Picture Book Science Lesson: Manfish

This is the fifth post in my new blog series, Picture Book Science Lessons.  Each post contains a favorite picture book for teaching science concepts and activity ideas to accompany the book.  This post contains affiliate links.

Manfish-- literary nonfiction about Jacques Cousteau

Topics: oceans, scientists, ecology, Earth Day

Literacy: literary nonfiction, biography

Focus: First of all, I must say the illustrations in this book are phenomenal.  We learn about Jacques Cousteau an inquisitive young boy with a lot of dreams.  We hear how Cousteau’s interest in diving developed.  Over time, he became an expert, explorer, and filmmaker.  This is an inspirational science picture book!

Title: Manfish by Jennifer Berne

Response Pages

After reading the text, write about Jacques Cousteau’s childhood and adulthood.  Then, write why he is an important person in history and how his childhood impacted him as an adult.
Manfish-- Jacques Cousteau picture book and printables

Explorer Project

Cousteau’s rallying cry, in English, was, “We must go and see for ourselves.”  Brainstorm different places students may want to explore.  I recommend mentioning Mt. Everest, the Great Barrier Reef, Antarctica, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Mariana Trench.  These places are some of the least explored in the world.  Students choose a location and research it using the internet, books, and magazines.

Brainstorm the steps students may need to take to explore these places.  In the film strip sections, students draw themselves now and in the future taking steps to exploration and what they may see on their trips!

As a separate piece, students write a report about the locations they chose.

Explorer project idea to use with the book, Manfish

 

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