Nature Books For Kids

Words have power. They instruct and entertain. They guide and inspire. They shape our understanding of the world. Words reflect society’s values.

So I really took notice when I learned that nature words are disappearing from our culture. That’s what researchers at Greater Good Science Center discovered after reviewing millions of fiction books, thousands of songs, and hundreds of thousands of movies from 1901 to 2000.

The good news is that Dawn books are countering this trend.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Dawn Publications would like to give a big THANK YOU to all teachers! One week of recognition is hardly enough for the time, energy, inspiration, and expertise you share with children. Dana Robbins speaks to the dedication and commitment of classroom teachers in her poem: For My Daughter Who Teaches Science from The […]

Nature is a gentle teacher for children as they learn the skills and attitudes that will lead them to lifelong happiness and success. The examples and messages in Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You support children in remembering how wonderful they are, but they’re so much more than simple esteem boosters. They offer reassurance and guidance about how to perseverance, accept change, meet challenges, trust themselves, get along with others, and have fun. These messages are great for adults, too!

Every year the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC) selects the most outstanding science trade books.

Tall Tall Tree has just been selected for this prestigious honor! Young readers explore the wildlife in a redwood tree through counting, rhyme, and some hidden surprises.

Reading science trade books is the perfect way for students to build literacy skills while learning science content.

Other Dawn books that have won this award include:

Early experiences in nature enrich and shape a child’s life. That was one of the messages that came through so clearly in the new movie about Jane Goodall.

As a young girl she spent hours outside, climbed trees, and watched her dog’s behavior. As an adult she rocked the scientific community  through her groundbreaking discoveries. How did you make her discoveries? Doing the same things she did as a child! She spent hours outside where the chimps lived, climbed trees, and closely watched their behavior.

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the lyrical verses and stunning illustrations of two brand NEW books!

Daytime Nighttime, All Through the Year–Discover the diverse lives of two animals for each month of the year–one animal that’s active in the daytime and another that’s active at night, for a total of 24 fascinating critters. Play a matching game that connects day/night animals with their actions.

Tall Tall Tree–Take a peek at some of the critters that make their home in a tall, tall tree–a magnificent coast redwood. From  chipmunks chattering to slugs sliding, count the critters 1 through 10. Meet the world’s tallest trees with these fascinating facts.

A Moon of My Own launched into space onboard Space X-13 on August 13th, heading to the International Space Station (ISS). This book, along with 8 others, was specifically chosen to be read aloud by one of the ISS astronauts while orbiting earth as part of the Story Time From Space project. A video of the reading will be archived on the the Story Time From Space website. I’ll be sure to let you know when a video is available online.

In the meantime, you can read the book here on Earth. With the upcoming solar eclipse, A Moon of My Own is a timely book to share with children. The story makes a personal connection with the moon, which is complemented by the scientific information about the moon that’s included in the back of the book.

In a total solar eclipse, the moon blocks out all of the sun’s light. But how is that possible? The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun! However, a total solar eclipse can happen because the moon is also 400 times closer to the earth than the sun is. NASA suggests this easy-to-do event sun and moon activity  to demonstrate how a solar eclipse happens.

The American Astronomical Association has compiled an extensive collection of eclipse information, websites, and teaching resources for elementary teachers. And be sure to follow safety measures for watching the eclipse with your students.

Environment and Climate Education is the theme for Earth Day 2017.

More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities each year. And you and your students can join them by incorporating climate and environmental lesson into your curriculum during Climate Education Week: April 22-29, 2017.

Get the science behind the headlines with the book How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate. Kids will discover evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers and much more, gathered by scientists from all over the world, sometimes with assistance from “citizen-scientists” their own age. Use the book’s teacher guide for ready make lessons, including handouts and background information.

