Seymour Simon's Blog, page 7

Planning for World Read-Aloud Day

Every year on the first Wednesday in March readers everywhere celebrate World Read Aloud Day. It is an important day when we all focus on the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. I would like to share March 5th, World Read Aloud Day, with as many children as I can, and in as many locations as possible. I’m planning to do a free, 15-minute Read Aloud/Skype session with each of four different school groups or classes. If you are interested in having your students participate, please write to me at seymour@seymoursimon.com. Tell me how you are celebrating the day in your school, and why I should Skype with your class. We’ll pick four schools from your submissions, and choose a section from one of my books to read aloud together.

And the Winners Are….

Congratulations to everyone who entered theMy Awesome Science Wordcontest. There were many good entries—-it was fun to read about what word each of you selected, and why you thought it was interesting. As promised, there are two randomly selected winners - one individual student and one K-2 class. Each one of the winners will receive an autographed copy of my SCIENCE DICTIONARY. Check with Mrs. Abad to pick up your prizes next week. Here are the winners and what they wrote. Mrs. Shambo’s 1st grade class submitted this entry: Our awesome science word is heart.Our definition: The heart pumps blood. The heart is the size of a fist. Why it is awesome: The heart is awesome because it’s part of your body. It pumps your blood and keeps you alive. Using it in a sentence: The heart is a part of your body that keeps you alive. Here’s the winning entry from Paige M. in Mrs. Bobear’s 5th grade class: My awesome science word is paleontology.The definition of my word is a scientific study of fossils from dinosaurs when they were alive and the people that study them are called paleontologists.I think this word is awesome because you can see the where their eyes were and also if you find all of the fossils, you can see the size of that dinosaur.I want to do paleontology when I am older. Congratulations to everyone who entered. I loved reading all your writing!

And now this….

I enjoyed my visit today at the Caroline Street Elementary School in Saratoga Springs. The kids were great - engaged and inquisitive.I came back to my room tonight to find this note:Dear Seymour Simon, you visited my school today Caroline Street School and you were amazing i had mo idea i would meet a CELEBRITY author thank you, Amira SThank YOU, Amira. You made my day.

Good morning, Saratoga!

I received this lovely note this morning.Dear Seymour Simon,You are coming to my school ! I love your books.Last year for the science fair me and my friend did the planets and solar system.It was very interesting! Everybody loved our project and we learned a lot. From, Isabel BThanks for writing, Isabel. Get ready to have some fun, because I am going to take you and your fellow students on a journey to the end of the universe and back!See you soon,Seymour

Cool Photo: Polar Soap Bubbles

What happens when you go outside and blow soap bubbles during a polar vortex? Photographer Angela Kelly and her son tried it when it was 15ºF, and found that the bubbles instantly turned to ice - it looks like the world of Frozen! This was an easy pick to be our Cool Photo of the Week.

