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The true story of how a scientist saved the planet from environmental disaster. Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s.

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The true story of how a scientist saved the planet from environmental disaster.

Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s. Growing up in Mexico City, Mario was a curious boy who studied hidden worlds through a microscope. As a young man in California, he discovered that CFCs, used in millions of refrigerators and spray cans, were tearing a hole in the earth's protective ozone layer. Mario knew the world had to be warned--and quickly. Today Mario is a Nobel laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His inspiring story gives hope in the fight against global warming.

Elizabeth Rusch is the author of several award-winning children's nonfiction picture books, including Volcano Rising, Electrical Wizard, and The Music of Life. Her highly acclaimed Scientists in the Field books include the Orbis Pictus Honor book The Mighty Mars Rovers, Eruption!, The Next Wave, and Impact!

When Teresa Martínez was a child, her family moved from a small town to the city. Drawing helped shy Teresa connect with the other kids at school. Now she connects with children across Mexico and around the world through the books she illustrates. www.teresa-mtz.com

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Product Details
ISBN: 9781580895811
ISBN-10: 1580895816
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Publication Date: November 5th, 2019
Pages: 40
Language: English

Recommended Reading Level
Minimum Age: 6
Maximum Age: 9
Minimum Grade Level: 1
Maximum Grade Level: 4

♦ "The sky is falling, the sky is falling"-but unlike the supporting cast of "Chicken Little," no one pays attention to Mexican-born chemist Dr. Mario Molina's call to action. Rusch's compelling narrative captures the dread and frustration felt by Molina and fellow University of California-Irvine chemist Sherwood Rowland as they race to head off the depletion of the ozone layer. Excessive amounts of chlorofluorocarbons are being released into the atmosphere from air conditioners, refrigerators, spray cans, etc. at an alarming rate. Their initial, unsuccessful efforts to convince the media and Congress about the serious chemical threat to everyone on this planet parallels Nobel Prize winner Molina's current struggle to address our current crisis of global warming. Martinez's Disney-esque illustrations, set against dark or murky-colored backgrounds, detract only slightly from the strong storyline. A succinct epilogue summarizes Molina's many accomplishments, and a chart comparing the similarities between ozone depletion and global warming is appended. Additionally, a suggested reading list and corresponding links are provided. Unfortunately, the timeline is printed across the endpapers-limiting access to the information once the protective jackets are affixed to school or library copies. A Spanish-language edition will be simultaneously released, with a translation by Carlos E. Calvo. A timely and fascinating look at what courage and focused, informed action can accomplish.
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Growing up in Mexico, Mario Molina loved exploring the world around him and performing experiments with his microscope. After attending boarding school in Switzerland and receiving his PhD, Molina began work in the United States, where he made a horrific discovery: CFCs, chemicals used in countless everyday items, were damaging the environment by destroying the ozone layer. Despite Molina and his colleague F. Sherwood Rowland's attempts to publicize this discovery, they were not taken seriously until scientists discovered a huge hole in the ozone above Antarctica. Finally, Molina and Rowland's hard work led to almost every country agreeing to stop the production of CFCs. Vibrant, imaginative illustrations convey the possibilities of science and the urgency of Molina's discoveries and depict Molina's interest from an early age. Both English and Spanish texts flow smoothly. VERDICT An excellent addition to children's nonfiction collections, and sure to be a great highlight of Hispanic Heritage Month biography collections.
- School Library Journal

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Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet (Hardcover)

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The true story of how a scientist saved the planet from environmental disaster.Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s. Growing up in Mexico City, Mario was a curious boy who studied hidden worlds through a microscope.

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Designed to inspire curiosity, this award-winning children's book helps diverse kids see themselves as scientists.

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Abby Invents Unbreakable Crayons a book by Arlyne Simon and Diana Necsulescu

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Designed to inspire curiosity, this award-winning children’s book helps diverse kids see themselves as inventors. Abby has had enough - whenever she colors, her crayons snap in two. Ugh!! Why do all crayons break?! Fueled by her frustration, Abby invents the world’s first UNBREAKABLE CRAYONS. She ev…

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This book also includes a find out more section with experiments designed to encourage further exploration and introduce record keeping.

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Build literacy and social emotional skills while exploring meaningful texts. Unlike conventional or scripted lesson plans, these strategies allow you to select and combine vocabulary, reading, and speaking and listening activities, customizing a pathway that supports your instructional goals. Each strategy is Common Core-aligned and includes a special note about English language learners and connections to anti-bias education.

