Know Your Legislation: What’s in It for Wildlife?

With the arrival of spring, comes the arrival of new legislation in the state. State representatives and senators have been in session since January 13. Have students explore the role legislation has on wildlife. Project WILD’s “Know Your Legislation: What’s in It for Wildlife?” lets students actively participate in the legislative process.

Contact your state representative and senator to voice students’ opinions. Visit the State of Iowa's legislative website for contact information..

Current Hot Topics in Iowa
Sustainable Funding
Bottle Bill
Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council

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Book List
Grades 3-5
Binns, T.B. 2002. EPA: Environmental Protection Agency. Heinemann Library.
Priebe, M. 2000. Bald Eagle: Endangered No More. Mindfull Publishing.
Pringle, L.P. 1990. Saving Our Wildlife. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.

Grades 6-8
Crump, D.J. 1987. Wildlife: Making a Comeback. National Geographic Society.
Geisel, T. 1971. The Lorax. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Goodnough, D. 2001. Endangered Animals of North America. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Jenkins, P. 1996. Falcons Nest on Skyscrapers. HarperTrophy.
Lasky, K. 1999. She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head. Hyperion.
Law, K.J. 1988. Environmental Protection Agency. Chelsea House Publishers.
Netzley, P.D. 1997. Issues in the Environment. Gale Group.
Reading, R.P. 2000. Endangered Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues. Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Sonneborn, L. 2007. Environmental Movement: Protecting Our Natural Resources. Chelsea House Publishers.
Stanley, P. 1996. American Environmental Heroes. Enslow Publishers.

Grades 9-12
Bang. M. 1997. Common Ground: The Earth We Share. Blue Sky Press.
Bell, D. 1998. Political Ecology: Global and Local. Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Carson, R. 2002. Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Collard, S. 2000. Acting For Nature: What Young People Around the World Are Doing to Protect the Environment. Heyday Books.
Conrad, R. 1997. Places of Quiet Beauty: Parks, Preserves, and Environmentalism. University of Iowa Press.
Gaughen, S. 2005. Endangered Species. Gale Group.
Gore, A. 2006. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About it. Rodale Books.
Hoyt, E. 1991. Extinction A-Z. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 2000. Iowa: Portrait of the Land. Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
McClung, R.M. 1993. Lost Wild America: The Story of Our Extinct and Vanishing Wildlife. Shoe String Press, Incorporated.
McConnell, R.L. 1998. Environmental Issues: Measuring Analyzing, and Evaluating. Prentice Hall Professional Technical.
Oleszek, W.J. 2000. Congressional Procedures and Policy Process. Congressional Procedures and Policy Process.
Pomerantz, C. 1971. The Day They Parachuted Cats on Borneo: A Drama of Ecology. Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers.
Roberts, R. 1998. Endangered Species. Gale Group.
Sanderson, J. and M. Moulton. 1998. Wildlife Issues in a Changing World. CRC Press.
Schwartz, M. 1993. Environment and the Law. Chelsea House Publishers.
Van Allsburg, C. 1990. Just a Dream. Houghton Miffin.
Wilkinson, D. 2002. Environment and Law. Taylor & Francis, Inc.

Spring Migration

Some birds’ spring migration takes place as early as February or March. Project WILD Aquatic’s activity “Migration Headache” takes a look at the obstacles birds face while making their journey. As an extension, have students set up a bird feeder outside a classroom window. Record the types of birds that visit the feeder. Note new arrivals, and dates they are first observed at the feeder.

For a detailed list of early arrivals and late departure dates for migrating Iowa birds, visit the Iowa Ornithologists' Union website.

Book List
PreK-2
Allen, K. 2006. Why Do Birds Fly South in the Winter?: A Book About Migration. Capstone Press.
Gans, R. 1996. How Do Birds Find their Way? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2). Harper Trophy.
Herkert, B. 2001. Birds in Your Backyard(Sharing Nature With Children Book). Dawn Publications.
Lerner, C. 2001. On the Wing: American Birds in Migration. HarperCollins.
Ray, M. 2004. Welcome Brown Bird. Harcourt Children’s Books.
Williams, J. 1990. Life Cycle of a Swallow. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 3-5
Ahlstrom, M.E. and H. Schroeder. 1984. Canada Goose. Silver Burdett Press.
Arnold, C. 2003. Birds: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines. Charles Bridge Publishing.
Goodall, J. & Reichstein, A. 2002. Eagle and the Wren: A Fable. North South Books.
Lerner, C. 2001. On the Wing: American Birds in Migration. HarperCollins.
Owens, M. 1993. Counting Cranes. Little Brown.
Penny, M. 1987. Animal Migration. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Ryder, J. 1994. Catching the Wind (A Just for a Day Book). Mulberry Books.
Spinelli, E. 2000. Song for the Whooping Crane. Wm. B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company.
Tagholm, S. 2003. The Barn Owl (Animal Lives series). Kingfisher.

Grades 6-8
Arnold, C. 1997. Hawk Highway in the Sky: Watching Raptor Migration. Gulliver Green.
Bishop, N. 2007. The Secrets of Animal Flight. Houghton Mifflin.
Blassingame, W. 1982. Wonders of Egrets, Bitterns, and Herons. Penguin Group (USA).
Cherry, L. 1997. Flute’s Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush. Harcourt Children’s Books.
Kiesler, K. 2002. Wings on the Wind: Bird Poems. Clarion Books.
Owens, M. 1993. Counting Cranes. Little Brown.
Ryder, J. 1994. Catching the Wind (A Just for a Day Book). Mulberry Books.
Salmansohn, P. & Kress, S. 2005. Saving Birds: Heroes Around the World. Tilbury House.
Schaefer, L. 2004. Arrowhawk. Henry Holt and Co.
Tagholm, S. 2003. The Barn Owl (Animal Lives series). Kingfisher.

Grades 9-12
Arnold, C. 1997. Hawk Highway in the Sky: Watching Raptor Migration. Gulliver Green.
Bishop, N. 2007. The Secrets of Animal Flight. Houghton Mifflin.
Kiesler, K. 2002. Wings on the Wind: Bird Poems. Clarion Books.
Salmansohn, P. & Kress, S. 2005. Saving Birds: Heroes Around the World. Tilbury House.

Trees as Habitats

Winter is a great time to explore how trees provide homes for wildlife. Project Learning Tree’s activity “Trees as Habitats” allows students to take a look at the interrelationships between different organisms that use trees.

Use this activity in combination with “Adopt-a-Tree.” What animals are using the tree now? If they can’t find any, can they find their evidence (tracks, nests, holes, etc.)? Have students visit the same tree in the spring. Do the same animals use the tree? Are there more or less animals in the spring?

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Brenner, B. 2004. One Small Space in a Tree. HarperCollins.
Brett, J. 1989. The Mitten. G.P. Putnam Sons.
Bunting, E. 1994. The Night Tree. Voyager Books.
Costian, M. 2001. Life in a Tree: Focus, Habitat. Tandem Library.
Denver, J. 1990. Alfie the Christmas Tree. National Wildlife Federation.
Fisher, A. 1965. In the Woods, In the Meadow, In the Sky. Scribner.
Hutchins, P. 1972. Good-Night Owl!. MacMillan.
Iverson, D. 1999. My Favorite Tree: Teriffic Trees of North America. Dawn Publications.
Lavies, B. 1989. Tree Trunk Traffic. Dutton.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log’s Life. Simon & Schuster.
Ryder, J. 1989. A Chipmunk Song. Lodestar Books.
Seiffert, P. 1994. Exploring Tree Habitats (Exploring Habitats). Mondo Publishing.
Schwartz, D. 1999. In a Tree. Gareth Steven Publications.
Van Laan, N. 2000. A Tree for Me. Random House.

Grades 3-5
Brenner, B. 2004. One Small Space in a Tree. HarperCollins.
Bunting, E. 1994. The Night Tree. Voyager Books.
Denver, J. 1990. Alfie the Christmas Tree. National Wildlife Federation.
Hutchins, P. 1972. Good-Night Owl!. MacMillan.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log’s Life. Simon & Schuster.
Tresselt, A. 1992. The Gift of a Tree. Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Books.
Wong, H & Vessel, M. 1969. Our Tree. Addison-Wesley.

Spring Preparation

A common misconception is that the buds on trees form in the spring just before the leaves open up. However, by the time a tree’s leaves drop in the fall, its leaves for the next spring are already formed. Project Learning Tree’s activity “Bursting Buds” lets students investigate the stages leaf buds go through as leaves develop during the year. Adapt this activity by starting in the winter instead of the fall. For older students, have them work on identifying trees based upon the bud scars. This approach, sometimes in combination with bark, and tree shape, are ways people identify trees when they no longer have leaves.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bernard, R. 2001. A Tree for All Seasons. National Geographic Children’s Books.
Bourgoing, P. 1992. The Tree. Scholastic First Discovery Books.
Dorros, A. 1997. A Tree is Growing. Scholastic, Inc.
Ehlert, L. 2005. Leaf Man. Harcourt Trade Publishers.
Fontes, J.K. 2002. Signs of Spring. Mondo Publishing.
Gibbons, G. 2002. Tell Me Tree: All About Trees for Kids. Little, Brown Young Readers.
Iverson, D. 1999. My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees of North America.. Dawn Publications.
Lionni, L. 1992. A Busy Year. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Locker, T. 1995. Sky Tree. Harper Collins Publishers.
Lyon, G. 1996. ABCedar: an Alphabet of Trees. Scholastic Inc..
Miller, D. 2003. Are Trees Alive? Walker Books for Young Readers.
Morrison, G. 2005. Oak Tree. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Oppenheim, J. 1967. Have You Seen Trees. Addison Wesley Longman Publishing Company.
Saunders-Smith, G. 1997. From Bud to Blossom. Coughlan Publishing.
Schwartz, D.M. 2000. Plant Blossoms. Gareth Stevens Audio.

