This essay is a part of a series exploring teachers in fiction that have stuck around for one reason or another to influence motivations and aspirations of teaching and learning.
A compilation of some of The Magic School Bus books written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degan.
Why the Magic School Bus continues to ride strong today
"eccentric"; "odd-but-good"; "diverse interests, complete fearlessness, and unflagging cheer"; " unafraid to be enthusiastic"; "never the hero"Read more
A mom of a six-year old daughter vows to be inspired by Ms. Frizzle to tackle remote learning during the COVID19 pandemic. Read more
Bruce Degan's illustration of Ms. Frizzle as the Statue of Liberty for the March for Science, 2017
Author critiques MSB for its superficial focus on multiculturalism with whiteness as the dominant frame. Even though the visual representations of MSB characters in the Netflix reboot have changed, the cultural stereotypes have stagnated since the 1980s. Read more
A science communicator remains inspired by Ms. Frizzle's motto of "take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!". Read more
Non-profit organization Learning Undefeated brings an "explorer lab bus", a mobile STEM lab to rural and low-income schools for immersive STEM experiences. Read more
Ms. Frizzle lives on...
"Ms. Frizzle", a middle school science teacher, documents her experiences teaching, learning, and being all together human. This blog has been studied for its potential for teacher identity and professional development.
Zapata and Maloch discuss best practices for reading informational texts, working with a third-grade teacher who wants to be like Ms. Frizzle. Read more
why The Magic School Bus inspires pedagogical innovations
How teachers can use hybrid texts (factual + narrative, in this case) for science learning, including activity suggestionsRead more
Authors discuss the interplay of different genres in the children's book The Magic School Bus: At the Waterworks (1996) with Ms. Frizzle as their science teacher. Read more
Writer of the trailblazing children's science books The Magic School Bus and creator of the iconic science teacher Ms. Frizzle Read more