Teaching STEM and Common Core with Mentor Texts

Book excerpt: Librarians can use this book to become leaders in their schools, collaborating with teachers to keep them abreast of resources that will facilitate the inclusion of STEM in the curriculum. Teaching STEM and Common Core with Mentor Text explains the basics of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and shows how librarians can become a key component in STEM education, guiding teachers and sparking interest though the books and technology inherent in their curriculum. The volume offers 20 mentor texts, plus in-depth, collaborative lesson plans linked to the Common Core Standards for K–5 librarians. There are additional lessons for classroom teachers, as well as activities that can easily be done in the library or classroom. Each lesson includes mentor text information, an overview of the lesson, step-by-step lesson plans, assessment options, and extension activities. By implementing these lessons in the library, librarians will be able to cover multiple Common Core State Standards and science standards, and at the same time establish the library as a resource for teaching STEM subjects.