Grades 3-5
Burnie, D. 2005. Tree. DK Publishing, Inc.
Dowden, A. 1975. The Blossom on the Bough: A Book of Trees. Thomas Y. Crowell.
Garelick, M. & Brenner, B. 1979. The Tremendous Tree Book. Four Winds Press.
George, K. 1998. Old Elm Speaks. Clarion Books.
Gibbons, G. 1984. The Season of Arnold’s Apple Tree. Voyager Books.
Hiscock, B. 1991. The Big Tree. Atheneum Books-MacMillan.
Iverson, D. 1999. My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees of North America. Dawn Publications.
Leslie, C. 1991. Nature All Year Long. Harper Collins Children Book Group.
Locker, T. 1995. Sky Tree. Harper Collins Publishers.
Lyons, D. 2002. The Tree. Illumination Arts Publishing.
Simon. S. 1973. A Tree on Your Street. Holiday House Inc.

Grades 6-8
Arnosky, J. 1992. Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees. Bradbury Press-MacMillan.
Garelick, M. & Brenner, B. 1979. The Tremendous Tree Book. Four Winds Press.
Simon. S. 1973. A Tree on Your Street. Holiday House Inc.
Zim, H. S. 1989. Trees: A Guide to Familiar American Trees. St. Martin's Press.

Grades 9-12
Rushforth, K. 2004. The Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada. Globe Pequot Press.
Zim, H.S. 2001. Trees: A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press. Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press.

Climate Change
According to most scientists, global warming is the single most important issue that affects our environment. Project Learning Tree’s activity, The Global Climate, is a good starting point for exploring this topic.

After students complete the student page “Saving a Ton of CO2” with their families, ask students what they can do individually to reduce CO2 every day (e.g. turn off lights when they leave a room, turn off electronics and unplug them when not in use, etc.). What can your school do?

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Aston, D.H. 2003. Loony Little. Candlewick Press.
Donnelly, K.J. 2003. Floods of the Past and Future. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Rockwell, A.F. 2006. Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?: The Dangers of Global Warming. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 3-5
David, L. and C. Gordon. 2007. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. Scholastic, Inc.
Fretwell, H. 2007. The Sky's Not Falling!: Why It's OK to Chill about Global Warming. World Ahead Publishing, Inc.
Howell, L. 2004. Introduction to Weather and Climate Change. Usborne Publishing Limited.
Morgan, S. 2007. Changing Climate. Sea to Sea Publications.
Morris, N. and R. Bowden. 2007. Global Warming. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Oxlade, C. 2002. Global Warming. Coughlan Publishing.
Pringle, L.P. 1990. Global Warming: Assessing the Greenhouse Threat. Arcade Publishing.
Rowland-Entwistle, T. 1991. Weather and Climate. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Taylor, B. 2001. How to Save the Planet. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Thornhill, J. 2007. This Is My Planet: The Kid's Guide to Global Warming. Maple Tree Press.
Varilla, M. 2004. Scholastic Atlas of Weather. Scholastic, Inc.

Grades 6-8
Blashfield, J.F. and W.B. Black. 1991. Global Warming. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Calhoun, Y. 2007. Environment in the News. Chelsea House Publishers.
Cherry, L. 2008. How we know what we know about our Changing Climate: Scientists and kids Explore Global Warming. Dawn Publications.
Fridell, R. 2002. Global Warming. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Lourie, P. 2007. Arctic Thaw: The People of the Whale in a Changing Climate. Boyds Mills Press.
Nardo, D. 2005. Ozone. Thomson Gale.
Parks, P.J. 2003. Global Warming. Thomson Gale.
Peckham, A. 1991. Global Warming. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Pringle, L.P. 2001. Global Warming: The Threat of Earth's Changing Climate. Seastar Books.
Silverstein, A. 2003. Global Warming. Lerner Publishing Group.
Scoones, S. 2002. Climate Change: Our Impact on the Planet. Raintree Publishers.
Stein, P. 2001. Forecasting the Climate of the Future. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Smith, T. 2004. Earth's Changing Climate. Smart Apple Media.
Tanaka, S. 2007. Climate Change. Groundwood Books.
Vogel, C.G. 2003. Human Impact. Scholastic Library Publishing.
World Almanac. 2002. Climate and the Environment. Gareth Stevens Audio.

Grades 9-12
Bilger, B. 1992. Global Warming. Chelsea House Publishers.
Evans, K. 2007. Weird Weather: Everything You Didn't Want to Know about Climate Change but Probably Should Find Out. Groundwood Books.
Leggett, J. 2001. The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era. Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Stevens, W.K. 2001. Change in the Weather: People, Weather, and the Science of Climate. Dell Publishing.
Tesar, J. 2002. Global Warming. Replica Books.

What’s in the Air?
While Iowans don’t focus on acid rain, it still continues in parts of the country. Project WILD Aquatic’s activity “What’s in the Air” takes a look at acid rain, and the effects it may have on aquatic life and habitats.

Have students research Iowa’s role in acid rain. Does acid rain fall in Iowa? Do factories in Iowa release the pollutants described that can create acid rain? Are there any of these factories in your community? If so, how do they try to prevent pollutants from entering the air? Have these factories had to modify their production/disposal of waste to prevent air pollution since they were built?

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Asimov, I. 1992. Why Is the Air Dirty? Gareth Stevens Audio.
Branley, F.M. 1986. Air Is All around You. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Kallen, S.A. 1993. If the Sky Could Talk. ABDO Publishing Company.
Stille, D.R. 2004. Air: Outside, inside, and All Around. Capstone Press.
Wheeler, J. 1993. For the Birds: A Book about Air. ABDO Publishing Company.
Llewellyn, C. 2003. Fight Air Pollution. Thameside Press.

Grades 3-5
Hudak, H.C. 2006. Air Pollution. Weigl Publishers, Incorporated.
Llewellyn, C. 2003. Fight Air Pollution. Thameside Press.
Patchett, L. 1994. Clean Air, Dirty Air. A&C Black Publishers, Ltd.
Snodgrass, M.E. 1991. Environmental Awareness: Air Pollution. Finney Company, Incorporated.

Grades 6-8
Calhoun, Y. 2007. Environment in the News. Chelsea House Publishers.
Chapman, M. 2002. Air Pollution: Our Impact on the Planet. Raintree Publishers.
Costa-Pau, R. 1994. Keeping the Air Clean. Chelsea House Publishers.
George, M. 1992. Air Pollution. Creative Company.
Miller, C.G. and L.A. Berry. 1996. Air Alert: Rescuing the Earth's Atmosphere. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Grades 9-12
Miller, E.W. 1998. Indoor Pollution: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.

Pollution Search
Sometimes pollution is easy to see (litter). Other times, it may be difficult (in Iowa, air pollution from cars). Project Learning Tree’s activity “Pollution Search” takes elementary students outside the classroom to look for types of pollution in their neighborhood.

Adapt this activity to middle grades by searching for pollution throughout your community using aerial photos or satellite images. As a research project, students choose different locations on maps, and investigate the types of pollution found. Continue the research by contacting the locations (factories, stores with parking lots, Natural Resource Conservation Service office, etc.) to see what places or people do to reduce/eliminate pollution. Have students give presentations to the class or community on additional ways to reduce pollution in their community.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Amos, J. 1993. Pollution. Steck-Vaughn.
Berenstain, S. 1991. Berenstain Bears Don't Pollute (Anymore). Random House Children's Books.
Berger, M. 1994. Oil Spill! HarperCollins Publishers.
Bunting, E. 1996. Someday a Tree. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cast, C.V. 1994. Where Does Pollution Come From? Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Geisel, T.S. (Dr. Suess). 1976. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. Random House, Inc.
Geisel, T.S. (Dr. Suess). 1971. The Lorax. Random House, Inc.
Harlow, R. and S. Morgan. 2002. Pollution and Waste. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Harper, J. 2006. All the Way to the Ocean. Freedom Three Publishing.

Grades 3-5
Cherry, L. 2002. River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Harcourt Children's Books.
Harlow, R. 2002. Pollution and Waste. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Norton, P. 1997. Earth Watch: A BBC Fact Finders Book. Parkwest Publications, Incorporated.
Santrey, L. 1985. Conservation and Pollution. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Snodgrass, M.E. 1991. Environmental Awareness: Land Pollution. Finney Company, Incorporated.
Stotksy, S. 1997. Pollution: Problems and Solutions. Chelsea House Publishers.
Van Allsburg, C. 1990. Just a Dream. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Walker, J. 2004. Atmosphere in Danger. Stargazer Books.

Grades 6-8
Brown, P. 2003. Global Pollution. Raintree Publishers.
Burns, L.G. 2007. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Gifford, C. 2006. Pollution. Heinemann Library.
Nardo, D. 2005. Ozone. Thomson Gale.
World Almanac. 2002. Climate and the Environment. Gareth Stevens Audio.

Grades 9-12
Haley, J. 2002. Pollution. Thomson Gale.
Miller, E. W. and R.M. Miller. 1998. Indoor Pollution: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.
Roleff, T.L. 1999. Pollution. Gale Group.

Winter Wonderland

Kids love winter. It’s so much fun to bundle up and play outside in the fluffy, white snow. When they are done playing, they go back inside their warm house and enjoy a big cup of hot cocoa. What about plants and animals during the winter? How do they keep warm?

