We’ve started our tree unit, in Kindergarten. I asked families to send tree related items to school, and boy did they come through! Many of the families in my school live on a few acres of property, so they helped do a bit of collecting for our class project. The kids were thrilled to bring in their treasures every day.
I’ve also been collecting books about trees to add to our classroom library.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Winter Trees by Carole Gerber
Be A Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber
Sky Tree by Thomas Locker
A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla
A Gift of a Tress by Greg Henry Quinn
A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry
A Tree is Growing by Arthur Dorros
I Can Name 50 Trees Today by Bonnie Worth
Trees, Leaves, and Bark by Diane L. Burns
The Secret Life of Trees by DK READERS – Chiara Chevallier
Pine Trees by Allan Fowler
20 Ways to Draw a Tree by Eloise Renouf
and
Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel
We read the last book on my list during read aloud today. It is a very sweet story about a family who loves a tree, which they have named Steve. I finished the story and looked up to see one of my sweet little boys with tears streaming down his face. Never, in my teaching career, has this happened! I’ve never had a student who was moved to tears by a book! It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.
I knew the kids would love this unit because it’s hands on and involves a topic they experience every single day. I knew the books I purchased would help the kids learn the concepts and I pictured them pouring through pictures and finding out new facts. I had no idea that a simple story, like this one, would be something so powerful for the little people I teach.
Happy reading!