Earth Day Network offers a free Toolkit with hand-picked lesson plans, activities, and contests for K-12 students through out the week. For more information, visit www.earthday.org

As Einstein said, “Imagination embraces the whole world.” And so do Dawn’s new spring books! There’s a Bug on My Book is all about engaging a child’s imagination—from imagining that they’re reading the book outside, to “helping” a menagerie of little critters hop, fly, wiggle, and slide across the pages by tapping, jiggling, or tilting the book.   Baby on […]

There’s nothing quite as wonderful as an thrilling story that’s accompanied by illustrations that bring the adventure to life. Stickeen: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog is a book that does just that. It’s the true tale of John Muir and his companion, a “wee little doggie” named Skickeen. While exploring glaciers in 1880, Muir and Stickeen found themselves […]

This is the time of  year that we associate with turkeys. But we shouldn’t limit these fascinating animals to just one day, or even one month. Turkeys lead amazing lives throughout the entire year. Gobble, Gobble will expand children’s appreciation for these distinctly American birds as they follow the main character, Jenny, through a year of enchanting discoveries. Jenny wrote […]

What wild animals have you seen in your neighborhood? Coyotes, deer, raccoons, and hawks are just a few of the wild animals who have moved into our cities. As National Geographic reports, “Mountain lions and ants are among the many species great and small figuring out clever ways to live among people.” Wild Ones: Observing City Critters reminds us that […]

Have you noticed? Fall migration has begun. It’s often less obvious than the spring migration when animals feel an urgency to get to their breeding grounds. As science educator Don Salvtore said, “We all see animals for a season or two, perhaps in our own backyard, and then they’re gone. We don’t think of where they came from or where […]

  Come along on a safari! In Over in the Grasslands: On an African Savanna you’ll find elephants that squirt, giraffes that slurp, hornbills that toot, and seven more fascinating animals and their babies. Not to mention a”hidden” animal  on each page. Africa’s savanna is home to a delightful diversity of critters! This is the eighth book in Marianne Berkes’ series based on the […]

Our Moon is so present in our lives–always changing and freely observable. Last night I went outside and watched the moon rise. It was so full and round! But I know in just a few nights it will seem to have changed its shape. But the moon doesn’t actually change it’s shape. It only looks that way to us on […]

After a long summer, how do you get kids back into the swing of school? One way is to build on their summer experiences. A recent box office hit was the movie “Finding Dory,” with a lovable (albeit grouchy) octopus named Hank, who used all kinds of tricks to escape from the aquarium. Kids loved Hank, so why not capitalize […]

Gardens are as unique as the gardeners who create them. What will you plant in your garden this year? You can introduce children to the wide variety of fruits and vegetables that grow in a garden by playing a guessing game. Here’s the first riddle: Delicious, nutritious, what could it be? In spring there are blossoms all over the tree. […]

Do you live in nature? Eighty percent (80%) of Americans who live in urban areas may say “no,” but according to the National Environmental Education Foundation, the answer is actually YES! “Nature may be a nice place to visit, but we don’t live there. Or do we? . . . Even when we pave it over, nature still surrounds us.” […]

This year’s theme for Earth Day is Trees For The Earth with a goal to plant 7.8 billion trees in the next five years—the kick-off is April 22nd. That’s a lot of trees! And there are a lot of people who will make it happen. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it […]

It’s springtime, and animals are on the move—migrating long distances and facing extreme challenges along the way. Migration is a powerful compulsion, but it’s also very dangerous. Why do animals do it? They migrate to find warmer weather, better food supplies, or a safe place to give birth to their young. The ten featured species Going Home: The Mystery of […]

This blog honors the life and work of Gary Braasch, co-author of How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate. Read a remembrance of Gary on our home page. “The global climate change wave is about to crest on public schools,” writes Prof. David Sobel. In fact, some are calling this wave a tsunami. How can you teach […]

What adjectives would you use to describe a flower? This is the question an Italian primary school teacher asked her class. One of the students, an 8-year-old boy, wrote down  “petaloso” meaning “full of petals.” The only problem was that there’s no such word in the Italian dictionary. At least not yet. The ending “oso” is common in Italian. But […]