Find the answers to these questions and discover the beauty of winter through these great books.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bancroft, H. 1997. Animals in Winter. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Barasch, L. 1993. A Winter Walk. Ticknor & Fields.
Bauer, M.D. 1997. Turtle Dreams. Holiday House, Inc.
Berger, M. 1995. What Do Animals Do in Winter?: How Animals Survive the Cold. Ideals Publications.
Brett, J. 1996. The Mitten. Penguin Group.
Buehner, C. 2002. Snowmen at Night. Dial.
Butler, M.C. 2006. One Winter's Day. Good Books.
Cartwright, A. 1990. The Winter Hedgehog. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Cole, J. 1973. Plants in Winter. Harpercollins.
Conrad, H. 2001. Lights of Winter: Winter Celebrations Around the World. Lightport Books.
Cuyler, M. 2005. Groundhog Stays up Late. Walker & Company.
Denslow, S.P. 2005. In the Snow. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Dixon, A. 2002. Winter Is. Alaska Northwest Books.
Evans, L. 2002. Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Fallon, J. 2005. Snowball Fight. Dutton Juvenile.
Finnegan, M.P. 2002. Winter: Signs of the Season around North America. Capstone Press.
Fleming, D. 2001. Time to Sleep. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Florian, D. 1999. Winter Eyes. Greenwillow Books.
Freedman, C. 2003. Gooseberry Goose. Tiger Tales.
Freedman, R. 1981. When Winter Comes. Penguin Young Readers Group.
George, J.C. 1995. Dear Rebecca, Winter Is Here. HarperTrophy.
George, J.C. 2001. Winter Moon. HarperCollins Publishers.
Gershator, P. 2001. When It Starts to Snow. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Glaser, L. 2002. It's Winter. Millbrook Press.
Good, E.W. 1994. White Wonderful Winter! Good Books.
Hader, B. 2005. The Big Snow. Simon & Schuster Children's.
Hirschi, R. 1996. Winter. Penguin Group Incorporated.
Hiscock, B. 1995. When Will It Snow? Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Jones, J.B. 2001. Who Lives in the Snow? Rinehart P.
Kirk, D. 2004. Snow Dude. Hyperion.
Kroll, L. 2003. Winter, Awake! SteinerBooks, Incorporated.
Lawlor, E.P. 1998. Discover Nature in Winter: Things to Know and Things to Do. Stackpole Books.
McDonnell, J. 1993. Winter: Tracks in the Snow. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Minor, W. 1996. Red Fox Running. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Moncure, J.B. 2000. In Winter. Child's World, Incorporated.
Moore, E. 2005. The Magic School Bus Sleeps for the Winter. Scholastic, Inc.
Moutran, J.S. 1987. Story of Punxsutawney Phil, "the Fearless Forecaster". Literary Publications.
Murray, M.D. 2003. Don't Wake Up The Bear. Marshall Cavendish Inc.
National Geographic Society. 1997. Animals In Winter. National Geographic Children's Books.
Partridge, E. 1992. Moon Glowing. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Pascoe, E. 2000. How and why Animals Prepare for Winter. Creative Teaching Press, Incorporated.
Pfeffer,W. 2003. The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice. Dutton Juvenile.
Prelutsky, J. 1984. It's Snowing! It's Snowing! Greenwillow Books.
Sabuda, R. 2005. Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Sams, C.R. 2000. Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy. Sams, Carl, R. II, Photography.
Sayre, A.P. 1998. Home at Last: A Song of Migration. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Schnur, S. 2002. Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic. Clarion Books; Library Binding edition.
Sherrow, V. 1997. Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane. Soundprints.
Seuling, B. 2002. Winter Lullaby. Harcourt Children's Books.
Stewart, P. 1999. Little Bit of Winter. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Stojic, M. 2002. Snow. Crown Books for Young Readers.
Stringer, L. 2006. Winter Is the Warmest Season. Harcourt Children's Books.
Thayer, T. 2001. Winter. Lerner Publishing Group.
Thomson, R. 1989. Winter. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Van Laan, N. 2000. When Winter Comes: A Lullaby. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Vestergaard, H. 2004. Hello, Snow! Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Wallace, K. 2000. A Bed for Winter. DK Publishing, Inc.
Wellington, M. 2000. Bunny's First Snowflake. Penguin Group Incorporated.
Wildsmith, B. 1991. Animal Seasons. Oxford University Press.
Wilson, K. 2002. Bear Snores On. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Grades 3-5
Albert, T. 1998. A Kid's Winter EcoJournal: With Nature Activities for Exploring the Season. Trickle Creek Books.
Berger, G. 2002. Do Bears Sleep All Winter? Sagebrush Education Resources.
Beskow, E.M. 1982. Ollie's Ski Trip. Floris Books.
Brimmer, L.D. 1991. Animals That Hibernate. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Burton, J. and K. Taylor. 1999. Nature and Science of Winter. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Drake, J. 2004. Snow Amazing: Cool Facts and Warm Tales. Tundra.
George, J.C. 2001. Winter Moon. HarperCollins Publishers.
HarperCollins Publishing. 1998. Birds in Winter. Zondervan.
Hull, R. 1991. Poems for Winter. Steck-Vaughn.
Jackson, E. 1997. The Winter Solstice. Millbrook Press.
Lenski, L. 2000. I Like Winter. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Meyer, M.L. 2002. Winter. Smart Apple Media.
Penny, M. 2004. Hidden Hibernators. Heinemann.
Perry, P.J. 2001. Animals That Hibernate. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Simon, S. 1994. Winter across America. Hyperion Books for Children.
Stille, D.R. 2001. Winter. Capstone Press.
Webster, D. 1989. Winter: Activities, Projects, Science Facts. Silver Burdett Press.
Whipple, L. 2003. A Snowflake Fell: Poems About Winter. Barefoot Books.
Whitlock, R. 1987. Winter. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Yolen, J. 2005. Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children. Boyds Mills Press.

Grades 6-8
Jones, A. 2006. Four Seasons: Uncovering Nature. Firefly Books, Limited.
Santrey, L. 1982. Winter. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Watts, M.T. 1970. Winter Tree Finder. Nature Study Guild.

Grades 9-12
Arnosky, J. 1988. Sketching Outdoors in Winter. HarperCollins Publishers.
Bastedo, J. 2003. Falling for Snow: A Naturalist's Journey Into the World of Winter. Red Deer Press.
Brown, L. 1997. Wildflowers and Winter Weeds. Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Chu, Miyoko. 2006. Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds. Walker & Company.
Gilliland, H. 1992. Mystery Tracks in the Snow. Naturegraph Publishers, Incorporated.
Harrison, K. 1990. Birds of Winter. Random House, Incorporated.
Heinrich, B. 2003. Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. HarperCollins Publishers.
Marchand, P.J. 1987. Life in the Cold: An Introduction to Winter Ecology. University Press of New England.
Stokes, D.W. 1979. Stokes Guide to Nature in Winter. Little, Brown & Company.
Trelease, W. 1967. Winter Botany: An Identification Guide to Native Trees and Shrubs. Dover Publications.

Exploring Nature with Your Senses

Nature is abundant with patterns, colors, and textures. Project Learning Tree’s activity, “The Shape of Things,” is a great outdoor activity that incorporates math, language arts, science and visual arts. As an extension to Part A, incorporate colors when describing what shape is found. Give each child a paint swatch of a natural color and have them match it to one of the shapes they find. You could also include textures by having students match the texture of their clothes to their natural object.

While “The Shape of Things” is geared towards the youngest of students, try using a shortened version of this activity with older students before hikes or service learning projects to sharpen observation skills. To incorporate language arts, use shapes as various symbols of nature (triangle = pine tree, circle = entrance to tunnel, etc.). Have students compare and contrast items in their daily lives with the symbols through poetry or essay.

For more thoughts on children exploring nature through their senses, read “A Sense of Wonder” by Rachel Carson.

Book List
PreK-2
Baylor, B. 1997. The Other Way to Listen. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Becker, B. 1995. The Quiet Way Home. Bill Martin Books.
Bouchard, D. 1996. Voices from the Wild: An Animal Sensagoria. Chronicle Books LLC.
Brown, R. 1989. If at First You Do Not See. Henry Holt and Co.
Carter, D.A. 1996. Colors and Shapes. Little Simon.
Dodds, D.A. 1996. Shape of Things. Candlewick Press.
Falwell, C. 1992. Shape Space. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Graff, N.P. 1998. In the Hush of the Evening. HarperCollins Publishers.
Harris, T. 2001. Pattern Bugs. Lerner Publishing Group.
Hickman, P. 2006. How Animals Use Their Senses. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Hoban, T. 1984. Is It Rough? Is It Smooth? Is It Shiny? HarperCollins Publishers.
Hoban, T. 1996. Shapes, Shapes, Shapes. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hoban, T. 1998. So Many Circles, So Many Squares. HarperCollins Publishers.
Kaner, E. 1999. Animal Senses: How Animals See, Hear, Taste, Smell and Feel. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Martin, Jr., B. 1988. Listen to the Rain. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Morgan, S. 2002. Animals and Their World. Kingfisher.
Rau, D.M. 2006. Star in My Orange: Looking for Nature's Shapes. Lerner Publishing Group.
Reed, J. 2003. Animal Patterns. Capstone Press.
Roemer, H.B. 2004. Come to My Party and Other Shape Poems. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Rotner, S. 1992. Nature Spy. Atheneum.
Roy, J.R. 2005. Patterns in Nature. Benchmark Books.
Rylant, C. 1991. Night in the Country. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Seuss, Dr. The Shape of Me and Other Stuff. Random House Children's Books.
Stockdale, S. 1999. Nature's Paintbrush: The Patterns and Colors around You. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Swinburne, S.R. 2002. Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes: Patterns in Nature. Boyds Mills Press.
Showers, P. 1993. The Listening Walk. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Owen, R. 1994. My Night Forest. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Wallace, N.E. 2006. Look! Look! Look! Marshall Cavendish Children's Books.

Grades 3-5
Ackerman, D. 2003. Animal Sense. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Branzei, S. 1998. Virtual Grossology. Planet Dexter.
Ebensen, B.J. 1996. Echoes for the Eye: Poems to Celebrate Patterns in Nature. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Hidalgo, M. 2003. Color. Creative Company.
Patent, D.H. 1979. Sizes and Shapes in Nature: What They Mean. Holiday House, Inc.
Pringle, L.P. 2000. Taste. Benchmark Books.
Santa Fe Writers Group. 1993. Bizarre and Beautiful Noses. Avalon Travel Publishing.
Yolen, J. 2004. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. Boyds Mills Press.

