This list of force and motion books for Kindergarten is a great way to encourage STEM concepts in your classroom. By integrating STEM and literacy, this is another avenue to bring these concepts to life for young learners.
When planning out units for the primary students in my K-5 STEM classroom, I use a three part structure: Mini Project, STEM Stations and STEM & Stories. This model integrates standards and exposes students to a variety of experiences that relate to the content.
Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
Description from Amazon.com “This exhilarating amusement park visit begins with a line of prospective riders, eagerly awaiting their turn . . . with at least one person who has never done this before. Zooming, swerving, dipping, and diving, this delightful story featuring a breathtaking ride and a hilarious range of reactions, will help readers lose their roller coaster anxiety. Marla Frazee’s witty narrative and slyly building of tension delivers an experience unlike any other and will have readers begging to take another ride.”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Jones Prince
Description from Amazon.com “Yeah, what do wheels do all day? Well . . . they push . . . race . . . stroll . . . fly . . . whiz . . . and spin . . . all day long! Simple, direct text, combined with brilliant cut-paper relief illustrations, captures kids’ fascination with “things that go” and opens their minds to the wide variety of wheels and what they do.”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: How Do You Lift a Lion? by Robert E. Wells
From Amazon.com “How do you lift a lion? With a machine that's big and powerful with clanking metal parts? There are machines like that. But others have only a few moving parts. In fact, some machines are so simple that they don't seem like machines at all―like the wheel, the lever, and the pulley. These machines can make work easy―even if you're trying to lift a lion!”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: Ricky, the Rock That Couldn't Roll by Mr. Jay
From Amazon.com “From zippy little pebbles to big strong boulders, the rock friends get together to play and roll around their favorite hill, only to find that one of their friends, Ricky, can't roll with them. Unlike all of the other rocks, who are all round, Ricky can't roll because he's flat on one side. Determined not to leave their friend behind, the rocks set out to help Ricky roll – one way or another.”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca
With beautiful illustrations, this story goes through the entire alphabet with different racecar elements shown throughout. This can spark a great discussion about engineering and components and contribute to car movement.
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
From Amazon.com “Jack has designed the ultimate fantasy car. Inspired by zeppelins and trains, Cadillacs and old planes, with brilliant colors and lots of shiny chrome, this far-out vision is ready to cruise! there's a fireplace, a pool, and even a snack bar! After a tour of the ritzy interior, Robert the robot starts up the motor . . . and Jack and his dad set off on the wildest test drive ever!”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: Oscar and the Cricket: A Book About Moving and Rolling by Geoff Waring
From Amazon.com “One day Oscar sees a ball in the grass. “Try pushing it!” says Cricket. Oscar learns that the ball rolls slowly in grass and faster on a path, until it bounces off a tree and changes direction. Some things need a push to move, and others use their muscles to move themselves — and to move plenty of other things, too.”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: Motion: Push and Pull, Fast and Slow by Darlene Ruth Stille
Colorful illustrations and simple text that explains different force and motion concepts. Uses everyday examples of this vocabulary in action so young learners can make connections with the science that is all around them.
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: And Everyone Shouted, “Pull!”: A First Look at Forces and Motion by Claire Llewellyn
From Amazon.com “Learn about forces and motion as you join the farm animals on their trip to the market. The wheels on their cart help when they push, pull, and stop on their journey. Great way to get kids interested in science in the classroom or at home!”
Force and Motion Books for Kindergarten: The Day Gravity Goes Loco by Ryan P Maloney
From Amazon.com: This story “paints a picture of a weightless world where everything usually anchored down by gravity, has gone crazy. From standing straight up hairstyles, to construction crews taking vacations because of upside down cranes, “Gravity Loco” is an infectious story that will make kids laugh while introducing them to language learning and science concepts.”
Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.
With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.
She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!
