Let's Start with the Valentine's Fun
How do we connect multicultural picture books with STEAM to help children engage in active discovery and enthusiastic learning across the curriculum? Here are some ideas for picture books you can pair with STEAM and Problem-Based Learning Challenges for engaged Valentine’s Day learning.
Let’s start with SLIME — Valenslime (Joy Keller/Ashley Belote). It’s the sequel to Frankenslime (Joy Keller/Ashley Belote), and tells the Valentine’s Day tale of a slime experiment that gets out of control when Victoria Franken tries to make a friend for her slime creature, Goop. It includes a Frankenslime activity guide. Plus Ashley Belote is featured on Episodes 55 and 93 podcast of the Adventures in Learning podcast.
You might also enjoy How to Help a Cupid (Sue Fliess/Simona Sanfilippo), which includes ideas for making and sharing Valentines, as well as background information on the holiday itself. Both How to Help a Cupid and Swashby and the Sea (Beth Ferry/Juana Martinez-Neal) could pair really well with Steve Spangler’s secret message experiences for a memorable Valentine’s Day. Plus you can learn more about Sue Fliess and Beth Ferry on episodes 43/80 and 62/101 of the Adventures in Learning podcast.
Other good books for inspiring card creations include My Heart Is Like a Zoo (Michael Hall), The I Love You Book (Todd Parr), Henry In Love (Peter McCarty), and LOVE from The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle).
Valentine’s Day as An Opportunity for Building Connected Experiences
Another approach I like to take with Valentine’s Day is to use it as an opportunity for community service and to develop empathy and kindness. It’s a great chance for students to sharpen critical thinking skills, look around their environment, and ask how they might make a difference. You can build connected experiences where students research and collect data, communicate with experts, and design solutions. You can add math through budgeting, engineering and design challenges (depending on the problem and solutions they are working with), and literacy (written and oral communication plus research opportunities). Here are some suggestions:
Love (Matt de la Pena/Loren Long), A Family Is a Family Is a Family (Sara O’Leary/Qin Long), and Drawn Together (Minh Le/Dan Santat) explore the intergenerational love and connection of families.
The Power of One (Trudy Ludwig/Mike Curato), I Am Today (Matt Forrest Esenwine/Patricia Pessoa), Thank You, Omu! (One Mora), and Maybe Something Beautiful (F. Isabel Campoy/Theresa Howell/Rafael Lopez) demonstrate the power of small acts of kindness to add up to something big.
The Day You Begin (Jacqueline Woodson/Rafael Lopez), and The Little Book of Joy (Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Rafael López) show the power of connections.
Some Science Inspiration with THREE-TIME TEACHER OF THE YEAR Amari Shields
Ever wondered what happens when a classroom becomes a hub of curiosity and discovery? Join us as we dive into the world of Amari Shields, a three-time Teacher of the Year, who transforms science education into a magical experience, inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.
In this episode, we sit down with Amari Shields, the dynamic CEO of Mentored Motivation and a celebrated eighth-grade science teacher. Amari shares her inspiring journey from an English teacher to a leading advocate for inquiry-based science education. Her approach, reminiscent of Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, encourages students to explore, question, and understand the world around them. Through engaging classroom activities and a commitment to equity in STEM education, Amari empowers students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Join us to learn how Amari Shields is redefining science education and paving the way for future STEM leaders!
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In the next few weeks, I will be talking with authors Matt de la Pena (Last Stop on Market Street, Home, Love), Carole Boston Weatherford (this year's ALA Legacy Award winner), Teresa Robeson (Disgustology, The Queen of Physics, Clouds in Space), and Stuart Gibbs (Spy School, FunJungle, Once Upon a Tim).
If you (or your class) has a burning question you'd like me to ask on the podcast, please leave it in the comments below or send a quick email to diane@drdianeadventures.com
Questions for Teresa Robeson must be received by 2/6.
Questions for Matt de la Pena must be received by 2/9.
Questions for Carole Boston Weatherford must be received by 2/18.
Questions for Stuart Gibbs must be received by 2/25.
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In addition to the podcast and doing in person keynotes and workshops, I also offer such online courses as Beyond Ever After Fairy Tale STEAM; Earth Day, Every Day (K-4); and Joyful Play, Connected Learning (fun hands-on learning for the second half of the year).
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