Science

          Science is broad subject to cover, covering concepts from physical, life, earth, and space. Science texts explore many of these concepts and help students get a deeper understanding of these concepts. Science text also try to make science more appealing and fun for students while teaching students important science facts. The first criterion I look at when selecting a science text is accuracy. Science is always making new discoveries. It is important to include text in your classroom that contain the newest discoveries and the correct information. The second criterion I look at when selecting a science text is purpose. Science  covers a wide range of subjects it is important when selecting a text to make sure the topic of the text correlates with the standards being covered in class. It is also important to make sure the text is appropriate for your students.

          When selecting science text to be used with in the classroom its important to make sure the text aligns with Iowa Common Core Literacy standards. It is also important to make sure the text aligns with the specific subject in science that will be covered in class. In my classroom I will use science texts for read aloud and shared readings. If students are struggling with understanding a science topic from the textbook I will find text that correlates with that topic. This way students will be exposed to the concept multiple times. I plan to have multiple science texts available in my classroom library for students to read on their own time. Lastly, I want to make sure my science text are appealing for my students. Students are more likely to grab a book off a shelf it it is appealing to them.

Hanson-Harding, A. (2015). What is matter. New York, New York: Britannica Educational Publishing.

Complex text level

• Second and third grade
  

Grade level for read-aloud

• First and second grade

The major themes discussed throughout the text is matter, liquids, and gases. The text includes text boxes that describe the illustrations. Students can refer to the text boxes to understand why the illustration was incorporated in the text. This will be beneficial for visual learners in the classroom. The text also includes a for your information section which students can refer to when they want to do more research about matter. It gives students multiple references from books and websites. This would be a great tool for students if they had to do a report over this concept. Students may need assistance with complex words found throughout the text.

Adamson, T. (2015). Pluto. Mankato, Minnesota: Pebble Plus.

Complex text level

• First and second grade
  

Grade level for read-aloud

• Kindergarten and first grade

The major themes discussed throughout this text is the solar system and more specifically Pluto. This text is both in English and Spanish. This could be beneficial for students who are bilingual in your classroom. This way students who do not speak English still have text to read in the classroom. Also if students are having difficulty understanding terms they can refer to Spanish part to see if they are correct. The illustrations directly correlate to what the text is discussing. It gives students visuals of what the actual planet pluto looks like. This text refers students to internet sights that students can go to for information about pluto. Students may need assistance with complex vocabulary words found throughout the text.