Turn this Book into a Lever!

 Every now and then I come across a book that is more than a book. This one turns into a catapult - at least part of it does! That makes it a perfect gift for young knights-in-training...

 

 Mighty Models: The Legendary Life Story of the Lever 
by Christine Van Zandt; illus by Lesley Breen 
32 pages; ages 4-8
Union Square Kids, 2025

theme: physics, history, hands-on

 

This is a lever. It doesn’t look like much, but it is one of the world’s mightiest machines.

A lever is basically a rigid beam and a fulcrum. From teeter-totters to robotic arms, levers have been used to move things. People have used levers to hunt mammoths, build Great Walls, print books, produce movies – even defend the Crown Jewels of England!  Over the span of ten spreads, this book invites readers to discover the science – and the history – of this simple, yet important machine. 

 

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 What I like about this book: I like the visual table of contents. I also like the fun lever sidebars on each spread. But what I really like is how part of the book is a hands on build-it-yourself catapult model that allows kids to discover the power of a lever in action. 

 

  

I asked Christine if she had constructed the model catapult. "Oh yes!" she said. "The cats love it!"You can watch author Christine Van Zandt demonstrate her model catapult in this video at her website, christinevanzandt.com/models

Beyond the Books:

 
Check out this short video about levers and some simple machines you might use that incorporate levers. 

Make your own lever using a ruler (or similar flat wood piece) and a marker or other item (dowel, block) as a fulcrum. Use your lever to lift a flat stone or can of tuna. What happens when you move the fulcrum closer to the load? Or farther away?

Go lever-looking. How many kinds of levers do you find around your house and yard? Make a list of what you find using words or pictures. One of the levers we have around our house is a T-post puller.

Christine is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website christinevanzandt.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at www.steamteambooks.com

We'll be joining Perfect Picture Book Friday after the holidays. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review pdf provided by the author.

Very Bouncy Science - and History

 

Bounce! A Scientific History of Rubber 

by Sarah Albee; illus. by Eileen Ryan Ewen 

48 pages; ages 6-9

‎Charlesbridge, 2024

themes: rubber, science, invention

 It can bounce, bounce, bounce!

Rubber has been around for thousands of years, and chances are that you’ve got some in your dresser drawer or maybe even your pocket. Where that rubber came from, what makes it so stretchy, and how it’s been used throughout history is the meat of this book.

What I like about this book: Sarah begins with how Indigenous people living near rainforests in Mexico and Central America created and used rubber. 

She explains how European explorers took rubber back with them – along with the gold and riches they stole – and how rubber became part of our lives. Sprinkled throughout are spreads labeled “The Science” where she explains bounce, polymer chains, and why pure rubber fails in heat and cold.

I also like the illustrations – they add a touch of fun to this bouncy history. And there is Back Matter! Sarah discusses names of the Indigenous people, and shares some of the troubling details about the sometimes violent history of the rubber industry and some of the environmental issues. She also includes a timeline of the last 3,500 years of rubber history.

Bouncy Science Beyond the Books: 

Compare bounciness of a variety of balls. You’ll need a hard surface for your bounce test and a way to measure height - you can tape a couple yard-sticks or tape measure against a fence, wall, or tree. Drop each kind of ball from as high as you can reach and write down how high it bounces.

Measure stretchiness of a rubber band. First, measure the width (how “fat” the rubber band is) and the loop-length (how long it is before you stretch it). Now hook one end of the rubber band over the end of a ruler and gently stretch the rubber band. How far can you go? If you’re outside, you can let go and see how far your rubber band flies. Try different rubber bands – and remember to pick them up when you’re finished.

Make your own rubber from plants in your yard. Caution: don’t do this if you are allergic to latex! Break open the stem of a milkweed or dandelion and collect the latex in a spoon. Cover the end of your finger with the sap, all the way to the first knuckle-bend and let the sap dry. After 10 to 15 minutes, roll the dried sap off your finger. It will make a slightly stretchy band. To make a “rubber” ball, put a half a teaspoon of sap into 1/4 cup of water and stir with a straw. Slowly add a little bit of vinegar. The acid in the vinegar will make the latex stick to the straw. Gather the latex into a ball, squeeze out the water, and give it a bounce.  

 

Sarah Albee is a member of #STEAMTeam2024. You can find out more about her at her website.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

STEAM into the Renaissance with this series

Nomad Press has a fun new series out called Renaissance for Kids. The books in this series invite readers to dive into the Renaissance period and learn about inventors, thinkers, explorers, and artists. The series includes plenty of hands-on STEAM activities... Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Each volume is 112 pages; ages 10 - 15
Titles include: The Renaissance Artists, The Renaissance Explorers, The Renaissance Inventors, The Renaissance Thinkers

Included in the volume on "thinkers" are Nicolaus Copernicus and Francis Bacon. "Being a scientist during the Renaissance could be a lonely business," writes author Diane Taylor. "There were no graduate students to hang out with, no research institutes to work at, and no conferences to attend."

Copernicus watched the night sky. He was an astronomer and noticed that not everything circled the earth once a day. Planets, for example, seemed to wander back and forth. He also suggested that the earth orbited the sun - a break with what people thought, that the sun went around the earth.

Francis Bacon is often called the "father of science". Born in 1561, he was a gifted and prolific writer. He was passionate about science, and thought deeply about how scientists can know when they have discovered the truth of something. He developed a scientific method:

• make an observation
• ask a question
• form a hypothesis
• conduct an experiment 
• analyze the results

Sounds familiar to anyone who's taken a science class. But in the 1600s scientists didn't follow any sort of rigor that would lead to reliable results. So Bacon's ideas were novel.

STEAM projects in this book include drawing with linear perspective, building a supportive arch, and creating your own Utopia.

The "inventors" include Johannes Gutenberg (printing press), Leonardo da Vinci (artist and engineer), Gerardus Mercator (mapping the world), and Galileo Galilei (astronomy and math). These inventors opened up the world for exploration and sharing information.

Prior to a printing press, books were transcribed by hand, and few people had access to them. Once people could mass produce words there were bibles, flyers, news broadsides, and eventually pamphlets in which scientists could share their findings.

da Vinci's sketchbook contains designs for helicopters and submarines, airplanes and cars. Pretty cool, considering he died in 1519!

STEAM projects in this book include building a parachute, making a pendulum, making a map, printing, and playing around with mirror writing.

"Renaissance artists" introduces readers to Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and more, and invites kids to make their own paint using eggs.

"Renaissance explorers" include Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, and others. Among activities, kids can make a working compass, build a beacon, create and hourglass, and invent a travel board game.

What I like about these books: They include timelines for each person, provide great biographical details, and mention other scientists, inventors, artists, and explorers living at the same time. Sidebars present quick facts, additional information about the culture, and raise questions for curious readers.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books.  Review copies provided by publisher.