There’s a lot happening on the farm! Pigs roll, goats nibble, horses gallop, hens peck, and turkeys strut! Cows moo, turkeys gobble, pigs oink, and goats go maa-aa. Each and every reading of Over on the Farm will have children counting, clapping, and singing along to the classic tune of “Over in the Meadow.” They’ll also learn the names of […]

Are you part of the 80% of people who live in urban and suburban areas? If you are, you may have noticed that you’re sharing your environment with more and more animals. From raccoon and deer, to foxes and falcons, lots of animals have discovered that cities are good places to live. They’re finding plenty of food, sometimes right under […]

Does your garden “wait below drifty snow?” Or maybe you’re in the part of the country where “wind roars; rain pours.” No matter what the weather looks like outside of  your window, it’s not too early to “think spring!” with one of Dawn Publications’ new books–Green Bean! Green Bean!“ “Get Out and Grow” educator William Moss says this book “is […]

STAY TUNED! Dawn Publications is launching an new blog in February. In the meantime, I’ll be featuring blogs from some of Dawn’s award-winning authors. Enjoy this week’s blog by Marianne Berkes. I have fond memories of winter snow days in upstate New York. Other folks must miss the cold (somewhat) too, since my book Over in the Arctic, Where the […]

The recent news has been full of tragedies—severe storms, terrorist attacks, war and refugees. Although young children may not understand what’s happening, they pick up on the serious tone in the voices of reporters and the frightening images they see on TV. Noted child-development expert Fred Rodgers says, “It’s easy to allow ourselves to get drawn into watching televised news […]

The ground under our feet matters more than we often admit. It’s a precious gift from nature. Healthy fertile soil provides homes for plants and it’s important for many natural cycles—from recycling nutrients to purifying water. Learn more about soil in this week’s featured book: Mighty Mole and Super Soil Below your feet, Mighty Mole is on the move. Like a swimmer […]

  The United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) is being held in Paris from November 30th to December 11th. To coincide with this important event, this week’s featured book is: How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate. This books gives you the  science behind the headlines — evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers, and […]

Thanksgiving is a holiday that focuses on food. That makes it a perfect time to connect students with food from the garden! Because this blog is taking a break next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ve included two lessons below. Both of them teach about healthy foods and plant parts. Lesson: Name That Plant: Students learn about the six parts […]

November is a perfect time to introduce your students to turkeys and play the “Animal Trail Game.” It may be played inside or outside. Of course playing it outside adds to the fun, provides more of a nature experience, and allows kids to get some much-needed exercise. LESSON PLAN: Animal Trail Game In this lesson, students move from station to […]

  Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins!  These big, round, orange fruits take center stage from Halloween through Thanksgiving. Bring pumpkins into your classroom to engage your students in science, and don’t forget the picture books. Pairing fiction and nonfiction picture books to teach science is explained in the Picture Perfect Science series and Teaching Science Through Trade Books. Authors Emily […]

  Have you ever thrown a maple seed into the air and watched it helicopter to the ground? What would happen if you took the “wings” off of the seed — would it still fly? Isn’t it remarkable that a big, beautiful maple tree lives inside the tiny seed? Emily Morgan, author of the Next Time You See book series, […]

NASA has developed a free curriculum for teachers that introduces young children to the basics of flight. The first lesson in the series “Gliders in Flight” features The Dandelion Seed. Before the first airplane, the scientists and engineers who were developing “lighter-than-air” aircraft looked to parachutes and gliders to meet engineering challenges. It is from these early beginnings that aviation […]

Learning Centers are a staple of many classrooms. Teachers like them because they promote independence, responsibility, and allow opportunities for self-discovery. Students like them because Center activities often feel like a “game” and they get to work alongside their peers. Use the book Pass the Energy, Please! as the basis for a variety of Centers about food chains.  An ebook […]

It’s Fall and animals are on the move—migrating long distances and facing extreme challenges along the way. Migration is a powerful compulsion, but it’s also very dangerous. Why do animals do it? Where do they go? How do they succeed? Find out the answers to these questions and so much more in the book Going Home: The Mystery of Animal […]

