Are trees alive?

"Are trees alive?" 

The inspiration behind Debbie Miller's book Are Trees Alive? (2003) was that very question from her child. So often young children associate "living" with movement or with observable growth, neither of which a mature oak tree would display; in this case, her daughter thought that trees could not "breathe" because they did not have noses, and therefore were not living. The parallels between features of trees and features of humans - for example, how roots anchor the tree just like feet anchor us to the ground - make the scientific content relatable to primary-level children in a meaningful way. It's important for children to realize that just because trees don't "breathe" like humans doesn't mean they don't rely on oxygen! From a language arts standpoint, this book would be a great model for the "A is to B as X is to Y" kinds of comparisons. The end notes contain additional information about specific trees featured in the book, including the general geographic location of the species and scientific names.

It's not winter, but keep this other award-winning book about trees in mind for next fall as the leaves begin to drop: Winter Trees by Carole Gerber (2008). We often consider tree identification through leaves and on what trees look like in the summer and fall seasons, full of green leaves or the hues of yellow and red as the days become shorter. This book is unique in its portrayal of the branching structures only observed in the winter when trees are without their leaves (although evergreens are also portrayed). Written in prose with limited text, this read-aloud book contains just enough information to convey the structural differences among oaks, beeches, and other types of trees. The illustrations by Leslie Evans are realistic enough for noting those differences, though not as detailed as those presented in books by Sill (such as About Habitats).

Scientist Biographies by Peggy Thomas

Since returning home from NSTA, we've been going through our books picking out which ones we'll take back to San Antonio at the end of the week--this time to share with teachers at the fast approaching International Reading Association Convention!  Two that are at the top of our list are Farmer George Plants a Nation and For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson, both of which are biographies, NSTA Outstanding Trade Book Award winners, and written by Peggy Thomas.
 

Farmer George tells the story of George Washington, First President of the United States and agricultural innovator. In narrative form, Peggy masterfully integrates the stories behind George's contributions to the agricultural field, including adapting a plow that enabled it to do three jobs at once, supervising construction of a treading barn that could be used to thresh wheat even in bad weather, and conducting scientific experiments to analyze the impact of various kinds of compost on plant growth. Peppered throughout the text are excerpts from letters and other papers written by George himself.  Peggy's meticulous work enables us to see beyond the Revolutionary War General to the inventor, scientist, and dedicated farmer. And, she includes some great additional information about George (including a timeline, information on George and his Mt Vernon home and a bibliography) in the final pages of the book. Oh! And don't forget to explore the end pages which include a fabulous map of Mt Vernon.

You might not recognize the name Roger Tory Peterson, but if you've ever picked up a Peterson Field Guide, you would be reading his work. Again, Peggy's book is a biography of a scientist, but this one starts by describing Roger as an inquisitive, unique child who spent hours outside collecting specimens for further exploration. Influenced by a teacher who formed a Junior Audubon Club, Roger was inspired to put his artistic talents to work drawing birds of all sorts. Frustrated by trying to paint birds from memory, by the time he turned 14, he earned enough money delivering papers to buy a camera and his dreams became a reality. His passion for birdwatching coupled with his keen eye and meticulous data collection eventually led to the publication of A Field Guide to Birds. Again, Peggy does an excellent job of bringing Roger's work to life in a most engaging manner. And, if you want to extend the book with some great free resources, check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website.

Even if the content is not directly related to your grade level curriculum, both books model characteristics (curiosity, determination, perseverance) and practices (asking questions, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data) of scientists in ways that students of most ages can relate to. (The books are a bit on the long side for K-1 students.) Thus, these are great resources for both content, if applicable, and process. And, are beautifully illustrated to boot!