The National Science Resource Center has launched a new series, “Science and Technology for Children BOOKS™,” to add a much-requested literacy component to our popular curriculum for elementary students. Each book is designed to be used in conjunction with teaching the STC unit of the same name or as a stand-alone resource that conveys topics in a way that makes science interesting and relevant. Annemarie Palincsar, PhD, a nationally-known reading expert, has written a piece on the "Why, What and How" of Reading in Science.

Each of the sixteen books in the series is 64 pages, colorfully illustrated with drawings and photographs and has been reviewed by a nationally recognized reading specialist.  The books can be purchased individually, in a classroom set of eight of the same title, as a science library set of all 12 books, as a Life and Earth Science set of six books, or as a Physical Sciences and Technology set of six books.

STC BOOKS Ordering Information The STC BOOKS are self-published by the NSRC and distributed through the National Academies Press (NAP). STC BOOKS may be obtained at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/nsrc/index.html

Plant Growth and Development takes third graders into the world of plants and their many uses—not only as food but also as medicine, clothing, and other materials. Students will read about how plants are similar, even though they might not look alike. They will learn about scientists who study plants and about the web of life that links plants and animals. Other reading selections show what happens when people take plants away from their natural habitat, and the steps that people are taking to protect rare and endangered plant species.ISBN for single copies: 978-1-933008-39-4; ISBN for sets of eight of this title: 978-1-933008-43-1

Rocks and Minerals introduce third-grade students to geology—the scientific study of the origin, history, and structure of the Earth. Students will read about different kinds of rock, and about how and why those rocks formed. They will meet scientists who study rocks and minerals, and learn about their scientific tools. They will read about a stonemason who selects and works with stone to create beautiful and lasting monuments and buildings. They will visit the breathtaking Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in the American Southwest. Other stories describe magnificent structures created from rock in ancient times—the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico—and more recently—Mount Rushmore and the National Museum of the American Indian. ISBN for single copies: 978-1-933008-40-0; ISBN for sets of eight of this title: 978-1-933008-44-8

Sound introduces third graders to a form of energy—sound waves—that can make sweet music or shatter glass. They will read about the sound heard (almost) around the world and learn to use sound to find out how far away a thunderstorm is. Other stories describe man’s determination to fly faster than the speed of sound. They will read about how animals and people use sound to communicate, and how people use technology to improve their hearing. Finally, they will visit curators at the Smithsonian Institution who preserve important sounds—speeches and music—for posterity. ISBN for single copies: 978-1-933008-42-4; ISBN for sets of eight of this title: 978-1-933008-46-2

 Written for 4th and 5^th graders, Animal Studies presents stories on the diversity of animal life, from amphibians and sea creatures to birds and mammals. Several stories focus on examples of animal behaviors, and on how those behaviors help animals survive and thrive. One story will help students learn to recognize different animals by the trails they leave behind. The book also includes the story of a keeper at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., as well as stories about pioneering animal scientists, from Charles Darwin to Jane Goodall. (ISBN 1-978-933008-00-4)

Ecosystems tells 4th and 5th graders about ecosystems—what they are, what threatens them, and what scientists and others are doing to keep them in balance. The first section of the book introduces students to basic concepts about ecosystems, from a brief ecological vocabulary lesson to information about the interrelationships of animals with the land and plants in their range. One story presents the theory that a global catastrophe led to the extinction of dinosaurs. Other stories discuss threats to Earth’s ecosystems and ways that people can minimize those threats. The final section of the book relates the stories of three environmental pioneers: Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Rachel Carson. (ISBN 1-978-933008-05-9)

Electric Circuits gives 4^th and 5th graders an overview of electricity—how it was discovered, how people put it to work, how it works in living organisms, and what scientists are still learning about it. The book opens with the time honored story of Benjamin Franklin and his experiments which proved that lightning is a form of electricity. Another story tells of the American inventor Thomas Edison, whose practical application of electricity has helped shape the modern world. One section of this book outlines the path that electricity takes from power plant to living room. Finally, the book looks at electricity in nature, from electric eels in the water to lightning in the skies. (ISBN 1-978-933008-02-8)

