Whitney+Ohrt

EED418 Bibliography: Space/Astronauts



Whitney Ohrt Bibliography ECD 418: Instructional Methods for Young Children Integrating Digital Media in Social Studies, Arts and Children’s Literature October 11th, 2014 1. Barton, Byron. 1992 **I Want to Be an Astronaut.** HarperCollins. 32 pages. Found at Balsz Library.
 * Children’s Fiction **
 * __ Summary __ - The book //I Want to Be an Astronaut// is a simple text about what it is like to be an astronaut. The pictures are cartoon like with a broad defining line that draws the reader into the story. The book is about a person who wants to be an astronaut and all the things they could do as an astronaut. One of the topics that was touched on is how being an astronaut is not an individualized job, but one where you work together with a crew. The book shows the space shuttle inside and out with a cartoon picture capturing the reader’s attention in wanting to know more about the shuttle. Also, it explains the lifestyle and duties of an astronaut such as eating ready to eat meals, sleeping in zero gravity, and working on satellites.
 * __ Integration- __ As part of the social studies curriculum for kindergartener’s, student’s will learn that the United States started to explore space post war and be able to recognize some of the famous astronauts. Although the text is simple, this is a great book to start a unit on about space. Many different topics can be explored, for example we may begin with the jobs of an astronaut talking about what they do and who they are, leading us in to how they help our society. This can lead into famous astronauts such as, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, and Sally Ride. Furthermore, students can take the simple yet bold illustrations to make their own drawings that resemble the pictures in the book. The primary reason I chose this book, is that it is an enjoyable book for young students to read. Many students should be able to read this book by the end of the school year.

** 2. ** Mitton, Tony. 2000 **Roaring Rockets.** Kingfisher. 24 pages. Found at Jumpstart Childcare and Learning Center.
 * __ Summary __ - //Roaring Rockets// begins with a lyrical word play as a band of animal astronauts are heading to space in a rocket. Next, it describes how the job of a rocket is to take astronauts to outer space and the suits that the astronauts wear when traveling into space. Then the animal astronauts blast off into space towards the moon using a lunar lander to land there. While on the moon, the astronauts do jobs such as, planting flag and collecting moon rocks. When they had completed their jobs, the group of animal astronauts traveled back home.
 * __ Integration- __ This book was chosen because it explains some of the jobs of an astronaut while using animals and entertaining lyrical text to describe their job. This could be another book that students look at to see the different aspects of what the jobs of an astronaut are. One of the many things that students can learn is, how astronauts use vehicles called landers to get to the planet instead of using their rocket ship. This book allows students to ask many questions such as, “Why are those things coming off the rocket?” “Why do astronauts wear space suits?” and “What does an astronaut do for their job?”


 * Children’s Non Fiction **
 * 3. ** Brown, Don. 2001 **One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong.** HMH Books for Young Readers. 32 pages. Found at my house.
 * __ Summary- __ This is the story of Neil Armstrong’s life and what made him interested in becoming an astronaut. It is brought to life with soft water color that helps bring a soft and charming style to this book. Since childhood, Neil wanted to get his feet off the ground and into the sky. His observation of planes helped to fuel his interest in becoming an astronaut. One of the things he loved and daydreamed about was the thought of how the Earth would look smaller while up in space. After learning how to fly and getting his pilot license, he worked many different jobs as a pilot. Armstrong wanted to go further and along with two other companions became an astronaut. Their mission was to go to the moon then return to Earth. Although having some minor setbacks, their trip was successful and while on the moon Neil uttered the now famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for main kind.”
 * __ Integration- __ This book can be intergraded across all curriculums which is one of my primary reason for selecting it. For example, in science we could discuss how Neil Armstrong’s footprints will be on the moon for centuries. This discussion can lead into a lesson about the moon and its geography. We can also explain and talk about what affects the moon has on earth and what life would be like if we had no moon. Another topic that could be touched on, is the decision as to why we first decided to go to the moon and how it was important to us as a country. For writing, the students can use the pictures in the story for inspiration to make a watercolor of themselves in their future job. After creating their picture, the students can then write a sentence or two about their picture. The students can also do further research by looking up Neil’s companions, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins.


