Ada Twist, Scientist
Bibliography:
Beaty, A. (2016). Ada twist, scientist. Abrams Books for Young Readers.
Plot Summary:
This story starts by introducing the main character, Ada Twist, and how Ada did not speak until she turned three, she just observed and questioned. Then on her third birthday, she climbed to the top of a grandfather clock and asked her parents "why does the clock tick, and why does it tock," and this was the beginning of Ada investigating, experimenting, and asking "why" as the curious scientist she is. Ada continued asking questions and being curious about the world when she smelt a stinky smell and wondered why things smell bad and why it makes us "curl up our toes". She started investigating stinky smells and where they come from and found her dad's cabbage stew, so she investigated and experimented but moved on, ruining the stew. She then found her stinky cat and tried to get rid of the stink with perfume and a trip to the washing machine, but her parents sent her to timeout to think. When in the timeout chair, Ada thought as a scientist does, wondering and questioning why experiments make a mess and what causes stinky smells by writing on the walls her questions and thoughts. Ada's parents realized that Ada is a young scientist, so they help her ask questions and be curious, and Ada continues to wonder what causes stinky smells, investigating along the way.
Personal Connection:
I too was a curious kid growing up, I wondered how things worked, how things felt, how things counted, how we hear sounds, and "because" was never a suitable answer for me. Most of the time, I was shut down and told to stop asking so many questions and this shut me up for good, I still wondered these things, I was just too afraid to ask them because I didn't want my feelings hurt. But, although it can be annoying to have to answer so many questions, it's important to encourage kids to ask and to wonder, that is a good thing and a good sign. Especially in school, usually, if one wonders or thinks about something, what it is, how it works, it means it's interesting and they're actually hooked on, listening, and learning. Having students intrigued about everyday things and things being taught to them is a good sign because it means they're listening and open to learning! Having this book in the classroom to remind kids to keep asking questions and wondering would be good for them and their ability to wonder.
Classroom Connection:
This book could be used in a science class, maybe as an introduction to the scientific method, which requires thinking and wondering. In class, everyone could read this book and then talk about why Ada asks questions and wonders, and how we do that too on a daily basis. Then the teacher could point out that a scientist must do these things to make discoveries and experiment, and that wondering just like Ada does is an important step to the scientific method, the way scientists discover new things. The students could fill out a graphic organizer about some of the things Ada wonders and what each question leads to. Once they have had time to understand and learn the scientific method, students could even fill out the steps Ada took with her experiment, starting with her questions, hypothesis, and experiment.
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