Monday, July 30, 2018

PD Reads on Nature Based and Eco-Learning


        "Normally I share on the children's books that line the shelves in my classroom, however, I wanted to share a few of the books that have lined my own shelf these past couple of months. This past winter and spring I wanted the focus of my professional development (pd) reading to be on eco-learning (naturalist learning or nature based learning). Here's a little snapshot of each book that I'd recommend to other educators who have the same passion and interest" N. Grimm

The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. Children spend less time outdoors in nature more than ever before: Richard Louv explores the causes that have lead to this nature deficit culture children live in currently through a great deal of research that he shares in this award winning book--a must-have for any educator's bookshelf who wants to cultivate and implement eco-learning in their classroom and school.

The Nature Connection by Clare Walker Leslie. If a teacher were ever in need of a resource packed with nature based lessons and activities, then this ought to be the book to pick up. From garden planning, to building a nature table, to exploring dirt, The Nature Connection is sure to lay out a wide variety of ideas for the whole year--every season--to choose from to take into your classroom.

Botany on Your Plate: Investigating the Plants We Eat by Katharine D. Barrett. This book is a great curriculum resource for bringing gardening into your classroom. We did a lesson out of it this spring that the kids loved on taste-testing various garden vegetables and collecting data on them.

The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson. Carson weaves together a beautiful narrative, parried with lovely photographs, of her days exploring outdoors with her young nephew and on the importance of helping children keep their "inborn sense of wonder" through nature.

Cabinet of Curiosities: Collecting and Understanding the Wonders of the Natural World by Gordon Grice. This book shares on the art of collecting the nature treasures that peek our curiosity or serve as a memento of a memory made--the art of bringing natural history into your life. I still have nature finds from my own childhood in a small wooden cabinet on display that remind me of days spent walking sandy shores or hiking through the Colorado mountains. The book has a small section on building one's own cabinet of curiosities and caring for your specimens, with the majority of the book focused on classifying specimens with the Linneaus system. This would be a great reference book to have in a class library for older elementary students to practice classifying specimens and building their own collection.
And a couple of articles from across the web that resonated with me while I've been learning more on integrating eco-learning into the classroom...

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