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Build literacy and social emotional skills while exploring meaningful texts. Unlike conventional or scripted lesson plans, these strategies allow you to select and combine vocabulary, reading, and speaking and listening activities, customizing a pathway that supports your instructional goals. Each strategy is Common Core-aligned and includes a special note about English language learners and connections to anti-bias education.

"Many of my colleagues believe our fourth-graders are too young to hold discussions around issues of race, place, class and gender equity. Asking open-ended, higher-order, standards-based questions around these topics is much easier thanks to your work!"

Grades K-2

Foster a love of reading in early-grades students with strategies that build familiarity and confidence with texts. Each Common Core-aligned strategy includes explicit connections to anti-bias education and adaptations for English language learners.

Grades 3-12

Meet the demands of the Common Core State Standards with strategies that foster vocabulary, close reading, and speaking and listening skills. Each strategy includes explicit connections to anti-bias education and adaptations for English language learners.

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Build literacy and social emotional skills while exploring meaningful texts. Unlike conventional or scripted lesson plans, these strategies allow you to select and combine vocabulary, reading, and speaking and listening activities, customizing a pathway that supports your instructional goals. Each strategy is Common Core-aligned and includes a special note about English language learners and connections to anti-bias education.

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This web page is designed to provide STEM resources for all students–girls and boys. It is our belief that firsthand experiences in STEM will serve girls and young women well–so that the young girls of today, will be the history-makers of tomorrow.

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Women have influenced eras and changed nations. Throughout history, women have made extensive contributions in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Whether it is Sally Ride, who transformed history by being the first American woman to fly into space, or Katherine Johnson, whose historical contributions to STEM were captured in "Hidden Figures." The STEM fields should be open to all. Yet, across the US there is a lack of gender diversity in STEM fields. Although women made up 57.2 percent of all professional workers in 2015, they comprised only 46.6 percent of science professionals, 24.7 percent of computer and math professionals, and 15.1 percent of engineering and architecture professionals. The scarcity of women in STEM fields is a long-standing and persistent problem.

This web page is designed to provide STEM resources for all students-girls and boys. It is our belief that firsthand experiences in STEM will serve girls and young women well-so that the young girls of today, will be the history-makers of tomorrow.

To learn more about one of the initiatives we are involved in, which seeks to cultivate females' STEM, manufacturing, and design (STEM ² D) interests at an early age and help them continue to grow and develop in these areas, led by a network of volunteers from across Johnson & Johnson and its local operating companies, click below.

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Women have influenced eras and changed nations. Throughout history, women have made extensive contributions in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Whether it is Sally Ride, who transformed history by being the first American woman to fly into space, or Katherine Johnson, whose historical contributions to STEM were captured in "Hidden Figures."

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Anti-bias curriculum is an approach to early childhood education that sets forth values-based principles and methodology in support of respecting and embracing differences and acting against bias and unfairness.

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Anti-bias curriculum is an approach to early childhood education that sets forth values-based principles and methodology in support of respecting and embracing differences and acting against bias and unfairness. Anti-bias teaching requires critical thinking and problem solving by both children and adults. The overarching goal is creating a climate of positive self and group identity development, through which every child will achieve her or his fullest potential.

The book, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards, offers practical guidance to early childhood educators (including parents) for confronting and eliminating barriers of prejudice, misinformation, and bias about specific aspects of personal and social identity; most importantly, it includes tips for adults and children to respect each other, themselves, and all people. Below you will find recommended books for young children, teachers, and parents for each chapter as well as additional resources on anti-bias themes and topics.

Readers may also be interested in Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk, our new video series for parents, caregivers, and educators, available at SocialJusticeBooks.org.

Books

Recommended booklists that accompany the best selling NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) publication Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves.

Film

" Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in the Early Years " is available for educators to stream for free. This 48-minute film is produced with the guidance of Louise Derman-Sparks, this resource offers the four interrelated goals of anti-bias education, along with a viewer guidebook. The film shifts the focus away from the talking heads of experts and on to the voices of teachers committed to equity on a daily basis. By taking viewers into diverse early childhood classrooms, the film seeks to demonstrate the importance of teacher reflection on identity, context, and practice in anti-bias education and provides a much-needed resource for teacher education and professional development.

In addition, a 1990 companion film to the book Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves is available for free viewing on Youtube.

Articles

Article Collections
Available in English and Spanish
DC Educators for Social Justice

Teaching for Change has an initiative to help build and nurture a network of social justice educators in the D.C. metro area. Teachers in the D.C. Metro area are welcome to apply to join the Anti-Bias Early Childhood Working Group. Learn more.

