A Teacher’s Guide Sampler
For those of you who have wondered about what type of activities are available in our Teacher’s Guides, we’ve created a “sampler” of what you can find inside each one below. You can also view actual teacher lesson plans from these guides in our “Downloadable Activities” section.
From the guide to “How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate” – The lesson “Scientific Inquiry in Action” underscores one of the key messages of the book: we know what we do about climate change because of the questions that scientists have investigated and the results they’ve found. After you use a KWL Chart (Know/Want to Know/Learned) to assess students’ prior knowledge about climate change, students work in small groups to identify the hypothesis, data, and conclusions of the scientists presented in the book. Students compile their information to create a wall chart for the classroom.
From the guide to “Lifetimes” - The lesson “Venus Flytrap” develops the idea from Lifetimes about the Venus flytrap – a plant with a flower that looks like a great place for a fly to land, but isn’t. The lesson presents various situations that appear to be good ideas. Groups of students brainstorm some of the consequences of different responses to the situations, and select most likely outcomes. The lesson is designed to assist students to see that you can’t take things at face value; to learn to anticipate possible negative consequences of an action; and build self-reliance and self-control.
From the guide to “A Walk in the Rainforest” - The lesson “Step by Step” develops the observation from A Walk in the Rainforest that leaf-cutter ants engage in an intricate process of producing their food by raising fungus from leaves. Students choose a personal goal that they would like to accomplish within a month; determine the smaller steps needed to achieve it; and chart their steps with “leaves,” followed by a certificate of achievement. The students learn to set goals, identify necessary steps, and persevere.
From the guide to “A Swim through the Sea” -The lesson “Go Swim! Tag” is based upon the observation in A Swim through the Sea that the clownfish has a symbiotic relationship with the anemone. The clownfish feeds the anemone; the anemone’s poisonous tentacles protect the fish and its eggs. In a modified tag game with teams of anemones, clownfish, and a predator, students playfully and energetically discover how important anemones and clownfish are to each other.
From the guide to “A Drop Around the World” – in the picture book, a drop of water travels through various bodies. In the lesson “Body Buddy,” after a guessing game about the amount of water in various foods, students calculate how much water is needed by their own body based on their body weight. They also decorate a water bottle, and learn that ample water is critical to the brain – it helps them think.
Announcing the First Place Winner of the Earth Day Contest
We are pleased to announce the first place winner of our Earth Day Contest, Dolly Greene from the Siuslaw Elementary School in Florence Oregon. Using Salmon Stream, Ms. Greene and her class have been able to become “stewards of the environment and help increase the salmon population.”
A special thanks goes to:
1. Mr. Jim Grano, Retired Siuslaw Middle School Science Teacher, Program Developer and Grant Writer
2. Bureau of Land Management, Eugene, Oregon District
3. Day of Discovery Leaders
Florence Salmon-Trout Enhancement Program (STEP)
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
U.S. Forest Service
Siuslaw Watershed Council
Stream Team Student Teachers
4. Funding via Grants
Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
Florence Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs
Florence Parent Teacher Association
5. Siuslaw Elementary School Parent Volunteers
Additional Information:
Whittaker Creek Watchable Wildlife Site provides key habitat vital to the conservation of salmon and other fish species. Whittaker Creek is part of the Siuslaw River Watershed that drains from the Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean.
The book, Salmon Stream by Carol Reed-Jones has been of great value in our salmon study program at Siuslaw Elementary School in Florence, Oregon. The rich, poetic language in Salmon Stream excited all of the students; and the vocabulary repetition helped struggling readers to enjoy the text. The story of the salmon life cycle told in Salmon Stream, brought the story of this incredible animal to life for the children. The illustrations are visually appealing and helped the children appreciate the habitat of the salmon and their difficult journey upstream to reproduce. The resource information provided in the back of the book was an excellent documentation of facts about salmon which I was able to read aloud to the students and engage them in a discussion about salmon preservation.
After reading Salmon Stream, by Carol Reed-Jones, the students were prepared to enter the world of outdoor science, exploring nature first hand on field trips to salmon habitats and raising their own baby salmon from eggs in classroom aquariums. The students were prepared to become stewards of the environment and help increase the salmon population.