These books about women in STEM can inspire kids to reach their dreams. Or even create new ones! Women in STEM fields is one of many under represented groups. These important stories from the past can help shape our future and add more diversity within the STEM space.
The books listed below are alphabetized by title. If there are any I should add to the list, please send me an email at contactnaomimeredith@gmail.com
This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through the link, no extra cost to you, but I receive a kickback from purchases.
“The twenty groundbreaking women—including Rosalind Franklin, Marie Tharp, Shirley Anne Jackson, and more—came from all kinds of backgrounds and had all kinds of life experiences. Some grew up rich. Some grew up poor. Some were always the smartest kid in class. Some struggled to do well in school. But all had one thing in common: They were born curious. Are you curious, too?” (Amazon description)
“Elementary-aged children follow Dorothy’s journey from math teacher to human computer and beyond, a journey made difficult because she was an African American woman working during a time of segregation. Dorothy worked incredibly hard to meet the challenges that greeted her at every turn and rose to the level of supervisor, the first black supervisor in the history of her company! But another challenge awaited when a mechanical computer threatened to replace the teams of human computers. How will Dorothy figure out this problem?” (Amazon description)
“As a girl coming of age during the Civil Rights Movement, Patricia Bath made it her mission to become a doctor. When obstacles like racism, poverty, and sexism threatened this goal, she persevered―brightening the world with a game-changing treatment for blindness!” (Amazon description)
“What was the world like millions of years ago? Did early humans walk on all fours? Did giant sloths lie in trees? Did dinosaurs have feathers? Even as a young girl, Mary Leakey was fascinated by questions like these! Meet Mary as a girl growing up in France and visiting the site of archeological wonders, such as Pech Merle, Fond de Gaume, and La Mouthe. As an adult, Mary spends much of her life working in the field in Tanzania, making discoveries that change the face of paleontology forever. True grit, passion, and high standards for scientific rigor made Mary a pioneer in the field of paleontology!” (Amazon description)
“When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe!” (Amazon description)
“After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted―finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.” (Amazon description)
“When Mary Jackson was growing up, she thought being an engineer was impossible for her. Why? After all, she was fantastic at math and science. She worked really hard to learn all she could in school. Why did this smart little girl think she couldn’t be an engineer? Readers ages 5 to 8 explore the life of Mary Jackson, who overcame the challenges of segregation and sexism to become the first female African American engineer at NASA!” (Amazon description)
“This illustrated biography shares the story of female scientist, Marie Tharp, a pioneering woman scientist and the first person to ever successfully map the ocean floor.
Marie Tharp was always fascinated by the ocean. Taught to think big by her father who was a mapmaker, Marie wanted to do something no one had ever done before: map the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Was it even possible? Not sure if she would succeed, Marie decided to give it a try.” (Amazon description)
“Highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. Full of striking, singular art, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary.” (Amazon description)
“Meet some incredible and inspirational women who have worked in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and changed the world. Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them.” (Amazon description)
Need an easy to implement Winter STEM Activity? Try pairing it with a children's book you might already have! Literacy and STEM go well together. It's a great way to enhance student's comprehension of the story in a hands-on way. Keep your students engaged in a different way while easily implementing STEM into your classroom.
Come and join in on the fun on Facebook, or watch the recording of this episode.
Amazon Affiliate links are included for each of the books listed. While purchasing through my link, it's no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.
Winter STEM Activity | Watch the recording down below:
Here are the key takeaways from this episode:
Winter STEM Activity | Ten on the Sled
This rhyming story takes younger students on a quick winter adventure. The animals all try to clamor onto the sled throughout the story; all 10 of them!
For this STEM challenge, students go through the Engineering Design Process for this challenge: How can you build a sled that fits all 10 animals on top? Students will first learn about sled design and plan how they want their creation to look like. Once their plan is ready, students can start to build.
