Resources on Curiosity

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Resources for Curiosity  Books:
Elementary:

  • Wondering by Christy Sheffield - Wondering is about a family of raccoons that make visits to the environs of a lady’s house. One little coon, named Flori, is particularly inquisitive, and by the end of the story, this little coon’s curiosity has resulted in her learning many things. The beautiful illustrations of the raccoons and the lady’s house make this a good book to read to toddlers and preschoolers, and the enriched vocabulary along with the supplement section containing sections on integration, relating to the real world, critical thinking, and writing/storytelling prompts make Wondering a good classroom book. It can be a springboard for discussions fostering the Life Principle of curiosity.
      
  • Curious George books PK-8
    pbskids.org/curiousgeorge - Games, printables, video clips http://www.curiousgeorge.com/ - Printables, online games, etc.  
    Full episodes on https://www.youtube.com/ - Search for ‘Curious George’  i.e. Curious George Counts Donuts, Cooks Cakes, & Birthday Party - 26:37 min.
      
  • Why? by Richard Torrey PK - 1
    Like any almost-six-year-old, Jack is full of questions. 
    *Why does all the good-for-you food taste bad? 
    *Why can't he have a tail? 
    *Why doesn't hair hurt when you cut it? 
    From bedtimes to ball games, Jack has a question for everything.  Why? Why? Why? Richard Torrey's funny, sweet companion to almost is a celebration of every child's favorite question.
     
  • The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino PK-4
    Tina isn't like the other cows. She believes that the “sky’s the limit” and that everything is possible. But her sisters aren't convinced—and when Tina tells them she has climbed a tree and met a dragon, they decide that her nonsense has gone too far. Off they go into the woods to find her…and soon discover a world of surprises! 
    The Cow Who Climbed a Tree Read Aloud Video 5:26 min.
     
  • The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers K-6 - (addresses death of parent)
    Once there was a girl whose life was filled with all the wonder of the world around her. Then one day something occurred that caused the girl to take her heart and put it in a safe place. However, after that it seemed that more things were empty than before. Would she know when and how to get her heart back? 
    The Heart and the Bottle Teaching Resource
    The Heart and the Bottle - 4:52 min. Read Aloud Video 
    The Heart and the Bottle - Activities and links to more resources
  • Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty PK-2 - A story about the power of curiosity in the hands of a child who is on a mission to use science to understand her world.
    Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble! 
    Ada Twist, Scientist - 5 page activity guide and downloadable activity sheets
    Ada Twist, Scientist - Illinois Reads Curriculum Plan
    Ada Twist, Scientist - Teacher Guide
    Ada Twist, Scientist - Ada's Ideas Teaching Guide
     Ada Twist, Scientist Read Aloud 6:54 min. Read Aloud video
     
  • "On a Beam of Light - Albert Einstein" - Grades 1 - 8 - Book Review, Teaching Ideas, and other book resources."On a Beam of Light" - Albert Einstein - 13:51 min. Grades 1-8 From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. 
    "On a Beam of Light - Albert Einstein" support materials - printable guide, puzzles, etc.
     
  • “Marvelous Mattie” - Emily Arnold McCully - Grades 3-5 Non-fiction - With her sketchbook labeled My Inventions and her father's toolbox, Mattie could make almost anything – toys, sleds, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers. As an adult, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. However, in court, a man claimed the invention was his, stating that she "could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities." Marvelous Mattie proved him wrong, and over the course of her life earned the title of "the Lady Edison."
     
  • Curiosity Book List - Curiosity books and other resources for elementary

 

Poetry:  
Elementary:

MS/HS:

Poetry Instructional Strategies:

Music:

Videos:

  • "Building Curiosity" 2:23 min. - What is curiosity? - Good Introduction video
  • 'Curiosity' by Richard Feynman - 2:08 min.
  • Wonder - 1:00 min Do you remember the sense of wonder you felt when you saw someone doing magic tricks as a little kid? Magician Nate Staniforth wants you to experience that wonder again by seeing things as they once were before they became ordinary.
  • Curiosity Saves the Cat Ted Talk - Tara Connor 7:57 min. 3-12th Grades
    In this talk, Tara will playfully speak to why intellectual curiosity is so important to both kids and a/www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpLUEFI23Ugdults alike. She pulls from her own experience and tells stories about being dyslexic and her fascination with learning new things. She believes that people with dyslexia have a natural ability to be more curious about the world around them and encourages others to follow suit.
  • Imagine - 1:30 min. Grades 1-12 Every good thing that has ever been achieved began with an idea——a dream that something better is actually possible. Skeptics likely doubted, friends wondered, and still the idea survived. Our society depends upon ordinary people to think the extraordinary—someone to simply ask, even in the face of criticism, why not? Could a cure for an incurable disease exist, how far is too far to travel, can children's hunger be alleviated, can everyone get a good education? John Lennon's "Imagine" provides a thoughtful and inspiring backdrop for you to Imagine... the Possibilities.
  • I BELIEVE - 1:31 min. Grades 1-12 We all have dreams of what we would like to become someday or something we would like to accomplish in our lifetime. Unfortunately, self-doubt can often take over, keeping us from realizing our dreams. The truth is, with a little hard work and belief in ourselves, anything is possible.
  • This is Your Brain on Curiosity TEDX - 14:07 min. Grades 9-12 Matthias Gruber is a cognitive neuroscientist in the Dynamic Memory Lab at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience. He is investigating why we remember some things better than others. He is especially interested in how curiosity energizes the brain and how we can harness the power of curiosity to benefit learning in daily life. Shows brain activity and gives strategies to use engage minds using curiosity.
  • The Value of Curiosity Emily Grasile TEDX Talk 12:47 min. MS/HS
  • Mars Curiosity Rover Landing Space Landing 2015 - 54.01 min. MS/HS – Shows how man’s curiosity led to building and sending this rover to Mars.

For Educators: