Most Popular Books by Jessica Fries-Gaither

Great news for multitasking middle school teachers: Science educators Terry Shiverdecker and Jessica Fries-Gaither can help you blend inquiry-based science and literacy instruction to support student learning and maximize your time. Several unique features make Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers in Middle School a valuable resource: • Lessons integrate all aspects of literacy—reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. The texts are relevant nonfiction, including trade books, newspaper and magazine articles, online material, infographics, and even videos. • A learning-cycle framework helps students deepen their understanding with data collection and analysis before reading about a concept. • Ten investigations support current standards and encompass life, physical, and Earth and space sciences. Units range from “Chemistry, Toys, and Accidental Inventions” to “Thermal Energy: An Ice Cube’s Kryptonite!” • The authors have made sure the book is teacher-friendly. Each unit comes with scientific background, a list of common misconceptions, an annotated text list, safety considerations, differentiation strategies, reproducible student pages, and assessments. This middle school resource is a follow-up to the authors’ award-winning Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers for grades 3–5, which one reviewer called “very thorough, and any science teacher’s dream to read.” The book will change the way you think about engaging your students in science and literacy.

Grownups say, “Be on your best behavior." But in the animal world, rudeness sometimes rules the day! Scarlet kingsnakes lie; they pretend to be venomous coral snakes to scare off predators. And hippos make a mess; they spray waste to defend their territories. For these animals and many others, being rude can be a matter of survival. Author and science educator Jessica Fries-Gaither introduces seven human behavior rules and the animals that break them!

Some rules are meant to be broken, even those in the animal kingdom! You''re probably familiar with many of the common categories scientists use for animals: warm-blooded or cold-blooded, nocturnal or diurnal. But what about the animals that don''t fit in? Sharks cannot be classified as warm or cold-blooded—they are somewhere in-between. And Eurasian eagle owls don''t hunt during the day or night. Instead, they swoop through the trees at dawn and dusk. Author and science educator Jessica Fries-Gaither introduces eight common categories scientists use and the animals that break those rules. Gorgeous, full-color photos will captivate budding scientists with every read!

Take a trip through time to discover the value of a special place to jot your thoughts, whether you’re a famous scientist or a student. Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings brings to life the many ways in which everyone from Galileo to Jane Goodall has used a science notebook, including to sketch their observations, imagine experiments, record data, or just write down their thoughts. You also get four steps to starting your own notebook, plus mini-bios of the diverse featured scientists. Written in captivating rhyme, the text is sprinkled with lively illustrations. In fact, it looks a lot like the science notebook you’ll be eager to start after reading this inspiring book. Lexile Framework: 670L Visit www.Lexile.com for more information about Lexile Measures.

Thinking made visible: That'' s what happens when elementary students record their thoughts in science notebooks. This practical guide shows how notebooks can become a tangible record of their emerging understanding of and proficiency in science. Students can use their notebooks to pose questions, write down observations, work through puzzling data, or think through new ideas. You can use them to ascertain each student'' s strengths and challenges in participating in the academic work of science. Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms offers the following: * Specific guidance on how to start using notebooks-- or improve what you already do. Find out how to help students learn to organize information while also preserving their own voices and choices. Many of the samples are from actual student notebooks. * Advice on the best ways to use notebooks. Explore lessons, instructional routines, and assessment techniques that pair well with science notebooks. * Practical techniques. Discover how to use notebooks to assess student work and plan future lessons even as you integrate language arts and mathematics into your science class. * Blackline masters you can use at your discretion. These are provided in the appendix for organizational elements (such as a table of contents) and instruction (graphic organizers). Throughout, the book'' s approach aligns with the vision in A Framework for K- 12 Science Education, the Next Generation Science Standards, and current research about notebooks. You can be sure the strategies in this book really work because author Jessica Fries-Gaither is a veteran teacher who has personally tested every technique. She is also the author of the award-winning NSTA Kids books Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings and Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data. As she says in the book, science notebooks have the power " to engage students as active participants in the practice and learning of science."

"Rhyming children''s picture book about how scientists use data"--

Let your curiosity run wild! This lively book will inspire you to ask questions like scientists do. Why? Because questions can lead you to amazing discoveries. Like what? Like when theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking puzzled over black holes and the origin of the universe. And when ornithologist Margaret Nice pioneered techniques--in her own backyard!--for observing and tracking birds. Wild Wonderings'' lively stories, colorful pictures, and fun rhymes will show you lots of new things about what it''s like to be a scientist. Did you know that they find out a lot by accident? That they have to be patient and persistent? And--most of all--that all questions can be good questions? Wild Wonderings will help you see that, as author Jessica Fries-Gaither writes: Questions aren''t just for scientists, you see. You can ask, too! Now what will yours be?