Science and Math through Literature

 
Teaching Activities 30-40 pages of cross-curricular material including: questions to ask before & after reading, language arts, science, math, geography, citizenship / character and much more...

** Earn free books for your class!! Help us to expand this Teaching Activities section. We are always looking for new and better activites and encourage teachers and their classes, parents and librarians to submit additional activities to go with any Sylvan Dell title.  Please email your activity submissions to our editor, . If accepted and added to our Teaching Activities, we will send you 10 free books of your choice (paperback) and a 6 month access to all of our new eBooks, each featuring seamless transition between English and Spanish text and with both English and Spanish audio. If you have Smart Boards or projection options, you will love these eBooks.

                 Titles are shown in alpabetic order. Click on book cover image to view its corresponding Teaching Activities

Join the ABC Safari looking for animals in the sky, mountains, forests, deserts and oceans – all over the globe in all kinds of habitats. Written and Illustrated by Karen Lee. Just how do animals sleep in the wild? The lyrical text and rich illustrations provide fascinating information, such as location, position, and duration of sleep of animals living in different habitats. Written by Suzanne Slade and Illustrated by Gary R. Phillips Join Maddie and Max as they learn a valuable lesson from a little lost owl. This story reminds us that we live in a world surrounded by wild animals, and those wild animals deserve our caution and respect! Maggie Magpie patiently explains how to build a nest. This clever retelling of an old English folktale teaches the importance of careful listening. Written by Doris Mueller and Illustrated by Sherry Neidigh. Forest animals squeak, tweet, slurp, yip and chomp over the sweet, plump fruit of a wild blackberry bush. But what happens when a bear arrives to take part in the feast? Written by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Lisa Downey
         
A fun-filled Southwestern spin on a famous fable flavored with repetition for preschoolers and puns for older children, this book is tasty reading for all! Written by Terri Fields and Illustrated by Sherry Rogers. This heartwarming photographic journal describes a critically ill sea turtle as she is nursed back to health at a Sea Turtle Hospital, and then, she is returned to her home in the sea! Written by Donna Rathmell German and Photographs by Barbara Bergwerf. A young boy and his grandpa push aside their Christmas preparation to rescue a beautiful cardinal during a blizzard and nurse it back to health. Written by Andrea Vlahakis, illustrated by Emanual Schongut. The summer days get a little colder; the leaves turn from green to orange and red. Critters play in the time of changing seasons and remind us that the changes of the earth affect us all—animals and humans alike! Enjoy a day in one of the most dynamic habitats on earth—the salt marsh. Fun-to-read, rhyming verse introduces readers to hourly changes in the marsh as the tide comes and goes. Written by Kevin Kurtz and illustrated by Consie Powell.
         
Modeled after The Wizard of Oz, this enchanting story describes a young giraffe who suffers from a fear of heights and his journey to overcome the doubt that holds him back. Written by David A. Ufer and Illustrated by Kristen Carlson. This clever book of baby announcement riddles will have children giggling as they use the various text and illustrated clues to guess what baby was just born. Written by Doris Fisher and Illustrated by Lisa Downey There is a commotion on the lake: he hops, he squawks, and worst of all, he can’t stand still! Will the young heron learn to stand still like his elders? Written by Donna Love and Illustrated by Christina Wald. Influenced by Native American folktales, this story teaches the phases of the moon while emphasizing how to deal with bullies. Written by Janet Ruth Heller and Illustrated by Ben Hodson. Join Delfina the dolphin as she imagines that she becomes other sea animals: a fish, a sea turtle, a pelican, an octopus, a shark, and even a manatee! Written by Loran Wlodarski and Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein.
         
This whimsical story lets children imagine what life would be like if they were a pet parrot, climbing around the house, chewing wooden spoons, and more! Written by Katherine Rawson and Illustrated by Sherry Rogers. An adaptation of “This is the House that Jack Built,” the story follows polar bears, walruses, seals, narwhals, and belugas as they chase each other in the arctic waters. Written by Laura Crawford Illustrated by Ben Hodson Baby dogs are puppies and they belong to a litter, but what is a baby skunk called and what is the name of its family group? This clever, rhythmic story tells us just that and more! Written by Valerie Giogas, Illustrated by Katherine Zezca A curious child, a shiny quartz crystal, and clever wordplay introduce young readers to the fascinating world of minerals. Written by Gail Langer Karwoski and Illustrated by Lisa Downey. This heart-warming story shares an Australian creature’s journey to find his place in the world and how he sometimes falls flat on the way there. Written by Susan K. Mitchell and Illustrated by Sherry Rogers.
         
When Little Skink loses her bright blue tail, she daydreams of other tails. Then she gets a big surprise. . .and her tail-dreaming days are over! Written by Janet Halfmann and Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein.

When a boy and his mother take their dog Miles on a peaceful canoe ride, they find themselves frantically racing to save a mother loon and her family! Written by Jean Heilprin Diehl and Illustrated by Katheryn Freeman.

 Young Moose is lucky to find a friend and guide in the wisecracking Magpie. Laugh along with these two pals, and maybe—just maybe—Moose will make a joke of his own! Nursery rhymes go nautical, from sea to shining sea, in this fanciful book of familiar children’s verse with a twist. Ideal for read-aloud, this book will bring laughter and joy…and just maybe the smell of salt water in the air! In this delightful, rhythmic sequel to One Odd Day, the young boy awakens to find that it is another strange day—now everything is even, and his mother has two heads! Written by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed and Illustrated by Karen Lee.
         
After chugging down his glass of milk that’s two-thirds gooey paste, a young boy and his friend are off to camp for a day of fraction fun and an out-of-this world soccer game. Written by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed and Illustrated by Karen Lee. Hidden in forests of kelp, tucked under a shelf of coral, and floating in dark depths, the denizens of the underwater world wait for readers to discover them. Written by Jennifer Evans Kramer and Illustrated by Gary R. Phillips. Seasons change in the ocean much as they do on land. In fanciful form, children learn about plants and animals that are joined through the mix of seasons, food webs, and habitats beneath the waves. Written by Ron Hirschi and Illustrated by Kristen Carlson.
Octavia just cannot get her colors right when she tries to shoot her purple ink cloud to protect herself! What will happen when a hungry shark shows up? Written by Donna Rathmell German and Doreen Rathmell and Illustrated by Connie McLennan.
 In this humorous, rhythmic, read-aloud story, a young boy awakens to find that everything around him is odd…and learns some valuable math lessons along the way. Written by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed and Illustrated by Karen Lee.
         
Rhythmic text takes readers through the months as one lonely wolf howling in January becomes three wolves barking in the crisp March air, six napping in the warm June weather, and a pack-wide celebration in December. Written by Scotti Cohn and Illustrated by Susan Detwiler Toe-tapping rhymes take readers on an adventure that leaps from lily pads to icebergs to the tips of trees, all following the beat of paws, claws, hands, and feet. Written by Kimberly Hutmacher and Illustrated by Sherry Rogers. This touching story of a father and child’s nighttime excursion to watch a meteor shower is told through the eyes of a child in awe of the night world. Written by Mara Rockliff and Illustrated by Salima Alikhan. Children learn about the wide variety of creatures lurking in the lush Amazon rainforest in this award-winning adaptation of “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” Written by Susan K. Mitchell and Illustrated by Connie McLennan. This sequel to the award-winning Water Beds takes readers on an around-the-world boat ride to learn how mammals sleep in or around nine major rivers of the world on all continents except Antarctica. Written by Gail Langer Karwoski and Illustrated Connie McLennan.
         
Jeffrey wants Saturn for his birthday, and he wants the moons, too—all 47 of them. His dad better hurry with the order, though, because shipping might take a while. Written by John McGranaghan and Illustrated by Wendy Edelson. It’s time for Packy the Packrat to sort through his ever-growing collection of trinkets and put them away. Told in rhyme, the text leads the reader to participate in the sorting process. Written by Barbara Mariconda and Illustrated by Sherry Rogers. Tudley, a painted turtle, adopts other animals’ behaviors—simply because he doesn’t know he can’t! All the while, he uses his special behaviors to help other animals and learn a little about himself. Written and Illustrated by John Himmelman. A companion book to Mary Alice Monroe’s Swimming Lessons, this photo journal explains the nesting cycle of sea turtles and natural life along the southeastern coast. Written by Mary Alice Monroe and Illustrated by Lisa Downey. Photos by Barbara Bergwerf. When a diamondback terrapin lays eggs in a girl’s sandbox, she becomes a “turtle-sitter.” She learns about these animals and makes an important contribution to their survival. Written by Jennifer Keats Curtis and Illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.
         
This delightful adaptation of the children’s classic, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” takes readers to the zoo, as preparations are under way for “Zoo Day.” But things aren’t going according to plan . . . Written by Catherine Ipcizade and Illustrated by Ben Hodson. This soothing bedtime story explains in simple, poetic language how ten different marine mammals—animals that live in water but breathe air—sleep in the ocean. Written by Gail Langer Karwoski and Illustrated Connie McLennan. Author Suzanne Slade takes readers along on a wild ride as she introduces mother, father, and baby zoo creatures while practicing math along the way! When tiny turtle breaks free of his shell, he’s ready to set out for his new home. But when a wrong turn takes him off tack, how will he find where that home is? Written by Susan Ring and Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein. Marcel, a young tundra swan, is tired from the first half of a winter migration, so he decides to stay up north. He soon realizes he’s not cut out for life on ice. What will he do? Illustrated by Laura Goering and Illustrated by Laura Jacques.
 

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