Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry, authors of the popular Picture-
Perfect Science Lessons Series, led a lively group of teachers
in exploring classroom strategies and lessons that combine
science with reading in the elementary grades. The Picture-
Perfect Science Preconference Workshop at the New Orleans NSTA
Area Conference included activities highlighting reading
strategies like making connections, questioning, visualizing,
determining importance, and synthesizing. Morgan and Ansberry
focused also on the powerful BSCS 5E lesson model, which Morgan
credited with transforming her science teaching. In the engage
phase of one lesson, workshop participants heard Morgan read
Marla Frazee’s children’s book Roller Coaster and shared their
own experiences with riding a roller coaster. During the explore
phase, they tested ways to change the speed and direction of a
rolling object by building roller coasters out of pipe
insulation. From exploring mystery objects inside small film
canisters, to configuring a loop-to-loop