  With so much recent media coverage about climate change, young children are bound to have heard stories of gloom and doom about the future. But what happens when we give children too much “bad news” about the environment?   Research shows that they may become fearful and anxious.* Even if our best intentions are to instill environmentally helpful behaviors, […]

Animals, including humans, feel sound as well as hear it, and good vibrations are a key to insect communication. The NPR (National Public Radio) series “Close Listening Series: Decoding Nature through Sound,” explores ways biologists are using sound to understand animal behavior. Noisy Bug Sing-Along introduces children to interesting insects (life science) and the sound vibrations they create (physical science). […]

    I love the beginning of a new school year. Everyone (teachers, kids, and parents) have a clean slate. It’s a time to approach learning with fresh energy and new perspectives  —  it’s a great opportunity to establish a regular routine of going outside. Why Go Outside? Simply put—it can improve both classroom learning and classroom behavior. There is […]

Just like many of you, this blog is going on summer vacation. I’ll be back in the middle of August with more lessons. In the meantime, enjoy some summer reading with these books. Just like eating potato chips, when you find a good book series, “you can’t read just one.” Below are several series that will inspire kids and families […]

Read the riddle below to figure out what’s in the garden: Delicious, nutritious, what could it be? In spring there are blossoms all over the tree. Red, green, or yellow, with fruit that is round. If you don’t pick it, it plops to the ground. (The answer to this riddle is found in the book What’s in the Garden? by […]

Children learn about the world they live in through their five senses, and the garden is rich in sensory experiences. In Molly’s Organic Farm, children experience a year on the farm through the eyes, ears, and paws of a stray cat—Molly! A gate creaks open (hearing), Molly looks (seeing), Molly sniffs compost (smelling), the sun is hot (feeling), and Molly […]

There’s lots going in the school garden! Connect your students’ garden experiences with science—soil science! Soil is like a thin living layer of skin covering the land. Everything we come into contact with on a daily basis can be traced back to soil. Soil is capable of supporting plant life and is vital to life on earth. LESSON PLAN: In […]

It’s spring. You’re out for a morning walk and you hear birds singing! It’s more than just “tweet-tweet.”  You hear buzzes, warbles, and trills. Maybe even a quack. Why are birds singing? And what are they saying? And WHO are these birds anyway? Get the answers to these questions in this week’s lesson plan! LESSON PLAN: Dawn ChorusListening to birds […]

What flower do you think of when you hear the statement, “Spring flowers are blooming.” Did tulips, daffodils, crocuses, or poppies come to mind? If you live in southern Arizona, you may have thought of a cactus flower. The desert blooms from March through May, and one of the most spectacular flowers belongs to the Saguaro Cactus—home to many desert […]

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22! Education is at the heart of Earth Day. It began in 1970 in the U.S. with an “environmental teach in.” In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day. This year 193 participating countries will be participating.  EARTH DAY IN YOUR CLASSROOMJust imagine all of nature—mountains, prairies, oceans, deserts, and […]

It’s Poetry Month! A great time to address the Common Core poetry standards in a fun and engaging way. A suggested “Text Exemplar” for this standard is Over in the Meadow, a traditional song that’s been sung since the 1880s. The song’s timeless charm has new appeal for children today in the form of a picture book series by Marianne […]

We all know that April showers bring May flowers. But did you know that April’s showers are a crucial part of the earth’s water cycle? Let Pitter and Patter, two drops of rain, teach you all about it! Pitter and Patter fall from a gray cloud. They tumble from the sky, careen off a leaf, plunge into a stream, flow […]

“The average North American child spends seven hours a day staring at screens and mere minutes engaged in unstructured play outdoors…Yet recent research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth.” — from How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art And Science Of Falling In Love With Nature, a field guide for getting kids in touch with […]