It is a unique experience to see the joy in students’ eyes as they learn about science first hand in outdoor settings. The appreciation that the students gain of nature goes a long way in helping them to establish life long values involving protection of the fragile environment on our planet. Helping students along the pathway towards becoming stewards of the environment is a goal that is not only honorable, but essential in this time period of history. Introducing our salmon study program with the book Salmon Stream, prepared the students to begin their journey in learning about preservation of the fragile habitat of salmon.
As teachers, we use an experiential approach in our salmon study program, taking the students on outdoor field trips to salmon habitats in the area. We use a cross grade level peer tutoring approach that is very successful, allowing middle school and high school students to make presentations to elementary students. Following reading the book, Salmon Stream, we took field trips to Whittaker Creek and Honeyman State Park which involved cross grade level peer tutoring approach and cooperative effort of inter-agency employees, all with a common goal, to teach children about our environment.
I submit a sample of student writing that followed the Whittaker Creek field trip.
Riparian Trail Hike:
“First we went on the Riparian trail hike. On the hike we examined the natural elements of nature and figured out what they are and things like ways to estimate how old trees are and how to tell healthy trees from bad trees.”
“At the riparian trail we learned that trees are good for salmon for shelter and food. The trees drop the leaves. The bugs eat the leaves. Salmon eat the bugs. The trail was very fun.”
Fish Dissection Station:
“Here at the fish dissection station you learn things like salmon only has a three chamber heart and can have up to three hundred to four thousand eggs. Also steelhead have two egg sacks and that their kidney changes when they go to the ocean.”
“At the fish dissection, I learned that the swim bladder helps them float. I also learned that we have more blood. I learned they have two egg sacks, each one has 3,000 – 4,000 eggs in them. I also learned that they have a three chamber heart. It is cold blooded.”
Fish Trap
“ At the fish trap, I got to touch two salmon. I got to see them get the eggs and milt out. The fish trap was fun.”
“At the steelhead trap there’s egg processing and milt processing. We smelled salt. We touched eggs and milt. We heard splashes and nets and boots splashing.”
Water Quality Testing
“Now we’re at water quality. Here we learned about air temperature and water temperature and p.h. The best for salmon is 11 for color 53 air temperature, and forty three water temperature.”
“Salmon need cold water. The salmon need 7.1 p.h. the water temperature was 44 degrees. The air temperature was 48 degrees. Excellent water quality. It was very fun.”
Macroinvertebrates
“In this area I caught a fish egg. I saw stonefly and mayfly. I caught a baby fish. I saw lots of bugs and insects. The bugs were prehistoric. It was my favorite group.”
“We caught many insects and learned that their adult lives are only a few hours long.”
The learning that takes place through these programs is readily apparent. Likewise, the learning stations at Honeyman State Park field trip with the theme “Forest Community” are wonderful learning experiences for children who will someday be stewards of our environment. Learning about pond critters, dunes, slugs, bats, osprey and trees in the setting of our local State Park is directly in line with the goals we have for lifelong learning at Siuslaw Elementary School in Florence, Oregon
I cannot say enough about how the book Salmon Stream by Carol Reed-Jones prepared the children to raise steelhead in the classroom. Watching the eggs develop through the stages of growth is truly amazing not only for the children, but for the teachers. The illustrations in Salmon Stream allowed us to envision what salmon look like in various stages of development, and what their natural habitat looks like before we began the process of creating an environment in our classroom aquarium for more than 150 salmon eggs to develop. The book prepared the children for the mortality of some of the eggs in the discussion of predators.
Personally, the children and I became so attached to the baby steelhead that we had a hard time saying goodbye to them as we set them off into the wide world of nature. We were proud that we had helped to increase the population of salmon. The amazement of having raised a living fish from egg was captivating for us all. In conclusion, below are a few letters the children wrote to their baby steelhead before releasing them into the wild again, from whence they came.
“Dear Sean the Steelhead, I feel sad that you have to leave, but I am proud of raising steelhead eggs. I will miss you.”
“Dear Great Steelhead, I am happy that you are growing up, but I am really sad that you are leaving to the stream. I know it’s right for you. I will really miss you.”
“Dear Billy Bob Steelhead, I want you to know that I am happy to see you go. You will be good for the ocean and river. I learned how long it takes to hatch an egg. Goodbye Billy Bob. I’ll miss you.”
From this experience and reading the book Salmon Stream, the children and I were inspired to create an ocean/salmon dance which we presented to other students in the school. The students learned that the earth is to be shared by all the creatures, and that they can be stewards of the environment. We celebrate this on Earth Day!