Grades 9-12
Downer, J. 1988. Supersense: Perception in the Animal World. Holt and Company.
Haeckel, E.H. 1974. Art Forms in Nature. Dover Publications.
Hughes, HC. 1999. Sensory Exotica: A World Beyond Human Experience. MIT Press.
Sinclair, S. 1985. How Animals See: Other Visions of Our World. Facts on File Incorporated.
Wade, D. 2003. LI: Dynamic Form in Nature. Walker & Company.

Creatures of the Night

A fun variation to Project WILD’s activity “Animal Charades” is to focus on diurnal (active during the day) and nocturnal (active at night) animals. Extend this activity by researching various animals from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ “Biodiversity Aquatic Habitats of Iowa” CD-Rom. For copies or more information about this CD-Rom, contact the Aquatic Education Program.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Behm, B.J. 1999. Daytime and Nighttime Animals. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Bender, L. 1989. Animals of the Night. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Bertolucci, C., A. Bartolozzi, and F. Milo. 2003. Animals by Day & Night. School Specialty Children's Publishing.
Brooks, S. 2005. Creatures of the Night. Purple Sky Publishing.
Cannon, J. 1993. Stellaluna. Harcourt Children's Books.
Carle, E. 1999. The Very Lonely Firefly. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Davies, V. 2004. Animals at Night. Thomson Gale.
Dondiego, B.L. and R. Vansant. 1997. Nocturnal Animals and Classroom Nights. McGraw-Hill Companies.
Earle, A. 1995. Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats. HarperTrophy.
Flanagan, A.K. 1996. Night Birds. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Fraser, M.A. 1999. Where Are the Night Animals? HarperCollins Children's Books.
Galvin, L.G. 1996. Armadillo at Riverside Road. Soundprints.
Gay, M.L. 2004. Stella, Princess of the Sky. Groundwood Books.
Gibbons, G. 2000. Bats. Holiday House.
Guidoux, V. 2006. By Day and By Night. Firefly Books, Limited.
Harwood, B. 2002. Woody Woodpecker: Amazing Animal Night Animals. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Hawes, J. 1991. Fireflies in the Night. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hirschi, R. 2000. When Night Comes. Boyds Mills Press.
Hosta, D. 2003. I Love the Night. Brown Dog Books.
Jeunesse, G. 1998. Night Creatures. Scholastic.
Johnston, T. 2000. Desert Song. Gibbs Smith.
Kaufmann, J. 1972. Bats in the Dark. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Kudlinski, K. 2005. The Sunset Switch. T&N Children's Publishing.
Lesser, C. 1984. Goodnight Circle. Harcourt.
Mabie, G. 1997. Picture Book of Night-Time Animals. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Meredith, S. 2003. Night Animals. Usborne Publishing Limited.
Milton, J. 1994. Bats and Other Animals of the Night. Random House, Incorporated.
Moncure, J.B. 1990. Night Animals: Wake up, Little Owl. Child's World, Incorporated.
Peters, S. 1993. Animals at Night. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Pizer, A. 2003. It's a Perfect Night. Macmillan UK.
Richardson, A.D. 2002. Owls: Flat-Faced Flyers. Coughlan Publishing.
Rose, D.L. 2003. One Nighttime Sea. Scholastic, Inc.
Scholastic Books. 1998. Night Creatures. Scholastic, Inc.
Shaw, N. 2003. Raccoon Tune. Holt, Henry Books for Young Readers.
Silver, D.M. 1994. One Very Small Square: Nighttime in My Backyard. W. H. Freeman Company.
Souci, D.S. 1990. North Country Night. Doubleday Publishing.
Tyers, J. 1996. When It Is Night and when It Is Day. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Walker, S.M. 1997. Opossum at Sycamore Road. Soundprints.
Ward, J. 2005. Forest Bright, Forest Night. Dawn Publications.
Weber, B. 2006. The Best Book of Night Time Animals. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Whitehouse, P. 2002. What's Awake 1 2 3. Heinemann.
Whitehouse, P. 2002. What's Awake ABC. Heinemann.

Grades 3-5
Barlowe, S. 2000. Learning about Nocturnal Creatures. Dover Publications.
Bash, B. 2004. Shadows of the Night. Sierra Club Books for Children.
Berger, M. 2001. How Do Bats See in the Dark?: Questions and Answers about Night Creatures. Scholastic, Inc.
Carwardine, M. 1989. Night Animals. Garrett Educational Corporation.
Craig, J. 1990. Amazing World of Night Creatures. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Green, J. 2001. Night Creatures. Scholastic, Inc.
Heinrichs, A.R. 2004. Fireflies. Coughlan Publishing.
Hickman, P. 1999. Night Book: Exploring Nature after Dark with Activities, Experiments and Information. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Hussain, I. 1999. Totally Amazing Night Animals. Random House Children's Books.
Jennings, T. 1991. Light and Dark. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Krautwurst, T. 2003. Night Science for Kids: Exploring the World After Dark. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Liptak, K. 1989. Out in the Night. Rinehart P.
Loewer, J.P. 1998. Moonflower. Peachtree Publishers.
Penny, M. 1996. Night Creatures. Steck-Vaughn.
Pipe, J. 1998. Creatures of the Night. Millbrook Press, Inc.
Pope, J. 1993. Night Creatures. Troll Communications L.L.C.
Ray, S. 1993. Just Right for the Night. SRA/McGraw-Hill.
Rinard, J.E. 1977. Creatures of the Night. National Geographic Society.
Roberts, L.J. 2006. Arc of Light. Trafford Publishing.
Taylor, K. 1991. Hidden by Darkness. Dell Publishing.
Tunney, C. 1987. Midnight Animals. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Turner, M. 2004. Night Movers. Heinemann.
Whayne, S.S. 1993. Night Creatures. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Grades 6-8
Emory, J. 1994. Nightprowlers. Harcourt Children's Books.
Ganeri, A. 1993. Small Mammals. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Pope, J. 1992. Life in the Dark. Steck-Vaughn.
Wexo, J.B. 1995. Night Animals. Creative Company.

Wildlife Myths

The majority of children’s knowledge about the natural world is gained through television, instead of direct contact with nature. Does this effect a child’s perception of wildlife? Project WILD’s activity “Saturday Morning Wildlife Watching,” takes a look at misconceptions that may occur. Instead of watching a television show in class, have students think about cartoons they have seen in the past. As an extension, take students for a wildlife hike around school grounds, or in a natural area.

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Dennard, D. 1997. Do Cats Have Nine Lives? Lerner Publishing Group.
Dennard, D. 1997. How Wise Is an Owl? Lerner Publishing Group.
Ernst, L.C. 2003. Goldilocks Returns. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Holub, J. 2004. Why Do Snakes Hiss?: And Other Questions about Snakes, Lizards, and Turtles. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Lowell, S. 2004. Dusty Locks and the Three Bears. Holt, Henry Books for Young Readers.
Moore, J.E. 1995. Bats: A Complete Thematic Unit. Evan-Moor Educational Publishers.
Perlman, J. 1995. Cinderella Penguin. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Simon, S. 1987. Animal Fact, Animal Fable. Random House Children's Books.
Simon, S. 1994. Snakes. HarperCollins Publishers.
Spinelli, E. 2004. Sophie's Masterpiece. Aladdin.
Stanley, D. 2007. Goldie and the Three Bears. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 3-5
Boutiller, J. 2005. Pigs Aren't Dirty, Bears Aren't Slow: And Other Truths about Misunderstood Animals. Annick Press, Limited.
McConoughey, J. and H. Schroeder. 1983. Wolves. Silver Burdett Press.
Sussman, S. 1987. Lies (people believe) About Animals. Albert Whitman.
Ra'Oof, M.O. 1995. Little Stinky Skunk. A + Children's Books and Music.
Waldrop, V.H., D. Anker, and E.B. Blizard. 1988. Unhuggables: The Truth about Snakes, Slugs, Skunks, Spiders, and Other Animals That Are Hard to Love. National Wildlife Federation.
White, E.B. 1974. Charlotte's Web. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 6-8
Sway, M. 1999. Bats: Mammals That Fly. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 9-12
Mattison, C. 1995. Encyclopedia of Snakes. Facts on File, Incorporated.
Shedd, W. 2001. Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind: A Naturalist Debunks Our Favorite Fallacies About Wildlife. Crown Publishing Group.
Tait, M. 2006. Animal Tragic: Popular Misconceptions of Wildlife through the Centuries. Think Books.

Native American Culture

Iowa has a long and fascinating Native American history. Project Learning Tree’s activity “Native Ways” is a great way to explore the culture of Native Americans that live(d) in present day Iowa. Research the history of Native Americans in your county.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bruchac, J. 1997. Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back: A Native American Year of Moons. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Bruchac, J. 1998. Earth under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Carlson, L. 1994. More Than Moccasins: A Kid's Activity Guide to Traditional North American Indian Life. Chicago Review Press.
Hamanaka, S. 1999. All the Colors of the Earth. HarperCollins Publishers.
Jeffers, S.J. 1991. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle. Dial.
Macgill-Callahan, S. 1996. And Still the Turtle Watched. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Morris, A. 2002. Grandma Maxine Remembers: A Native American Family Story. Lerner Publishing Group.
Orie, S. 1996. Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name? Walker & Company.