The calendar says that spring has arrived. Even if it still feels like winter where you are, you can be sure flowers are on the way. In celebration of spring, this week I’m focusing on flowers with the book On One Flower: Butterflies, Ticks, and few more Icks. Plants are the basis of all ecosystems, and On One Flower is a […]

Seeing wild animals in towns and cities is not uncommon. Even New York City is home to all kinds of wildlife—raccoons, coyotes, opossum, deer, and hawks to name a few species. In northern regions, wild moose sometimes roam into towns. As explained in the book Little Brother Moose, “They enter towns for a variety of reasons, including illness. Naturalists speculate […]

Snow and ice covered 50% of the United States last week! That got me thinking about John Muir’s trips to Alaska. Muir is probably best known for his dedication to establishing national parks, especially Yosemite. Geologists in the early 1900s believed Yosemite was the result of a violent convulsion of the earth. Muir stirred up a lot of controversy when […]

National Wildlife Week, an event sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, is March 9-15. Prep your students for a week of awareness about wildlife using  the book Lifetimes. The book presents 24 “lifetimes.” Beginning with “A lifetime for a mayfly is about one day” and including a lifetime for an earthworm is about six years, for a giant sequoia is […]

Most of North America is experiencing dramatic weather—snow, rain, sleet, or drought. That makes this a perfect time to study the WATER CYCLE. LESSON PLAN: Pitter, Patter, and PLOP! Pitter and Patter are two drops of rain that fall from a cloud and take different routes as they travel through the water cycle. In this activity, students listen to a read-aloud […]

You can easily integrate science into different subject areas using cross-curricular activities. The following lesson connects language arts and life science, with some geography added through illustrations. LESSON PLAN: Animal ActionsOver on a Mountain, Somewhere in the World introduces children to various mountain animals and the continent where they live. In this activity, students match mountain animals with their behaviors. […]

Whether you live in the city, suburbs, or rural area, birds are some of the most common wildlife you’re likely to see…and hear! So common, in fact, it’s easy to take them for granted. The following lesson brings birds into focus for you and your students. This lesson is a perfect tie-in to The Great Backyard Bird Count, a world-wide […]

A baby was born to J-pod—an endangered family of orcas (killer whales) that live in the San Juan Islands. They’re regularly seen in the waters between Seattle, WA, and Vancouver, BC. The oldest member of the family is 103 years old! As the matriarch, people have named her “Granny” and her 78-member family is “Granny’s Clan.” Read more about the […]

It’s nighttime in the forest, but not all animals are asleep.  “Sun sinks, moon winks. Hello, forest night…Yip and yowl, foxes prowl.” But when the “Moon goes down, sun grows round. Hello, forest day…Whittle and rap, woodpeckers tap.” The book Forest Bright, Forest Night introduces children to animal behavior through catchy rhymes. The book’s illustrations dramatically show the difference between […]

Martin Luther King’s hopes and dreams extended to the environment. As U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stated: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in addition to his many other achievements, helped ‘plant the seeds’ for what would become our nation’s now-thriving ‘environmental justice movement.’” It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an […]

Just because it’s cold and snowy outside, it doesn’t mean you can’t explore nature inside…through a book! Pass the Energy, Please! is a book about nature’s food chains written to capture students’ attention to a rhyming verse. LESSON PLAN Links in the ChainAll creatures on the planet depend upon green plants. Everybody is somebody’s lunch and each of nature’s creatures […]

Now that it’s cold outside, how do you stay warm? Maybe you just go inside and have a hot cup of cocoa. But what do animals do to stay warm in winter? How do they adapt to the cold? LESSON PLAN: In this lesson, children learn about ten arctic animals and their babies. These animals are amazing because they’ve learned […]

My wish for you during this holiday season is that you enjoy the gifts of beauty that nature offers you. As teachers it’s so important to have our own special experiences in nature. That’s why I created The Nature Portals card deck. The cards combine stunning nature photos with uplifting words to help you expand your awareness of nature’s gifts […]

