Pairing Picture Books with Science Experiments

The 2014 theme for the Wisconsin Public Library summer reading program is "Fizz, Boom, Read." This theme has the potential to promote the power of observation and experimentation in everyday life.

The Water Library's outreach efforts to Head Start and 4K programs in Wisconsin includes pairing picture books with art projects and science experiments. The Water Library actively collects materials to encourage the integration of science into literature and art for children and has great resources available for developing "Fizz, Boom, Read" story times in your library.

Books to help you develop your own science "Picture-Perfect Pairings":

Picture Perfect Science is a series of great curriculum books designed to align story-time themes with science experiments and standards-based science lessons published by the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) Press.

The Picture Perfect books are divided into themes and provide descriptions of picture books, grade levels, activities and experiments for each theme. The books also provide topics for discussions and journal entries. The variety of activities helps children to discover science through multi-sensory engagement and reflect on their experiences.

The "Be a Friend to Trees" theme includes picture book pairings and more.

Journal entry and discussion topic prompts will help library patrons engage in the theme.

 The Water Library offers three of the books in the series, including:

Expanded 2nd Edition Picture-Perfect Science

More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons

Even-More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons