Extending the science curriculum through children\u27s literature

Adolescents have an inherent curiosity about science. Therefore, the role of the teacher is to capitalize on this intellectual trait through developmentally appropriate activities and projects and then relate that learning to the real world. Some students, though, are being turned away from science topics when they are placed in content area textbooks and their scientific aptitude is judged by their ability to comprehend the text. The reading level of these texts may be too difficult for many of the students (Kantor, Anderson, & Armbruster, 1983). Content textbooks break concepts into formal clusters of information that do not encourage reader interest, content acquisition, or meaningful retention (Smith & Johnson, 1993). Then, the study of science becomes no more than memorization of vocabulary and isolated facts (Goodlad, 1983). The students 2 become frustrated and no longer choose to pursue the answers to questions