Reading List for Students
Cannon, Jannell.
Stellaluna
. (New York: Scholastic, 1993). A children's picture book about a baby bat who gets separated from her mother and is raised by a family of birds. This book provides a sweet look at the practical differences between what seem to be similar animals (birds and bats). Also available in Spanish!
Gibbons, Gail.
Bats
. (New York: Scholastic, 1999). A student–friendly book presenting information about bats.
Gilpin, Daniel.
Scary Creatures: Bats.
(New York: Franklin Watts, 2004). Another children's book about bats, with lots of illustrations and photographs.
Gross, Ruth Belov.
A Book About Your Skeleton.
(New York: Scholastic, 1978). A very kid–friendly look into the human skeleton.
Jenkins, Steve.
Bones
. (New York: Scholastic, 2010). This book discusses the differences between different animal skeletons, and is a very useful companion to this curriculum unit. Delightful visuals and fun facts as well.
Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page.
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
(Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003). Another comparison among animal species, with an emphasis on the function of different body parts.
Johnson, Jinny.
Under the Microscope: Skeleton
. (Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational, 1998). A beautifully illustrated (through microphotography) look at the human skeleton, with general information as well as specific facts and comparisons to other species. Geared toward older children.
Solway, Andy.
World Book's Human Body Works: The Skeletal System
, The Muscular System. Ed. Alex Woolf. (Chicago: World Book, 2007). Another book geared towards children with in depth descriptions of the components of the skeletal and muscular systems.
Wright, Rachel.
My Amazing Body.
(Charlotte, N.C.: CD Stampley, 1999). Another children's book (second grade and up) that teaches about the human body, and features activities students can do to get to know their bodies.
Ziefert, Harriet.
You Can't See Your Bones with Binoculars: A Guide to Your 206 Bones.
(Maplewood, N.J.: Blue Apple Books, 2003). A very child–friendly guide to the bones in the human body. Cartoon illustrations and basic vocabulary help young children understand their skeletal systems. A must–have for your classroom library.
Songs
(just a selection of what can be found on the internet):
"Bones" by Jennifer Fixman
http://www.songsforteaching.com/jennyfixmanedutunes/bones.htm
"Dem Bones"
http://www.songsforteaching.com/folk/dembones.php
"The Bone Bounce" by Lucy Jensen
http://www.carlscorner.us.com/Poems/The%20Bone%20Bounce.pdf
"Them Not–so–dry Bones" Schoolhouse Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2dkT2sIug&feature=related
Websites
E–
skeletons. http://www.eskeletons.org/index.html. Shows skeletons and gives descriptions of different primates. Students can scroll over different animals to see their skeletons and learn about them.
Enchanted Learning.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com. This site, which does require a membership for full access, provides a number of materials for classroom use (many are available without membership). Some highlights include diagrams of the human, bat, and bird skeletons.
Kids Health
. http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html. Geared toward young children, a website that presents information on a number of scientific topics.
Kidzworld.
http://www.kidzworld.com/. Another website that presents information on a number of scientific topics.
University of California Museum of Paleontology.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/teachers.php. Provides a number of scientific lessons and resources for K–12 teachers.