Announcing the Earth Day Contest Second Place Winner
We are pleased to announce the second place winner in our Earth Day contest, Gabriela M. Doural of Bubbles, Environmental Education. Below you will find an excerpt from her contest entry that includes a lesson plan incorporating A Walk in the Rainforest.
I remember the first time I went to the St. Louis Zoo as a Docent; I have been there before, but I had never sat down by the glass at the Jungle of the Apes. I took my time and sat hoping to observe closely the gorillas at play. I wanted to observe, but realized that I was being watched very closely. Joey, one of the young gorillas, decided to sit down right in front of me and look into that “curly hair ape” who was watching him through his own window. My heart was pounding; I asked myself, “who is watching who?”
His eyes reflected very powerful and deep emotions; there was no need for language; we were communicating. I placed my hand on the glass; he looked at his and then he looked at his feet. I proceeded to look at mine and he placed his foot against the glass. I took my shoe off and placed it against the window; he looked at my foot and looked at his. I whispered “You are beautiful” through the glass; he looked at me and left to play.
“One should pay attention to even the smallest crawling creature, for these too may have a valuable lesson to teach us, and even the smallest ant may wish to communicate with a man.”
- Black Elk
This is my story, the one that inspired me; the moment when I realized I had to do something. I can’t go to Africa right now, but I can try to inspire others here, at home. These gentle animals need our understanding and compassion; it is my hope that through education they will be saved. As an environmental educator, I visit different schools. My presentations and audiences vary, as well as my classrooms, which can be indoors or outdoors, but I always make sure I have a game and a story to support my theme.
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell is an excellent source of interactive, cooperative, and fun games I always carry with me. Children from Kindergarten to eight grades enjoy the educational activities this book offers. I have utilized lots of them, but the most popular within my audiences are: The Noses Games, Animal Clue Relay, and Bat and Moth.
Whenever I am presenting a topic about the rainforest, or biodiversity, the Noses Game and Animal Clue Relay provide a great hook to begin the learning experience. I also utilize A Walk in the Rainforest by Kristin Joy Pratt which provides information on a variety of animals that live in these biomes. I can easily obtain animal facts for the Noses Game, or just read it to the students – they may look them up themselves also.
As an introduction to my “Apes” presentations, I like to initiate audiences to the apes’ environments, to their homes, the species they share their lives with, and the human impact in those environments so the following is an example of a successful presentation:
PROGRAM TITLE: The Rainforest
THEME: The Rainforest is also in my pantry
AUDIENCE: 3-5 grades
GOAL: To make learning enjoyable, make sure students enjoy the outdoors, and to awake environmental awareness by discovering the importance of all species on Planet Earth.
OBJECTIVE: After participating in this activity, 75% of the students will learn five facts of 5 different animals, 80% of the students will identify 5 products they consume that grow in a rainforest, 80% of the students will develop curiosity and will research about one or two animals covered in this lesson.
GAME/MATERIALS NEEDED:
Books:
Pratt, K. A Walk in the Rainforest. Dawn Publications. Nevada City, CA. 1992
Cornell, J. Sharing Nature with Children. Dawn Publications. Nevada City, CA. 1998
Materials:
Color pencils, pencils, and file cards
We begin by playing the Noses Game which provides the students with an enjoyable, engaging activity, and helps me to learn what they know about the rainforest.
After completing about 6-8 cards, I start my rainforest presentation introducing geographical location, forest layers, flora and fauna, products from the forest, etc.
Following my presentation, students are divided into groups and start researching some of the species that live in these biomes by reading A Walk in the Rainforest and other materials provided for that purpose. Their mission is to find 5 facts on 5 plants and 5 animals. They also have to name 5 products they have at home that come from the Rainforest.
We conclude the class by sharing feelings about conservation of the rainforest and its inhabitants; each student volunteers their thoughts, and names one thing they will do to protect it. We play the Animal Clue Relay (but this time we utilize the information they have collected).
I am pleased to report that at the end of every presentation, I watch the children and I enjoy when I discover I have lightened up a little spark of curiosity. May be, with time, “.. it will catch on fire.” – Anatole France
Visit Our Interactive Clubhouse
We’re pleased to announce the launch of a companion website to The BLUES Go Birding Across America. Parents, teachers and kids can utilize this resource to discover more about the birds visited in the book. You’ll find photos and sounds courtesy of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and downloadable activities by master teacher Carol Malnor. Be sure to check in for new additions to the companion site as the series continues.
