I found it difficult to find books that were suit for the 3-6 grade level when dealing with speed and velocity. A lot of the books that I found were a little too complicated for the average elementary school age mind to comprehend. Here are the books I found that would integrate into my four-week unit. All of these books will be out during the students’ free reading time for them to look through.
Burgan, Michael. The World’s Wildest Roller Coasters (Built for Speed).
This is a book about roller coasters from all over the world. It has actual photographs in it. The majority of the roller coasters that it deals with are the fastest ones in the world.
Rutland, Chapman. Book of Speed. Published by EDCP (1978).
In this book children will find information about how we measure speed. They will determine what has speed from the least amount to the greatest amount. There is a wide variety of information concerning speed.
Challoner, Jack. Fast and Slow. Published by Raintree Publishers (1996).
Fast and Slow is about tings in the environment that move fast and slow, it compares on thing to the next. In it the reader will find color pictures, and the speed of objects anywhere from a turtle to a speedboat.
Friedhoffer, Robert & Eisenberg, Linda. Toying Around with Science: The Physics
Behind Toys and Gags. Published by Scholastic Library Publishing (1995).
The author uses toys in attempt to illustrat various “laws of physics – those governing pressure, magnetism, friction, inertia, linear and angular momentum, gyroscopic motion, sound and vibration, levers and mechanical advantage, and kinetic and potential energy. Children learn to look for science when playing with toys. This book also has color photographs.
Cefrey, Holly. High Speed Trains. Published by Scholastic Library Publishing (2001)
Children will be able to look through this book and see how speed aids the human species in tranporting products and people to great distances at high speeds. This book contains the latest information on the tecnecological advances of high speed trains.
Patten, John M. Numbers and Speed. Published by Rourke Publishing, LLC (1996).
Children will be able to learn how to calculate speed as they read through this book. It describessome of the ways we measure how fast animals, people vehicles,light and other things move.
Zubrowsky, Bernard & Doty, Roy. Raceways: Have Fun with Balls and Tracks.
Published by Morrow, William & Co. (1985).
Children can use this book to apply their knowledge of physics to experiments. The activities found in the book present a selection of games to be played or made with balls and tracks. Illustrates some scientific principles such as gravity momentum, and kinetic energy.
Wellst, Robert E. What’s Faster than a Speeding Cheetah? Published by Albert Whitman
(1997)
This book is about the speed that
animals that animals travel. In this book a child will discover that if you want
to win a race never race a cheetah – no animal on Earth can run faster! They
will also learn that a peregrine falcon can swoop faster than a cheetah can run,
but that even cmpare to an airplane, a rocket, or the speed of light. It has all
animated full color illustrations. The context is very appropriate for older
grade levels (4-5), but pictures can tell the story to younger grade levels. 