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Table of ContentsSunflower Cheer (Plant Parts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1The Pumpkin Princess: A Garden Fairy Tale (Pollination) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The Apple Seed’s Wish (Growing Plants) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Dandelion (Seeds) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Recipe (Photosynthesis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Goodbye Green (Fall Leaves) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Puddle Soup (Water Cycle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Rainbow Smile (Light and Color) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Cloud Watching (Changing Weather) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Why? (Wind) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Icy Treasures (Snowflakes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Snowman Song (States of Matter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Winter Sleep (Hibernation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Penguin Chick’s Lullaby (Penguin Life Cycle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Mighty Mammals (Whales) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Rain Forest Sing-Along Song (Rain Forest Animals) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Warning! (Frogs/Food Chain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Dear Egg (Chicken Life Cycle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Ladybug Says… (Insects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Butterfly Life Cycle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Questions for a Spider (Arachnids) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Shell Shopping (Hermit Crabs/Habitats) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Sun’s Busy Day (Sources of Energy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Star-Struck (The Night Sky) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Self Portrait (Moon Phases) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Teaching With the Flip Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Science Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back CoverPage 1: © Layland Masuda/Shutterstock (flowers), © Shanin Dmitry/Shutterstock (hand); Page 2: © Antagain/istockphoto (bee), © cerealphotos/istockphoto (flower), © skodonnell/istockphoto (pumpkins), Page 3: © Evgeny Karandaev/Shutterstock (sliced apple), © joshblake/istockphoto (red apples); Page 4: © BestPhoto1/Shutterstock; Page 5: © Andrey.tiyk /Shutterstock; Page 6: © abzee/istockphoto (top), © Alekcey/Shutterstock (bottom); Page 7: © Diane Cook and Len Jenshel/Getty Images; Page 8: © Art Wolfe/Getty Images; Page 9: © Bryngelzon/istockphoto; Page 10: © ImpaKPro/istockphoto (small kites); © ElementalImaging/istockphoto (rainbow kites), Seti/istockphoto (purple kite); Page 11: © MandarineTree/istockphoto (tree); © brainmaster/istockphoto (snowflakes); Page 12: © Liliboas/istockphoto; Page 13: © Bob Elsdale/Getty Images; Page 14: © Frank Krahmer /Getty Images; Page 15: © Alexander Safonov/Getty Images; Page 16: © hidesy/istockphoto (blue butterfly), © GlobalP/istockphoto (frog) © kurga/istockphoto (yellow butterfly), © VMJones/istockphoto (grasshopper), © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures (toucan), © Claus Meyer/Minden Pictures (sloth), © Anup Shah/Minden Pictures (monkey); Page 17: © craftvision/istockphoto; Page 18: © DebbiSmirnoff/istockphoto; Page 19: © aydinmutlu/istockphoto (flower), © Ale-ks/istockphoto (ladybug); Page 20: © Beth Van Trees/Shutterstock; Page 21: © 2happy/istockphoto (brown spider), © efilippou/istockphoto (green spider), © Henrik_L/istockphoto (yellow spider); Page 22: © ericsphotography/istockphoto (top shell), © Creativeye99/istockphoto (middle shell), © aguirre_mar/istockphoto (bottom shell), © busypix/istockphoto (crab); Page 23: © IakovKalinin/istockphoto; Page 24: © AISPIX/Big Stock Photo (boy), © Mediabakery (stars), Page 25: © Stocktrek Images/Corbis (moon), © cruphoto/istockphoto (phases).

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1

Plant Parts

Sunflower CheerReady team? Let’s go!Work together.Grow, team, grow!Roots, dig deep.Soak up showers.Stem, hold up ourLeaves and flowers.Leaves, make foodThat each part needs.Flowers, bloom andMake new seeds.Nice work, team!Our hard work’s showing.Little by little…WE’RE GROWING!

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Pollination

The Pumpkin Princess:A Garden Fairy TaleOnce upon a pumpkin vine,There grew a flower, fair and fine.One day, a sprite danced by and brushedHer petals with a golden dust.And magically, that flower fineBecame a pumpkin on that vine.

Now perhaps that fairy was a beeAnd pollen dust fell from its knee—Then pollination, not some spell’s power,Grew a fruit from that fair flower.Still… her beauty had no match—She was the princess of the pumpkin patch!

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W hy pair science and poetry? They have more in common than you might

think. Both pursuits spring from a sense of wonder about the mysteries

within and around us. The curving colors of a rainbow, the dazzling

pattern of a snowflake, the flickering light of stars—these and other marvels of the

natural world have inspired countless poems and scientific investigations alike. Albert

Einstein himself noted the link between these seemingly contrary fields, remarking,

“The most beautiful thing one can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all

true art and science.”

