Books for Kids (and parents, teachers, or more)
Carol Krauss and Barbara Lehn collaborated with children to publish four books about the habits of mind that it takes to become a scientist, teacher, artist, or athlete. Note that all are with lower case for the many roles that we assume, not as Upper Case for the Job Titles that we may or may not assume in our careers.
Some are available through Lerner Books now, but originally published through Millbrook Press.
What Is A Scientist?
Simple text and full-color photographs depict children engaged in various activities that make up the scientific process: asking questions, noticing details, drawing what they see, taking notes, measuring, performing experiments, and more.
This book was translated into a Korean version.
What Is a Teacher?
K-Gr 2-Teachers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and this book highlights children assuming that role. Each spread consists of a full-color, captioned photo on one side and a large-print sentence on the other, giving two clear impressions of what teachers do and their attributes. For example, "A teacher is encouraging" is accompanied by a picture of a child helping her friend learn to read. "A teacher demonstrates how to do things" is illustrated by a child showing his great-grandmother how to send e-mail. Youngsters from different racial backgrounds are shown in everyday situations from a playground to a swimming pool. It's a great way to introduce and initiate a dialogue on this topic whether in the classroom or at home.
What is an Artist
Using photographs of children engaged in athletic or artistic activities, each of these titles follows the same format as it introduces the core characteristics of art and athleticism. In Artist, for example, simple statements define traits that apply to anyone engaged in art: an artist "expresses an idea that someone else can see," "learns how to control composition," or "learns to use new tools to make art." The pictures show a child busily engaged in creating something in a way that makes the generality become quite specific--Cate, for example, scans a picture of her cat into the computer and then says, "A colored background makes my cat look better." The approach will engage children, who should enjoy seeing someone just like them involved in art or sports. At the same time, the tone is utterly noncondescending, suggesting by extension that any grown-up artist or athlete works the same way, too. A nice way to introduce the values of either activity to early elementary students and perhaps segue into a discussion of future careers.
What is an Athlete?
Using photographs of children engaged in athletic or artistic activities, each of these titles follows the same format as it introduces the core characteristics of art and athleticism. In Artist, for example, simple statements define traits that apply to anyone engaged in art: an artist "expresses an idea that someone else can see," "learns how to control composition," or "learns to use new tools to make art." The pictures show a child busily engaged in creating something in a way that makes the generality become quite specific--Cate, for example, scans a picture of her cat into the computer and then says, "A colored background makes my cat look better." The approach will engage children, who should enjoy seeing someone just like them involved in art or sports. At the same time, the tone is utterly noncondescending, suggesting by extension that any grown-up artist or athlete works the same way, too. A nice way to introduce the values of either activity to early elementary students and perhaps segue into a discussion of future careers.