Thursday, November 21, 2013

“From Bison to Bread: The American Prairie”

Prairie is the French word for meadow. Prairie originally covered vast areas of North America, from Canada to Texas and from Indiana to the Rocky Mountains. Today, little original prairie is left in North America. Of the 30 million acres of prairie that once covered Iowa it is estimated that only 0.1% remains. Prairies are a diverse pool of plants species, are habitat for many wildlife species and are a protective buffer for ground and surface water supplies. Use Project WILD’s “From Bison to Bread: The American Prairie” to explore Iowa’s prairies.

Book List
Grades 3-5
Arnold, C. 1993. Through the Year with - Prairie Dogs. Scholastic, Inc.
Bannatyne-Cugnet, J. 2002. Heartland: A Prairie Sampler. Tundra.
Bouchard, D. 1998. If You're Not from the Prairie. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Chinery, M. 1992. Grassland Animals. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Cole, M.S. 2003. Prairies. Thomson Gale.
Cook, K.J. 1993. Disappearing Grasslands. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Dvorak Jr., D. 1994. A Sea of Grass. New York: Macmillan.
Erlic, L. 2005. Grasslands. Weigl Publishers, Incorporated.
George, M. 1994. Prairie. Creative Company.
Gray, S.H. 2000. Grasslands. Capstone Press.
Horton, C. 1982. Grasslands and People. Silver Burdett Press.
Horton, C. 1985. Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Jackson, K. and S. Mather. 2006. Explore the Grasslands. Capstone Press.
Johansson, P. 2004. Wide Open Grasslands: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Johnson, R.L., P.V. Saroff and G. Braasch. 2000. A Walk in the Prairie. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, S.A. 1976. Animals of the Grasslands. Lerner Publishing Group.
Khanduri, K. 1994. Grassland Wildlife. EDC Publishing.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Lambert, D. 1988. Grasslands. Silver Burdett Press.
Langley, A. 1993. Grasslands. Reader's Digest Children's Publishing, Incorporated.
Levy, J. 2003. What Lives on a Prairie? Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Lynch, W. and A. Lang. 2006. Prairie Grasslands. T&N Children's Publishing.
Patent, D.H. 1996. Prairies. Holiday House.
Patent, D.H. 1998. Fire: Friend or Foe. Clarion Books.
Patent, D.H. 2003. Life in a Grassland. Lerner Publishing Group.
Pattison, D., and K. Rietz. 2011. Prairie Storms. Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Pipes, R. 1998. Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
Savage, S. 1997. Animals of the Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
St. Antoine, S. 2001. Stories from Where We Live -- The Great North American Prairie. Milkweed Editions.
Staub, F. 1993. America's Prairies. Lerner Publishing Group.
Steele, P. 1997. Grasslands. Lerner Publishing Group.
Stille, D.R. 1998. Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Stone, L.M. 2004. Grasslands. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Thompson, L. 2004. People of the Plains and Prairies. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Wallace, M.D. 2001. America's Prairies and Grasslands: Guide to Plants and Animals. Fulcrum Publishing.
Wilder, L. I., and R. Graef. 1900. Prairie Day (My First Little House Books Series). HarperCollins Publishers.
Winner, C. 2004. Prairie Animals. T&N Children's Publishing.

Grades 6-8
Busch, P.S. 1977. Wildflowers and the Stories Behind Their Names. Charles Scribner & Sons.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Collard, S.B. 2005. Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America’s Lost Grasslands. Houghton Mifflin.
Hoare, B. 2003. Temperate Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Lerner, C. 1980. Seasons of the Tallgrass Prairie. New York: William Morrow and Company.
Murray, P. 1997. Prairies: Biomes of Nature. The Child' World Inc.
Ricciuti, E.R. 1996. Grassland. Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Rotter, C. 2002. The Prairie. Creative Company.
Runkel, S. and D.M. Roosa. 1989. Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Schwarm, L. 2003. On Fire. Duke Un Mentary.
Scullin, W.M. 2005. Young Person's Guide to the Prairie. South River Press.
Siy, A. 1991. Native Grasslands. Silver Burdett Press.
Stone, L.M. 1989. Prairies. Rourke Enterprises, Incorporated.
Tarbox, A. D. 2011. A Prairie Food Chain. The Creative Company.
Toupin, L.P. 2005. Life in the Temperate Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Vyn, K. 1978. The Prairie Community. New York: Julian Messener.