Contest! My Awesome Science Word

Seymour Simon is preparing to visit Greenfield Elementary School in Saratoga Springs, NY next week. Their librarian, Mrs. Abad, wrote to say how much her students would love to have a contest, and asked if we might have one for her school. Seymour loves it when librarians and media specialists use his blog in school, so students at Greenfield Elementary- this AWESOME SCIENCE WORD contest is for you!Two lucky winners are going to receive personally autographed copies of Seymour Simon’s newly updated SCIENCE DICTIONARY, with more than 2,000 entries!Did you ever spend time browsing through an encyclopedia or dictionary? You might not have been looking for a specific word but just leafing through, finding cool topics and reading about them. For this contest Seymour Simon invites you to browse through hisonlineScience Dictionaryand find a word or image that you really like. Here is the link where you can find his Science Dictionary online:http://www.seymoursimon.com/index.php... is what you need to know to enter Seymour’s Awesome Science Word Contest:Take a look around in the online Science Dictionary and find a word that you think is an Awesome Science Word. Once you have decided on your word, you have to do three things:1. Tell us what your word is and explain the definition in your own words.2. Tell us why you think your word is awesome.3. Use your Awesome Science Word in a sentence to prove that you really understand what it means.Here is an example. Let’s say that I look at the Online Dictionary and pick "fingerprint"as my Awesome Science Word. I would write:Definition in my own words: A fingerprint is a pattern of swirls and lines in the skin at the tip of a human finger.Why it is awesome: I think it is awesome that every single human being has their own fingerprint.Using it in a sentence: Every person’s fingerprints are unique and that means that like snowflakes, no two are alike.Here is how to enter once you have selected your Awesome Science Word:A. Click on the yellow "Comments" link at the bottom of the blog to enter the contest by sharing your word along with your definition, why you think it is awesome, and your sentence using your word. B. When you write your information, be sure to also tell us your name (first name only), your grade, and your teacher’s name. That way we can find you if you are the winner!C. Be sure to post your entry by midnight on Thursday, January 16. The contest ends then. RULES:Two winners will be chosen randomly from all the correct entries.Older students may enter individually, and we will pick one winner.Students in grades K-2 may enter as a class and work with their teacher or with Mrs. Abad to enter the contest; there will be one classroom winner.Both winners will receive copies of the printed version of the SCIENCE DICTIONARY, autographed by Seymour Simon.Students who do not attend Greenfield Elementary may also enter this contest. If we have at least 20 entries from other schools, we will randomly choose a third prizewinner from the non-Greenfield entries.So, get to work and send us your entries today. Good luck!

Writing Wednesday: Think Like an Eagle

What does it mean to "think like an eagle"? Author Kathryn Lasky’s book is a vivid portrayal of the life of a nature photographer and the many strategies (including patience!) that he uses to capture photos of wild animals’ lives.To become a wildlife photographer, Jack Swedberg spent many years studying animal behavior so he could figure out how to be at the right place at the right time without disturbing the animals. For today’s Writing Wednesday project, read the section of the book below in which Swedberg is preparing to photograph a bald eagle. After you have read it, think about the language author Kathryn Lasky uses to bring the scene to life, and write about the words that she chooses. How does a sentence like "The big talons extend and appear like splayed stars as the wings scoop the air in front of them" both accurately describe and help the reader to feel the power of the eagle as it comes in to feed?What other powerful language does she use and what is she describing? Once you are finished writing, you can click on the yellow "Comments" link at the bottom of this blog post to share you writing with others. Have fun thinking like an eagle!Note for Educators: Kathryn Lasky’s book is part of the streaming digital collection from StarWalk Kids Media.Click hereif you would like to learn more about subscribing to this high quality, affordable collection of Common Core mentor texts.

Not Cool…FROZEN Photo of the Week!

We’ve all seen many photographs from the record-shattering cold that has gripped the United States and Canada this week, but I particularly like this one. It shows Lake Michigan frozen solid, with the Chicago skyline in the background.

