Kids, teens, teachers and parents will enjoy these books, videos, CD’s and websites. These resources provide a springboard to science, art and writing projects that can be used at home, school or any program working with young people. We welcome comments, photographs and new teaching ideas which TAP could display on its website (info@nopesticides.org) (in a PDF format please).

The sites listed in this section do not represent an edorsement by TAP.

Websites

Environmental Education on the Internet: K-12 Lesson Plans made available online at no cost from various individual companies or organizations. See also the Audiovisual and Software Page and the Classroom Resources - Directories page for directories and databases of EE curricula and resources.

Generation Green gives families the resources they need to be active in public policy decisions. Their website states, “As consumers, we have the power to reject corporate policies. As citizens, we have the right to shape our future. By exercising our power and asserting our rights, we can make our communities safer for the next generation.”
Reading List: http://www.generationgreen.org/Books%20for%20Kids.htm

Lynne Cherry is the author and/ or illustrator of over thirty award-winning books for children. Her best-selling books such as The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran Wild teach children to respect the earth. A School Garden Tool Kit will provide everything you need to create a school garden. A colorful garden would be a delicious accompaniment to Lynn Cherry’s new book, How Groundhog’s Garden Grew. If you are not convinced that your school needs a garden, read Lynn Cherry’s Ten Ways a Garden Can Your Child’s Life.

Explore National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) educational pathways to understanding, appreciating and safeguarding the natural world. Sign up for weekly activities For Kids & Families.

Music

Have to Have a Habitat: Eco tunes for home and school by Bill Oliver (mrhabitat@aol.com). Bill plays music that makes you think, dance and get active! The wonderful thing about this CD is that the students are singing about their own projects: teachers, student and songs forming a circle of inspiration. Be sure and listen to Queen Invicta , a foot-stomping song about pesky invasive fire ants! Read the words first then order yourself a copy!

Books for Children

Ant Cities.  Arthur Dorros.  ISBN

Explains how ants live and work together to build and maintain their cities.

Common Ground.  Molly Bang.  ISBN 0-590-10056-4

How do our individual actions affect the world.  Molly Bang uses a simple parable about sheep and the commons they graze on to reveal a disturbing paradox about our relationship with the environment that sustains us.  Here is a book that invites discussion.  It helps us all to see our daily actions in a new way – and to understand why we must work together to preserve our common ground.

Crickwing.  Janell Cannon.  ISBN  0-15-201790-9

A lonely cockroach named Crickwing has a creative idea that saves the day for the leaf-cutting ants when their fierce forest enemies attack them.

e.guides:  Insect.  David Burnie.  ISBN 0-7566-1010-9

e.guides Insect takes you into the incredible world of insects – the creatures that make up three-quarters of the world’s animal species.  From winged wonders to poisonous bugs, you’ll find out everything you need to know, with 3-D models maps, data boxes, and amazing photographs.  (website compliments the book)

Feathers for Lunch.  Lois Ehlert.  ISBN 0-15-230550-3

An escaped housecat encounters twelve birds in the backyard but fails to catch any of them and has to eat feathers for lunch.

How Groundhog’s Garden Grew.  Lynne Cherry. 

ISBN 0-439-32371-1

How does a garden really grow?  In a simple story with pictures as bright as sunshine, readers young and old will cheer as Squirrel teaches Little Groundhog the rich rewards of gardening—all year long.

In My World.  Lois Ehlert.  ISBN 0-15-216269-0

Describes some of the many things in the natural world- such as worms, seashells, flowers, and stars – that a child can appreciate.

Insectlopedia.  Douglas Florian.  ISBN 0-15-201306-7

Presents twenty-one short poems about such insects as the inchworm, termite, cricket, and mayfly.

In the Garden.  J. Elizabeth Mills.  ISBN 0-439-33637-6

A wonderful introduction to natural science—with fold-out pages to “look-and-learn” about all sorts of flowers, fruits, and vegetables in the garden.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider.  Iza Trapani.  ISBN 0-8368-1550-5 The itsy bitsy spider encounters a fan, a mouse, a cat, and a rocking chair as she makes her way to the top of a tree to spin her web.  Includes music on the last page.