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Anti-Bias Education - Teaching for Change

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Anti-bias curriculum is an approach to early childhood education that sets forth values-based principles and methodology in support of respecting and embracing differences and acting against bias and unfairness. Anti-bias teaching requires critical thinking and problem solving by both children and adults. The overarching goal is creating a climate of positive self and group identity ...

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Culturally Relevant Science Teaching Collection

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Culturally Relevant Science Teaching Collection

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A collection of materials on culturally relevant science teaching. It would be an amazing resource for those who would be teaching science in a multicultural classroom.

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If teachers are to become effective cross-cultural communicators, it is essential to understand the role that culture plays within the multi-cultural school setting.

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The Internet TESLJournal Yvonne Pratt-Johnson
prattjoy [at] stjohns.edu
St. John's University (Queens, New York, USA)

This article looks at the need for teachers to be culturally responsive and competent as schools and classrooms become increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse. It highlights five points of cultural difference with which all teachers should be aware when teaching students of diverse backgrounds.

Introduction

English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing group of students in the United States today (Spellings, 2005). Today, one out of every nine students is learning English as a second language. That's about 5.4 million children-almost the population of Arizona, or Maryland, or Tennessee (Spellings, 2005). If this trend continues, current projections indicate that by the year 2030, 40% of all school-aged children in the United States will be speakers of a first language other than English (Duffey, 2004). Teacher demands and expectations today are far greater than they have ever been. But are classroom teachers adequately prepared to teach and interact with this culturally and linguistically diverse population? In classrooms where what is communicated, practiced, and perceived greatly affect and impact students, it is imperative that teachers learn how to effectively communicate cross-culturally in such diverse contexts.

If teachers are to become effective cross-cultural communicators, it is essential to understand the role that culture plays within the multi-cultural school setting. Lustig and Koester (2003) define culture as "a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, and norms, which affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people." Similarly, Samovar and Porter (1991) explain culture as a medium that touches and alters all aspects of human life, including personality, how people express themselves (which includes displays of emotion), the way they think, how they move, and how problems are solved. Indeed, culture goes far beyond the climate, food, and clothing of a student's native country.

Culture, undoubtedly, is complex. It is multi-layered and multifaceted. Indeed, some have likened it to an iceberg of which only the top is visible while a massive part remains unobservable below the surface of the water. Others have compared culture to an onion with its many layers (Hofstede, 1991). As one layer is peeled, another layer lies beneath, waiting to be discovered. Both metaphors powerfully address the complexity of culture. In these complexities lies the challenge that teachers of ELLs face.

Cultural Competence in the Classroom

Competence in cross-cultural communication requires diving below the surface to see the rest of the iceberg, and it involves onion peeling, too: acquiring a corpus of deeper cultural information that might affect how a teacher instructs and how a student learns. While the iceberg and onion metaphors speak to the complex nature of culture, they also evoke an array of feelings. Running into an iceberg can cause an unexpected jolt, and an onion, as it is peeled, can cause the eyes to tear; likewise--to go from metaphor to analogy--the process of becoming culturally competent also comes with new challenges and experiences that might, initially at least, surprise, shock, or even offend. In the classroom, being culturally competent also involves an understanding of how cultures differ under the surface and how cultures respond differently to similar situations.

Acquiring cultural competence is a gradual process. It is achieved only after many observations, experiences, and interactions in the classroom and playground, with parents and with peers. However, the process can begin with the knowledge and understanding of six basic cultural differences that teachers are likely to encounter in the culturally diverse classroom. Familiarity with these differences will begin to aid teachers in understanding the complexity of teaching diverse groups of students.

1. Ways of Knowing

How do cultures come to acquire information? In some cultures, information is gathered through intensive research in libraries and on the Internet--for example, in the United States. These cultures appreciate evidence that can be measured and documented through such media.

On the other hand, other cultures acquire information through "non-academic" sources--for example, through elders, nature, spirits, or symbols. Some cultures do not have the same quantity and quality of experience with books or similar forms of research. These cultures may place greater value on information and knowledge acquired through oral tradition.

2. Ways of Solving Problems

Cultures have different ways of solving problems. It is surprising that given the same set of problems and circumstances, cultures can arrive at very different solutions. Cultures reason differently and arrive at solutions based on their distinctive values, philosophy and beliefs. One example is the variety of responses that members of different cultures provide to the following question:

Suppose you are on a boat with your mother, your spouse and your child. Suddenly, the boat begins to sink. You determine that you can only save one of the other passengers. Whom do you save?

