Exploring Science through Young Adult Literature

by Paula Greathouse (Editor), Melanie Hundley (Editor), Stephanie Wendt (Editor)

Overview

Giving students opportunities to read like scientists has the potential to move their thinking and understanding of scientific concepts in monumental ways. Each chapter presented in this volume provides readers with approaches and activities for pairing a young adult novel with specific science concepts. Chapters include instructional activities for before, during, and after reading as well as extension activities that move beyond the text. Through the reading and study of the spotlighted young adult novels in this volume, students are guided to a deeper understanding of science while increasing their literacy practices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475866384
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/20/2023
Series:	Adolescent Literature as a Completement to the Content Area
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	196
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Paula Greathouse, Ph.D., is an associate professor of secondary English Education at Tennessee Tech where she teaches English methods and literacy courses. She was a secondary English and Reading teacher for sixteen years.

Melanie Hundley, Ph. D., is Professor in the Practice of English Education at Vanderbilt

University where she teaches digital and multimodal composition, young adult literature, and

literacy courses. She was a secondary English teacher for many years.

Stephanie Wendt, Ed.D., is an associate professor of Teacher Education at Tennessee Tech where she teaches science methods to preservice teachers. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Science Teachers Association and is an active member of the National Science Teaching Association.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Paula Greathouse, Melanie Hundley and Stephanie Wendt

CHAPTER 1: Thirsty for Science: Exploring Water Systems, Water Conservation, and Drought through Dry

Michael DiCicco and Chris Cook

CHAPTER 2: Climate Change is A Hot Mess: The Human Impact on Earth Systems

Shelly Shaffer and Kathryn Baldwin

CHAPTER 3: Countering ‘Plant Apathy’: Using Kenneth Bloom as a Motivating Tool for Teaching Plant Science to Students

Katharine Covino and Erin Rehrig

CHAPTER 4: Making Botany Magical: Teaching about Plants with This Poison Heart

Julie Baker, Shawn Krosnick and Kelly Moore

CHAPTER 5: Exploring Nature and the Nature of Scientific Inquiry: Reading The Evolution of

Calpurnia Tate

Amy Palmeri, Emily Pendergrass and Heather Johnson

CHAPTER 6: Past and Future Plagues as Windows into the Present: Reading A Death-Struck Year to Teach About Diseases and Immunity

David Nurenberg and Ben Lawhorn

CHAPTER 7: Reading Ringside, 1925: Text Support for Teaching Evolution

Frances Hamilton and Dana Skelley

CHAPTER 8: Studying Genetics and Ethics through Young Adult Literature: How The Gardener Can Harvest Student Engagement in Biology

Janine J. Darragh, Ashley S. Boyd and Kristina L. Podelnyk

CHAPTER 9: Hungry for More: Exploring, Experimenting, and Engineering with The Hunger Games

Leslie Suters and Kristen Pennycuff Trent

ABOUT THE EDITORS

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial Reviews

Exploring Science through Young Adult Literatureis a unique collection of possibilities for promoting scientific literacy in the classroom by incorporating a variety of contemporary young adult (YA) literature. Through a variety of examples and instructional activities, the authors provide much-needed support to science teachers who are unfamiliar with YA literature and how to use it within their science instruction. This book also serves as an invaluable reminder of the importance of relating scientific concepts to adolescent learners and their world.

Chris Bowen

In an age where social media conspiracy theories and alternate facts threaten the understanding of the most basic scientific knowledge, Greathouse, Hundley, and Wendt’s collection provides both English language arts and science teachers with concrete pedagogy to counteract the rising wave of disinformation in society. With an impressive array of chapters that pair popular young adult titles with topics such as extreme weather, botany, plagues, and evolution, Exploring Science through Young Adult Literature is an indispensable resource for teachers interested in going beyond textbooks and engaging students with exciting instruction that shows why science matters.

Victor Malo-Juvera

Exploring Science through Young Adult Literatureis a unique collection of possibilities for promoting scientific literacy in the classroom by incorporating a variety of contemporary young adult (YA) literature. Through a variety of examples and instructional activities, the authors provide much-needed support to science teachers who are unfamiliar with YA literature and how to use it within their science instruction. This book also serves as an invaluable reminder of the importance of relating scientific concepts to adolescent learners and their world.

--Chris Bowen, PhD, District STEM Specialist, Johnson City Schools

In an age where social media conspiracy theories and alternate facts threaten the understanding of the most basic scientific knowledge, Greathouse, Hundley, and Wendt's collection provides both English language arts and science teachers with concrete pedagogy to counteract the rising wave of disinformation in society. With an impressive array of chapters that pair popular young adult titles with topics such as extreme weather, botany, plagues, and evolution, Exploring Science through Young Adult Literature is an indispensable resource for teachers interested in going beyond textbooks and engaging students with exciting instruction that shows why science matters.

--Victor Malo-Juvera, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator at the University of North Carolina Wilmington

From the Publisher