Our second issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine contains several articles to help you include expository text in your reading instruction, support struggling readers, integrate children’s literature, and assess student misconceptions. Interested? Check out the following highlights from this month’s issue:

Expository articles for students

This month’s feature story, “Dinos in the Dark,” discusses the dinosaur fossils found at Dinosaur Cove, Australia. In the expository article, the author discusses several adaptations which might have helped the dinosaurs live in a cold, dark environment.

We offer three versions of this article: K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. At each grade level, the article is available in three formats: text-only (pdf file), a printable, foldable book (pdf file), and an electronic book with audio files (flash file) so that students can listen to the article as they read.

Finally, the article includes related activities in both literacy (using context clues) and science (dinosaurs) to help integrate this article into your teaching.

Virtual Bookshelf

Each month, we highlight children’s literature with ideas for classroom use and recommended grade levels. This article is written by a children’s librarian. This month includes books about fossils, dinosaurs, geologic time, making inferences, paleontology, and archaeology. And we always include favorite books about penguins and polar bears.

Misconceptions and Formative Assessment Probe

Our misconceptions article lists common student misconceptions about fossils and geologic time. In addition, we’ve written a formative assessment probe (pdf file) that can be used to assess student ideas. We’ve followed the model used by Page Keeley and others in the three volumes of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science (NSTA Press). We also have an interactive fossil sort (flash file) that can be used as part of the formative assessment process.

Science and Literacy Lessons

In this article, we have highlighted excellent lesson plans for teaching about fossils, fossil formation, and making inferences from fossil remains. For each lesson, we’ve provided suggestions for modifications for K-2 classrooms, ideas and lessons for integrating literacy, and created rubrics to help you assess your students’ work.

Of course, we encourage you to check out the entire issue! Feedback and comments are always appreciated!