Caves
By Nell Cross Beckerman
illustrated by Kalen Chock
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Caves
By Nell Cross Beckerman; illustrated by Kalen Chock
Informational Resources:
Author Information:
Nell Cross Beckerman’s Website:
https://www.nellcrossbeckerman.com/
Activities & Resources:
Caves
Learn about different types of caves and how caves are formed (3:56):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puA0YC-hSPM
What is a cave? Science for Kids (5:59):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSReIb3R0EE
More Facts and Tours from Caves Mentioned in the Book:
Take a live tour of the Glowworm Grotto, Waitomo Caves in New Zealand (16:03)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqIoswbwpUc
Let National Geographic take you on a tour of the Cueva de los Cristales in Naica, Mexico (5:43)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgUFb_l4DLE
Take a virtual field trip to South Africa and see the Rising Star Cave System (35:31)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNmJxXAcJh4
Spelunking
Nell Cross Beckerman’s Classroom Spelunking Guide:
https://www.nellcrossbeckerman.com/uploads/1/0/9/7/109704151/caves_classroom_spelunking_guide.pdf
Watch a real spelunking adventure through a cave in Perry County, Missouri, which is one of the caves in the book. (2:27):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLr-h6Dm7do
MakerSpace Activities:
Create a cave in your classroom:
https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/hands-geology-make-cave/
Create your own cave and cave art (National Museum of Natural History):
Learn about the paintings in caves and create your own cave paintings on rock.
https://plbrown.blogspot.com/2010/05/into-caves-by-4th-grade.html
How to Draw for Kids How to Draw a Cave:
https://howtodrawforkids.com/how-to-draw-a-cave/
Advanced Drawing a Cave Scene (6:55):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Z3Z5BVau0
Discussion Questions:
Based on the title and cover of the book, what are some predictions you can make about this book?
Would you dare to go into a black hole, on the side of the hill? Why or why not? What would you hope to see?
What is the real definition of a cave, given by our author Nell Cross Beckerman?
What two ingredients come together to create rock formations in the caves?
What is a stalagmite? How long does it take a stalagmite to grow?
What are the caves in Naica, Mexico known for? How were they discovered?
Why were women chosen and hired to carry out the main excavation of the Rising Star Cave in South Africa? What was the pose they were required to use to be able to get through part of the entrance of this cave?
Where is the longest underwater cave system in the United States? Do you think this would be a good place to visit and swim? Why or why not?
What is the Bracken Cave in San Antonio, Texas known for? Why do the conservationists keep people out of these caves?
Thirty million year old walls are dripping to trap snacks in New Zealand. What is this cave called? What are the tourists actually seeing and what do they look like?
Many caves take a long time to form. Which type of caves are formed quickly and what flows through them to form this type of cave?
Would YOU dare to explore a cave? Why or why not?
What made Nell Cross Beckerman write this book?
What writing strategies did she use?
What cave rules were shared for safe cave exploration?
What equipment would you need for spelunking? What is spelunking?
Share a fun fact about the Glowworm Grotto, Waitomo Caves in New Zealand.
Share something you learned about the Cueva de los Cristales in Naica, New Mexico.
Share three facts about the Rising Star Cave System in South Africa.
Book Talk Teasers:
Read the reader’s theater for Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman.
Watch the book trailer on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.
Read Alikes:
Cuslita, Michelle, Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean. In this deep-sea STEM picture book, kids will learn all the ways humans have figured out how to engage with, explore and learn from the ocean. (NoveList Plus)
Kinser, Heather Ferranti, In a Cave. Strap on your headlamp! You’re invited to journey into the Earth. It’s chilly and damp as we exit the light, but a wonder-filled underground world awaits - IN A CAVE. See stalactites, bats troglobites and work up an appetite for cave popcorn in this subterranean celebration. (NoveList Plus)
Kuskowski, Alex, Caves. Introduces caves, describing how they are formed, where they are found, and the unusual creatures that live in them, with examples of some of the world's most famous caves. (NoveList Plus)
Rustad, Martha E.H., What’s in a Cave? Students can take a peek inside this easy-to-read book to discover the plants and animals that live in a cave. (NoveList Plus)
Reviews:
School Library Journal (vol 68, issue 9, p120)
Curiosity can lead to some interesting places. Cross Beckerman shares her curiosity for caves and opens up her discoveries of what's hiding in those dark places with young readers. Big, beautiful, and colorful artwork showcases cave systems around the globe, such as the Lascaux Cave in France and its ancient drawings, the Glowworm Grotto of Waitomo Caves in New Zealand, and the massive bat colony of Bracken Cave in Texas. The book invites young readers to explore—safely—the wonder of caves , while also introducing future spelunkers to the rules and equipment of exploring. Over the book 's 40 pages, the text vacillates between carefully styled, almost lyrical prose and informative blocks of text. Such a reading is an exciting way to engage with the rhythm of the story, but also there is an opportunity to craft a particular takeaway of the book : an artful cave-reading experience or an information-focused track. VERDICT Whether for pleasure or for research, this is a wonderful book to get lost in.—Jessica Schriver
Booklist (November 1, 2022 (Vol. 119, No. 5))
Grades K-3. A compelling combination of lyrical, mysterious text and illustrated scenes featuring a spelunking family draws readers into a variety of caves around the world, from the crystal-filled Cueva de los Cristales in Mexico to the Wakulla–Leon Sinks underwater cave system in Florida to the Undara lava tubes in Australia. Once the family is at the edge of or deep inside a cave, text in a larger font—“Do you dare?” “Cannonball!” “High five!”—announces a surprise. Descriptive paragraphs provide more information about each type of cave and its special features or historical significance, such as the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand, where the only light comes from bioluminescent glowworms on the ceiling, and the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, where 1,800 fossils of a previously unknown, early relation to humans were discovered. The accompanying digitally created artwork lends a visceral experience to the reading. Similar to a real cave exploration, scant light from the entrance or headlamps seemingly casts a faint glow amid the mostly dark, textured backdrops, making this high-interest topic even more appealing.