Douggie’s Super Science Adventures
Stories for Teaching the Next Generation Science Standards for Fourth Graders
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This morning Douggie woke suddenly with a shake. He sat up in his bed and felt the whole room rocking and rolling. Items were falling off his shelf above his desk and he felt as if he was riding a wave and his bed was the surfboard. “This must be an earthquake,” he thought to himself. He had never experienced an earthquake before, and didn’t quite know what to expect next. As he looked around at the destruction the earthquake was causing he began to get scared. At that point the door opened and his dad rushed into his room. “Douggie,” his dad shouted. “come with me and stand in the door jam!”. Fortunately, the shake was nearly complete by the time Douggie got under the door frame. “Wow Dad, did an earthquake just trash my room, or what?” “Yes, Son, and it was a large one too. I don’t think it was too close, though.” “Why not?” asked Douggie. “Well, it would have done a whole lot more damage. I’ve experienced stronger earthquakes where I was tossed out of bed and my refrigerator ended up on its side.” “Did you get hurt?” asked Douggie. “I didn’t, but many people in my town did and several people lost their homes.” “I wonder if similar damage happened in a town close by,” Douggie stated. They went downstairs and turned on the TV to see the news regarding the quake. The reporter suggested the earthquake was at least a 5.0 magnitude and the epicenter was approximately 30 miles south of where Douggie lived. The quake had caused all kinds of destruction, and people were very upset at all the damage to their homes. The reporter said it would take several hours before they knew he extent of the damage. Reports of destruction and damage were coming in from all over their county. “Watching people talk about the damage and all the suffering the earthquake caused, makes me want to help them. What can be done to make these earthquakes less destructive? Is there anything we can do to protect ourselves from these earthquakes?”
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About the Book
Little Douggie is back but this time in fourth grade. He is still curious about everything, and his desire to find answers drives him into some amazing adventures. Douggie’s Super Science adventures is a collection of 14 short stories describing Douggie’s attempt to explore and understand the world and the laws that govern it. Each short story introduces the reader to a different scientific standard and a specific problem that Douggie wants to solve. These realistic stories will draw the reader into the mind of a young boy trying desperately to answer some amazing scientific questions. His endless energy and enthusiasm toward science will motivate readers of all ages. Readers may find that they want to try some of the investigations Douggie engages in for themselves. The stories are fun to read and make science easy to understand. Since these stories are directly aligned with the fourth grade Next Generation Science Standards, teachers can use these short stories in the classroom to introduce a new scientific concept, motivate their students, and explain scientific ideas that are typically difficult for students to understand. People love good stories, and teachers love good stories with a point. These stories offer something for everyone. Parents will enjoy reading the stories with their children and remembering what it was like to be curious.
About the Author
Michael Brumage teaches science at Monte Vista middle school where he is the department chairman. He is on the curriculum senate for his district assisting in the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards and common core. He wrote the curriculum and teaches the CSET test preparation classes in science for both elementary and secondary teachers at Ventura County Office of Education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from California Polytechnic University at Pomona and Master of Education degree from The University La Verne. He resides in Camarillo California with his wife and three children.