Ø They Employ the Technical Language Or Vocabulary of Science (Willington & Osborne, 2001);

How can we select literature that provides accurate and powerful scientific information and that also models unique science language?

Peggy M. Johnsen October 13, 2006 1 WSTA/WORD Conference “…. Science is a particular discipline --- a specific way of thinking and knowing --- its concepts and ideas are realized in a distinctive social language or genre: learning science is also learning its linguistic registers. …  The language in these texts is careful about expressing the differences and underlying systematic relations that are critical to science (Gee, 2004);  they employ the technical language or vocabulary of science (Willington & Osborne, 2001);  they support a means for a variety of scientific entities “to be brought into existence” as rich material for scientific explanations (Ogborn et al., 1996; p. 12) [ Pappas, p. 246.]”

Pappas, C.C. (2006, April/May/June). The Information Book Genre: Its Role in Integrated Science Literacy Research and Practice. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(2), 226–250. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.41.2.4

Peggy M. Johnsen October 13, 2006 2 WSTA/WORD Conference The Generic Structure Potential of the Information Book Genre

Pappas, C.C. (2006, April/May/June). The Information Book Genre: Its Role in Integrated Science Literacy Research and Practice. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(2), 226–250. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.41.2.4

Explanations of Structures

The Topic Presentation (TP): Introduces or presents the topic of the book

Obligatory Description of Attributes (DA) Characteristic Events (CE) Category Comparison (CC) Final Summary (FS) Optional Historical Vignette (HV) Experimental Idea (EI) Afterword (A) Addendum (AD) Recapitulation (RC) Illustrative Extension (ILLEXT)

DISCRETE within Book 1. VERBS: Verbs for Mental Cognition: thinking, knowing, understanding Verbs of Affection: liking, fearing, hating Verbs of Perception: seeing, hearing

2. GENERALIZED PEOPLE: you, everyone 3. USE OF QUESTIONS; 4. MENTAL VERBS OF IMAGINATION: will lead, can travel 5. EXISTENTIAL VERBS: process of existing: forms of be, live, swim 6. INTERPSERSED within Book Occurs within DA, CE or CC: lots of RELATIONAL processes: Earthworms are fat and wiggly like my fingers and toes….. (DA) Honeybees travel to and from the hive…. (CE) A red squirrel scampers through the treetops as safely as if it were on the ground….also discussed and contrasts gray squirrels).

Description of Attributes (DA) Expresses the attributes of topics that use various relational processes: Attributes and definitions (Squirrels) Characteristic Events (CE) Density of the characteristic events or behaviors that occur… (Squirrels)

Peggy M. Johnsen October 13, 2006 3 WSTA/WORD Conference Explanations of Structures (cont.)

Category Comparison (CC) Text talks about types or categories of a larger class by discussing each in a separate chunk (different, of course, but, on the other had, however: both, all, also, use of plural nouns) Historical Vignette (HV) A short historical account, a legend, original word roots, sequential narrative like a story Experimental Idea (EI) Possible experiments or explorations that can be done: directive verbs: get, bury, uncover, look; temporal wordings: steps, after an hour; question after experiment; text provides a conclusion to be drawn from findings Final Summary (FS) Provides a summary of major ideas or concepts covered in the book or the future. (Squirrels) Afterword (A) Extra information about the topic Addendum (AD) Extra information, but quite varied but via different genres (diary, maps, topic on baseball cards?) Recapitulation (RC) Reiterates content from the book: vocabulary words next to illustration; glossary; repletion of information in the book. Illustration Extension (ILLEXT) Labels, Label series, captions and captions series, keys, narrative/non-narrative dialogue bubbles, exposition complements

Atypical or Hybrid Information Books

 Parallel: 2 parallel messages; particular animal or object (Walk with a Wolf)  Particularized information: one particular animal or object so that identity chains can be established  Personal Narrative: first person is as opposed to third-person  Inter-positional narrative-informational: one side of the page covers a particular science sequence while the other side follows a child reproducing the same process.  Episodic informational-particularized: particular people with particular animals.  Annotated: Informational-annotated story hybrid: Magic School Bus series  Poetic information coda; Poetry with “coda” at end of text with typical information language is used