Grades 3-5
Adler, N. 1996. Dial Book of Animal Tales from around the World. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated.
Bruchac, J. 2000. Pushing Up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children. Penguin Group.
Caduto, M.J. 1997. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Fulcrum Publishing.
Gates, F. 1994. Owl Eyes. HarperCollins Publishers.
Goble, P. 2005. All Our Relatives: Traditional Native American Thoughts About Nature. World Wisdom Books.
Levitt, P.M. 1989. Stolen Appaloosa and Other Indian Stories. Bookmakers Guild, Incorporated.
Lopez, B.H. 1998. Crow and Weasel. North Point Press.
Mayo, G.W. 1989. Earthmaker's Tales: North American Indian Stories about Earth Happenings. Walker & Company.
Miller, J. 1996. American Indian Festivals. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Ortiz, S.J. 1988. People Shall Continue. Children's Book Press.
Williamson, R.A. and J.G. Monroe. 2007. They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Grades 6-8
Bruchac, J. 2003. Our Stories Remember: American Indian History, Culture, and Values through Storytelling. Fulcrum Publishing.
Gleason, K. 1996. Native American Literature. Chelsea House Publishers.
Harvey, K.D. and L.D. Harjo. 2006. Indian Country: A History of Native People in America. Fulcrum Publishing.
Hirschfelder, A.B. 1993. Rising Voices: Writings of Young Native Americans. Random House Publishing Group.
Kavin, K. 2006. Tools of Native Americans: A Kid's Guide to the History and Culture of the First Americans. Nomad Press VT.
Keoke, E.D. 2005. American Indian Contributions to the World: Food, Farming and Hunting. Facts on File.
Legay, G. 2007. Dictionary of North American Indians and Other Indigenous Peoples. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Marsh, C. 1996. Iowa Indian!: A Kid's Look at Our State's Chiefs, Tribes, Reservations, Powwows, Lore and More From the Past and the Present. Gallopade International.
Murdoch, D. 2005. North American Indian. DK Publishing, Inc.
Nies, J. 1996. Native American History: A Chronology of the Vast Achievements of a Culture and Their Links. Random House Publishing Group.
Waldman, C. 2006. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. Facts on File, Incorporated.

Grades 9-12
Austin, M. 2004. Trail Book. University of Nevada Press.
Waldman, C. 1985. Atlas of the North American Indian. Facts on File, Incorporated.

Forest Habitats

A fun way to have students gain empathy for wildlife is to use Project Learning Tree’s activity, The Forest of S.T. Shrew. Use this story before taking a hike around the school or natural area. Have students look for the microhabitats discussed in the story. Compare and contrast their findings with what Jackie found. Have students draw pictures of their findings.

Book list
Grades PreK-2
Bishop, N. 2004. Forest Explorer: A Life-Sized Field Guide. Scholastic, Inc.
Canizares, S. 1997. Who Lives in a Tree?Scholastic, Inc.
Cotten, C. 2002. At the Edge of the Woods: A Counting Book. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Davis, W.A. 1996. Douglas Fir. Scholastic Library Publishing.
DePalma, M.N. 2005. A Grand Old Tree. Scholastic, Inc.
DK Publishing. 2004. Forest. DK Publishing, Inc.
Fleming, D. 1996. Where Once There Was a Wood. Henry Holt and Co.
Fonte, I. 2007. Animals of the Forest. Barnes & Noble Books.
Fowler, A. 1999. Our Living Forests. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Gackenbach, D. 1996. Mighty Tree. Harcourt Children's Books.
George, L.B. 1998. In the Woods: Who's Been Here? HarperCollins Publishers.
Greene, C. 1991. Caring for Our Forests. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Gove, D. 1999. My Mother Talks to Trees. Peachtree Publishers.
Hankin, R. 1995. Up the Tall Tree. Steck-Vaughn.
Hirschi, R. 1987. Who lives in the forest? Dodd, Mead.
Humphrey, P. 1995. In the Deep, Dark Forest. Steck-Vaughn.
Hunter, A. 1999. What's Under the Log? Houghton Mifflin Company.
Jeunesse, G. 2003. In The Forest. Scholastic, Inc.
Krupinski, L. 1997. Into the Woods: A Woodland Scrapbook. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Lies, B. 2004. Spy Hops and Belly Flops: Curious Behaviors of Woodland Animals. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Lindeen, C.K. 2003. Life in a Forest. Capstone Press.
McGehee, C. 2006. A Woodland Counting Book. University of Iowa Press.
Miller, D.S. 2003. Are Trees Alive? Walker & Company.
Nail, J.D. 1994. Whose Tracks Are These?: A Clue Book of Familiar Forest Animals. Rinehart P.
Olson, A.W. 1998. Counting on the Woods. DK CHILDREN.
Pascoe, E. 2003. The Ecosystem of a Fallen Tree. Rosen Publishing Group.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log's Life. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Pyers, G. 2004. Forest Explorer. Raintree Publishers.
Reed-Jones, C. 1995. Tree in the Ancient Forest. Dawn Publications.
Rutten, J. 1998. Forests. Child's World, Incorporated.
Ryder, J. 1988. Snail's Spell. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Salas, L.P. 2007. Temperate Deciduous Forests: Lands of Falling Leaves. Coughlan Publishing.
Seifert, P. 1995. Exploring Tree Habitats. Mondo Publishing.
Silver, D.M. 1997. One Small Square: Woods. McGraw-Hill Companies.
Stone, L.M. 2004. Forests. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Vitosh, M.A. and A.L. Vitosh. 2000. Forest Where Ashley Lives. Iowa State University Extension.
Whitehouse, P. 2003. Hiding in a Forest. Heinemann Library.
Worth, B. 2006. I Can Name 50 Trees Today!: All about Trees. Random House Publishing Group.
Ziefert, H. 2004. My Friend Grandpa. Blue Apple Books.
Zoehfeld, K.W. 1994. Fawn at Woodland Way. Soundprints.

Grades 3-5
Art, H.W. 2003. Woods Walk: Peepers, Porcupines & Exploding Puffballs! What You'll See, Hear & Smell When Exploring the Woods. Storey Kids.
Baraclough, S. 2005. Bugs: The World's Most Terrifying Insects. Backpack Books.
Brenner, B. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. Morrow/Avon.
Burns, D.L. 1998. Trees, Leaves and Bark. T&N Children's Publishing.
Canizares, S. 1997. Look at This Tree. Scholastic, Inc.
Cole, H. 1998. I Took a Walk. Greenwillow Books.
Cole, M.S. 2003. Forest. Gale Group.
Evert, L., A.D. Fredericks and K. Feeney. 2000. Forest Animals. T&N Children's Publishing.
Ganeri, A. 2003. Forests. World Almanac Books.
George, J. 1995. One Day in the Woods. Sagebrush Education Resources.
Green, J. 1999. A Dead Log. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Hooper, R. 2001. Woodlands. T&N Children's Publishing.
Johansson, P. 2004. Temperate Forest: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Kubesh, K. 2007. Forest Habitats. Hands of a Child.
Landau, E. 1997. Temperate Forest Mammals. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Marvis, B. 1995. Plants of the Forest. Chelsea House Publishers.
Morris, N. 1998. Forests. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Nadeau, I. 2001. Food Chains in a Forest Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Owens, C. 1998. Deforestation. Child's World, Incorporated.
Paul, T. 1997. In Woods and Forests. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Penny, M. 2003. Life in a Rotten Log. Raintree.
Roy, J.R. 2005. Addition in the Forest. Benchmark Books.
Sackett, H.K. 2003. Animal Faces in the Forest. School Specialty Children's Publishing.
Shetterly, S.H. 2003. Shelterwood. Tilbury House Publishers.
Staub, F.J. 1998. America's Forests. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 6-8
Cherry, L. 2000. The Great Kapok Tree. Sagebrush Education Resources.
Lawlor, E.P. 1993. Discover Nature Close to Home: Things to Know and Things to Do. Stackpole Books.
Martin, P.A. 2000. Woods and Forests. Scholastic Library Publishing.
MacMillan, D.M. 2003. Life in a Deciduous Forest. Lerner Publishing Group.
Parker, J. 2002. Disappearing Forests. Weigl Publishers.
Rapp, V. 2003. Life in an Old Growth Forest. Lerner Publishing Group.
Runkel, S. and A.F. Bull. 1987. Wildflowers of the Iowa Woodlands. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Swinburne, S. 2002. The Woods Scientist. Houghton Mifflin.

Grades 9-12
Heinrich, B. 1998. The Trees in My Forest. HarperCollins Publishers.

Public Land Management

Public lands were created for everyone to use. Since people have many different beliefs, opinions, and lifestyles, public area managers work to meet a middle ground in satisfying as many people as possible. Use Project Learning Tree’s activity, 400-Acre Wood, to explore the role of managers of a 400-acre piece of public forest. Contact a local public area near you and ask for a copy of its management plan. If possible, attend a meeting of the Natural Resource Commission or your County Conservation Board when they discuss management plans for public areas.

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Book list
Pre-K – Grade 2
Bauer, D. 2003. People Change the Land. Coughlan Publishing.
Wheeler, J.C. 1993. Branch out: A Book about Land. ABDO Publishing Company.

Grades 3-5
Bockenhauer, M.H., J. Carter, and S.F. Cunha. 2004. National Geographic Our Fifty States. National Geographic Society.
Dalgleish, S. 2002. Managing the Land. Chelsea House Publishers.
Deboo, A. 2006. Mapping the Land and Environment. Heinemann.
James, B. 1993. Use of Land. Cengage Learning.
Petersen, C. 2004. Land Preservation. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Snodgrass, M.E. 1991. Environmental Awareness: Land Pollution. Bancroft-Sage Publishing, Incorporated.

Grades 6-8
Casper, J.K. 2007. Agriculture: The Food We Grow and Animals We Raise. Chelsea House Publishers.
Dolan, E.F. 1992. American Wilderness and Its Future: Conservation Versus Use. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Kallen, S. 2005. Managing America's Forests. Greenhaven Press.
Leopold, A. 1989. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press.
Miles, B. 1991. Save the Earth: An Action Handbook for Kids. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Rybolt, T.R. 1993. Environmental Experiments about Land. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Skurzynski, G. 1981. Safeguarding the Land. Harcourt.
Whitman, S. 1994. This Land Is Your Land: The American Conservation Movement. Lerner Publishing Group.
Willis, T. 1992. Land Use and Abuse. Scholastic.

Grades 9-12
Camp, W.G. 2000. Managing Our Natural Resources. Thomson Delmar Learning.
Prior, J.C. and L.A. Stone. 2000. Iowa - Portrait of the Land. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey.
Schwartz, M. 1993. Environment and the Law. Chelsea House Publishers.

Where Does Water Run?

