Welcome to The Nature Booklist Blog! This blog is a companion to The Nature Booklist, a resource for librarians, formal and nonformal environmental educators, and parents featuring paired, nature-themed texts and custom-designed learning activities. We're glad you're here!
Let's talk about why nature books. Well, for starters, they rule. A bedtime story for littles about a sloth attending a music festival? How about a tale about an oak tree that unites a community in the face of racism? A post-climate change dystopian future where teens scrap wrecked freighters for cash? Yes, please.
Oh, and that thing about it being The End of the World as We Know It, except that I don't feel fine. Neither should you. By connecting kids to books about nature, we can stimulate conversations about conservation (see what I did there?), and develop empathy for the planet and its living things. Plus, there is evidence that when children spend time in nature, it reduces stress and helps them focus.
Working to integrate more informational texts into the curriculum? Each pairing in The Nature Booklist features a literary text and informational text centered on the same topic. And with topics such as the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, a 3D printed beak for a bald eagle, and engaging survival guides, the options are no snore.
Each pairing in The Nature Booklist also includes an active learning strategy to link the two texts and deepen understanding. Many of these activities are designed to be taught outside. Examples include insect safaris, shelter building, and even outdoor Venn-diagramming.
While some are decidedly low-tech (like "tent city" discussions), others integrate digital technology (such as Kahoot! vocab competitions).
And all are super fun. If we do say so ourselves.
So, subscribe to our blog, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and share your thoughts and comments about what we created. Got a book recommendation? Hook us up.
See you soon!
by Nate Keefe