 * 4. ** Carney, Elizabeth. 2012 **//National Geographic’s Kids: Planets.//** National Geographic Children's Books. 32 pages. Found in my home.
 * __ Summary- __ The book starts off with a poem about planets to help student remember what they are. This book goes through the many aspects of space such as the stars, our solar system, and exploring space. The book first talks about the inner planets including our own planet, Earth! Then the book moves on to the Gas Giants and their environment describing what makes them gas planets. Also in this book, dwarf planets including Pluto are described. The book also talks about the moon and how 40 years ago the first astronaut walked on it. Then it goes on to explain the many ways that scientists can explore planets including humans, robots (rovers), and space probes.
 * __ Integration- __ This book is a great non-fiction book that uses photography to show the planets, space, and the instruments scientists use to explore the planets. Besides being an astronaut, there are other jobs where a person is able to work in conjunction with the astronauts such as scientists, meteorologist, and computer engineers. These people make sure that the missions are successful. This book is also up to date because, it does not include Pluto as a planet in our solar system. It does however go on to explain in simple terms why it is not a planet, but is dwarf planet. I loved that all the pictures that were used, were of the real planets and not an artist’s rendering. The students are able to see what the scientists have captured, whether it was a space probe or with a satellite. This is also a great book to do a KWL chart (Know, want to know, and learned.)

5. Cole, Joanna. 1992 **The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System.** Scholastic Press. 40 pages. Found at Balsz Library.
 * __ Summary __ - In this book, students learn about the planets with the familiar face of Ms. Frizzle and her students. Taking a deeper look at each planet, Ms. Frizzle and her students discuss each one. First they discussed the sun and learned some facts such as the sun is a star and its temperature. They then move on to the planets giving interesting facts and explaining what occurs on them . This book points out the inner planets and how they are composed of rock and other hard materials. It also describes the giant gaseous planets. The story ends with the students returning to earth making a mobile of the planets in the solar system.
 * __ Integration- __ This book was chosen because Ms. Frizzle and company are familiar faces for students. The information provided on the planets are done in a fun and engaging way. One way I would integrate this book into the curriculum is by having the students compare the planet Mars in the story to earth,pointing out it’s similarities and differences.For example like Earth, Mars has volcanoes, channels, canyons, and polar ice caps. This exercise, can lead into how we are looking for other planets to sustain life on. The students will also learn about day and night on the earth and what causes this to happen. I also thought it was great how in book, the students on the bus were able to look at the planet earth from far away. This could help students when talking about landmasses and oceans of earth.

** 6. ** Leedy, Loreen. 2006 **Postcards from Pluto A tour of the Solar System.** Holiday House. Found at Balsz Library.
 * __ Summary __ -This is an entertaining book to look at about the facts of the planets in our solar system. The book starts with taking the reader on a “space tour”, and looking first at what our solar system is before going more in depth on each planet. What is so enjoyable about this book is that students learn from postcards send from the people visiting each planet. It talks about each planet’s environment and geography. While informative with its facts, the book is written in a way that will keep the students engaged. The book touches on subjects in space besides our planet, such as moons, the sun, and asteroids. The students goes from postcard to postcard learning about Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
 * __ Integration- __ This book was selected because I loved how they used postcards to talk about different planets and their facts. Some postcards are done in a way where the writer used symbols to represent words as well as spelling words phonetically. This can start off the topic of how the USA started looking at other planets to live on if life became unsustainable on Earth. Students can then do further research comparing the environment of these planets to that of Earth. Although the planet Pluto is still in the story, this can bring up facts on how the way we view things can change and what it means to be called a planet. I would have my students study their own planets and then write a postcard to their family talking about these planets.