Minimal materials are needed:
popsicle sticks
pipe cleaners
straws
unifix cubes (to tape the animal images onto)
Tape isn't one of the materials listed; that definitely makes this a challenge for students (in a positive way). This allows students to learn how to bend, twist and connect the pipe cleaners, which might be a skill they aren't used to.
While testing their design, students will try to fit all 10 animals on top. While the sled doesn't have to be functional, that can be a great next step fro this challenge.
This STEM challenge can go along with any version of the Gingerbread Man you may have in your classroom. I know I have a quite a few versions myself!
Based on some of the more original versions of the story, the Gingerbread Man comes to the river at the end and climbs on the fox's back to try and make it across. Well, we all know what happens next….
What if there was an alternate ending? Students can create a solution to this new ending and help the Gingerbread Man have an engineer mindset instead.
Students will use their knowledge about sinking and floating and design an invention that will help the Gingerbread Man cross the river. SciShow Kids have a great YouTube video about sinking & floating for younger students.
Provide various Makerspace materials to choose from. Here are some that were available when I tried this with students:
bubble wrap
cardboard scraps
straws
masking tape
small plastic cups
recycled plastic lids
aluminum foil
wooden blocks
popsicle sticks
Having items that also sink and those that also float at first, but get logged with water (paper) is helpful as students make their decision and test their designs.
Again, this STEM challenge can be used with any of the Snowmen at Night series or other snowman books you have in your classroom library. This lesson uses robots, again, can be any moving type your classroom has. Don't have any robots? Here is my ultimate list of suggestions to check out!
There are various images of snowmen dressed up in different outfits. Using the cards provided, students will place them on a grid or whichever layout they desire. Next, students will code the robot to build and dress the snowman in order that would make sense.
For example, if the image of the snowman show them wearing glasses, glasses wouldn't be collected first because there is no where to put them! By using the image to help visualize, students will reverse engineer the order the snowman should be built, then decorated. Of course, there are multiple solutions to each snowman image card which makes this a great challenge for students.
Try these Winter STEM Activities in your classroom that the kids will love. Make the chilly days feel warmer by sparking creativity. There are a variety of low-prep, hands-on activities to try.
Come and join in on the fun on Facebook, or watch the recording of this episode.
Here are the key takeaways from this episode:
Winter STEM Activities | Watch the recording down below:
Sphero Sleds
A Sphero Lesson Plan where students go through the Engineering Design Process. A lesson where students create a sled for Sphero and code to pull it through the Iditarod Dog Race!
Throughout this challenge, students will learn about sled design and apply that to their work. While coding through the race, the use of angles and sped will help determine if Sphero can successfully travel through the maze.
STEM activity with student Engineering Design Process printables & digital pages to help determine the most effective method for wrapping a gift. An area and perimeter activity that can be used year round.
Using the 3 videos provided, students are to pick one of the wrapping methods shown. Then, they actually wrap the gift with the method.
Afterwards, students will unwrap the gift and count how much tape was used, and the area and perimeter of the paper on the box. Encourage students to write on the wrapping paper to show their work.
Once students calculate their wrapping paper numbers, have students compare their results to determine which wrapping method might be best. There will be a lot of debate on this topic!
I found packs of smaller boxes at the Dollar Store for kids to wrap so that all the boxes were the same size. I had wrapping paper I bought on sale from the previous year. Or even asking for donations would be an alternative to get more wrapping paper for this challenge.
Playdough Snowmen | 3 States of Matter & Measurement
Learn about the 3 states of matter & how to build the best snowman. Build your own snowman and use the corresponding states of matter activity and measurement activity.
Students will model what each of the states of matter are, according to a snowman.
For the next challenge, students will build a snowman as tall as they can and use different tools to measure their creation.
This is perfect for a station that students might rotate to throughout the week or even during a class party. The must-have material needed before getting started is playdough of some kind.
There is a lot of science behind how snowflakes are made in nature. Learn how snowflakes are made, build a snowflake with toothpicks and solve math problems by using your design!