KWL charts have been a regular part of my classroom for many years, but I didn’t know about KLEWS charts until I took a free NSTA webinar. A KLEWS chart is a science specific KWL chart that helps you move students through all the steps involved in scientific reasoning. Here’s a quick summary:K=What students knowL=What students learned from evidenceE=Evidence they […]

Choosing an appropriate app for your classroom can be challenging. Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand has created Educational App Evaluation Checklist to help you decide if the app you’re considering is right for your needs and goals. Vincent was a classroom teacher for 15 years and writes a blog to helps teachers effectively use all kinds of mobile and digital […]

Thanksgiving is a holiday that focuses on food. That makes it a perfect time to connect students with food from the garden! Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, this blog will be taking a break next week…enjoy the lessons based on these  two books for the next two weeks…both lessons teach about six plant parts. What’s in the Garden? — Good […]

According to forecasters, An Arctic outbreak will bring the coldest temperatures of the season…By the end of the week, more than two-thirds of the U.S. will see below-average temperatures. Such weather might have you wondering, “Is global warming really happening?” But weather (conditions right now) is not the same as climate (conditions over a long-period of time). “For years, climate […]

If there was ever a perfect children’s book to introduce to your students at this time of year it’s Gobble, Gobble. The main character, Jenny, is a young backyard naturalist who follows a flock of “funny-looking birds with big strong feet”—Wild Turkeys! She learns about these amazing birds through simple rhyme and colorful illustrations. LESSON PLAN: Four Seasons of TurkeysTurkeys […]

“Why do leaves change color?” It all has to do with photosynthesis—the way trees make their food using sunlight and a pigment in their leaves called chlorophyll. It’s the chlorophyll that gives leaves their green color. As temperatures drop and the days become shorter, trees stop making food and the amount of chlorophyll inside of leaves decreases. With less chlorophyll, […]

I flew home to California from Michigan this weekend. I know it’s a cliché, but I’ve got to say it: “The ground below looked like a patchwork quilt.” Squares and rectangles of various shades of browns and greens spread out below me—the farms and fields of the Midwest in autumn. I delighted in seeing rivers, lakes, and mountains interrupt the […]

The total eclipse of the full moon last week got us all looking up into the night sky. Build on this exciting current event by exploring the solar system with your students. The vastness of space can be daunting for young children (and adults!) to understand. How big is the earth compared to the sun? How far is 3 trillion […]

The mystery of migration greeted me on my morning walk this week. As the sun was rising, and the air warming, more than 200 Turkey Vultures swooped and soared over my head. With the change of the seasons animals are on the move all over the world. Migration is a powerful compulsion, sometimes taking animals over long distances, facing many […]

It’s harvest time, and the  squirrels, acorn woodpeckers, and jays are harvesting the acorns in my yard. An acorn is technically a fruit because it houses a seed, but due to its hard outer shell it’s classified as a nut. Only one type of tree produces acorns—oak trees (Quercus genus). The following lesson begins in the fall and is completed in […]

How would you like to combine literacy with physical activity and time in nature? If this sounds like a winning combination to you, here’s how you can do it with your students and meet Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards (listed at the end of the lesson plan). LESSON PLAN: Story Walk During a Story Walk, students follow “trail […]

Years after a great oak tree tumbled to the ground, a whole community of animals made it their home. Roly-polies and daddy longlegs prowled here and there, while chipmunks and salamanders dashed everywhere. Is the old tree alive? Or is it now dead? LESSON PLAN: A Day in the LifeAround One Log: Chipmunks, Spiders, and Creepy Insiders introduces readers to […]

Seashells are not only homes for  sea creatures, they’re also beautiful works of art with their wonderful variety of shapes and colors. Using a rhyming verse, the book Seashells by the Seashore takes readers on a walk at the seashore, counting and naming the shells that wash up on the beach. LESSON PLAN: Sorting SeashellsThis lesson is adapted from one […]

