Science Explorations Book Set

Eric Yoder is a writer and editor who has been published in a variety of magazines, newspapers, newsletters and online publications on science, government, law, business, sports and other topics. He has contributed to or edited numerous books, mainly in the areas of employee benefits and financial planning. A reporter at The Washington Post who also does freelance writing and editing, he was a member of the Advisory Committee for Science, Naturally's 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science. The three books in his "One Minute Mysteries" series have won numerous awards and received acclaim from mathematicians, scientists, and educators. He and his wife Patti have two daughters, Natalie and Valerie. Eric can be reached at Eric@ScienceNaturally.com. Natalie Yoder is a college student whose favorite subjects include psychology, science, and photography. A sports enthusiast, she participates in gymnastics, field hockey, diving, soccer, and track. She also enjoys writing, being with friends and family, and listening to music. She has been interviewed several times, along with her father, on National Public Radio to talk about their work on their One Minute Mysteries series. The three books in the series have one numerous awards and received acclaim from mathematicians, scientists, and educators. She looks forward to writing more books. She is thinking about careers in oceanography or photography. Natalie can be reached at Natalie@ScienceNaturally.com. Nadia Bercovich was born in San Juan, Argentina. When she was 13 years old, she moved to the U.S. with her family. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Nadia speaks Spanish, English, Italian and Hebrew and has worked as a translator for the past 5 years. She especially enjoyed working on this book because she loves inspiring kids to learn more about science. In addition to using her language skills, she spends her free time rock climbing, painting, and backpacking. Nadia can be reached at Nadia@ScienceNaturally.com.

"A wonderful resource to introduce real-life math problems to students...provides insights into how math can be applied in the real world. Intriguing, useful, and challenging!" Un magnifico recurso para introducir a los estudiantes problemas de matematicas de la vida real... provee ideas sobre como las Matematicas pueden ser aplicadas en el mundo real. Interesante, util, y desafiante!--Jennifer G. Martin, NCTM, Mathematics Teaching in Middle School "As a bilingual mathematics educator, it is refreshing to discover a resource that is both mathematically rich and of such good quality. I appreciate the way these short stories are displayed in both English and Spanish--it is very clear that careful attention was paid to both the language and the mathematics. This book is an excellent addition to any bilingual mathematics program!"--Marta Civil, Ph.D., Roy F. Graesser Chair, Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona "I wish this book had existed while I was still teaching. This is one of the few books that allows readers to grasp difficult math concepts and learn another language. It is an enjoyable and enlightening read. I highly recommend it!" Ojala este libro hubiera existido mientras yo estaba ensenando. Este es uno de los pocos libros que le permite a los lectores entender conceptos matematicos dificiles y aprender otro idioma. Es una lectura entretenida e iluminadora. Lo recomiendo encarecidamente.--Jose N. Pecina, Ph.D., Retired Mathematics Professor, The University of Texas Pan-American Gr 3-6--In the tradition of Encyclopedia Brown and "Solve Them Yourself" mysteries comes this STEM-friendly book filled with very short science-based mysteries. Each of the stories presents a "how" or "why" question that can be resolved through the application of scientific principles. The short, breezy, and fun entries range in topic from the colors of the rainbow to how to tell if eggs are fresh or hard-boiled. The authors give each tale a familiar and realistic setting--home, school--so that young readers will have an easier time grasping the concepts, which include general, physical, life, and earth science, with a bonus section on math. Each tale is presented in English, with the Spanish translation on the opposite page. At the bottom of each page is a reminder to think/piensa before turning the page to read the solution. The bilingual solutions are also on facing pages. Photos are sprinkled throughout, and a bilingual glossary is also included. VERDICT In a STEM-conscious curriculum environment, this book is a boon for teachers, who can use it to create interest in the subject matter.--Tim Wadham, Children's Literature Consultant, WA "School Library Journal, September 26, 2016 " If you have children who like science, or conversely, you're trying to encourage a little more interest in this area, I suggest you look into More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! For children that like mysteries, logic problems or riddles, this book might make science even more appealing. Written by a father and daughter team as part of the One Minute Mysteries series, this book aims to show the real-life applications of science and how it surrounds us as part of our everyday life. The book is divided into 45 short stories, across five sections. There are ten stories each in Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical and Chemical Science, and General Science. The remaining five stories are part of the Mathematics Bonus Section. All of the stories basically follow the same format. Each story usually involves a few people having a discussion, and they often encounter a problem, or someone doesn't understand how their friend or family member reached a certain conclusion. The answer to the problem is always based in simple scientific truth. The stories are only one page in length, with the facing page in Spanish. The following page spread includes the answer, also with English on the left, Spanish on the right. The answers are usually a short paragraph or two that still continues the dialogue between the original characters. There are small black and white photographs on the answer pages that are relevant to the mystery. This book is excellent for helping children see how science really is part of their life all day, every day. The Mathematics Bonus Section also gives a sneak-peak into how the similarly titled math