Young children, of course, share this crackling fascination with the world. Everything

around them kindles curiosity: a bug crawling along a finger, a dandelion puff

exploding into feathery wisps with one breath, a recently-splashed-in puddle

disappearing on a sunny afternoon. Take a walk with a child, and you’re sure to come

back with pockets full of leaves, pebbles, feathers, acorns, and other treasures.

The poems in this flip chart are intended to help you capitalize on these natural

inclinations and shared affinities. The high-interest subjects of the poems—bugs,

puddles, pumpkins, snowflakes, and more—are sure to capture students’ interest.

Likewise, the poems’ musical rhythms and playful language and the big, beautiful

accompanying photos are sure to catch their ears and eyes. And because teachers

need to make the most of every instructional minute, this flip chart will help develop

reading skills as students explore key science concepts such as what a plant needs

to grow (“The Apple Seed’s Wish,” page 3), how temperature affects the state of a

substance (“Puddle Soup,” page 7; “Snowman Song,” page 12), and why animals

hibernate in winter (“Winter Sleep,” page 13).

This flip chart is designed to fit in with and enhance your curriculum in multiple ways.

Use the poems with science units, thematic studies, and seasonal explorations. While

the poems are organized thematically, you can dive in and use them as your needs

dictate. For example, you might want to use several poems for a unit on plants and

seeds or just choose “The Pumpkin Princess” (page 2) to launch a seasonal study of

this fall fruit. Similarly, you might incorporate a number of the poems into a unit on

weather or just use the poem “Why?” (page 10) to celebrate the arrival of the blustery

month of March.

Ideas for making the most of this resource to teach reading and science are included

below in “Using the Flip Chart.” In “Science Background Information” on the inside

back cover, you’ll find information about the key science concept at the heart of each

poem to deepen students’ understanding. We hope that the poems, photos, and

activities in this resource will not only help you build students’ knowledge and

skills, but also plant seeds of wonder that will grow into a lifelong love of language

and science.

Using the Flip Chart √The chart is designed to be flexible and to work in many learning contexts. The

large print and oversize photos make it ideal for circle time and group reading.

Or you may want to leave the chart in the reading corner, science area, or other

learning center. It’s sturdy enough for children to use individually or in small

groups. To display the chart, simply prop it on an easel, a nearby ledge, or

even a chair.

√For group reading, introduce the poem by inviting children to read the title and

examine the photo or photos. What do they think the poem is going to be about?

Ask questions to draw upon students’ prior knowledge of the science topic and to

build background information.

√Read the poem through once in its entirety, without pausing, so children can hear

and enjoy the rhythm of the language.

√When you’re done reading, encourage children to share their reactions to the

poem. Allow plenty of time for students to talk about their own connections and

associations with the topic—either from direct experiences and observations or

from books they have read.

√Take time to introduce any unfamiliar vocabulary. You may want to create a

special word bank for science vocabulary that you can add to as you explore the

topic further.

√Read the poem several times with children, tracking the print with a pointer. The

poems lend themselves to many reading approaches. Read the poem chorally.

Or try an echo technique, in which you read one line and children echo you by

reading the same line again. Do a reading round-robin style, with each child

reading a line as you move around the circle. The poems “Snowman Song”

(page 12) and “Penguin Chick’s Lullaby” (page 14) can be sung to familiar tunes

(“Rain, Rain Go Away” and “Rock-a-Bye Baby,” respectively). “Cloud Watching”

(page 9) is a poem for two voices. Divide children into two groups, with one

group reading the words on the left side of the page and the other reading the

words on the right.

√Use the poem to focus on a specific phonological or grammatical skill you are

teaching. For example, “Sun’s Busy Day” (page 23) lends itself to a study of the

short u sound and the -un word family. The poem “Star-Struck” (page 24) can

be used to target the st blend, short and long a, and the digraph ar. “Rain Forest

Sing-Along Song” (page 16) is just right for focusing on the sound /z/. The poem

“Why?” (page 10) works well for a lesson on action words, and the poem “Cloud

Watching” (page 9) for one on describing words. You’ll find many other ideas

as you flip through the poems. Sticky notes are an easy way to cover a word or

part of a word in a poem. As you are reading, pause at the sticky note and invite

children to supply the missing word or letters. Or ask children to provide an

appropriate substitute (such as a rhyming word, action word, or describing word)

and write it on the sticky note.

√Begin a discussion to identify, clarify, and expand upon the key science concept

in the poem. Each poem focuses on a primary grade science principle, such as

plants use the sun’s energy to make food (“Recipe,” page 5); seeds disperse in

a variety or ways, including by wind, water, and animals (“Dandelion,” page 4);

water is evaporated by the sun’s heat (“Puddle Soup,” page 7); and animals go

through different growth stages during their life span (“Penguin Chick’s Lullaby”

page 14; “From Caterpillar to Butterfly,” page 20). Ask students what they think

the main idea of the poem is. Provide additional information as necessary to

support their understanding.