After planning and building their snowflake design, students will modify their work and record the following math observations:
intersecting lines
acute angles
obtuse angles
right angles
straight angles
perpendicular lines
parallel lines
lines of symmetry
This lesson works well either whole group or as a math station that students travel to throughout the week.
STEM activity with student Engineering Design Process printables & digital pages to accompany the book Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman. A Winter STEM activity for Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grades.
Connecting STEM & literacy is a great ways to boost students' reading comprehension by helping them remember the story.
After listening to the story, students will watch a video about sled design to inspire their creations. Next, students will build their sled that needs to fit all ten animals out of popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and straws. I didn't use tape to add an extra challenge and encourage kids to think about their materials in a way they haven't before.
For the animals, I printed out the included images and had kids cut and tape them onto unifix cubes or LEGO pieces. This allows the animals to stand up on the sled.
Sentence Summary: Maybe your original design didn't come out exactly how you wanted, but it might be close enough
Book #10: What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
Book Title: What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
Author: Rana DiOrio
Sentence Summary: An entrepreneur is based on an inner drive and creativity to help create the business of their dreams.
Connecting literacy and STEM is a great way to book reading comprehension and hands-on learning. Get started with my STEM & Stories Bundle. With 5 ready to go lessons, your students will think creativity when looking at the story in a new way. Check out the bundle in my shop here!
During my first year as a STEM teacher, I lead a club weekly on Thursday for the entire year. I ran 6 different clubs, the last being a Makerspace Club. While planning this club, I kept my live for literacy and picture books in ming. In fact, My growing STEM & Stories collection integrates books and a corresponding STEM activity that works for multiple grade levels. Let's dive into how STEM is integrated after reading the story Not a Box by Antoinette Portis.
**All links are clickable to purchase through my affiliate link. No extra cost to you, but I get a little bonus if you purchase through it!** After reading the story Not a Box {or listening to it online on YouTube}, students will first plan how they will create a marble maze or game out of cardboard and limited materials. I did just a marble maze since I had limited time with my 1st-5th grader club {45 minutes} and they were able to listen to the story, plan and build. Their planning can be done either on paper or digitally.
They can also utilize the Design Thinking checklist to help them keep track of their progress along the way through this challenge. This is also helpful if you need to extend this activity into multiple days or even during different time blocks in one day.
Keeping their plan in mind, they can build their design and make modifications when needed to have their game work. The maze is the most simple of the two challenges; all you need are straws {bonus points if they are neon}, masking tape, marbles and cardboard. With a basic sized shipping box from Amazon, you can get 12 pieces from all the flaps and sides. I had 24 students in my club so two boxes was all that I needed.
Again, for a harder challenge that will most likely take longer, they can also create a different type of game using cardboard and materials of your choice. I have a couple of videos for inspiration that they can watch and reflect on before planning.
Once students' designs are built, I would encourage students to create rules to their games as well as gain peer feedback. This is of course, depending on the time you have for your challenge.
Of course, reflection is essential for continuing a growth mindset, and students can write, draw or even record using a tool like Seesaw, how the Design Thinking Process through this STEM activity worked for them.
My STEM students always get so proud of their creations and want to take their work home. For this challenge, I let them take their work home since they created it out of consumable items. The marbles were fairly inexpensive any way and I let them keep that as well. They were soooo excited about this! I even sent home this sheet {that you can get for free!} with other resources that will be helpful and continue to spark their cardboard creativity. Using Seesaw, I often have students take a video or photo of their work so they can continue that conversation at home with their families. Seesaw is always free. However, you can get bonus features with Seesaw Plus through my link.
This is a great STEM challenge that has so many possibilities depending on the amount of time you have, the age of your students and materials you use. You can grab all of the printable and digital student sheets, here. There is also a bonus anchor chart for taking clear photos of your work as a student guide.
How do you integrate STEM and literacy in engaging ways? Let me know and send me a message on Instagram @marvelousmsm
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