** 7. ** Lock, Debrah. 2013 **Astronauts: Living in Space.** DK Children. 32 pages. Found at Jumpstart Childcare and Learning Center.
 * __ Summary- __ Come see Linda and what life is like to live in outer space and to be an astronaut. The book goes on to talk about how Linda’s job is to repair broken telescopes in space. When becoming an astronaut, she had to take many tests to make sure her heart, ears, lungs, and eyes were in good working order to be able to go into space. Even after all those tests, Linda still has to go through at least a year and a half of training to get her both physically and mentally prepared to go to space. This book goes on to talk about Linda and her experiences in space.
 * __ Integration __ - This is another book that explores the demands of an astronaut. After the students read this book, they could write their own opinion piece on why or why not they would want to be an astronaut. The job of an astronaut requires people to do things differently than they would on earth like how they eat, sleep and exercise. Students can compare what it would be like to live in space compared to life on earth.


 * 8. ** McCarthy,Meghan. 2008 **Astronaut Handbook.** Knopf Books for Young Readers. 40 pages. Found at Tempe Library.
 * __ Summary- __ We begin in astronaut school, where we learn we will be blasting off into space. There are so many different individuals who have become astronauts from teachers, to painters, and other careers in between. We can be one too! Do you think that there is just one type of astronaut? No way! The book tells the reader how there are astronauts who fly the space shuttle, conduct scientific experiments, and others that repair satellites. Though, this does not mean that becoming an astronaut is easy, they must work hard in school and pass some demanding fitness tests. This book is a handbook for those who want to become astronauts, talking about the trainings all astronauts have to go through. For example, what a space suit looks like, how it feels to blast off into outer space and much more.
 * __ Integration- __ This is a great book that goes into depth as to what it takes in becoming an astronaut. One aspect of the book I liked, is how they talked about how an astronaut has different jobs. This could become a research point looking up what kind of astronauts there are and what their job entitles. It also goes on to explain how as an astronaut you have to be a team player and get along with others. Students could write about how they would feel to be an astronaut and having to work, sleep, and eat with the same people day after day. I liked this book because although it gives a lot of details on the job of an astronaut, it has illustrations that catches the eye and not an overload of words.

** 9. ** Nichols, Catherine. 2005 **Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers: Sally Ride.** Children's Press. 24 pages. Found at Jumpstart Childcare and Learning Center.
 * __ Summary Online- __ Explore who Sally Ride is in this Scholastic Newsreader . Sally Ride is the first American woman to orbit space and this book tells about her journey before, during, and after she explores space. The students will learn about things such as why astronauts float in space, satellites, and robotic arms. The photos are beautiful and in full color, letting the reader see an astronaut in their work environment.
 * __ Integration- __ This would be intergraded into the curriculum as it is a fun and easy to read text that provides facts on Sally Ride and who she was as an astronaut. This could be used to really explore the social studies curriculum in kindergarten about space. The students will learn about when the United States started to explore space and recognize some of the famous astronauts, especially Sally Rides. The timeline in the book can help children see how we have explored space throughout the years.

** 10. ** Welsbacher, Anne. 1997 **The Earth.** Pentagon Tower. 24 pages. Found at Balsz Libarary.
 * __ Summary- __ Explore the planet Earth and everything you need to know about it. The book first starts off talking about Earth from the planet’s perspective and how our earth provided conditions for which we can live. Then from going from the big picture, we dig down deep talking about the Earth’s layers and what the Earth consists of on the inside. The book goes on to talk more in depth about the Earth such as the landforms, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and how our planet is ever changing. The book also explains the Earth’s seasons and weather and how they affect the plants and animals that live on this planet.
 * __ Integration- __ Why talk about planets if we can’t explore our own? Though we live here, there are many things we do that we may not realize is happening on the earth to help use survive. This book can be a great way to start a KWL chart for students to learn more about the planet they live on. Earth is a miraculous planet and has one thing different to all the other planets in our solar system in that it contains life. This would be a great book for students to begin learning about Earth because it gives the reader facts without overloading them.