Project WILD Aquatic’s, Where Does Water Run?, is a great way to incorporate math concepts in a real world application. Extend this erosion activity by investigating run-off from school grounds. Have students go outside and look for paths water may flow, what it may take with it (soil, oil from parking lots, etc.), and where it will end up (stream, pond, river, drainage ditch, etc.). As a service learning project, have students think of ways to reduce the amount of run-off from school grounds. Come up with a plan and present it to school administration.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Cole, J. and Bruce D. 1986. The Magic Schoolbus at the Waterworks. Scholastic.
Rutten, J. 1998. Erosion. Child's World, Incorporated.
Schmid, E. 1990. The Water's Journey. North-South Books.

Grades 3-5
Bailey, J. 2006. Cracking up: A Story about Erosion. Coughlan Publishing.
Koontz, R.M. 2006. Erosion: Changing the Earth's Surface. Coughlan Publishing.
Olien, R. 2001. Erosion. Capstone Press.
Robinson, F. 1995. Where Do Puddles Go: Rookie Read-About Science. Children’s Press.
Stille, D. 1990. Soil Erosion and Pollution. Grolier.
Telford, C. and Theodorou, R. 1998. Down a River. Heinemann Interactive Library.
Winner, C. 1999. Erosion. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 6-8
Downs, S. 2000. Shaping the Earth: Erosion. Lerner Publishing Group.
Fodor, R.V. 1983. Chiseling the Earth: How Erosion Shapes the Land. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Rybolt, T, Mebane, R. 1993. Environmental Experiments about Land. Enslow Publishing Inc.
Stille, D. 2004. Erosion: How Land Forms How It Changes. Compass Point Books.

Grades 9-12
Janice, R. 2006. Land Abuse and Soil Erosion. Wiegel Publishers.

Eco-Enrichers

What happens to leaves and other plant material that comprise the forest and prairie floors? How does organic matter turn into soil? Project WILD’s activity, Eco-Enrichers, lets students experiment with soil and discover earthworms’ role in soil creation. Use Eco-Enrichers after Project Learning Tree’s activity, Signs of Fall, to make a deeper connection with seasonal change.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bryant-Mole, K. 1996. Soil. Steck-Vaughn.
Bourgeois, P. 1990. The Amazing Dirt Book. Kids Can Press, Limited.
De Bourgoing, P. and G. Jeunesse. 1995. Under the Ground. Scholastic, Inc.
Glaser, L. 1994. Wonderful Worms. Lerner Publishing Group.
Heinrichs, A. 2004. Worms. Coughlan Publishing.
Himmelman, J. 2000. An Earthworm's Life. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Holmes, K.J. 1998. Earthworms. Coughlan Publishing.
Oxlade, C. 2002. Soil. Heinemann Library.
Pfeffer, W. 2003. Wiggling Worms at Work. HarperCollins Publishers.
Richardson, A.D. 2001. Soil. Capstone Press.
Ross, M.E. 2003. Re-Cycles. Millbrook Press.
Schmid, E. 2000. The Living Earth. North-South.
Tomecek, S. 2002. Dirt: Jump into Science. National Geographic Society.

Grades 3-5
Bial, R. 2000. A Handful of Dirt. Walker and Company.
Bocknek, J. 1999. Science of Soil. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Dixon, N. 2004. The Lowdown on EarthWorms. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited.
Farndon, J. 2004. Life in the Soil. Thomson Gale.
Flanagan, A.K. 2000. Soil. Capstone Press.
Jennings, T.J. 1989. Rocks and Soil. Scholastic Library Publishing.
McLaughlin, M. 1986. Earthworms, Dirt and Rotten Leaves: An Exploration in Ecology. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Rosinsky, N.M. 2004. Dirt: The Scoop on Soil. Picture Window Books.
Silverstein, A. 2000. Life in a Bucket of Soil. Dover Publications.
Simon, S. 1977. Beneath Your Feet. Walker & Company.
Stewart, M. 2003. Soil. Heinemann.
Stewart, M. 2004. Down to Earth. Capstone Press.
Winckler, S. 1993. Soil. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 6-8
Downs, S. 2000. Shaping the Earth: Erosion. Twenty-First Century Books.
Gurney, B. 2004. Sand and Soil. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Snedden, R. 1998. Rocks and Soil. Raintree Publishers.
Stille, D. 2005. Soil: Digging into Earth's Vital Resource. Capstone Press.

Grades 9-12
Nardi, J.B. 2005. World beneath Our Feet: A Guide to Life in the Soil. Oxford University Press.

Pond Succession

All wild areas on earth change from one habitat to another. Sometimes it occurs so slowly, people do not notice it. Project WILD Aquatic’s activity, “Pond Succession” lets students discover the changing habitat of an aquatic ecosystem. Make this activity more Iowa related by incorporating background information on Iowa's aquatic resource issues into your lesson.

Create a storyline on succession by using this activity with the following activities from the other Projects.

Project Learning Tree
Field, Forest, and Stream
Forest for the Trees
Nothing Succeeds Like Succession
Living With Fire

Project WILD
Fire Ecologies
Forest in a Jar
Time Lapse

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Fleming, D. 1993. In the Small, Small Pond. Henry Holt and Co.

Grades 3-5
Crenson, V. 1995. Bay Shore Park: The Death and Life of an Amusement Park. W.H. Freeman & Company.
Jaspersohn, W. 1992. How the Forest Grew. HarperTrophy.
Newton, J.R. 1982. Forest Is Reborn. HarperCollins Publishers.
Silver, D. 1994. One Small Square: Pond. W.H. Freeman & Company.

Grades 6-8
Dixon, D. 2002. The Future is Wild. Firefly Books.
Mania, C., Maania, R. 1998. A Forest’s Life: From Meadow to Mature Woodland. Franklin Watts.
Owings, J. 1987. At the Edge of a Pond. Little, Brown & Company.
Reed, W. 1991. Succession: From Field to Forest. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.

Grades 9-12
Dixon, D. 2002. The Future is Wild. Firefly Books.

Living with Fire

In the summer months, national news reports wildfires in western United States annually. While it is rare to hear of a natural wildfire occurring in Iowa, people often use fire to manage our forests and grasslands. As an extension to Project Learning Tree’s activity “Living with Fire,” ask a local natural resource manager if and when they prescribe prairie or forest burns. (See list below for contact information). Ask if your students can either watch or help (depending on age and ability) with the burn. Ask the natural resource manager to give students more information on why they burn, how often they do it, and how fire affects plants and wildlife (including insects).

Contact information:
County Conservation Boards
State Parks
State Foresters
State Wildlife Biologists

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Donahoe, M. 2002. Fire That Saved the Forest. Rinehart P.
Reynolds, M., Kilby, D. 2001. The Prairie Fire. Orca Book Publishers.
Simon, S. 2000. Wildfires. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 3-5
Armbruster, A. 1996. Wildfires. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Cone, P. 1996. Wildfire. Sagebrush Education Resources.
Morrison, T. 2006. Wildfire. Walter Lorraine Books.
Munoz, W. 1998. Fire: Friend or Foe. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Patent, D.H. 1990. Yellowstone Fires: Flames and Rebirth. Holiday House, Inc.
Peppas, L. 2004. Wildfire Alert! Crabtree Publishing Company.
Pringle, L.P. 1995. Fire in the Forest: A Cycle of Growth and Renewal. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Simon, S. 1996. Wildfires: A New Look at an Old Foe. HarperCollins Publishers.
Sipiera, P.P. 2006. Wildfires. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 6-8
Beil, K.M. 1999. Fire in their Eyes: Wildfires and the People who Fight Them. Harcourt Paperpacks.
Vogt, G.L. 1990. Forests on Fire: The Fight to Save Our Trees. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 9-12
Bryon, N. 2003. Los Alamos Wildfires. World Almanac Library.

Pass the Plants, Please

Plants surround us, although many students seem to overlook their importance. Besides providing oxygen, stabilizing soil, and providing habitat, plants are an important part of our diet. Investigate the ways plants are used to make various foods through Project Learning Tree’s activity “Pass the Plants, Please.” As an extension for younger students (or as a refresher for older students), incorporate portions of Iowa State University Extension Office “Growing in the Garden” curriculum. Check out more information at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/GrowingintheGarden/.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Christensen, B. 1994. Edible Alphabet. Dial Books for Young Readers.
Sekido, I. 1992. Fruits, Roots and Fungi: Plants We Eat. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 3-5
Burns, D.L. 2001. Berries, Nuts and Seeds. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Fernald, M.L. 1996. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. Dover Publications.
George, J.C. 1995. Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad, and 38 Other Wild Recipes. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Hughes, M.S. 2000. Green Power: Leaf and Flower Vegetables. Lerner Publishing Group.
Kirk, D.R. 1970. Wild Edible Plants of Western North America. Naturegraph Publishers, Incorporated.
Selsam, M.E. 1981. Plants We Eat. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 6-8
George, J.C. 1982. Wild, Wild Cookbook: A Guide for Young Wild-Food Foragers. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Sweet, M. 2003. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Publishers, Incorporated.
Young, D.D. 1983. Wild Plants You Can Eat. Silver Burdett Press.

Grades 9-12
Elias, T.S. 1990. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Forey, P. and C. Fitzsimons. 1989. An Instant Guide to Edible Plants. Random House Value Publishing, Incorporated.
Furlong, M. and V.B. Pill. 1974. Wild Edible Fruits and Berries. Naturegraph Publishers, Incorporated.
Kindscher, K. 1987. Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide. University Press of Kansas.
Peterson, L.A. 1999. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America. Houghton Mifflin.
Reader's Digest Association, Inc. 1997. Magic and Medicine of Plants. Reader's Digest Association, Incorporated.
Thayer, S. 2006. The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants. Forager's Harvest Press.

From Bison to Bread: The American Prairie

Before Euro-American settlers arrived in Iowa, the majority of the state was covered in tallgrass prairie. Project WILD’s activity, From Bison to Bread: The American Prairie, takes a look at prairie plants and animals, and debates the reasons for the development or preservation of prairies.

Use this activity in your social studies, science, or language arts class, or integrate it in all three subject areas and incorporate a field trip to a local prairie (as mentioned in the extension). Go to http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/prairies/remaining.htm to find a prairie near you.