books can offer the same experience with mathematical concepts. The fact that it is bilingual makes it useful for second language learners and for using in bilingual homes, schools, co-ops or tutoring environments. More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! is recommended for ages 8-12, and I find this accurate. My 9 year old is usually quick to reach the correct answers, but my 7 year old has reached the correct answer first too, and they both enjoy the stories. The short nature of the stories makes this a great book for my family. As homeschoolers, it's always so hard to "fit it all in" when there are so many excellent books and programs out there. Now I can add in a little extra science throughout the week without it actually feeling like work. We read a couple stories at lunch, or before bedtime, and the kids excitedly yell out the answers. If they don't know the answer right away, I'll re-read the passage, asking them to listen for clues to the specific question. It's still a quick and painless way to spend a few minutes together, thinking about the world around us. Product review by Brittney Rutherford, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, October, 2016--Brittney Rutherford "The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, October, 2016 " One Minute Mysteries: More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! / Misterios de un minuto: Mas misterios cortos que resuelves con ciencias! author: Eric Yoder author: Natalie Yoder translator: Esteban Bachelet Science, Naturally! (2016) grades 4-8 This fourth in the One Minute Mysteries series, and the first in both Spanish and English, contains most of the short mysteries found in the previous three English editions. The project began, as the foreword describes, as a series of father-and-daughter activities in which Eric wrote, Natalie rolled her eyes, Natalie wrote, and the two wrote side by side. Eric's vision was "to emphasize (science's) widespread, real-life applications," and Natalie's was "to (keep) the behavior and dialogue of the characters authentic." Natalie writes that their technique involved, in part, "(staring) at a dead spider on the ceiling above my dad's desk for hours and hours." This approach apparently worked--very well. For youngsters, these challenging problems open up both discoveries and potential for curious, inquisitive minds. And that these 45 pint-sized "mysteries"--covering Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical and Chemical Science, General Science, and including a Mathematics Bonus Section--are both encountered and solved by children themselves make this volume both fun and accessible. Among my favorite brain-teasers is "And They Call This a Fair / Feria de cuadritos," in which Kendall and Ruby construct a game for the science fair, in which they lay out 20 cardboard rectangles measuring 2" x 3" each. The problem is to arrange the rectangles in a way that will cover the most area. (This one stumped me for a minute, until I figured out that "area" does not necessarily mean "contiguous area.") But my hands-down favorite is "Think Outside the Box / Piensa fuera de la caja," in which Axel has forgotten that his science project--"to construct and label a model representing either a plant or animal cell, describing the functions of at least four parts of the cell"--is due in ten minutes! And all he has is pizza scraps and an almost-empty pizza box! Can he do it? Of course he can! (Although this kind of construction is not easily replicable--you'd need to have the right kind of pizza, eat almost all of it, leave the correct scraps and use every second of your ten minutes--it's a hoot!) The book design is clear and the text is readable, without illustrations or clues to detract from each "mystery." The problems are presented in English on the left and Spanish on the right and generally headed by puns in each language to grab attention. The images--black-and-white photos and drawings--are appropriately reserved for the "solution" pages: those on each two-page spread are related to each other so young readers can intuit more than one connection between image and solution. While it's obvious that the authors used great care in choosing the photos of both children and adults who represent a diversity of age, ethnicity and gender, I would like to have seen representation of children and adults with disabilities and the spectrum of family configurations as well. Bachelet's colloquial Spanish translation reads well, and this layout of the mysteries and solutions enable English-speakers, hablantes, and bilingual students to work in the language in which they're most proficient, and look to the other side for corresponding words, phrases, and particular idioms that interest them. Engaging and fun for both science- and math nerds (and their parents, if permitted), as well as youngsters who could benefit from some time away from video games, One Minute Mysteries: More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! / Mas misterios cortos que resuelves con ciencias! is highly recommended. --Beverly Slapin (published 10/25/16)--Beverly Slapin "De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children, October 25, 2016 " What if My Bilingual Kid is Losing Literacy? One teacher discovers a math & science book that improves Spanish literacy while providing a fun learning opportunity for bilingual families. During my years teaching English as a new language (ENL), I've noticed as Spanish speakers learn a new language at school, they are losing the literacy of their native language. Because of this, I often look for opportunities and products that will encourage simultaneous language development in English and additional languages. My search lead me to this book filled with 1-page science and math mysteries in both English and Spanish languages. A Book That Bilingual Families Can Learn Together With Educents Seller Science, Naturally has just published a new Math & Science Mystery Word Problem Book for Bilingual Learners. This book is a great bilingual support text for students who are new to English but are literate in Spanish, or who are literate in English and want to learn academic vocabulary in Spanish. This book is also ideal for parental involvement. It's an ideal text for parents to read with their children at home to stimulate academic conversations in Spanish or even to independently study. My students