Companion Resources

A mathematical folktale illustrating the concept of doubling using rice as the example.

When Betsy Ward's family moves to Ohio from Connecticut in 1803, she brings along a sock-full of coins to buy sheep so that she can gather wool, spin cloth, and make clothes to keep her children warm. Based upon a true story.

A sheep shears, dyes, and spins her wool into a wonderful surprise. True to its title, this wordless story will keep readers wondering what "sheep" is up to. After taking some measurements, she realizes that she has enough wool on her body to suit her purposes. She dyes the wool red, shears it off, and, donning a sweater to warm herself, takes the wool to a poodle to be spun into yarn. The sheep then works late into the night, knitting and sewing. Obviously she is preparing something special–but what is it? The final page turn brings a satisfying resolution to the mystery. Even the very young will be able to follow the story by reading the illustrations. A fine addition for wordless-book collections.

Sheep need protection from predators. Guardian dogs are used to protect the flocks from danger. This book provides a good introduction for how these animals are used in agriculture. Students will enjoy seeing the bond that these animals share. A good text for introducing how ranchers deal with predators and protection of their animals.

Tellus, formerly known as AgResearch Magazine, is a scientific publication featuring articles written in an easy-to-understand fashion. It is recommended for secondary science and agricultural educators seeking to enhance their curriculum with the latest agricultural research. View the current issue or archives by visiting the website.

The text and illustrations follow the process of fabric-making from boll to bolt. This book is a great introduction to cotton processing.

Pumpkin Circle provides a bug's eye view and a bird's high view of seeds sprouting, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, pumpkins growing and, finally, going back to earth. Told in verse and through dramatic photography as an orange gloved-gardener plants, tends, and harvests a backyard pumpkin patch.

Follow this family as they search for the perfect pumpkin to make pumpkin pie.

Learn all about pumpkins, science, and math as "Mr Tiffin's" class figures out how many seeds are in a pumpkin.

Learn about how Gregor Mendel's fascination for genetic traits led him to to become the world's first geneticist. Mendel overcame poverty and discovered one of the fundamental aspects of genetic science. He studied inheritance of animals, plants, and people learning how they pass traits from one generation to another. This book outlines Mendel's life and his discoveries in an easy to understand format.

This 32-page book describes and illustrates the process of milk production from the care of the cows to the processing of the milk and each step in between.

This is a story of a young girl who helps her grandpa tend to his beehives so he can pass the legacy of being a beekeeper on to her. The book has soft oil paintings and simple illustrations which leave readers with a warm feeling of a shared experience between grandfather and granddaughter. However, it does not provide a great deal of information about bees.