Happy Holidays

I am taking off the month of December and will return to SimplyScience the first week in January. I’m facing a two book deadline -YAY!–and will be enjoying the  holidays as well.

I hope to see you back in January. I have a stack of books waiting for the new year. Thank you to everyone who visited SimplyScience this year.

Waiting For Winter

Waiting For Winter

By Sebastian Meschenmoser

Kane Miller, 2009

ISBN #978-1-935279-04-4

PB

“Winter is almost here,” said Deer. “I think it’s going to snow.”

“Snow?” asked Squirrel.

“Snow,” answered Deer. “White and wet and cold and soft.”

This simple story tells of the wait by squirrel to see snow, and as he waits and tries to stay awake he awakens hedgehog. Hedgehog decides to join him and in order for them to stay awake, they sing sea shanties. In the process of singing, however, they awaken bear, who decides to join them and see snow himself. Each of them in turn finds what he thinks is snow, until they all sit down….and it snows. The final endpapers show the result of their snow adventure.

A great deal of the action is portrayed by the minimal pencil drawings tinted with a hint of color and the short text moves the story along nicely. All together, the art and words make a fun and funny anticipation for the coming winter.

Activity

Define hibernation and dormancy. Look up some animals and see if they hibernate or go dormant for the winter.

This site has good kid-friendly information.

Here’s another good explanation.

This site includes migration and adaptations along with hibernation and dormancy.

National Science Standard: Life cycles of organisms

Book from Publisher for Librarian’s Choices Book Award Committee, TWU

The Prairie Dog’s Town

The Prairie Dog’s Town

A Perfect Hideaway

By Mirian Aronin

Photo illustrated

Bearport Press, 2010

Series: Spectacular Animal Towns

NF PB

Grades 3-5

“In 1902, biologist Vernon Bailey traveled to Texas so that he could study the animals that lived there. In some areas, Vernon saw small furry creatures almost everywhere. They were ‘standing at the entrance to their holes, flipping their tails, and steadily barking.””

“What were these small animals? They were black-tailed prairie dogs.”

 Vernon Bailey’s discovery of these social animals, a member of the squirrel family, revealed the largest prairie dog town ever discovered by humans. Living in grassy areas in subterranean burrows with an extensive tunnel network, these social mammals work together, communicating, finding food, guarding the burrows, and raising their young. They greet one another by touching teeth, giving them the appearance of kissing. The book provides information in readable sections of text and additional short facts in small sidebars interspersed among the photographs of prairie dogs going about their daily lives. The main text ends with the role of the prairie dogs in the prairie ecosystem. New vocabulary is highlighted in bold text and the book includes a set of prairie dog town facts, more about other animal towns, a glossary, index, and further information.

 Activity 1

Using the information in the book, create a simple food chain that includes the prairie dog. You might include: black-footed ferrets, or hawks; grasses, seeds, or leaves; prairie dogs

Activity 2

Research another home, such as a beehive or coral reef. Compare their organization to that of the prairie dog burrow.

Activity 3

Look up other rodents and find out why these animals are all classified into the same family.

The National Geographic site has more information about rodents and more fascinating details about prairie dogs, including a printable fact sheet.

Other books in the series:

The Ant’s Nest: A Huge, Underground City
The Bat’s Cave: A Dark City
The Beaver’s Lodge: Building with Leftovers
The Coral Reef: A Giant City Under the Sea
The Honey Bee’s Hive: A Thriving City

National Science Standard: characteristics of organisms; organisms in their environment

 Review book provided by publisher.