Science writer Seymour Simon was born in 1931.
Event Description
Seymour Simon has written 200 books for children, on a wide range of topics such as anatomy, astronomy, geology, animal life, and weather. More than half of his titles have earned praise from the National Science Teachers Association. Simon's books have made science fun for children, through a combination of clear, easy-to-read factual information and beautiful photographic images.
Classroom Activity
Have your students select and explore a scientific topic in detail using Seymour Simon's nonfiction science books. Students then use what they learn to write original poetry on the topic.
- Begin by reading a selection of Simon's books with the class and then having each student select one. Students can also explore Simon's books independently before making their choices.
- After students have selected a book and read it, have them create a list of important ideas, details, facts, and vocabulary from the text.
- Ask students to conduct additional research into the main topic of the book they selected. Students can use the Internet, if available, or the library. Have students use their research to add to their lists.
- Finally, have students visit the Acrostic Poems tool. Have students create an original acrostic poem using the list of words and topics they created earlier. Alternately, students can use the Acrostic Poems mobile app.
Websites
Simon's official website offers information about upcoming books as well as science links and stories.
This Houghton Mifflin page features brief biographical information that is written for students. It offers a discussion activity using a Simon quotation.
This page from Reading Rockets includes film clips in which Simon talks about his books and his writing. The page includes links to biographical information and other resources.