According to survey results, 60% of Americans save their spouse, 40% save their children. The reasons typically offered run along these lines:

Save Spouse: "My spouse is my partner for life and I can have more children.";

Save Child: "Children represent the future, so it is vital to protect them first. Probably, my spouse would support this decision."

However, among Asian cultures, or Americans of recent Asian descent, nearly 100% of respondents state that they would save the mother. The rationale I have heard offered is this:

Save Mother: "My mother gave me life; I owe her my life. I can marry again; I can have more children, but I cannot replace my mother or otherwise repay the debt I owe her." (Texin, 2002).

3. Ways of Communicating Non-verbally

Cultures have different ways of communicating non-verbally, and it is crucial for teachers to be aware of these differences. In a class that is culturally diverse, any or all of the following might be observed in the classroom: children who will not make direct eye contact when talking to a teacher, because to do so would show lack of respect in their culture; children who smile not because they are happy but because they are embarrassed or do not understand and are afraid to ask questions; others who rarely smile, such as students from Korea: "In Korean culture, smiling signals shallowness and thoughtlessness. The Korean attitude toward smiling is expressed in the proverb, 'the man who smiles a lot is not a real man'" (Dresser, 1996).

When teachers begin to recognize that cultures have different ways of communicating non-verbally, they will understand their ELL students better and be less likely to be offended or to misinterpret non-verbal clues to emotional, cognitive, or attitudinal states.

4. Ways of Learning

Generally speaking, different cultures also learn in different ways. In the United States students often work in groups and do collaborative activities in which they learn from one another. Classrooms in such cases can be student-centered, with the teacher as facilitator. In some cultures, however, the teacher is always the center of class activities, the sole authority figure. Sometimes, students do not even dare to ask questions, as to do so would challenge the teacher's authority. There are no collaborative activities in such classrooms, and students are required to memorize pages and pages of information that they subsequently restate on written tests.

5. Ways of Dealing with Conflict

Conflict is a fact of life. It is in observing how people deal with and react to conflicts that we see clear differences between cultures. Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In the United States, conflict is not usually desirable; nonetheless, conventional wisdom in this country encourages individuals to deal directly with conflicts when they do arise. In fact, face-to-face encounters are usually suggested as the way to work through whatever problems exist.

By contrast, in many Asian countries, open conflict is experienced as embarrassing or demeaning. As a rule, these cultures hold that differences are best worked out quietly. Thus, written exchanges might be preferred over face-to-face encounters as a means of conflict resolution (Dupraw and Axner, 1997).

6. Ways of Using Symbols

In the multicultural school setting, symbols that are unique to various cultures should be correctly understood and interpreted. Otherwise, problems can arise. One case in point occurred in an elementary school in New York City. A math teacher asked her students to embellish their math portfolios by drawing pictures to accompany them. She was incensed when she saw her young student from India drawing what she thought was a swastika. Furious, she took the student's "artwork" and ripped it in half in front of the whole class! Subsequently, she learned from another teacher at the school, a Hindu, that what had looked to her like a swastika was actually a sacred symbol of wisdom that Hindus throughout the world have used for thousands of years!

Discussion

The changing demographics of classrooms in the United States make it incumbent upon us as teachers to know our students' cultures. In order to improve our cross-cultural interactions, teachers must learn not just the basic facts but even important nuances of their students' cultures (Hodgkinson, 1991). There are many challenges in achieving cross-cultural communication. However, the more teachers learn about their students of diverse backgrounds, the better they become as cross-cultural communicators and the more likely they will be to contribute to optimal student learning outcomes. Banks concurs: "If teachers are to increase learning opportunities for all students, they must be knowledgeable about the social and cultural contexts of teaching and learning" (Banks et al., 2001).

Yet cultural contexts are not easy to understand. In fact, such an understanding can often be reached only if teachers begin by practicing cross-cultural communication. The following are suggestions that teachers might find useful in increasing their competence in cross-cultural communication, thus allowing them to learn from culturally diverse members of the school community:

Build relationships with students and their parents -- Relationships built on trust go a long way. Students must feel that they belong and are accepted. Politeness, friendliness, kindness, fairness, respect and empathy are important factors in establishing a sound teacher-student relationship.

Listen empathetically -- Teachers must listen actively and carefully to their students, putting themselves in their students' places and learning to read between cultural lines. Teachers might also listen to their students' conversations with their classmates. The things they talk about and ask teachers to discuss and explain are the areas that concern them the most.

