"On the Same Day in March"

-by Marilyn Singer, illus.by Frané Lessac
HarperCollins USA Booklist-Top Ten Science Books 2000
2000 Notable Trade Book in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

Did you know that on the same day in March a polar bear rides on arctic ice AND sunlight dazzles on wiggling toes in the sand in Barbados? Wild winds called willy-willies come to call in Darwin, Australia AND rain makes a river in Kenya. Explore the world on the same day in March and learn the effects of latitude and climate on life around our globe.

Open this large format picture book and take a tour with your students of 17 locations around the world. Read aloud the poetic descriptions and share the whimsical images of life across the continents. Bold, bright pictures and a large map of the world stimulate minds and imaginations to explore the world and it's wonders.

Try This!

This book can open your students to rich discussions about the earth's journey around the sun. Before you share it aloud think about the following questions:

• What are the effects of sunlight and latitude on different locations around the globe?
• Can you discover how the author uses the scientific method to show us about weather and it's effects on our planet? (Hint, what is the "constant value," or "control " that she uses to illustrate her point?)
• What other day of the year would be an interesting day to tour the world?