Equal Shmequal!: Book Based Science and Literature Activities

Our Equal Shmequal! Book-Based Science and Literature Activities are based on the book, Equal Shmequal! by Virginia Kroll.  Each activity is aligned with the NGSS Standards and the Common Core Standards for Literature and Informational Reading.  We made these activities flexible enough so they can be either used with pencil/paper or digitally.  They are designed for use with in-class learning, remote learning or with hybrid teaching.  The activities can be used for enrichment, reteaching, an easy way to support your classroom curriculum, or when you have a sub. 

We loved the book Equal Shmequal! because it’s an engaging story about a mouse who invites a bear to play tug of war with her.  When the obvious happens, Mouse and friends combine problem-solving, math, and science skills to figure out how to create equal teams. The animals also figure out the many meanings  of “equal” using a game of tug of war and a seesaw. Your students will love interacting with Equal Shmequal! 

This set of activities is meant to complement current science instruction, not replace it. 

The focus of the activities is to strengthen students’ understanding of forces and interactions by using cause and effect, an important Cross Cutting Concept and a Common Core Literacy element for informational reading.

NGSS Topic Bundle Alignments:

• Forces and Interactions
  • DCI: PS2.A Forces and Motion
  • SEP: Developing and Using Models, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
  • CCC: Cause and Effect

Common Core English Language Arts Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1: 
  • Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2
  • Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3
  • Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.7
  • Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting) 

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1
  • Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7
  • Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

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**A digital version is also included for use with Google Classroom.**

With the digital version, you have the option to go 100% paperless.

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Features:  - List the highlights/special features of your product

Important Science Concepts:

• Balanced and unbalanced forces
• Net force
• Definitions of “equal” 
• The effect of force on motion
• Deductive reasoning
• Problem-solving skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Logic and reasoning

Important Reading Concepts

• English Language Arts Standards: Reading: Literature
  • Key Ideas and Details
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  • Craft and Structure
  • Comprehension and Collaboration

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