Dr. Jeanelle Day recently presented the Luverne Elementary School library with a selection of award-winning science books related to the Alabama science standards.

The books were selected from the National Science Teacher’s Association and Children’s Book Council’s Outstanding Children’s Trade Books in Science list which is published every spring in the NSTA journal Science and Children. The selection of books was from the NSTA/CBC lists from 2008 with texts also pulled from the 2005-2007 lists.

“No Child Left Behind has brought accountability to education while placing a huge burden on teachers who are trying to do more than ever in the same amount of time,” Dr. Day said. “Math and reading have long been the focus of the testing, but science is now being tested, yet little time is left to teach it. Children spend many hours each week reading specified texts that may not be of real interest to the kids, and unless science is taught through engaging hands-on activities and with up-to-date nonfiction texts, students may have little time or inclination to study science. Without texts that students want to read, even the best reading programs will have limited success. My goal is to help Luverne Elementary School create an expansive selection of high-interest nonfiction trade books that align closely with the Alabama Course of Study in Science.”

As an associate professor of science education, Day was awarded a sabbatical leave during the Spring 2008 semester during which she purchased and studied the science content in 170 of the Outstanding Trade Books. Her work included aligning the award winners from 2004-2008 with both the Connecticut Science Framework and the Alabama Course of Study in Science. Her completed database is being published on the Council for Elementary Science International and the Connecticut Science Teacher’s Association websites.

Dr. Day is co-owner of Creative Educational Consulting, LLC in Millbrook, Ala.