Dr. Daniel Barth's Maurice on the Moon Assists Schools
By: Christina Mancuso May. 31, 2013
Educator Dr. Daniel Barth is the author of Maurice on the Moon, the first book of an ongoing educational science fiction adventure series for teens. The paperback version of the book has been renewed and improved upon because of the recent rise in interest for books that fit into the Common Core Standards, which is an educational system based on active and performance-based learning as well as an interdisciplinary approach to teaching. Dr. Barth has been endorsing this style of teaching for over 25 years, culminating into The Maurice Series. The most notable update to the book is the addition of a 200+ word glossary, which has been something that many educators have been asking for.
Maurice on the Moon exemplifies a Common Core resource, in that it merges different subject areas into one, unified learning experience. Specifically, the book is clearly written so that 5th-9th graders can improve their reading capacities. In addition, the book incorporates a lot of space science facts. So, a traditional discussion about the book's setting can quite naturally become a discussion about space science too.
There are several updates to book but the major addition is a glossary, which makes it much more accessible as a Common Core resource.
Paul Kondo, Funderstanding Partner, talks about the addition of a glossary to the paperback version:
"Schools generally don't use kindle books because it's costly to provide ereaders to each student. That's why we decided to create this new edition with a 200+ word glossary, which makes the book even more appropriate for a classroom setting. This has been something that people have been asking for. Teachers who are interested in Common Core Standards have already successfully incorporated Maurice on the Moon in their lesson plans and we hope that this new edition will make it even more useful for all educators."
Eric Cohen, President of Funderstanding, explains why he is excited about the paperback version:
"To be able to connect with educators and provide them with resources to improve education is something we are passionate about. That has been our mission from day one. Creating a paperback version of Dr. Barth's book means that we can connect with even more educators and continue to fulfill our duty to assist them and inspire learners around the world."
Dr. Barth has successfully used The Maurice Series within the structure of a science lesson. As a guest teacher at South East High School, Dr. Barth utilized this interdisciplinary approach to teaching with a ninth grade reading intervention class. Mrs. Cathy Seabourne, the regular teacher for the class, spoke highly of Dr. Barth's visit to her classroom and her students' receptiveness to his lesson:
"My students aren't shy. If they hadn't liked your [Daniel Barth's] book, or they thought the science lesson wasn't worthwhile, you would have heard about it! The fact that they were engaged for the entire time without misbehavior or disruption says a great deal!" She even had students come into class asking, 'Are we reading Maurice on the Moon today?'"
The paperback version of Maurice on the Moon comes at a dynamic time as many schools are adopting Common Core Standards within their curricula. To stay up to date on more news regarding Dr. Daniel Barth, his books, teachers' testimonies using the book, and other matters related to education, follow Funderstanding on Twitter and Facebook.
For more about the winner of Amgen Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, Dr. Daniel Barth, visit his website: http://www.MauriceontheMoon.com
About Funderstanding:
Funderstanding is a resource for teachers, parents, and students to stay up to date on education-related issues. The company focuses on innovative and progressive approaches to inspire learning in classrooms as well as homes. Funderstanding is also an ebook publishing partner company, focused on education-related content, which provides complete epublishing services as well as an expertise in ebook marketing and author branding.
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