LibGuides: Educator Guide: Inquiry with Isopods: Inquiry with Isopods

Inquiry with Isopods

Tips to Come Prepared

Before you visit the Genovesi Environmental Study Center (GESC) with your class, review the Educator's Guide to prepare for your students.

Read the Essential Questions (p. 1) and Connections to Standards (p. 2) to decide how you want to link your curriculum with your field trip
Complete the Pre-Visit Lesson with your class activating student interest and engagement
Come to GESC ready to engage and learn with our experiential, hands-on field trip program, Inquiry with Isopods

Library Finds

Next Time You See a Pill Bug by Emily Morgan Chances are that just under a nearby rock, you'll spot a roly-poly pill bug. Encourage a child to take a close look, and introduce a fascinating creature. Gently pick it up and watch as it rolls into a ball and unrolls to take a walk. This cousin to lobsters and crabs sheds its crusty skin and will tickle your hand with its 14 (count 'em!) wiggly legs.Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena, such as pill bugs, fireflies, seashells, and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.Especially designed to be experienced with an adult--be it a parent, teacher, or friend--Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don't have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.
A Pill Bug's Life by John Himmelman Examines the life cycle of a Nature Upclose: A Pill Bug's Life
Incredible Comparisons by Russell Ash; Stephen Biesty At last, a book that gives statistics a good name! This visual delight features gatefold artworks revealing what's big, bigger, and biggest -- just what children love to discover!

Essential Questions

What is an isopod?
What are the steps of the scientific method?
What is ethology?

Our Educator Guide

Inquiry with Isopods Educator Guide

Sora eBooks

Access these free ebooks by signing in to the Sora app with your NYC DOE credentials.

Experiment with Outdoor Science by Nick Arnold; Giulia Zoavo (Illustrator) Science isn't limited to the classroom--it can be found out in the garden! This photographic book of experiments and projects covers covers chemical reactions, states of matter, microbiology, and much more--all with materials and equipment that can be found at home. The STEAM Ahead series shows readers that science isn't limited to the classroom--it can be found out in the garden, cooked up in the kitchen, and brought to life with paper and paints! Each book features clear, step-by-step instructions and has a fresh, contemporary design, with an emphasis on fun, achievable experiments to give kids hands-on experiences. The science behind each experiment is explained, giving readers the theory behind the practical activities.  Titles in the series include: STEAM Ahead: Experiment with Kitchen Science STEAM Ahead: Experiment with Outdoor Science STEAM Ahead: Experiment with Art STEAM Ahead: Experiment with Engineering
The Outdoor Scientist by Temple Grandin From New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned scientist and autism spokesperson Temple Grandin comes a book about exploring the world around us, asking questions, and making sense of what we see--with 40 fun outdoor activities that promote independent thinking, which kids can enjoy all year round! What are the aerodynamics of skipping stones or the physics of making sandcastles? Do birds use GPS to navigate their migratory routes? In this book, Dr. Temple Grandin, an inventor and world-renowned scientist, introduces readers to geologists, astrophysicists, oceanographers, and many other scientists who unlock the wonders of the natural world. She shares her childhood experiences and observations, whether on the beach, in the woods, working with horses, or gazing up at the night sky. This book explores all areas of nature and gives readers the tools to discover even more on their own.With forty projects to give readers a deeper understanding of the world around them, from the depths of space to their own backyard, this is a perfect read for budding scientists, inventors, and creators! Praise for The Outdoor Scientist: * "This terrific science book will appeal to both teachers and young readers who love to be outdoors." --School Library Connection, *STARRED REVIEW*"Grandin's words are a rallying cry for budding scientists and she serves as a role model for young readers with autism. This is an important STEM and STEAM resource for every collection." --School Library Journal "The book is chock-full of information . . . the kind a nature-loving child will be thrilled to discover. An invitation to young readers to observe, enjoy, and learn about the world around us all." --Kirkus Reviews
Exemplary Evidence by Jessica Fries-Gaither; Linda Olliver (Illustrator) If you think of science as a puzzle, you'll see that data is a key to unlocking it. Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data touches on the world's many riddles--from how we see to what's at the bottom of the ocean. It shares how scientists have solved such puzzles by collecting measurements, taking notes, and even making sketches. The book also provides mini-bios of the nine featured scientists plus four steps to using data to tease out your own answers about how the world works. Exemplary Evidence's author is Jessica Fries-Gaither, a science educator who also wrote the award-winning NSTA Kids book Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings. Once again, she mixes sprightly storytelling with energetic rhyme, and Linda Olliver's light-hearted drawings bring the ideas to life. It all helps explain how a sometimes-unappreciated part of science is as important now as it has been to scientists for centuries. As the author writes: Data supports conclusions; it can change people's minds; It is used to build theories that help humankind. Scientists all along have known this to be true: Data is powerful! Now, what will yours do?
What Do Scientists Do All Day? by Jane Wilsher; Maggie Li (Illustrator) *2021 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book  What do scientists do all day? Find out in this beautifully illustrated book that features more than 100 scientists at work. Little ones can explore 14 different colorful scenes, turning the page after each to learn about eight special scientists you will find there. Spot the scientists and learn about the jobs they do in these fascinating places: nature reserve, health center, Arctic research station, hospital, museum, our new city, mission control and on the space station, observatory, aerospace center, botanical gardens, Earth Science center, energy plant, university, and technology and computer lab. Meet the environmentalist at the nature reserve, the nurse at the hospital, the archaeologist at the museum, the navigation engineer at mission control, the astronomer at the observatory, the fungi specialist at the botanical gardens...you'll be amazed at the range of things scientists work on.
Notable Notebooks by Jessica Fries-Gaither Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings brings to life the many ways in which everyone from Galileo to Jane Goodall has used a science notebook, including to sketch their observations, imagine experiments, record data or just write down their thoughts. You also get four steps to starting your own notebook, plus mini-bios of the diverse featured scientists. Written in captivating rhyme, the text is sprinkled with lively illustrations. In fact, it looks a lot like the science notebook you'll be eager to start after reading this inspiring book.

Inquiry with Isopods

Materials for Pre-Visit Lesson

Evaluating the Experiment - The Stain Game

Materials for Post-Visit Lesson

Data Sheet for Ethogram

Interesting Isopod Facts

Isopods are Crustaceans. They are more closely related to shrimp and crayfish than any kind of insect.
Isopod blood is blue! Because they have hemocyanin in their blood (which contains copper ions), when they become oxygenated, the blood appears blue.
A juvenile pill bug (the isopod Armadillidium vulgare) molts in 2 sections. When they molt, the back half of its exoskeleton splits away and slides off. A few days later, the pill bug sheds the front section.

Educator Guide: Inquiry with Isopods: Inquiry with Isopods

Inquiry with Isopods

Tips to Come Prepared

Library Finds

Essential Questions

Our Educator Guide

Sora eBooks

Inquiry with Isopods

Materials for Pre-Visit Lesson

Materials for Post-Visit Lesson

Interesting Isopod Facts

Connections to Standards