In March 2021 I discovered Carly and Adam when an ad for their Heart of STEM Teacher Summit popped up on my social media.  Peter H. Reynolds and Susan Verde were two of the keynote speakers, so I knew I had to attend, and promptly paid the registration fee. I am certainly glad I did as it was a fantastic virtual summit and it ultimately prompted me to join the Carly & Adam STEM Teachers Club.

One of the things I love about the Carly & Adam Teacher Club is the way in which they organize their STEM Challenges. For example, they bundle challenges by month, season, holiday, and read aloud.  As a school librarian, I think it is important to tie my STEM challenges to books as it encourages my students to read books they may not have on their own. It was in their STEM Teacher Club library that I found the Sonia Sotomayor Turning Pages Read Aloud STEM Challenge.

Because my library media lessons are 45 minutes long, and 10-15 minutes are saved for book exchange, it took us three weeks to complete the challenge.  Turning Pages: My Life Story is a longer picture book biography than some others, so it takes time to read and discuss it. The picture book is written by the tenacious U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor and illustrated by the talented Lulu Delacre.

“Books are keys that unlock the wisdom of yesterday and open the door to tomorrow”

― Sonia Sotomayor

My school is very diverse, with approximately 50% of my students in the LatinX community. I think it is extremely important for my students to see themselves in books, as well as learn about people with different life experiences.  As Ohio State University professor Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop said, books serve as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors.  The STEM challenges help my students internalize what they learned in the book.

To learn more about Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, you may want to read these articles:

• Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors (WITS Chicago)
• A Video Interview with Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop (Reading Rockets)
• Multicultural Literacy: Mirrors Windows and Sliding Glass Doors (Reading is Fundamental)

My slideshow below of images will be a window into the fun my 3rd – 5th grade students had building their towers of knowledge.

Read my blog post about the Carly & Adam STEM Challenge based on “Turning Pages” by Sonia Sotomayor. Your students will love the Tower of Knowledge challenge, too!

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