Sandra Markle
Encyclopedia
Sandra Markle is a US author of children's books.
She was born on November 10, 1946 in Fostoria, Ohio
, and graduated from Fostoria High School and Bowling Green State University
, Bowling Green, Ohio
. She worked as an elementary and middle school teacher until 1979 at which time she started being a full-time writer.
She has published more than 100 non-fiction books for children, primarily on science topics. Keenly interested in making even complex science topics understandable, she also became involved in television and later on-line education. She appeared as Ms. Whiz on local television in Asheville, North Carolina
and Atlanta, Georgia
. She wrote and helped developed science specials for CNN and PBS. She also produced the first on-line interactive program from Antarctica in 1996: On-line Expedition Antarctica.
She has also written fiction, creating the young adult novel, The Fledglings, and a series of poetic prose natural history stories, including A Mother's Journey, and Little Lost Bat.
Markle's books are noted for finding just the right balance of facts for her intended audience and selecting stunning, full-color photographs to bring her topic to life. For example, Rescues, (Millbrook, 2006) shares real-life stories based on interviews with survivors and rescuers. There are also sections that share the science and technology which made the rescues possible.
Her books are frequent selections in the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students lists of the National Science Teachers Association
.
Markle was chosen to journey to Antarctica in 1996 and 1998 as part of the National Science Foundation
's Artists and Writers Program. A number of books came out of her experiences in Antarctica, including A Mother's Journey (Charlesbridge, 2005).
Markle also worked on a project for the National Science Foundation called Kit & Kaboodle. Its goal was to make science more interactive in order to improve student understanding of basic curriculum concepts. It also functioned as a secure environment for students in schools across the U.S. to share working on experiments together. The results of independent testing conducted by Georgia State University
revealed that students participating in Kit & Kaboodle scored significantly higher on related skills tests than those that did not. Kit & Kaboodle has been used by thousands of schools in all fifty states plus eleven countries.
Although Markle is no longer officially a teacher, she still frequently visits classrooms. Ms. Markle says, "I love to share science with children, and I love to listen to them. That's how I find out what they'd like to investigate and explore--very often what launches me into working on my next book."
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Honor Book
Children's Book Council/International Reading Association Children's Book Choice
Texas Blue Bonnet selection
Texas Mockingbird Award
John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers
She was born on November 10, 1946 in Fostoria, Ohio
Fostoria, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,931 people, 5,565 households, and 3,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,917.6 people per square mile . There were 6,024 housing units at an average density of 829.2 per square mile...
, and graduated from Fostoria High School and Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
, Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
. She worked as an elementary and middle school teacher until 1979 at which time she started being a full-time writer.
She has published more than 100 non-fiction books for children, primarily on science topics. Keenly interested in making even complex science topics understandable, she also became involved in television and later on-line education. She appeared as Ms. Whiz on local television in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
and Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. She wrote and helped developed science specials for CNN and PBS. She also produced the first on-line interactive program from Antarctica in 1996: On-line Expedition Antarctica.
She has also written fiction, creating the young adult novel, The Fledglings, and a series of poetic prose natural history stories, including A Mother's Journey, and Little Lost Bat.
Markle's books are noted for finding just the right balance of facts for her intended audience and selecting stunning, full-color photographs to bring her topic to life. For example, Rescues, (Millbrook, 2006) shares real-life stories based on interviews with survivors and rescuers. There are also sections that share the science and technology which made the rescues possible.
Her books are frequent selections in the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students lists of the National Science Teachers Association
National Science Teachers Association
The National Science Teachers Association , founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is an association of science teachers in the United States and is the largest organization of science teachers worldwide...
.
Markle was chosen to journey to Antarctica in 1996 and 1998 as part of the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
's Artists and Writers Program. A number of books came out of her experiences in Antarctica, including A Mother's Journey (Charlesbridge, 2005).
Markle also worked on a project for the National Science Foundation called Kit & Kaboodle. Its goal was to make science more interactive in order to improve student understanding of basic curriculum concepts. It also functioned as a secure environment for students in schools across the U.S. to share working on experiments together. The results of independent testing conducted by Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
revealed that students participating in Kit & Kaboodle scored significantly higher on related skills tests than those that did not. Kit & Kaboodle has been used by thousands of schools in all fifty states plus eleven countries.
Although Markle is no longer officially a teacher, she still frequently visits classrooms. Ms. Markle says, "I love to share science with children, and I love to listen to them. That's how I find out what they'd like to investigate and explore--very often what launches me into working on my next book."
Partial list of awards
Markle has been honored by many awards for her work including:Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Honor Book
Children's Book Council/International Reading Association Children's Book Choice
Texas Blue Bonnet selection
Texas Mockingbird Award
John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers
Sources
- Interviews with NZ Children's Authors: Sandra Markle
- Ohio Center For The Book: Cleveland Public Library "Ohio Authors: Sandra Markle"
- Teaching with Children's Books: A Scientific Approach by Lisa Von Drasek from Teachi