√Invite students to examine the photos more closely. Encourage them to look for

details they may not have noticed earlier. Use the photos to reinforce the concept

in the poem, for example children can count the ladybug’s legs and main body

parts in “Ladybug Says…” (page 19), name each plant part in “Sunflower Cheer”

(page 1), and identify the unique body characteristics of a frog as described in

“Warning!” (page 17).

√Record any questions that the poem or photographs spark for further

investigation. You may want to begin a KWL chart to organize what students

Know about a topic as well as what they Want to know. (You can fill in the last

section identifying what students Learn as they find out more about the topic.)

√Follow up your reading with a hands-on science activity to explore the concept

further and to deepen children’s understanding.

(To download a free copy of the National Science Education Standards, as well as

other publications that support science education, visit the website of the National

Academies Press at www.nap.edu.)

Teaching With the Flip Chart

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Science Background Information

Sunflower Cheer (Plant Parts) A plant’s different parts have different functions. Roots anchor the plant to the ground and soak up water and minerals from the soil. The stem supports the leaves and flowers and transports water and food to all parts of the plant. Leaves make food for the entire plant through the process of photosynthesis. Flowers contain a plant’s reproductive structures and produce seeds to generate new plants.

The Pumpkin Princess (Pollination) Reproduction is part of a plant’s life cycle. Many plants reproduce when the male pollen cells of one plant unite with the female egg cells of another plant. This cross-pollination is dependent upon bees and other nectar-feeding insects to transfer pollen grains from flower to flower. The fertilized flower produces seeds and a fleshy fruit—such as the pumpkin—to contain and protect them, as well as aid in seed dispersal.

The Apple Seed’s Wish (Growing Plants) If you cut an apple crosswise, you can see the star shape formed by its five seed pockets, each of which contains one or two apples seeds. Seeds have three main parts: a hard covering (seed coat) that protects a tiny young plant (embryo) and a food source (cotyledons) that will nourish the embryo during germination. This built-in food supply means seeds don’t need light to sprout, just water and air. Once this food is used up, the seedling will need light as well as water and air to manufacture food. It will also need soil to provide additional nutrients.

Dandelion (Seeds) A plant’s seeds need to travel away from the parent plant to find a location with enough soil, water, and sunlight to grow. Many seeds, including dandelion seeds, are dispersed by the wind. Some seeds are carried by animals. They may stick to an animal’s fur or be dispersed in droppings. Some seeds float and are carried away by water. And still others are dispersed when a fruit’s own internal mechanism causes it to burst and scatter seeds.

Recipe (Photosynthesis) Through the process of photosynthesis, leaves use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil into sugars, which the plant needs to live and grow.

Goodbye Green (Fall Leaves) Chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color, is the chemical that captures the sun’s energy to use in photosynthesis. In autumn, the chlorophyll begins to fade away, revealing yellow and gold colors that were hidden by the green color. If sugar is left in the dying leaf, it turns purple or red. Leaves fall away so the tree can conserve energy during winter months when there is not enough sunlight and water to make food.

Puddle Soup (Water Cycle) The sun’s heat causes liquid water to evaporate—to turn into an invisible gas. Water also evaporates from oceans and other bodies of water, rising high into the air where it cools, or condenses, onto specks of dust and other particles to form clouds. Eventually, the tiny water droplets suspended in clouds grow bigger and heavier and precipitate, or fall as rain. This process, known as the water cycle, continually repeats itself.

Rainbow Smile (Light and Color) A rainbow forms when the sun shines through water droplets. White light, including sunlight, is actually a blend of all the colors of the spectrum. The raindrops bend, or refract, the rays of sunlight and split them into separate colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. (Many scientists consider indigo to be a blend of blue and violet and do not include it in the spectrum.)

Cloud Watching (Changing Weather) Clouds are collections of billions of water droplets or ice crystals that are so tiny and light, they float in the air. The different heights, shapes, sizes, and densities of clouds are caused by changing weather conditions.

Why (Wind) Air heated by the sun is lighter than cold air. When this lighter air rises, cold air moves in to replace it. This moving air is called wind.

Icy Treasures (Snowflakes) A snowflake begins when water vapor condenses directly into ice around a speck of dust or other particle. As an ice crystal is tossed around by wind currents inside a cloud, additional water molecules adhere to it and its pattern emerges. All snowflakes are hexagonal. However, since no two ice crystals follow precisely the same path through the clouds, no two are exactly the same.

Snowman Song (States of Matter) There are three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Solids have a definite shape and size. Liquids have no definite shape. They take the shape of their container. They do have a definite size (volume). Gases do not have a definite shape or size. They expand to fill their container. Changes in temperature can change a substance from one state into another. Ice—the solid form of water—will turn into a liquid above 32° F (0° C), its melting point.