Experiments with Plants tells 4th and 5th graders about plants—what they are, how they reproduce and grow how they add to scientific knowledge, and how they have influenced history. The book includes instructions on how students can grow plants without soil—hydroponically. One part of the book tells about many of the animals—not just bees—that pollinate plants, and why some plant and animal species team up better than others to accomplish this function. Other stories relate the contributions of pioneering plant geneticist Gregor Mendel, horticulturist and inventor George Washington Carver, and horticulturist Luther Burbank, as well as those of Thomas Jefferson. (ISBN 1-978-933008-08-0)

The stories in Floating and Sinking introduce 4th and 5th grade students to the science behind why objects float and sink in air and water. Part 1 discusses the history of floating and sinking, including a story about the only president to have been awarded a U.S.patent. Several of the stories describe how scientists and engineers have put science to use in inventions such as ships, submarines, and balloons; others include descriptions of the ways that the uses of boats determine how they are designed and built. The final series of stories in the book explore floating and sinking in nature, including ways that children can determine their innate capacity to float or sink in water. (ISBN 1-978-933008-07-3)

Food Chemistry, appropriate for 4th and 5th graders, offers a comprehensive overview of how food influences our health. Students learn about balanced diets by exploring the differences among carbohydrates, protein, and fats; the interaction between food and the body during digestion; and special diets. One story discusses what astronauts eat while they spend long stretches of time in space, why astronauts’ food is packaged as it is, and how the space program has influenced our daily diet. The book also includes healthy seafood recipes collected and published by Smithsonian scientists. (ISBN 1-978-933008-06-6)

Land and Water tells 4th and 5th graders the story of how the earth formed and how it continues to change, inexorably, through the action of earthquakes and volcanoes, rivers and oceans. It includes stories on the importance of water in our lives, not only for drinking but also how we find it and what happens to our crops when we don’t have enough of it. There is also a story on the aesthetics of water, told through an ancient Chinese painting of a river scene. The final section of this book highlights scientists’ investigations of natural phenomena, including a history of weather forecasting. (ISBN 1-978-933008-01-1)

Magnets and Motors is about electricity and magnetism and how they work together. This basic relationship has made possible the invention of many useful devices, including electric motors and generators. Students in 5th and 6th grades learn how people discovered the force of magnetism and how some animals—the loggerhead turtle, for example—use this force to navigate great distances. Students will also read about how scientists and inventors harnessed the power of magnetism to help bring electricity to broad areas—and about what happens when this power fails.  (ISBN 1-978-933008-10-3)

Measuring Time, for 5th and 6th graders, covers the history of measuring time and the evolution of timekeeping. And although we’ve become used to having clocks help us structure our lives, accurate clocks are new inventions, the result of the need for sailors to be able to know where they were at sea. Looking backward in time, the book tells how geologists can tell the age of landforms such as the Grand Canyon and from that can determine the ages of other places as well. Other stories show how nature’s creatures' lives are regulated though internal “clocks." Before the microscope was invented in the 1500s, people were unaware of the tiny world of microorganisms that exists all around us—and inside of us. (ISBN 1-978-933008-09-7)

Fourth and 5th graders can learn about the microscope when they read the stories in Microworlds—and they can find instructions in the book on how to make a simple microscope of their own. There are enlarged pictures of microscopic creatures—from bacteria to worms—and a story on the role of microorganisms in making flamingos pink. Students will learn that microorganisms—harmful or helpful—are an important part of our world. (ISBN 1-978-933008-04-2)         

Motion and Design contains stories about how organisms are adapted to move in different ways, and how scientists and inventors develop and refine the design of devices that move. The book is written for 4th and 5th graders. In the first section of the book, students will learn how birds and insects fly and how creatures as different as flying squirrels and dolphins have unique features that help them move swiftly and efficiently in search of food and safety. There are also stories on how scientists and inventors—from the innovations of Leonardo da Vinci to the technological spoofs of Rube Goldberg—have developed an array of machines to help us move around on earth and in space. (ISBN 1-978-933008-03-5)

Paper is everywhere, so we tend to take it for granted. But although paper is essential to our way of life, it is a relatively new invention, produced in quantity only since the 1600s. Technology of Paper tells 5th and 6th graders about paper—what people used before paper was invented, how it is produced, the many uses that people have discovered for it, and how it can be preserved. One of the stories in this book tells how conservators at the National Archives preserve the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and other historic national documents from damage due to light, moisture, insects, and time. Another story is about the many uses of paper, including furniture. (ISBN 1-978-933008-11-0)