Our Kindergarten through third grade science co-op class has finished its first unit for the year. Each week, we learned about a different biome, or ecosystem found on earth. The information for each individual class can be found at the following links:
Introduction
Grasslands
Forests - Temperate
Tropical Rainforest
Salt Water Habitats
Seashore Habitats
Fresh Water Habitats
Tundra and Polar
Desert
Mountains
Caves
For each class, I had a few general, but essential resources.
For your convenience, I have listed them below.
Main Resources:
Properties of Ecosystems, by Debbie and Richard Lawrence
Habitats {Science Works for Kids Series} Grades 1-3, published by Evan Moor
Animal Habitats:Easy Make & Learn Projects, Grades 2-3, by Donald M. Silver & Patricia J. Wynne
Animal Habitats! by Judy Press
Other General Books:
The Usborne Living World Encyclopedia, by Leslie Colvin and Emma Speare
The Usborne Book of Wild Places: Mountains, Jungles, and Deserts, by Angela Wilkes
The Magic School Bus Hops Home: A Book about Animal Habitats, by Patricia Relf
Every now and then throughout the unit, I would find something that just didn't fit into the specific topic we were covering in class. These I would use at home with my child as supplements.
EcoMazes: Twelve Earth Adventures, by Roxie Munro was one such resource. The book is filled with mazes through different ecosystems. Children can pretend to be biologists, adventurers, photographers, etc. making their way through the natural area to accomplish a mission. There are also suggestions of specific plants or animals to search for within each habitat.
Usborne Great Planet Earth Search, by Emma Helbrough includes numerous habitats which we studied. Each two page spread covers one habitat and includes interesting tidbits of information intermixed with lovely illustrations and items to search for and discover within the larger picture.
Gobble It Up! A Fun Song About Eating! by Jim Arnosky is a fun story to read aloud or listen to the accompanying CD. The animals vary from stanza to stanza, but the message is the same: all these animals have to eat something. It is a fun introduction or accompanying book for food chains.
At This Very Moment is another fun read by Jim Arnosky. This book introduces different animals of various ecosystems throughout the text. It pairs the activities of the animals with the reader's daily activities. It can be a difficult concept for some to understand, but Arnosky does it easily and beautifully with his easy to understand words and wonderful illustrations.
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