  At first glance a prairie may look flat, but if you look closer you’ll discover layers of life. In the book The Prairie that Nature Built, children are introduced to three levels of prairie life—creatures living in prairie grasses, underground, and in the sky over the prairie. In this activity, students “build a prairie” by creating a mural of […]

Back to school! As I look to the year ahead, my hope is that the ideas, lessons, and resources I share with you in this blog will not only help you with your curriculum goals, but will also encourage you to include nature awareness activities in your classroom. Each week I’ll feature a nature-themed picture book with a corresponding lesson […]

Swim into summer with Kiki, an adorable green sea turtle. She discovers the fascinating world of a coral reef and “fish of all sizes and lots of surprises” in the book On Kiki’s Reef. Journey with Kiki as she meets amazing coral reef critters, avoids the dangers of the open ocean, and finally returns to the beach where she was […]

Continuing our year-end theme of ocean animals, this week’s book is A Swim Through the Sea. Each page of this book presents a new species in alphabetical order with brilliantly colored illustrations, alliteration, and fascinating facts. And it’s endorsed by Jacques Cousteau! The following lesson plan is very versatile. It can be applied to any science topic or used as […]

As summer approaches, many families will be going to the ocean on vacation, so I’ll be featuring ocean-themed books for the next 3 weeks. This week’s lesson plan is based on the book Over in the Ocean, In a Coral Reef.  Teachers can do this activity in the classroom, and parents can do it at home. LESSON PLAN: COLORFUL CORAL […]

Look closely. What do you see? There are baby birds in the nest—Black Phoebes. They have a little tuft of black down on their heads. They don’t have any feathers yet, and you can see the pink skin of their tiny bodies. This is the time of year when baby birds are hatching and then fledging (leaving the nest), and […]

One of my goals with this blog is to provide you with lessons that connect science and picture books. I recently discovered one of the best resources available—a series of three books called Picture Perfect Science Lessons by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan. Right now I’m taking a fabulous online course with one of the authors  through the NSTA Learning […]

Last week my publisher received this photo of a boy in Africa reading one of Dawn Publications’ books. The photo prompted me to use The Tree in the Ancient Forest as this week’s featured book. The boy is part of a Maasai community, an ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Massai have a tremendous focus […]

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22! Education is at the heart of Earth Day. Celebrate with one of these lessons. Just imagine all of nature—mountains, prairies, oceans, deserts, and all—lying on your bed as a patchwork quilt.  Nature’s Patchwork Quilt does just that! This nonfiction picture book spreads out the plants and animals of Earth’s unique habitats for children to […]

A new report from the International Panel on Climate Change warns countries  they must make dramatic changes in their energy consumption, use of technology, and ways of life to avert  catastrophic effects of climate change.   LESSON PLAN: Life in the GreenhouseThis week’s lesson uses the book How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate to help students learn […]

Aligning with Common Core standards doesn’t mean that you have to completely change all of your lesson plans. This week I’ve taken one of my favorite lessons about the water cycle and updated it to meet several CC standards. LESSON PLAN: THE WATER CYCLEThis lesson engages all of the senses using music, movement, hands-on art project, and creative writing to […]

Although the snow and rain may be keeping your students inside, you can engage them in a dynamic and interactive lesson with Noisy Bug Sing-Aloud. This book introduces both a life science topic (insects) and physical science topic (sound vibration). The reader is treated to scientifically accurate, up-close depictions of some very cool bugs. It explains why the bugs make […]

My goal has always been (and continues to be) to connect you with high-quality picture books that meet your curriculum needs. So what’s new about this blog…and what’s the same from the previous one?Same: Each week I’ll introduce you to a picture book with beautiful illustrations written in a creative non-fiction style. Most books also have information for teachers in the […]

The first book I’ve chosen to kick off the new format for my blog is On One Flower: Butterflies, Ticks, and few more Icks by Anthony Fredericks. Plants are the basis of all ecosystems, and this creative nonfiction story takes place in a very tiny ecosystem—a single goldenrod flower. At the back of the book, two pages of nonfiction information […]