Summary What can you create with a straight line? If you need some inspiration, take a look at Ruth Asawa’s wondrous sculptures. She constructed them by weaving wire with her hands, creating movement with continuous loops. Light plays a special role with the wire… Continue Reading “A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa by Andrea D’Aquino”
Take a look at this lesson plan on collaboration inspired by a picture book about Rube Goldberg.
Summary Imagine a contest where you get to design a community park. What would you include in your plan? In 1858, architect Calvert Vaux had great ideas for a park in New York City. He entered a contest with Frederick Law Olmsted, a landscape… Continue Reading “A Green Place To Be: The Creation of Central Park by Ashley Benham Yazdani”
Summary Have you ever built a treehouse? Where did you build it? I bet it was in your backyard. Imagine building a treehouse in a public park. How would you accomplish that without anyone noticing? Especially when the park is in a busy city… Continue Reading “Up In The Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses by Shira Boss and Jamey Christoph”
What is real, and what is fake? How do we know when a source is truly credible? In the interesting true story Fairy Spell, by Marc Tyler Nobleman, we read the story of two British girls that convinced the world that fairies are real!… Continue Reading “Fairy Spell by Marc Tyler Nobleman”
Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor- The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez Watch out! This is the story of a girl with very unusual guests to her tea parties…reptiles! Yes, Joan Procter was a pioneer in the field of woman scientists. She was fascinated… Continue Reading “Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor – The Woman Who Loved Reptiles By Patricia Valdez, Illustrated by Felicita Sala”
When Jadav Payeng was a little boy, he noticed the impact the rainy season had on his island. The heavy rains washed away soil and vegetation, leaving animals without shelter or food. It worried Payeng to find dead animals after a storm. He was… Continue Reading “The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Sophia Gholz and Kayla Harren”
Summary How do you develop a product that people love? You start by listening to what people need. Then you research, experiment and ask for feedback. In The Crayon Man, we see how Edwin Binney created Crayola crayons. Binney was an inventor. His products made life… Continue Reading “The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow and Steven Salerno”
Summary What would happen if you showed a silhouette of Charlie Chaplin to different generations? Just his outline. No name or labels. I bet older people will call out Chaplin’s name, but younger audiences will not recognize the figure. It’s interesting to think of… Continue Reading “Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World To Laugh (and Cry) by Gary Golio and Ed Young”
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