Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Kids love animals—especially the weird ones! Elizabeth Shreeve shares a science book for ages 7-10 that celebrates one of Earth’s most unique group of critters. The Teacher Guide comes with “The Adaptation Game,” a fun, card-based activity developed with STEM experts.

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment after the post to enter the drawing for a copy of THE ODDBALL BOOK OF ARMADILLOS, complete with card deck for “The Adaptation Game”.

“Passive to Active: Using a Game to Engage Students with Nonfiction”

by Elizabeth Shreeve

Hi Beth, thanks for having me on your blog again. I’m delighted to share my new release, THE ODDBALL BOOK OF ARMADILLOS. It’s a companion to THE UPSIDE-DOWN BOOK OF SLOTHS (2023), also from Norton Young Readers and illustrated by Isabella Grott. Both books pair and compare living species with their amazing prehistoric ancestors. And I’m especially excited to share the new Teacher Guide because—woo-hoo!—we made a game!

What’s with the Oddballs?

Let’s start with the book. Why write about armadillos? First of all, animals offer a “gateway” for science learning because kids love and identify with them—especially the weirder animals. Maybe it’s because children sometimes feel like oddballs themselves; they’re anxious about fitting in with the group. By celebrating life-forms that are less familiar, we can send a message about embracing differences and finding connections. Let’s appreciate all of Earth’s creatures! They’re surprising, they’re kooky, they’re cool!

Which brings up a second point: armadillos are distinctly unique. Often mistaken for reptiles, they are the only mammals with hard outer coverings, called carapaces. No other animals are quite like them, and for over 50 million years they’ve been ambling through the Americas outfitted in full sets of armor and oversized claws. Through time, they’ve taken many sizes and features. For example, the pink fairy armadillo—an elusive, nocturnal creature of Central Argentina—weighs only about four ounces. Yet its ancient ancestor Doedicurus grew to the size of a small car, with a massive carapace and a spiked tail club that looks fit for a dinosaur.

Armadillos also help us appreciate the natural history of the Americas, a topic with special meaning for students with roots in Mexico and Central and South America. At school visits, I show how different members of the armadillo family have migrated northward from South America and back again. Today only nine-banded armadillos inhabit the United States—and they are expanding their range. It’s a great way to introduce concepts about migration, geography, and climate change.

From Passive Reading to Active Learning

When it came to a Teacher Guide, my co-creator, STEM teacher Sierra Satterstrom, and I laid out a solid set of best practices and guided questions for the reading process. But we wanted to go further! We decided to create something that would launch students from passive reading to active decision-making through interactive play. The activity would build on a student’s newfound understanding of armadillos and introduce basic concepts of evolutionary biology.

How about a GAME?

Sounds easy, right? Well, turns out that gamification is both fascinating and tricky. After gathering input from scientists, educators, and gamers (and testing and retesting…), we came up with “The Adaptation Game.” Developed specially for THE ODDBALL BOOK OF ARMADILLOS, this fun, easy-to-use card game (2-4 players) shows how the traits of animal populations can help them to survive changes in their environments. Basic play goes like this:

• Players choose from a selection of TRAITS cards (defining body features and behaviors) to develop their own “critters.” They draw and describe the critters on pre-prepared worksheets.
• Next come several rounds of NATURAL EVENTS. Each of those cards includes “survival points” for certain adaptations. For example, the “Ice Age” card awards points to critters with bigger body sizes. Players write down scores on their worksheets.
• Players have another chance to select TRAITS, then update their drawings. After a few more round of NATURAL EVENTS, they add up scores and hope for the best outcome…survival!

After the game, the class can share results, discuss surprises, and return to the book to consider how armadillos have adapted through time. While engaged in play, student develop skills in drawing, predicting outcomes, and organizing data. They also establish the foundation for understanding how life-forms adapt and change through time.

All materials for “The Adaptation Game,” including worksheet, instructions and cards, are included in this PDF: https://elizabethshreeve.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ODDBALL-BOOK-OF-ARMADILLOS-Teacher-Guide.pdf

Pre-printed card decks are available FREE for educators through my family’s toy store with purchase of The Oddball Book of Armadillos. Click here to order: https://www.sausalitoferry.com/collections/elizabeth-shreeve-books/elizabeth-shreeve-books

I hope your students enjoy the book and the game. Visit my website and let me know!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing for Elizabeth’s latest book, including a card deck for THE ADAPTATION GAME! (US addresses, please. Winner announced 9/27/24)

And when you enjoy a book, please take a moment to support authors and illustrators by leaving a review with online booksellers.

BIO 

Elizabeth Shreeve writes children’s books that celebrate the origins and diversity of life on Earth. Other recent books include The Upside-Down Book of Sloths (Norton Young Readers, 2023, a Junior Library Guild Selection) and the award-winning Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas (Candlewick Press, 2021). Elizabeth lives in northern California with her family, including Hector the PaleoDog. Visit her at www.elizabethshreeve.com, YouTube: Elizabeth Shreeve Books, and @ShreeveBooks.