and I enjoyed reading the short stories, and the content provided us with some interesting discussion points. One of my favorite moments working with this book was when one of my students misunderstood the passage about plant and animal cells. When she read the Spanish version of the story, she encountered a new phrase "modelos celulares." She came away confused because she thought it "was about cell phones." In this moment, I realized the value of intentionally teaching my students about words with multiple meanings in their own languages! Because most English learners receive academic and technical instruction in English only, they are likely to be confused when presented with such vocabulary in their native language. About the Books Each story in the book is presented in English and Spanish (with each language on a facing layout) and includes a question or situation to resolve. The stories are real-life situations that students often encounter, and each story proposes a scientific "problem." After each story, the following two-page layout includes a suggested resolution or explanation in English and Spanish. One of our favorite parts of this book is the opportunity to "think" through the answers before the text reveals them. Each page is marked with a stop sign labeled "Think" or "Piense" before turning the page for the resolution. This is a great visual reminder to pause and contemplate before reading on. What my students and I love about this book: Easy to Use - Facing pages of English and Spanish make comparing vocabulary side-by-side very easy for students and parents. Visual Elements - The diagrams and pictures included with the stories help clarify important concepts and details. Science Stories - Both girls enjoyed reading realistic fiction about a subject that is usually very technical. Easy to Tackle - The targeted reading level for this book was great! They both agreed it was a challenging read, but not too hard. As a teacher, I really love this book, and I'm eager for additional copies and/or languages and hopefully some differentiated editions to be released. I think these books will be a great way to bridge the home-school connection and to strengthen the ties between my students' native languages and their new language!--Erika Bell, K-12 ESL Teacher, Educents Blogger "Educents Blog, August 23, 2016 " WASHINGTON, DC -- It's a typical situation. A mother has to run an errand and leaves a note for her kids telling them to help themselves to lunch. There are eggs in the refrigerator, it says; but, some are hard-boiled and others are raw...and they look the same. How can the kids tell which is which without cracking them open? The students in the fifth grade science class at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. have to think scientifically to solve the mystery. Samadhi says she had to try more than one idea to differentiate between the eggs. "It was kind of difficult, but it was fun too," she explains. "You get to do things yourself. You need to try new things, you don't have to do what the teacher tells you. You get to try stuff that you think might work for what you're doing." Samadhi discovered that spinning the eggs solved the mystery. Raw eggs spin more slowly than hard-boiled ones because the liquid inside slows them down. Think, solve and learn This puzzler - The Eggcellent Idea - is one of 65 in the "One Minute Mysteries" educational series. Each mystery takes about a minute and half to read and requires students to solve it using their math and science knowledge. Mundo Verde teacher Karen Geating Rivera notes that the series was created by Eric and Natalie Yoder, a father-daughter pair. "And when they were first written, the daughter was still a middle schooler. So it's not just written for children, but it was actually written in part by the child herself." "Every single mystery is written with characters that are children, and children that are facing real world situation that they need to solve using their background knowledge on math and science," she explains. "So they're not expected to have a bunch of formulas in their head that they already know. It's just things that happen every day and that you just think from a scientific or mathematical perspective to resolve." WATCH: Video report on project: http: //www.voanews.com/a/minute-mysteries/3628608.html 'Minute Mysteries' Help Kids Solve Math, Science Problems 0:03:12 0:00:00/0:03:12 Science teacher David Levin says the mysteries get the children excited. "If they enjoy what they're doing, they will learn. That's my philosophy. I like having the opportunity of having them in small groups, sharing their ideas, feeling the experiment in their hands." Kids have also to discuss the facts among each other before declaring the answer. Ten-year-old Dante finds these group discussions useful. "You might come to an agreement," he says. "You might come to disagreement. But sometimes once you share your opinions, you can find out which one is the right response and which one isn't." Creating learning opportunities The latest addition to the series is bilingual: English and Spanish. The authors are trying to provide a resource for dual-language education, which is a growing trend in many schools around the country, including Mundo Verde. School instructional guide, Berenice Pernalete says having bilingual instructions helps the students who come from different backgrounds. "I think that for a language immersion school, one of the things that teachers do in order to foster engagement in students and to be really creative is that they have shared experiences." Teacher Karen Geating Rivera says bringing the mysteries into the classroom allows her students to develop several skills at the same time, and learn from each other. "The kids who don't speak Spanish at home, and who are learning Spanish as a second or maybe a third language are able to hear the native speakers in a natural, authentic setting and start picking up some of that language and vice versa," she says. "The fact that they are leaving the classroom still talking about what we've done tells me that I really made it an authentic experience, something that they can walk out and continue using in real life." The "One Minute Mysteries" series, she says, is another tool to keep her students engaged and foster their math, science and bilingual skills.--Faiza Elmasry "Voice of America, December 9, 2016 "