Top 10 Stories of 2013: #1

One of my happiest days of 2013 was the day a young red fox came to visit at my house. I shared the photographs with my readers, and you all answered back with some wonderful writing! I hope you enjoy the top story of 2013 as much as I did.I want to wish a very Happy New Year to all my readers. See you in 2014!Readers of the Seymour Science blog looked at my photographs and read what I wrote aboutthe red fox who visited my house. What I particularly like is that you looked closely, observed, and wrote about fresh details in the photographs. You found your own words for describing what was happening in the scene, using imaginative words that engaged all of our senses. And some of you created wonderful new scenes and even let us in on what the fox was thinking. Nice job!We had many entries from students in Mrs. Bosch’s fifth grade class at Cannondale House, with good use of dialogue* (imagining what the fox is thinking or saying) to describe the scene. Ben wrote: The sleek, sly, soft orange fox stared into the cold autumn breeze waiting, hoping for a midday snack to come. The leaves howled and the grass shivered. The rocky surface beneath him stung like ice with a layer of frost. The sun glimmered as if in need of a coat. Chris: What I imagine is that that the fox was just sitting in this refreshing autumn breeze and thinking about how nice this sunny day is. It was just chilling on those rocks thinking, "my friends really have to try this, they sure are missing out." What I saw was a cool red fox laying down on the little pebbles, with its big fluffy tail flapping in the wind. Its giant ears were probably picking up every little sound around him/her. The face was so pointy, it could probably be used as a butcher’s knife. Pearson: The orange and red fox sits lazily on the rocky ground as the wind blows gently on its silky fur. He looks up to see birds fluttering their wings looking for a worm. The fox gently lays back down. He is sunbathing. "Ahhhhhhh," he thinks, "this is nice." After some time he gets back up and trots to another nice spot with some food. Mrs. Froehlich’s Kent House fifth graders used some great adjectives and compound descriptors to describe the fox. Look for compound descriptors like "Autumn-colored fur".... ""sun-colored".... "newly-formed dew." Mikey: As I gaze out my window, I see a lonely fox licking his autumn-colored fur. He stretches his hind legs and slowly lowers himself to the ground. He stifles a yawn, and shuts his eyes as he starts to bask in the warm autumn sun. He lies there, and I continue to watch him. After a while, he opens eyes and stretches again. Then, he trots off back into the shadowed depths of his kingdom. Kayla: I can see the sun-colored fox laying on rocks that have been heated up by the bright sun. The fox is sun bathing, but also pretending to be asleep for a possible mid afternoon snack. It is a bright and beautiful autumn day in late October and the fox is startled by the rustling of some leaves, but it is nothing. So, the fox settles down in a nice warm and cozy comfy spot and drifts off to sleep like he’s sitting on a cloud. "Nothing could wake me up now," he thought, but not long after that, a quiet little bunny makes his way toward the fox. Though that bunny was as silent as a mouse, the fox jumped up in surprise, but saw nothing. The fox was most definitely, positively sure he heard something, but as he trudged off into the woods, he thought, "it was probably just the howling of the wind." The fox gingerly laid down next to a murky swamp, not minding the smell at all, thinking, "it was the wind, probably just the wind." Lily: September leaves fall on this baby fox as he bathes in September sun. He is looking curiously for any sign of life what so ever. Wind blows on him furiously but don’t worry, his thick copper fur can finally be useful after a long hot summer. Leaves and rocks crunch every few minutes as this courageous fox looks for prey. Maybe it is lunchtime. "Anyone seen any petite animals?" Some people think wolfs are big and bad but inside they have a warm heart. Morgane: I am a red fox sitting on the cold, hard rocks. I groom myself then circle my rocky territory before I find the perfect spot. I lie down and dream about my next meal, maybe rabbit! or chipmunk! mmm… I lick my lips before nodding off. When I wake up with my fur damp with newly-formed dew. I shake my limp fur. I suddenly see a strange man with a contraption, and SNAP! A flash of light comes into view. Startled, I trot away to be followed by CLICK! SNAP! and SNAP! As I disappear into the woods and turn back to see the strange man wave and disappear. Mack: It was chilly autumn day. Leaves falling from trees, raking leaves, then bouncing into them. All of a sudden a fox came out of the forest. He sat down and turned his head at the children jumping into the leaves. As he turned his head you could see a white stripe on his fur but it was very faint. Then he sniffed his nose at the hot dogs sizzling off the grill. He got up for a sec then sat back down. It was like he had already tasted the glorious hot dogs. Then a leaf fell over his head. He picked it with his mouth and trotted back in the forest. Mrs. McCusker’s fourth grade class focused on creative writing, imagining the fox’s thoughts and activities - things that we could not see in the photographs. Drew: A red-orange fox basking in the warm autumn sun. "Is that a bird I smell?" thought the sleek red fox. "I love autumn," thought the fox. "The warm sun on my back. The wind in my fur. The leaves falling. Trees rustling in the wind." Finnegan: It was a very warm autumn day and a red fox with orange eyes was sitting on some gray rocks. The fox was curled up in a ball sunning itself. The birds were chirping and the fox was curious to figure out why they were chirping. Suddenly, out came a black squirrel. The fox got up and ran at an unimaginable speed to get the squirrel. Luckily the squirrel climbed up a tree before the fox got to him. So the fox sat on the rocks again and continued sunning himself. Grant: It was one windy autumn day and there was a fox sitting on a stone. He was thinking of all kinds of things. Then he went to groom his tail and the fox said "Wow, my tail is stinking up a storm." He thought his tail smelled like a rotten egg that had been sitting in the sun too long. Then a bird came along and tried to speak, but the fox said "Don’t disturb me I’m trying to get my tan in." When the fox was tanning he could feel the warm sun blazing on him. After the fox got his tan, he went to his house for dinner. Mrs. Staub’s fourth graders looked closely at the photographs and described details that I did not mention when I originally wrote about the fox: Meredith: The red fox feels the cool breeze and the warm sun on this crisp autumn day. Sitting on hard cool rock with a grassy background. He listens to the bugs with their buggy noises as they crawl around the ground. The light bounces off his red fur and the bright color bounces back to your eyes. It’s great to look at such a magnificent animal. Audrey: The red fox is sitting on smooth and jagged rocks. Its reddish fur is shining in the sunlight, and is blowing in the warm breeze. Its big, brownish eyes look like they are staring right at me. Its little black nose is sniffing the air for any predators or prey. Suddenly it jumps up on its little black paws and scurries away. Daniella: The sly red fox’s fur glimmered in the sun on the hot autumn day, at the edge of the woods in Black Butte, Oregon waiting and waiting for a small mouse to scurry through the rocks. The Autumn leaves danced in the wind one by one. Suddenly a monarch butterfly gracefully flew by, the fox pounced on it trying to catch it. I watched from behind the blueberry bush as the fox tried to catch it. The fox was hot and tired, it tiptoed over to the oak tree in the shade and licked itself to sleep. Thanks again to all 40 students who shared their excellent writing!* (Editor’s note: we added quotation marks around the dialogue, to help your readers "hear" the fox’s voice).