Winter Sleep (Hibernation) Some animals conserve energy during winter months by hibernating. They put on a layer of fat by eating extra food in the fall, then hide away in a nest, cave, burrow, or other sheltered spot when the temperature drops and food is scarce. During hibernation, body processes nearly stop. For example, the heart of a hibernating dormouse beats just once every few minutes and its body temperature is barely higher than its surroundings.

Penguin Chick’s Lullaby (Penguin Life Cycle) Emperor penguins, the largest penguin species, breed during the harsh Antarctic winter. To keep their chicks from freezing to death, emperor parents take turns carrying them on their feet, tucked under thick folds of densely feathered skin called a brood patch. Parents carry chicks until they are about a month old and continue to feed chicks until they are about six months old.

Mighty Mammals (Whales) Whales may resemble fish, but they are mammals. Although they don’t have fur (just a few bristly hairs), they are warm-blooded, breathe through lungs, and nurse their young like all mammals. Scientists are not sure why whales breach, or leap out of the water. It may be a way to communicate, stun prey, or even just play.

Rain Forest Sing-Along Song (Rain Forest Animals) The leafy canopy of a rain forest teems with life—and sound! In fact, scientists often note that it’s easier to hear animals than to see them, since most are concealed by dense foliage. Among the noisiest creatures are hundreds of species of insects, frogs, and birds that communicate day and night in a cacophony of screeches, squawks, warbles, croaks, clicks, whistles, and other sounds.

Warning! (Frogs/Food Chain) Frogs are ambush predators—they sit, watch, and wait for prey to come near rather than actively hunting. Frogs’ tongues are wide, mucus-covered pads attached at the front of the mouth and folded back toward the throat. This allows frogs to quickly unfold their long, sticky tongues and pull insects and other prey into their wide mouths.

Dear Egg (Chicken Life Cycle) Eggs provide the developing animal (embryo) with food (yolk) and a cushion to protect it (albumen, or egg white). Tiny holes cover the shell and allow air to enter. A chicken embryo takes 21 days to develop before it hatches.

Ladybug Says . . . (Insects) People sometimes use the terms “bug” and “insect” interchangeably, but all true insects have six legs and three main body parts: the head, which holds the mouthparts, eyes, and usually a pair of antennae; the thorax, or middle section, which holds the legs and often one or two pair of wings; and the abdomen, or hind section, which holds the digestive system. Insects do not have bones. Instead, they have a hard outer covering called an exoskeleton.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Butterfly Life Cycle) There are four distinct stages in a butterfly’s life cycle: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and butterfly (adult). Caterpillars are voracious eaters, who grow and molt (shed their outer cuticles) several times before forming the hard chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, chemical changes transform the caterpillar’s body so that it emerges as the adult butterfly, whose primary function is to reproduce. The series of changes butterflies and other insects go through from their larval to adult form is called metamorphosis.

Questions for a Spider (Arachnids) Spiders are not insects, but arachnids. They have eight legs and two main body parts: the cephalothorax (combined head and thorax) and abdomen. Like insects, spiders have a hard exoskeleton instead of bones, but they do not have antennae or wings. Most spiders have eight eyes, but some have fewer. Spiders do indeed have blue blood. However, they are solitary creatures, so they don’t “have a spider friend.” All spiders produce silk, but only some spin webs.

Shell Shopping (Hermit Crabs/Habitats) Unlike other crustaceans, hermit crabs do not have a shell-like exoskeleton covering their body. Instead, a hermit crab will look for an abandoned sea snail or whelk shell, then push its soft, coiled abdomen inside. Hermit crabs need to find larger shells as their bodies grow. They are known for being quite choosey about their shells and will fight other hermit crabs over occupancy.

Sun’s Busy Day (Sources of Energy) The sun—the center of our solar system—is a sphere of glowing gases and Earth’s nearest star. All life on Earth depends on the sun’s light and heat. The sun is responsible for day and night and the seasons. It powers the water cycle, shapes weather and climate, and as a result influences clothing, agriculture, and other crucial aspects of our lives.

Star-Struck (The Night Sky) On a clear night, only a few thousand stars are visible in the sky, but there are billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy, which is just one of billions of star-filled galaxies. Many stars are similar to the sun, which is a star of average size, age, and brightness. However, these sun-sized stars appear as tiny points of light in the night sky because they are located deep in space, many light years away from Earth.

Self Portrait (Moon Phases) The moon doesn’t make its own light, rather it acts like a mirror and reflects the sun’s light. Like Earth, only half of the moon is lit at any one time. In the 29 ½ days it takes the moon to orbit Earth, we see different portions of its sunlit side, or phases.

Below you’ll find background information about key science concepts highlighted in the poems. The concepts all connect with the National Science Education Standards developed by the National Academy of Sciences to promote science literacy.

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