need to read and add to the list? Share in the comments!
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