Educator Guides and Activities

WOOD, WIRE, WINGS:
Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

By Kirsten W. Larson, illus. by Tracy Subisak

This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane. For ages 7 and up. Available from Calkins Creek wherever books are sold.

• Activity guide

• Hands-On Engineering Design Activity based on the book, led by author Kirsten W. Larson:

Can’t get the book? Watch the trailer:

SOAKED!

By Abi Cushman

Available July 14, 2020
from Viking Children’s Books

3-D Paper Guinea Pig

By Julie Rowan-Zoch, illustrator of LOUIS

You may find you’ll need to make more than one 3-D paper guinea pig. They are social creatures!

Instructions:

Color the shapes with your favorite (or fantasy!) guinea pig colors.

Cut out all the shapes (slightly away from the outer lines) and the slits for the ears and mouth.

Fold two creases along the lines on the guinea pig’s back.

Place the ears into the top slots and the pencil into its mouth.

HOW LONG IS FOREVER?

By Kelly Carey, illus. by Qing Zhuang

• Activity guide: Activities include “Name the Barn Cat,” “Three Things I Will Love Forever” worksheet, a coloring page, and more!

• Blueberry pie paper-and-paint crafts and recipes

THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK

By Kjersten Hayes, illus. by Gladys Jose

• Activity kit: Cut-out elephants for your own hide-and-seek game, a coloring page, and more!

• Virtual hide-and-seek game

• Handmade elephant ideas 

THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE:
How One Woman’s Words Made History

By Elisa Boxer, illus. by Vivien Mildenberger

Teaching Guide: Writing a persuasive letter, creating an infomercial for voting rights, mock voting, and more.

I’M GONNA PUSH THROUGH

By Jasmyn Wright, illus. by Shannon Wright

• Curriculum Guide: The full call-and-response #PushThrough mantra, discussion questions, “If They Could Do It, So Can I” worksheet, and more.

• Watch the viral video of Jasmyn’s class reciting her #PushThrough mantra that led to a worldwide movement:

Camp COVID

By Anna Crowley Redding,
author of RESCUING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Author Anna Crowley Redding is shepherding her children through distance learning and blogging about their adventures so you can follow along with your own kids. CAMP COVID includes a whole host of activities from cooking, to watching real-live STEM events, to art and anything else she can think of to make this a creative and interesting time. Come along for the ride!

How to Draw a Bicycle

Design Your Own Invent-a-Pet

By Vicky Fang, author of INVENT-A-PET

For Older Readers

Evolution of a Graphic Novel

By Larissa Marantz, illustrator of the CLYDE THE HIPPO series

Follow along with Larissa’s character design studies and the process of making a graphic novel as she creates BLAKE LASER, set to release in 2022 from HarperCollins.

• Designing characters for a graphic novel (related image below)

LAYLA AND THE BOTS
early chapter book series

By Vicky Fang
illus. by Christine Nishiyama

• Design your own amusement ride for dogs activity sheet

• Layla and the Bots: Happy Paws read aloud (below)

• Design and build a marble rollercoaster video (below)

MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM

By Rajani LaRocca

• Midsummer’s Mayhem Teaching and Discussion Guide

• Baking Event Kit based on the novel

School Visits

Teachers and librarians, we at Soaring '20s are eager to partner with you and your students! Several of our members are mentoring classrooms from coast to coast through the year-long #KidsNeedMentors program.

Missed the #KidsNeedMentors sign up? No problem! Many of us are available for school visits throughout the year. Click on the names of creators below to learn more about our programs. We've listed our home states, but many of us are willing to travel.:

• Kelly Carey (MA, elementary and middle school)

• Kjersten Hayes (WA, preschool and elementary)

• Shelley Johannes (MI, elementary school)

• Rajani LaRocca (MA, elementary and middle school)

• Kirsten Larson (CA, elementary and middle school)

• Lindsay H. Metcalf (KS, elementary and middle school)

• NoNieqa Ramos (VA, high school)

• Christina Soontornvat (TX, elementary and middle school)

• Jasmyn Wright (PA, elementary and middle school)