[January 14, 2013]

Entertain Young Readers While Teaching Standard Units of Measurement

In this funny story, How Tall Was Milton , it takes a village to figure out the height of Milton the friendly giant. Written as a fairy tale in the classical tradition with a kingdom and a giant, the townspeople attempt to gauge how tall Milton is by first using the baker's hands, then the shoemaker's feet, and then a carpenter's stick to win the king's prize of a pot of gold. Quickly seeing the inconsistency in the size of any hand or foot as a unit of measurement, young readers learn along with the characters that a unit of measurement must be standard to determine precisely how tall Milton is.

The content in this book correlates to national science standards and was vetted by science experts for correctness. Included is a Parent/Teacher Handbook section that can be used to guide discussion.

How Tall Was Milton , intended for kindergarten through third-grade children, s just one of the recently released NSTA Kids books designed to supplement and extend science programs while encouraging youngsters to become avid readers.

About the Author

Lawrence Lowery taught in the Oakland, California, public schools before becoming a professor of science education at the University of California, Berkeley. He has more than 40 years' experience creating science activities and programs, developing curricula, and writing articles and books, including NSTA Press's recent publication The Everyday Science Sourcebook, Revised 2nd Edition.

You can browse sample pages of this new book for free at the NSTA Science Store website at www.nsta.org/store.

For additional information or to purchase How Tall Was Milton and other books from NSTA Press, visit the NSTA Science Store at www.nsta.org/store. To order by phone, call 800-277-5300 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET weekdays. The 40-page book is priced at $10.95 and discount-priced for NSTA members at $8.76. (Stock # PB330X2, ISBN #978-1-936959-43-3)

The Arlington, Va.-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 50,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.

NSTA Press produces 20-25 new books each year. Focused on the preK-college market and specifically aimed at teachers of science, NSTA Press titles offer a unique blend of accurate scientific content and sound teaching strategies.

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