Peggy M. Johnsen October 13, 2006 4 WSTA/WORD Conference Bibliography

Allen, Judy & Tudor Humphries. Are you a Dragonfly? Kingfisher. 2001. Also in Backyard Books series: Are you an Ant,… Bee, … Butterfly , … Grasshopper, … Ladybug, … Snail, … Spider? Bang, Molly. My Light. Blue Sky Press, 2004. Belle, Jennifer. Animal Stackers. Hyperion Books, 2005. Bergen, David. Life-Size Dinosaurs. Sterling Pub., 2004. Braun, Trudi. My Goose Betsy. Candlewick, Read and Wonder series, 1998. Butler, John. Pi-shu. Peachtree, 2001. Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna. Harcourt, Inc. 1993. Collard III, Sneed B. B is for Big Sky Country. Sleeping Bear Press, 2003. Collard III, Sneed B. One Night in the Coral Sea. Charlesbridge, 2005. Collard III, Sneed B. The Forest in the Clouds.. Charlesbridge, 2000. Dendy, Leslie. Tracks, Scats, and Signs. Northword, 1995 (Trees, Leaves, & Bark; Birds, Nests & Eggs; Seashells, Crabs & Sea Stars; Snakes, Salamanders & Lizards. Dowson, Nick. Tigress. Candlewick Press, 2004. Gallardo, Evelyn. Among the Orangutans, The Birute Galdikas Story. Byron Preiss Book Gibbons, Gail. The Honey Makers. Mulberry Books, 1997. Gibbons, Gail. Bats. Holiday House, 1999. also, Wolves, 1994. Gravett, Emily. Wolves. Simon & Schuster, 2005. Gallardo, Evelyn. Among the Orangutans, The Birute Galdikas Story. Byron Preiss Book Halls, Kelly Milner. Wild Dogs, Past and Present. Darby Creek, 2005. Halls, Kelly Milner. Albino Animals. Darby Creeek, 2004. Hansard, Peter. A Field Full of Horses. Candlewick Press, Read and Wonder series, 1993 Jenkins, Steve & Robin Page. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Jenkins, Steve. Actual Size. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Jenkins, Martin. The Emperor’s Egg. Candlewick, Read and Wonder series, 1999. King-Smith, Dick. I Love Guinea Pigs. Candlewick Press, Read and Wonder series. 1994. (11 plus books in this series). Lewin, Ted & Betty. Top to Bottom Down Under. HarperCollins, 2005. London, Jonathan. The Eyes of Gray Wolf. Chronicle Books, 2004. McNulty, Faith. If You Decide to Go to the Moon. Scholastic, 2005. Magloff, Lisa. Watch Me Grow: Frogs. Dorling Kindersley (DK), 2003. Markle, Sandra. Little Lost Bat. Charlesbridge, 2004 Markle, Sandra. Polar Bears. Charlesbridge, 2004. More Animal Predators: Crocodiles, Great White Sharks, Killer Whales, Lions, Wolves. Mrecroft, Richard & Alison Mackay. Zoo Album. Enchanted Lion Books, 2004. Mitchard, Jacquelyn. Baby Bat’s Lullaby. HarperCollins, 2004.

Peggy M. Johnsen October 13, 2006 5 WSTA/WORD Conference Saltz, Dr. Gail. Amazing You! Getting Smart about Your Private Parts. Dutton Children’s Books, 2005. Satoh, Akira & Kyoko Toda. Animal Faces. Kane/Miller, 1996. Sayre, April Pulley. Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant). Northwood, 2004. Sayres, Meghan Nuttall. The Shape of Betts Meadow. Millbrook Press, 2002. Schaefer, Lola M. Henry Holt, 2004. Schwartz, David M. Q is for Quark, A Science Alphabet Book. Tricycle Press, 2001. Schyffert, Bea Uusma. The Man who Went to the Far Side of the Moon. Chronicle Sidman, Joyce. Song of the Water Boatman. Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Sidman, Joyce. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow. Simon, Seymour, Smithsonian Series: The Brain, The Heart, Eyes and Ears, Stars, Space, The Universe, Singer, Marilyn. Tough Beginnings, How Baby Animals Survive. Henry Holt, 2001. Smith, Marie and Roland. B is for Beaver. Sleeping Bear Press, 2003. Books, 2003. St. George, Judith. So You Want to be an Inventor? Philomel Books, 2002. Winer, Yvonne. Birds Build Nests, Frogs Sing Songs, Spiders Spin Webs, Butterflies Fly. Charlesbridge Zimmerman, Howard. Beyond the Dinosaurs! Anteneum Books, 2001.

Peggy M. Johnsen October 13, 2006 6 WSTA/WORD Conference