The Life and Times of the Ant. Charles Micucci.  ISBN 0-618-00559-5

Describes the evolution, physical characteristics, behavior, and social nature of ants.

A Log’s Life. Wendy Pfeffer. Illustrated by Robin Brickman. Simon and Schuster. 32pp. ISBN 0-689-80636-1. $16. (P) Through stunning cut-paper collages and lyrical, descriptive text, young readers are introduced to the life cycle of a tree. Children will be fascinated as they learn about the many animals that depend upon the tree for food and shelter, as well as assist in the decay process.

The Lorax.  Dr. Seuss.  ISBN 0-394-82337-0

The Onceler describes the results of the local pollution problem.

Mordant’s Wish. Valerie Coursen.  0-8050-4374-8

After Wishing that a turtle-shaped cloud could be his friend.  Mordant the mole finds his wish spurring a series of unusual events.  (dandelions)

Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson. Amy Ehrlich. ISBN 0-15-216227-5, As a bright and curious child, a student at Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory, an ocean explorer, a collector of specimens, and author of the famous Silent Spring, Rachel Carson lived an interesting life. The book is beautifully written in a single-page narrative, and Minor’s full-color illustrations give personality to every page.

A River Ran Wild.  Lynne Cherry.  ISBN 0-15-200542-0

An environmental history of the Nashua River, from its discovery by Indians through the polluting years of the Industrial Revolution to the ambitious cleanup that revitalized it.

The Story of Jumping Mouse.  John Steptoe.  ISBN  0-688-08740-X

The gifts of Magic Frog and his own hopeful and unselfish spirit bring Jumping Mouse finally to the Far-Off Land where no mouse goes hungry.

Tiny Green Thumbs.  C.Z. Guest.  ISBN 078680516-1

Tiny Bun and his grandmother plan, plant, and grow a vegetable garden.  Includes step-by-step for planting carrots, beans, cucumbers, corn, and sunflowers.  (This book talks about adding fertilizer.)

Tops and Bottoms.  Janet Stevens.  ISBN 0-15-292851-0

Hare turns his bad luck around by striking a clever deal with the rich and lazy bear down the road. 

Two Bad Ants.  Chris Van Allsburg  ISBN 0-395-48668-8

When two bad ants desert from their colony, they experience a dangerous adventure that convinces them to return to their former safety. 

The Very Clumsy Click Beetle.  Eric Carle.  ISBN 0-399-23201-X

A clumsy young click beetle learns to land on its feet with encouragement from various animals and a wise old click beetle. An electronic chip with a built-in-battery creates clicking sounds to accompany the story.

The Very Lonely Firefly.  Eric Carle.  ISBN 0-399-22774-1

A lonely firefly goes out into the night searching for other fireflies. 

The Very Quiet Cricket.  Eric Carle.  ISBN 0-399-21885-8

A very Quiet Cricket who wants to rub his wings together and make a sound as many other insects do finally achieves his wish.

Waiting for Wings.  Lois Ehlert.  ISBN 0-15-202608-8

Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat--and how? With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert provides clear answers to these and other questions as she follows the life cycle of four common butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to their transformation into full-grown butterflies. Complete with butterfly and flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden, this butterfly book is like no other.

Teacher Resources

Keepers of Life:  Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children.  Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac.  ISBN 1-55591-387-3

Anyone teaching children about the natural world will value this interdisciplinary curriculum in botany and plant ecology with its focus on environmental and stewardship issues. 

Nature at Your Doorstep:  Real World Investigations for Primary Students.  Carole G. Basile, Jennifer Gillespie-Malone and Fred Collins. 

ISBN 1-56308-455-4

Share the wonder of nature with young learners while building scientific knowledge and skills!  Using the scientific method as a path to discovery, these engaging child-tested activities guide learning about birds, habitats, biodiversity, and other topics into the study of all major areas of ecology.  Students can perform the simple projects right in their own backyard (or schoolyard!)

Science Around the Year.  Janice VanCleve.  ISBN 0-471-33096-5

Presents experiments and activities in such fields as astronomy, chemistry, earth science, and physics that are in some way related to one of the four seasons. 

Adult Humor

There’s a Hair In My Dirt: A Worm’s Story.  Gary Larson (creator of the Far Side, need I say more?)  ISBN  0-06-093274-0