Look for cultural interpreters in school or in the community who can serve as resources in assisting teachers to add to their cultural funds of knowledge. Teachers can ask such interpreters cultural questions and share with them their cultural concerns.

Take advantage of available resources: books, articles, films, music, audio recordings, and a variety of material from the Internet that might aid teachers in learning more about their students' cultures.

Conclusion

In the United States, with so much cultural mixing, teachers no longer have a choice as to whether they want to interact with diversity or not. They must become cross-culturally competent. To become cross-culturally competent in the classroom teachers must understand important ways in which cultures differ and how this affects the ways in which their students behave. Through studying the cultural backgrounds of their students, teachers can learn to avoid some of the problems that surface each day.

Living in a global society, teachers are called upon to instruct and work with students with very different ethnicities and beliefs from those to which they have been accustomed. Therefore, it is vital that teachers continuously educate themselves, discovering all that they can about their students and their backgrounds. In the process of developing their cultural knowledge and cross-cultural communication skills, the five cross-cultural points of comparison and the techniques for expanding cultural knowledge discussed above can provide important guidelines for teachers. Ultimately, such an approach should help teachers to understand and respect diverse students and to guide these students more effectively toward academic and personal success and fulfillment.

References

Banks, J. A., Cookson, P., Gay, G., Hawley, W. D., Irvine, J. J., Nieto, S., et al. (2001). Diversity within unity: Essential principles for teaching and learning in a multicultural society. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(3), 196-202.

Dreser, Norine (1996). Multicultural matters. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Duffey, A. (2004). The bilingual classroom. Retrieved September 15, 2005, from http://www.64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:ePOSInl4cncJ:www.ecbea.org/publications/bilingual

Dupraw, M. and Axner, M. (1997)
http://www.wwcd.org/action/ampu/crosscult.html

Hofstede, G. (1991). Culture and organizations. Software of the mind. London, UK: McGraw Hill.

Lustig, M. W., and Koester, J. (2003). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Samovar, L.A., and Porter, R. E. (1991). Communication between cultures. California: Wadsworth.

Spellings, Margaret. "From Essential Elements to Effective Practice." Address at the fourth annual "Celebrate Our Rising Stars Summit" sponsored by the Department's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). Washington, D.C. 1 Dec. 2005. http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2005/12/12012005.html

Texin, T. (2002). Survey: Who Do You Save? Retrieved: November 9, 2005. http://www.i18nguy.com/adventures/whotosave.html

The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XII, No. 2, February 2006
http://iteslj.org/ http://iteslj.org/Articles/Pratt-Johnson-CrossCultural.html

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Communicating Cross-Culturally: What Teachers Should Know

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How teachers can be more culturally responsive and competent in the classroom. Not only ESL teachers, but all teachers can benefit from reading this article.

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Find and share resources and explore strategies to engage students by connecting to and honoring their cultures, experiences, and backgrounds.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Find and share resources and explore strategies to engage students by connecting to and honoring their cultures, experiences, and backgrounds.

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Understanding students' lives can help teachers foster a sense of belonging and ensure that all students feel respected and challenged.

A primer on the impact of implicit biases in schools and how they can be expressed by students and faculty.

Five ways teachers can celebrate and extend the linguistic expertise of young students who speak two or more languages.

Influenced by the pandemic and social unrest, two teachers recommend books to read this summer on topics like wrestling with loss, addressing inequity, and recharging for the school year ahead.

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Find and share resources and explore strategies to engage students by connecting to and honoring their cultures, experiences, and backgrounds.

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Science Picture Book with Diverse Characters

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Science Picture Book with Diverse Characters

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A STEM book with characters that are diverse.

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Touch It!: Materials, Matter and You a book by Adrienne Mason and Claudia Dávila

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Developed with the cooperation of a science consultant, this book in the Primary Physical Science series is a tool to teach the physical sciences to young children. Touch It follows science curricula and is loaded with surprising facts and hands-on activities designed to hold young readers’ interest…

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This Title Teaches Students That Everything Is Made Of Matter, And That Physical Changes Create Different Forms Or States Of Matter. Gives Examples Of These Different States In Easy To Understand Text And Introduces Students To The Law Of Conservation Of Mass.

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This Title Teaches Students That Everything Is Made Of Matter, And That Physical Changes Create Different Forms Or States Of Matter. Gives Examples Of These Different States In Easy To Understand Text And Introduces Students To The Law Of Conservation Of Mass.