Grades 9-12
Boon, W. and H. Groe. 1990. Nature's Heartland: Native Plant Communities of the Great Plains. Ames:
Brown, L. 1979. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Collard, S. B. 2005. The Prairie Builders : Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company Trade & Reference Division.
Edsall, M.S. 1985. Roadside Plants and Flowers. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Forey, P. and C. Fitzsimons. 1992. Instant Guide to Wildflowers. Random House Value Publishing, Incorporated.
Johnsgard, P.A. 2001. Prairie Birds: Fragile Splendor in the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas.
Johnsgard, P.A. 2005. Prairie Dog Empire: A Saga of the Shortgrass Prairie. University of Nebraska Press.
Kindscher, K. 1992. Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide. University Press of Kansas.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Kurtz, C. 1996. Iowa's Wild Places. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Madson, J. 1994. Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Madson, J. 2005. The Elemental Prairie: Sixty Tallgrass Plants. University of Iowa Press.
Manning, R. 1997. Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie. Penguin Group.
Moul, F. 2006. The National Grasslands: A Guide to America's Undiscovered Treasures. University of Nebraska Press.
Muller, M. 2000. Prairie in Your Pocket: A Guide to Plants of the Tallgrass Prairie. University of Iowa Press.
Packard, S. 2005. Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands. Island Press.
Peterson, R.T. and M. McKenny.1968. A Field Guide to the Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-Central North America. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Sherow, J.E. 2007. The Grasslands of the United States: An Environmental History. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.
Shirley, S.1994. Restoring the Tallgrass Prairie : An Illustrated Manual for Iowa and the Upper Midwest. New York: University of Iowa P.
Smith, J. R., and Smith, B. S. 1980. A Prairie Garden : Seventy Native Plants You Can Grow in Town or Country. New York: University of Wisconsin P.
Thompson, J.R. 1992. Prairies, Forests and Wetlands: The Restoration of Natural Landscape Communities in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.
Waterlow, J. 1996. Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.

Links
ISU Extension: Iowa Prairies
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN203.pdf

What is a Prairie?
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/habitat/whatprai.htm

Iowa Prairie Network
http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Have Seeds Will Travel

It’s time to take a “seed walk”! Autumn is the best time of year for collecting seeds. Take kids out to collect seeds from plants along a trail, in the schoolyard or have them collect seeds from home to bring to school. Then use Project Learning Tree’s “Have Seeds Will Travel” to examine and explore the wonder of seeds!

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Aston, D. 2007. A Seed Is Sleepy. Chronicle Books LLC.
Berger, M. 1994. All about Seeds: A Hands-on Science Book. Scholastic, Inc.
Brown, R. 2001. Ten Seeds. Knopf Publishing Group.
Burns, D.L. and J.F. McGee. 1996. Berries, Nuts,and Seeds (Take-Along Guide). T&N Children's Publishing.
Carle, E. 1991. The Tiny Seed. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Cole, J. 1995. The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow. Scholastic, Inc.
Downden, A.O. 1984. From Flower to Fruit. Thomas Y. Crowell Co.
Doyle, M. and J. Allibone. 2002. Jody's Beans. Candlewick Press.
Ehlert, L. 1992. Planting a Rainbow. Harcourt Children's Books.
Fowler, A. 2001. From Seed to Plant. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Gibbons, G. 1991. From Seed to Plant. Holiday House.
Hickman, P. 1996. A Seed Grows: My First Look at a Plant's Life Cycle. Kids Can Press, Ltd.
Jennings, T.J. 1988. Seeds. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Jordan, H.J. 1992. How a Seed Grows. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Kuchalla, S. 1990. All About Seeds. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Krauss, R. 1993. The Carrot Seed. HarperCollins Publishers.
Lauber, P. 1981. Seeds Pop-Stick-Glide. Crown Publishers, Inc.
Lovejoy, S. 1999. Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children. Workman Publishing Company.
Manning, M. and B. Granstrom. 2003. The Seed I Planted (Wonderwise Readers). Franklin Watts, Ltd.
Marzollo, J. 1996. I'm a Seed. Scholastic, Inc.
Moncure, J.B. 1990. How Seeds Travel: Popguns and Parachutes. Child's World, Incorporated.
Morgan, S. 2004. Flowers, Fruits and Seeds. Thameside Press.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2002. How and Why Seeds Travel. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Pascoe, E. 2003. Plants with Seeds. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Richards, J. and A. Hariton. 2006. A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds. Lerner Publishing Group.
Robbins, K. 2005. Seeds. Atheneum.
Rockwell, A. 1999. One Bean. Walker Books for Young Readers.
Roemer, H.B. 2006. What Kinds of Seeds Are These? T&N Children's Publishing.
Royston, A. 2001. Plants, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds. Heinemann.
Saunders-Smith, G. 1998. Seeds. Capstone Press.
Schaefer, L.M. 2003. Pick, Pull, Snap!: Where Once a Flower Bloomed. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Scrace, C. 2002. Growing Things. Franklin Watts.
Wexler, J. 1988. Flowers, Fruits Seeds. Prentice Hall Books.
Whitehouse, P. 2002. Seeds. Heinemann.
Worth, B. 2001. Oh Say Can You Seed?: All About Flowering Plants. Random House, Incorporated.

