Ask Slashdot: Science Books For Middle School Enrichment? 203
new submitter heybiff writes "It is the time of year where students are scrambling for extra credit assignments to boost grades. As a middle school science teacher, I want to accommodate them, while still keeping science involved; and book reports are a popular activity in my school. Unfortunately, I have only been able to come up with a short list of science related books that a 11-14 year old would or could read in their free time: Ender's Game, Hitchhiker's Guide. What books would you recommend as a good read for an extra credit book report, that would still involve a strong science twist or inspire a student's interest in science? The book must be in print, science related, fiction or non-fiction, and not be overtly objectionable or outright banned. I look forward to the submissions." "Outright banned" actually seems a rich vein on which to draw; note that not even Ender's Game is safe.
Re:IMHO (Score:4, Insightful)
On the contrary, reading older science fiction and writing a report through a lens of 50 years in the future can be quite useful.
Sure it is useful, and a really good choice for a literature class. But if a kid gets an "A" in chemistry, it should be because he understands chemistry, and not because he read Ender's Game. I read Ender's Game when I was a teenager. It is a good book. But I am unable to recall even a single iota of actual science in the book.
It is important to inspire kids. But they should get good grades for actually learning, and not for the process of "being inspired".