Top 10 Stories of 2013: #2

My #2 blog post of 2013 is all about a new mystery series that I published this year, EINSTEIN ANDERSON: SCIENCE GEEK. Einstein Anderson and his friend Paloma Fuentes are two sixth graders who love science and using what they know to try to stump each other. They also work together to solve mysteries. I invented the Einstein character years ago when I was teaching middle school science. I used to try to stump my class with science puzzlers, and whoever could figure out the answer got to be "Einstein for the Day." Eventually, I wrote about Einstein Anderson in a series of science mysteries that were published quite a few years ago. It made me so happy in 2013 to completely update the series, adding new characters and real projects and experiments to go along with the mysteries. As I look back on my year, I am so pleased to have introduced this character to a new group of kids! And that’s why this blog post is one of my very favorites of the year. I asked students to read part of an Einstein Anderson story and then tell me about Einstein and Paloma. What are their main characteristics? Are they like you….or different than you? Readers really responded with more than 50 pieces of writing. The description below, written by Michael from Wilton, Connecticut was one that I really loved. Einstein is a really nice boy who has light brown hair and wears glasses. He really likes computers and bird watching. He does not have a lot of friends. Einstein is a deep thinker and really smart. He has one close friend, a girl, who likes a lot of the same things that he likes. Her name is Paloma.Paloma has long dark hair which she keeps in a pony tail. Both Einstein and Paloma both like wearing blue jeans. They both like bird watching and computers. Paloma does not have any other friends. Einstein and Paloma both like sports but would rather spend quiet time bird watching.Einstein and I share a lot in common. We are both athletic, but quiet at the same time. We like to use computers and have a close friend that shares a lot of the same interests. I don’t like bird watching but I do have special interests just like Einstein. We both worry about our friend and think about a lot of things that many people may not understand. That special friend in our lives makes us feel really good and makes us feel special.