View our Interactive Clubhouse at thebluesgobirding.com.
Solving the Mysteries of Animal Migration
In the new book, Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration, children discover answers to the question “Why do certain animals migrate?” To help teachers and parents take the book one step further, author Marianne Berkes has put together several educational activities. These activities include writing prompts, map drawing, and a reader’s theater. In addition, for each of the animals in the book there are bookmarks available to download, print and share.
Download the files (Adobe PDF) here:
When Kids go Birding with the BLUES…
… exciting discoveries are made! In the third installment of educational activities from Master Teacher and author Carol Malnor, children will prepare themselves for birdwatching adventures. In the first activity, I Am Aware Of…, children will head outdoors to connect with nature by focusing on the specific details of their surroundings. In the second activity, Owl Pellets, children will discover what owls eat through the analysis of owl pellets. If you’ve missed the prior installments of The BLUES go Birding educational activities, you can find them here and here.
Download the activities (PDF Format) here:
Announcing our Earth Day Contest
Using Dawn books to educate children about nature? We want to know!
Spotted Fawn from Earth Day, Birthday
Written by Pattie Schnetzler illustrated by Chad Wallace
To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Dawn Publications is giving away $350 in books to educators and their students. Teachers are encouraged to share their experiences – both inside and outside the classroom – on connecting children with nature using Dawn books. Whether you’re a home school teacher, camp counselor, environmental educator or a traditional classroom teacher we’re interested in your inspiring stories.
- 1st Place – $200 worth of Dawn Books
- 2nd Place – $100 worth of Dawn Books
- 3rd Place – $50 worth of Dawn Books
How to Enter
Each entry should include a minimum one page story or synopsis on how you have used Dawn books to inspire and educate children about nature. Supplemental items, such as pictures or lesson plans, are encouraged but not required. Any entry that includes a picture of a child must include parental consent for its use. In addition, please make sure that your entry includes the following information:
- Teacher’s Name
- School Name
- Address
- Phone number
Entries should be emailed to contest@dawnpub.com or mailed to Dawn Publications, 12402 Bitney Springs Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959. All entries must be received by 11:59 pm PST on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2010.
Winning entries will be announced on May 1st, 2010 and may be featured on our website.
Click here for complete contest rules.
Not sure if your classroom project is eligible? Have a question about the rules? Give us a call at1-800-545-7475.
Spread your wings with The BLUES!
Author and teacher Carol Malnor, has put together another exciting group of activities to educate children on the joys of birds and birding. (If you missed the first installment, look for it here!) Today’s activities encourage children to get up, go outside, and explore their “inner bird”. In the first activity, “What’s your Wingspan?”, children will increase their awareness of the different sizes of the birds that are found in the book The BLUES go Birding Across America. In the second activity, “Physical Flit-ness”, kids are encouraged to move around and perform “bird activities” as they move from station to station. Whether performed by a group of children in a classroom setting, or one on one, these activities will help parents and educators encourage the next generation of birdwatchers.
- Download the activities (PDF Format) here:
The BLUES in the Classroom
Carol Malnor, author of several teacher’s guides and the newly released The BLUES Go Birding Across America has put together several classroom activities for teachers to download. In this first installment, Carol encourages educators to “Make the Most of Resources” and utilize the birding resources of several organizations for different activities. She has also prepared several “Suggestions for Reading Aloud” that help children get the most out of reading the book. If you need to mark a page, or save your spot, you’ll find the downloadable BLUES Bookmarks will come in handy as well.
Download the activities here:
- The BLUES – Make the Most of Resources
- The BLUES – Suggestions for Reading Aloud
- The BLUES – Downloadable Bookmarks (2 MB)
Ocean Activities for Early Childhood Educators
Marianne Berkes has spent much of her life with young children as a teacher, children?s theater director and children?s librarian. Recently retired to write full time and visit schools and libraries, Marianne is the author of eight published picture books for children, including the new title Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration.
This week we are excited to announce a collection of 18 different educational activities that Marianne has put together to accompany her award winning book, Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef. This collection includes activities ranging from water play to creating fish puppets. We hope that you enjoy this free download.
For more information on Marianne Berkes, please visit her website at www.MarianneBerkes.com. To find out more information on her school visits, click here.