Growing Together: Open Forum

Hi all,

Looking for Grade 1-level picture books and/or related activities for a unit on natural resources/conservation. Specifically, I'm seeking to foster a more gifts/gratitude-centered orientation toward the natural world (i.e. seeing nature not as a collection of inanimate objects that we humans get to use, but as a community of beings that offer us so much and that we have a responsibility to care for in return). Has anyone come across a book or activity that speaks to this? I love the stories in Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, but having a physical picture book could be very helpful.

Thank you!

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Emily Stehr
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These are a few books centering natural resources/conservation that I've really enjoyed reading:

Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement by Stephanie Roth Sisson

Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty

Around the House That Jack Built by Roz Abisch

A Planet Like Ours by Frank Murphy & Charnaeie Gordon

The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures by Curtis Manley

Not sure on the grade levels. Hope this helps!

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Ellie McLellan
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Emily,  The Junior Master Gardener Program and the American Horticultural Society honor engaging, inspiring works of plant, garden and ecology-themed children's literature through the Growing Good Kids - Excellence in Children's Literature Awards Program.  We have a complete list of the annual award winners with a synopsis of each book at the link below from 2005-present.  These are selected by a national review committee of educators, librarians, gardeners, and parents.  https://jmgkids.us/bookawards/ - Hope that this is helpful to you. There are some amazing award winning books and all have an engaging story line.

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Lisa Whittlesey
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service - International Junior Master Gardener Program
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Hi Emily! I used to work at a Natural History Museum and we talked with students about natural processes and earth history a lot. I always gravitated toward books that inspired awe for these things rather than treating them as inanimate. Here is a list of some I love! I hope it's helpful:

Water Dance by Thomas Locker

Water Is Water by Miranda Paul

A Planet Like Ours  by Frank Murphy

Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Ether Series by Simone Akasha Nofel

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari 

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Noel Nicholas
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I don't know any titles off of the top of my head, but you might check out the Growing Good Kids Book Awards list and see if anything there works?  https://jmgkids.us/bookawards/

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Franke Smith
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I like the book The Tree Farmer 

I would also recommend searching the National Agriculture in the Classroom Ag Literacy Curriculum Matrix for books/lessons/activities/resources. You can search by keyword and grade level. 

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Kelsey Fortin
Maine Agriculture in the Classroom
Augusta ME
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Our library puts together a wonderful list each year of books involving nature that also considers important criteria such as reflecting diversity and grounded in real science  https://www.epl.org/booklist/the-blueberry-award-winner-and-honors/

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Laura Nusekabel
Chicago IL
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