More STEAM Resources In the Time of COVID-19

Here are more STEAM resources for parents, teachers, and kids during this time of isolation. 

Check out  Patricia Newman’s STEM + Literacy activities at https://www.patriciamnewman.com/teacher-guides/stem-literacy-activities/:

1. Palm Oil Audit – Is your household making orangutan-friendly choices at the grocery store? Find out with this eye-opening activity.
2. Happy Rhinos – Build a rhino-safe enclosure and connect kids to endangered species using design thinking and language arts.  
3. Ocean Clean-Up Design Challenge – Create a device that will clean up our oceans.
4. Aging Plastic Experiment – Does plastic every go away? Try this experiment to find out. 
5. A Language of Your Own - Elephants use many different sounds to communicate emotion. Challenge kids to use sounds and movements to convey emotions (fear, greeting, sadness, excitement, warning, surprise, etc.) without using words. Guess what emotion they are trying to convey.

And for more --check out Patricia Newman’s LitLinks blog series that highlights the connection between STEM and language arts using children’s books: https://www.patriciamnewman.com/blog-4/. 

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Patricia and I contribute to another great resource  - STEM Tuesday, where you'll find middle-grade STEM monthly book lists and activities for home and classroom. 

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Here's a great video from picture book author Randi Miller Sonenshine to pair with THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT:

And a STEAM activity too!

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For BACK FROM THE BRINK readers -- YOUR VOICE MATTERS: 

Be well, readers! 

STEAM Resources in the Time of COVID-19

Here is a list of resources for parents, teachers, and kids to use during (and after) this period of isolation. Let's explore the world from the comfort and safety of our own homes!

If you enjoyed reading about the recovery of wolves in BACK FROM THE BRINK: SAVING ANIMALS FROM EXTINCTION check these out:

The Wolf Conservation Center is offering FREE distance learning programs to schools across the US.  Sessions can be taught via SKYPE, Zoom, Google hangout and more!

While you are on the Wolf Conservation site - check out the 8 webcams! Here is one of my favorites. Can you howl like a wolf?

Here is a short reader's guide for BACK FROM THE BRINK.

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Here is an engineering design activity from STEAM author Kirsten Williams Larson based on her book, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS.

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Take a tour - VIRTUALLY - at these great institutions!

Smithsonian National Museum of History   My favorite spot is the Ocean Hall on the first floor. Check it out.

Here are a couple of great books to read for your journey:

Check out SCIENCE SNACKS at the Exploratorium! There are so many to choose from.
I like -- BEE HUMMER.

Read this new picture book with your activity:

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World Turtle Day!

I have always loved turtles! In fact, I even trained to be a turtle rehabilitator. Have you wondered about the difference between turtles and tortoises? Well, both are reptiles that belong to the order Tesdunes, but they fall into different classification families. A major difference, and easy way to tell them apart, is that turtles live in or near the water and tortoises live on land.

I have swam with sea turtles and walked among giant tortoises, but you don't have to go far to enjoy these special creatures. I bet that you can find some turtles out sunning themselves on a rock in your local pond. Most common of these are painted turtles. They are easy to spot since they live across North America.

If you are itching to know more about turtles, check out these books.  And for a look at sea turtles and giant tortoises read my latest BACK FROM THE BRINK!

Back From The Brink Book Birthday!

It's here! Today is BACK FROM THE BRINK's book birthday!

As my author friends know, this is a major event. We celebrate milestones in a book's creation. For me, it starts with the acceptance of a proposal from my publisher. The next milestone, for one of my nonfiction books, is the completion of the first draft, followed by a bunch of small milestones that aren't celebrated with the same fervor, but might just be marked by a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine or a walk outdoors. The final milestone is the release of the finished book out into the public -- THE BOOK BIRTHDAY!

As with all books, it takes a village to get to this day. In my case, a fabulous agent named Jennifer Laughran, who I adore, an editor who always seems to get me and what I'm trying to say, named Erica Zappy (Like I say to students during my school visits - she's the one who really helps make my book the best it can be), and countless others along the way, including copywriters and book designers, who are invaluable. (Not to mention...all of the dedicated scientists and conservationists who I wrote about in the book!)

Today is THAT special day. BACK FROM THE BRINK is now out in the world and on Saturday I'll be celebrating that birthday at Oblong Books and Music in Rhinebeck, NY with a launch celebration!

I can't wait to see this book out in the wild, in the hands of my readers. If I've succeeded, the stories I've included of these endangered species will bring them hope and inspire them to care for our planet.

Here is what the reviewers have said (And yes, if you are wondering, waiting for reviews are the hold-your-breath-moments of book creation):

"[Castaldo] offers solid, meaningful suggestions for young readers [...] including many, many learning opportunities: things to watch and read, organizations to investigate, websites and parks to explore. Challenging but important reading for the intended audience."--Kirkus, STARRED review 

 "An intimate and optimistic look at humans’ ability to protect the planet’s biodiversity."--Publishers Weekly 

 "Readers will be moved by Castaldo’s appreciation for these animals."--Booklist, STARRED review 

 "Middle school students will find this a topical, timely affirmation that nurturing the planet’s biodiversity is not a lost cause."--School Library Journal

I do hope you enjoy it. Please let me know if you do! Thanks for reading! 

Get Ready for Endangered Species Day!

Earth Day 2018 is over, but you can continue to spread the love of nature and our environment with Endangered Species Day - May 18, 2018.  Start planning now to make an impact this year. 

This is an international celebration of endangered species. It's an ideal day for teachers and community leaders to educate students about the importance of protecting the Earth's biodiversity. 

There are so many ways to engage in the celebration. Here are just a few:


*Plan a school-wide Endangered Species Day fair with exhibits.
*Arrange a special display in the school library or cafeteria.
*Invite a local expert to speak to the school/class.
*Work with a community/environmental group on a habitat restoration project.
*Attend an event at a local zoo, aquarium, botanic garden or other location.

Once a specific activity is planned, your class can register it on the Endangered Species Day website.


Read more about how we can join together to save endangered species in BACK FROM THE BRINK, releasing tomorrow from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt! 

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