Book list
Pre-K – Grade 2
Bannatyne-Cugnet, J. 1992. Prairie Alphabet. Tundra.
Butterfield, M. 1999. Animals on Plains and Prairies. Raintree Publishers.
Cefrey, H. 2003. Grasslands. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Fleming, D. 1991. In the Tall, Tall Grass. Henry Holt and Co.
Fowler, A. 2000. Lands of Grass. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Geisert, A. 1998. Prairie Town. Walter Lorraine Books.
Hirschi, R. 1992. Where Are My Prairie Dogs and Black-Footed Ferrets? Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers.
Hirschi,R. 1989. Who Lives On The Prairie? Putnam Publishing Group.
Howard, F. 2006. Grasslands. ABDO Publishing Company.
Lerner, C. 1980. Seasons of the Tallgrass Prairie. William Morrow & Co Library.
Mader, J. 2004. Living on a Prairie. Scholastic Library Publishing.
McGehee, C. 2004. A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet. University of Iowa Press.
McMillan, B. 1986. Counting Wildflowers. New York: Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard Books.
Nichols, C. 2002. Grassy Lands. Benchmark Books.
Penny, M. 2003. Grasslands. Thameside Press.
Reynolds, M. 1999. Prairie Fire. Orca Book Publishers.
Rowan, J.P. 1983. Prairies and Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Taylor, D. 1992. Endangered Grassland Animals. Crabtree Publishing Company.

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.
Bright, M. 2002. Endangered and Extinct Animals of the Mountains, Deserts, and Grasslands. Millbrook Press, Inc.
Chinery, M. 1992. Grassland Animals. Random House Books for Young Readers.
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. 1985. Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Horton, C. 1982. Grasslands and People. Silver Burdett Press.
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. 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.
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. 2003. Life in a Grassland. Lerner Publishing Group.
Patent, D.H. 1998. Fire: Friend or Foe. Clarion Books.
Patent, D.H. 1996. Prairies. Holiday House.
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.
Thompson, L. 2004. People of the Plains and Prairies. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Stone, L.M. 2004. Grasslands. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Wallace, M.D. 2001. America's Prairies and Grasslands: Guide to Plants and Animals. Fulcrum Publishing.
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.
Collard, S.B. 2005. Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America’s Lost Grasslands. Houghton Mifflin.
Hoare, B. 2003. Temperate Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
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.
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: Iowa State University Press.
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.
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. 2005. The Elemental Prairie: Sixty Tallgrass Plants. University of Iowa Press.
Madson, J. 1994. Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie. Iowa City: 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. University of Iowa Press.
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.

Fun in the Sun

Summer is here! A great way to keep the kids busy this summer is to take them outside. Spending quality time together is easy and fun. Following are some simple outdoor activities that are sure to create a lifetime of memories. Don’t forget the camera!

• Catch lightening bugs
  
• Fly a kite
  
• Go fishing
  
• Look for stars in the night sky
  
• Look for wildflowers
  
• Make leaf or bark rubbings
  
• Observe and count the animals that visit your backyard or neighborhood
  
• Pack a picnic lunch and spend an afternoon in your backyard or a local park.
  
• Pitch a tent in your backyard
  
• Put up a bird feeder
  
• Take a nature walk - keep a journal of what you see, hear, smell, and feel
  

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Bull, J. 2004. Sunny Day Book. DK Publishing, Inc.
Capogna, V.V. 1999. Did You Ever Wonder about Things You Find in Your Backyard? Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Cole, H. 2003. On the Way to the Beach. HarperCollins Publishers.
Cronin, D. 2003. Diary of a Worm. Joanna Cotler.
Drake, J. and A. Love. 1998. Kids Campfire Book. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Drake, J. and A. Love. 1998. Kids Summer Games Book. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Eckart, E. 2003. I Can Go Camping. Children's Press.
Eckart, E. 2003. I Can Go Hiking. Children's Press.
Foley, C. 2001. Let's Go on a Picnic. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Fredericks, A.D. 2001. Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs and Other Ughs. Dawn Publications.
Good, E.W. 1996. It's Summertime! Good Books.
Love, D. 1997. Backyard Camp-out Book. HarperCollins Publishers.
Milord, S. 1996. The Kids' Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities & Experiences. Ideals Publications.
Payne, N. 2005. Summertime Waltz. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log’s Life. Simon Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Romanova, N. 1999. Once There Was a Tree. Rebound by Sagebrush.
Rotner, S. 1992. Nature Spy. Atheneum.
Ruurs, M. 2004. When We Go Camping. Tundra.
Tresselt, R. 1992. The Gift of a Tree. Harpers Collins Publishers.
Weisner, C. 2003. Let's Get Going: The Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Outings with Children. Red Deer Press.
Wood, A. J. 2003. Beetles and Bugs: A Nature Trail Book. Silver Dolphin Books.

Grades 3-5
Arnosky, J. 2002. Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-watching, Shore Walking. HarperCollins Publishers.
Art, H.W. and M.W. Robbins. 2003. Woods Walk: Peepers, Porcupines and Exploding Puffballs! What You'll See, Hear and Smell When Exploring the Woods. Storey Books.
Bishop, N. 2002. Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close. Scholastic, Inc.
Boring, M. 1999. Fun with Nature. T&N Children's Publishing.
Brenner, B. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. HarperCollins Publishers.
Burnie, D. 2005. Bug Hunter. DK Publishing, Inc.
Burns, D.L. 1996. Berries Nuts and Seeds. T&N Children's Publishing.
Burton, J. and K. Taylor. 1999. Nature and Science of Spring. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Carlson, L.M. and J. Dammel. 1995. Kids Camp!: Activities for the Backyard or Wilderness. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated.
Cherkerzian, D. 1993. Outdoor Fun: Great Things to Make and Do on Sunny Days. Boyds Mills Press.
Ching, J. 2000. Camping: Have Fun, Be Smart. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Criswell, S.G. 1994. Nature through Science and Art. TAB Books.
Hamerstrom, F. 1985. Walk When the Moon Is Full. Crossing Press, Inc.
Kemp, J. and C. Walters. 2007. Outdoor Fun and Games for Kids: Over 100 Activities for 3 - 11 Year Olds. Hamlyn.
Kirkland, J. 2001. Take a Backyard Bird Walk. Stillwater Publishing.
Kirkland, J. 2006. Take a City Nature Walk. Stillwater Publishing.
Kirkland, J. 2002. Take a Tree Walk. Stillwater Publishing.
Kranz, L. 2002. My Nature Book: A Journal and Activity Book for Kids. T&N Children's Publishing.
Larson, G. 1999. There’s a Hair in my Dirt. Tandem Library.
Loy, J. 2003. Follow the Trail: A Young Persons Guide to the Great Outdoors. Holt, Henry Books for Young Readers.
Maas, D.R. 2001. Kids Gone Fishin': The Young Angler's Guide to Catching More and Bigger Fish. Northword Press.
Rhatigan, J. 2005. Run, Jump, Hide, Slide, Splash: The 200 Best Games Ever. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Rhatigan, J. 2003. The Kids' Guide to Nature Adventures: 80 Great Activities for Exploring the Outdoors. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Ross, M.E. 1993. World of Small: Nature Explorations with a Hand Lens. Yosemite Association.
Silver, D.M. 1997. One Small Square: Backyard. McGraw-Hill Companies.
Walker, R. 2006. Nature Ranger. DK Publishing, Inc.
Warshaw, H. and J. Brown. 2003. Get out!: Outdoor Activities Kids Can Enjoy Anywhere. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
White, K.L. 2006. Cooking in a Can. Gibbs Smith.
Williams, J. 2002. Creative Kids: Nature Crafts. North Light Books.
Wilson, J. 2006. Hiking for Fun! Coughlan Publishing.
Winner, C. 2006. Kids Gone Campin': The Young Camper's Guide to Having More Fun Outdoors. Creative Publishing International, Incorporated.

Grades 6-8
Atkins, J. 2000. Girls Who Looked under Rocks. Dawn Publications.
Cornell, J. 1994. Journey to the Heart of Nature. Crystal Clarity Publishers.
Fletcher, R.J. 1997. Ordinary Things: Poems from a Walk in Early Spring. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Grades 9-12
Backwill, F, Rolph, M., Darley-Usmar, V. 1995. Microbes, Bugs, and Wonder Drugs. Portland Press.
Edsall, M.S. 1985. Roadside Plants and Flowers. The University of Wisconsin Press.
Milne, L.J, L. Milne, M. Milne, and M. Lorus. 1980. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. Knopf Publishing Group.

Searching for Wildlife in Your Backyard

Many times urban areas are overlooked in the search for wildlife. In urban areas, students must look closely at their daily routines to find habitats. Project Learning Tree’s “Are Vacant Lots Vacant?” takes students to a bit of wildness in the city limits.

As an extension, look for other areas in your town/city where wildlife can be found. These places may include stream beds and un-mowed areas in parks. Nature is all around us!