Grades 3-5
Anthony, J.A. 1997. Dandelion Seed. California: Dawn Publications.
Berger, M. 1994. All about Seeds: A Hands-on Science Book. Scholastic, Inc.
Bix, C.O. 1982. How Seeds Travel. Lerner Publishing Group.
Branigan, C. 2005. Flowers and Seeds. Smart Apple Media.
Burns, D.L. and J.F. McGee. 1996. Berries, Nuts,and Seeds (Take-Along Guide). T&N Children's Publishing.
Burton, J. and K. Taylor. 1999. Nature and Science of Seeds. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Cole, J. 1995. The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow. Scholastic, Inc.
Farndon, J. 2006. Seeds. Thomson Gale.
Fowler, A. 2001. From Seed to Plant. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Gibbons, G. 1991. From Seed to Plant. Holiday House.
Goodman, S.E. 2001. Seeds, Stems, and Stamens: The Ways Plants Fit into Their World. Lerner Publishing Group.
Hickman, P. 1996. A Seed Grows: My First Look at a Plant's Life Cycle. Kids Can Press, Ltd.
Hoff, M.K. 2004. Pollination. The Creative Company.
Jennings, T.J. 1988. Seeds. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Jennings, T.J. 1989. Seeds and Seedlings. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Jordan, H.J. 1992. How a Seed Grows. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Kalman, B.1996. How a Plant Grows. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Kirkpatrick, R.K. 1990. Look at Seeds and Weeds. Raintree Publishers.
Lauber, P. 1991. Seeds: Pop Stick Glide. Crown Books for Young Readers.
Moncure, J.B. 1990. How Seeds Travel: Popguns and Parachutes. Child's World, Incorporated.
Morgan, S. 2004. Flowers, Fruits and Seeds. Thameside Press.
Overbeck, C. 1982. How Seeds Travel. Minneapolis: Lerner.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2002. How and Why Seeds Travel. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Pascoe, E. 2003. Plants with Seeds. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Richards, J. and A. Hariton. 2006. A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds. Lerner Publishing Group.
Robbins, K. 2004. Seeds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Roemer, H.B. 2006. What Kinds of Seeds Are These? T&N Children's Publishing.
Royston, A. 2001. Plants, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds. Heinemann.
Rushing, F. 2004. Dig, Plant, Grow. Cool Springs Press.
Saunders-Smith, G. 1998. Seeds. Capstone Press.
Schaefer, L.M. 2003. Pick, Pull, Snap!: Where Once a Flower Bloomed. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Scrace, C. 2002. Growing Things. Franklin Watts.
Wexler, J. 1988. Flowers, Fruits Seeds. Prentice Hall Books.
Whitehouse, P. 2002. Seeds. Heinemann.
Worth, B. 2001. Oh Say Can You Seed?: All About Flowering Plants. Random House, Incorporated.

Grades 6-8
Bates, J.W. 1991. Seeds to Plants: Projects with Biology. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Burns, D.L. and J.F. McGee. 1996. Berries, Nuts,and Seeds (Take-Along Guide). T&N Children's Publishing.
Goodman, S.E. 2001. Seeds, Stems, and Stamens: The Ways Plants Fit into Their World. Lerner Publishing Group.
Lauber, P. 1991. Seeds: Pop Stick Glide. Crown Books for Young Readers.
Moncure, J.B. 1990. How Seeds Travel: Popguns and Parachutes. Child's World, Incorporated.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2002. How and Why Seeds Travel. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Pascoe, E. 1996. Seeds and Seedlings. Thomson Gale.
Robbins, K. 2004. Seeds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Royston, A. 2001. Plants, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds. Heinemann.
Saunders-Smith, G. 1998. Seeds. Capstone Press.
Schaefer, L.M. 2003. Pick, Pull, Snap!: Where Once a Flower Bloomed. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Winckler, S. 2002. Planting the Seed: A Guide to Gardening. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 9-12
Bates, J.W. 1991. Seeds to Plants: Projects with Biology. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Burns, D.L. and J.F. McGee. 1996. Berries, Nuts,and Seeds (Take-Along Guide). T&N Children's Publishing.
Kershner, B., et al. 2008. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America. Sterling Publishing.
Kesseler, R., and W. Stuppy. 2009. Seeds: Time Capsules of Life. Firefly Books, Limited.
Martin, A. C. 2000. Seed Identification Manual. The Blackburn Press.
Robbins, K. 2004. Seeds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Thoreau, H. D. 1996. Faith in a Seed: The Dispersion of Seeds and Other Late Natural Natural Writings. Island Press.
Young, J. A. 2009. Seeds of Woody Plants in North America. Timber Press, Inc.