About
Jessica is an experienced science educator and an award-winning author of books for students and teachers. Her 20+ year teaching career spans elementary school through middle school science and math, three states, and Catholic, public, and independent schools. Additionally, she spent five years in the College of Education and Human Ecology, School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University where she directed NSF-funded projects and provided professional development for elementary and middle school teachers. She is currently the Science Department Chair and Lower School Science Specialist at the Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, OH.
Jessica is a reviewer for NSTA's elementary journal, Science and Children, and has served on several NSTA advisory boards. She presents at local, regional, and national conferences and teaches preservice elementary science and social studies methods in Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education program.
Jessica has published several books with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Press and is represented by Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Jessica and her husband live in Columbus, OH with their four dogs. She enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outside.
Featured Work
Nature's Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don't Fit In
Some rules are meant to be broken, even those in the animal kingdom!
You're probably familiar with many of the common categories scientists use for animals: warm-blooded or cold-blooded, nocturnal or diurnal. But what about the animals that don't fit in? Sharks cannot be classified as warm or cold-blooded―they are somewhere in-between. And Eurasian eagle owls don't hunt during the day or night. Instead, they swoop through the trees at dawn and dusk. Author and science educator Jessica Fries-Gaither introduces eight common categories scientists use and the animals that break those rules. Gorgeous, full-color photos will captivate budding scientists with every read!
Other Works
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Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms
2022
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Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data
2019
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Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings
2017
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Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers in Middle School: Using Nonfiction to Promote Science Literacy, Grades 6-8
2016
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Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers: Using Nonfiction to Promote Science Literacy, Grades 3-5
2012