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bunting, E. 1996. Secret Place. Clarion Books.
Capogna, V.V. 1999. Did You Ever Wonder about Things You Find in Your Backyard? Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Cooper, A.C. 2000. In the City. Rinehart P.
Davis, W. 1998. City Park. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Di Salvo-Ryan, D. 1994. City Green. HarperCollins Publishers.
Eclare, M. 2002. Harvest of Color: Growing a Vegetable Garden. Handprint Books.
Edwards, N. 2000. Glenna's Seeds. Child & Family Press.
Ehlert, L. 2004. Nuts to You! Harcourt.
Epstein, S. 1989. Bugs for Dinner?: The Eating Habits of Neighborhood Creatures. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Fife, D.H. 1996. The Empty Lot. Sierra Club Books for Children.
Fleming, D. 1995. In the Tall, Tall Grass. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Fleming, D. 2000. Where Once There Was a Wood. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Giogas, V. 2007. In My Backyard. Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Herberman, E. 1989. The City Kid's Field Guide. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Hester, N. 2004. The Living Town. Watts Pub Group.
Huelbig, C. 1996. City Kids and City Critters! McGraw-Hill Companies.
Koontz, R.M. 1998. The Complete Backyard Nature Activity Book: Fun Projects for Kids to Learn About the Wonders of Wildlife and Nature. McGraw-Hill.
Lunis, N. 1996. Life in Your Backyard. Newbridge Educational Publishing.
Morrison, G. 2004. Nature in the Neighborhood. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Raintree Steck-Vaughn. 1987. Animals in Cities and Parks. Steck-Vaughn.
Rammell, S.K. 2006. City Beats: A Hip-Hoppy Pigeon Poem. Dawn Publications.
Rockwell, A. 2006. Backyard Bear. Walker & Company.
Ruurs, M. 2007. In My Backyard. Tundra.
Schwartz, D.M. 1997. In the Park. Creative Teaching Press, Incorporated.
Thornhill, J. 1996. Wild in the City. Sierra Club Books for Children.
Wheeler, J.C. 1993. Beastly Neighbors. ABDO Publishing Company.

Grades 3-5
Barrons Educational Series. 2000. Urban Animal. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Bash, B. 1992. Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in the City. Little, Brown & Company.
Green, J. 2002. In a Backyard. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Gustafson, K.B. 2005. Aunt Gussie And Grandfather Tree. Beaver's Pond Press.
Hirschi, R. 1987. City Geese. Penguin Group.
Hodgkins, F. 2000. Animals among Us: Living with Suburban Wildlife. Shoe String Press, Incorporated.
Kirkland, J. 2006. Take a City Nature Walk. Stillwater Publishing.
Maurer, R. 1989. City Kid's Field Guide. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Morgan, S. 2001. Cities. World Book, Incorporated.
Morgan, S. 1998. Homes and Cities: Living for the Future. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Sanders, S.R. 2002. Crawdad Creek. National Geographic Society.
Shattil, W. 1997. City Foxes. Alaska Northwest Books.
Stetson, E. 2004. Kids' Easy-to-Create Wildlife Habitats: For Small Spaces in City-Suburbs-Countryside. Williamson Books.
Turner, S. 1999. Communities. Raintree Publishers.

Grades 6-8
Aldis, R. 1992. Towns and Cities. Silver Burdett Press.
Barrons Educational Series. 2000. Urban Animal. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Bruning, N.P. 1992. Cities against Nature. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Cochrane, J. 1988. Urban Ecology. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Fleischman, P. 1999. Seedfolks. HarperCollins Publishers.
Gralla, P. 1999. How Cities Work: Open Your Eyes to the Wonders of the Urban Environment. DIANE Publishing Company.

Grades 9-12
Adams, C.E. 2005. Urban Wildlife Management. CRC Press.
Bosselaar, L.A. 2000. Urban Nature: Poems About Wildlife in the City. Milkweed Editions.
Lomberg, M. 2004. Healthy Cities: Improving Urban Life. Smart Apple Media.

Web of Life

Project Learning Tree’s “Web of Life” lets students investigate relationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers by acting as organisms connected by string in a food web. Want to make this lively activity have more energy? A fun musical variation to this activity is to assign a different sound to each plant. The consumers must say the respective sound when they feel the tug. Each organism must repeat the sounds that the previous organism said. (For example, hazelnut trees say “da,” oak trees say “dee,” raspberries say “mo,” grass says “tie.” The deer eats acorns and hazelnut trees so it will say “da, dee.” Rabbits eat raspberries and grass, so it will say “mo, tie.” Coyotes eat deer and rabbits, they will say “da, dee, mo, tie”) The top consumers will likely have so many sounds to say that they will have a difficult time remembering them.

Want to expand this activity? Try incorporating the following Project Learning Tree activities:

• Are Vacant Lots Vacant?
  
• Dynamic Duos
  
• Field, Forest and Stream
  
• Planet Diveristy
  
• School Yard Safari
  

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Book List
Grades PrK-2
Hickman, P. 1997. Hungry Animals: My First Look at a Foodchain. Kids Can Press Ltd.
Johansson, P. 2004. Wide Open Grasslands: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Kitchen, B. 1994. When Hunger Calls. Candlewick Press.
Lauber, P. 1995. Who Eats What?: Food Chains and Food Webs. HarperCollins Publishers.
Mckinney, B.S. 2000. Pass the Energy, Please! Dawn Publications.
Relf, P. 1996. Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book about Food Chains. Scholastic, Inc.

Grades 3-5
Cole, J. 1996. The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten. A Book About Food Chains. Scholastic Inc.
Crenson, V. and R. Gurevich. 2003. Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web. Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Ellis, B. 2006. The Web at Dragonfly Pond. Dawn Publications.
Greenaway, T. 2001. Cycles in Nature Food Chain. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers.
Heinz, B.J. 2006. Butternut Hollow Pond. Lerner Publishing Group.
Kalman, B. and J. Langille. 1998. What Are Food Chains and Webs? Crabtree.
Mason, C. 2003. Everybody's Somebody's Lunch: The Role of Predator and Prey in Nature. Tilbury House Publishers.
Nadeau, I. 2002. Food Chains in a Backyard Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Nadeau, I. 2001. Food Chains in a Forest Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Nadeau, I. 2002. Food Chains in a Meadow Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Nadeau, I. 2001. Food Chains in a Pond Habitat. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Norsgaard, E.J. 1990. Nature's Great Balancing Act: In Our Own Backyard. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Penny, M. 1998. The Foodchain. The Bookwright Press.
Pringle, L.P. 1975. Chains, Webs and Pyramids: The Flow of Energy in Nature. HarperCollins Publishers.
Rice, D.L. 1997. Lifetimes. Dawn Publications.
Riley, P. 2002. Food Chains. Franklin Watts.
Spilsbury, L., Spilsbury R. 2004. Food Chains and Food Webs: From Producers to Decomposers. Heinemann Library.
Staub, F. 2004. World of Wonder; The Food Chain. Creative Education.

Grades 6-8
Capeci, A. 2003. Food Chain Frenzy (The Magic School Bus Chapter Book). Scholastic Inc.
Hemsley, W. 1992. Feeding to Digestion: Projects with Biology. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Silverstein, A. 1998. Food Chains. Lerner Publishing Group.

Animal Communities

How many animals live by the stream near your school? WILD Aquatic’s activity “Blue Ribbon Niche” takes a look at the biodiversity of riparian areas, and incorporates art to visualize different niches where animals play. Don’t have a stream near your school? Try investigating other habitats (such as a forest or grassland) in your local surroundings.

Need help identifying critters? Request a free copy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’s Biodiversity of Iowa: Aquatic Habitats CD by contacting the Aquatic Education Program

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Harlow, R. 2002. Nature in Danger. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Holland, B. 1990. Caring for Planet Earth: The World Around Us. Lion Publishing Corporation.
Ryder, J. 1994.Dancers in the Garden. Sagebrush Education Resources.

Grades 3-5
Davis, B.J. 2007. Biomes and Ecosystems. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Fullick, A. 1999. Ecosystems and Environment. Heinemann.
Hogan, P.Z. and S. Seidenberg. 1990. Ecology: Our Living Planet. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Lane, B. and L. Buller. 2005. Ecology. DK Publishing, Inc.
Pringle, L.P. 1991. Living Treasure: Saving Earth's Threatened Biodiversity. HarperCollins Publishers.
Pringle, L.P 1977. Animals and their niches: How species share resources. Morrow.
Robson, P. 2004. Ecosystems. Stargazer Books.
Seidenberg, S. 1990. Ecology and Conservation. Gareth Stevens Audio.

Grades 6-8
Gallant, R.A. 2002. The Wonders of Biodiversity. Benchmark Books.
Smith, Jr., H.E. 1987. Small Worlds: Communities of Living Things. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Patent, D.H. 2003. Biodiversity. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Strauss, R. 2004. Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Whyman, K. 1999. Animal Kingdom: A Guide to Vertebrate Classification and Biodiversity. Raintree Publishers.

Grades 9-12
Dudley, W. 2001. Current Controversies - Biodiversity. Greenhaven Press.
Patent, D. 2003. Biodiversity. Clarion Books.
Solbring, O., Emben, H., and H, Oordt. 1996. Biodiversity and Global Change. CABI Publishing.

Nature’s Recyclers

Why aren’t forests full of fallen leaves and trees? Take a look at animals that live off dead organic material through Project Learning Tree’s “Nature’s Recyclers.” This activity is a great way to introduce composting to students. As a service learning project, start composting in your school. Click on the following link for more information:
A Guide to Composting in School

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Book List
Grades PreK-2
Cole, J. 1995. The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book About Decomposition. Scholastic Inc.
Glaser, L. 1996. Compost!: Growing Gardens from Your Garbage. Millbrook Press, Inc.
Glaser, L. 1994. Wonderful Worms. Millbrook Press.
Hunter, A. 1999. What's Under the Log? Houghton Mifflin Company.
Pfeffer, W. 1997. A Log's Life. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Portman, M.E. 2002. Compost, By Gosh! Flower Press.
Ross, M.E. 2003. Re-Cycles. Millbrook Press.

Grades 3-5
Appelhof, M. 1997. Worms Eat My Garbage. Flowerfield Enterprises.
Appelhof, M. 2003. Worms Eat Our Garbage: Classroom Activities for a Better Environment. Flowerfield Enterprises.
Green, J. 1999. A Dead Log. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Hughey, P. 1984. Scavengers and Decomposers: The Cleanup Crew. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Kalman, B. and J. Schaub. 1992. Squirmy Wormy Composters. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Lavies, B. 1993. Compost Critters. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Ring, E. 1996. What Rot! Nature's Mighty Recycler. The Millbrook Press.

Grades 6-8
McLaughlin, M. 1986. Earthworms, Dirt and Rotten Leaves. Avon Books.

Grades 9-12
Campbell, S. 1998. Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting. Storey Publishing, LLC.
Martin, D.L. 1992. Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardner. Rodale Press, Incorporated.