Arbor Day is a pivotal moment in US history that has encouraged many other countries to follow suit and protect their own trees. Planting trees, sustaining tree life, and protecting our Earth are vital! This is another one of my favorite topics to teach in class (as Earth is my FAVORITE holiday), and here are four special books I feature in my classroom (with three extra we use at home). PLUS, read through to the end for a FREE “Arbor Day” reading passage.
The Tree Lady
BY H. JOSEPH HOPKINS
The Tree Lady is a wonderful non-fiction story about a young girl named Katherine Sessions. She loved defying odds, working hard, and paving her own way. As a young girl, she was always surrounded by trees. So, when she moved from the redwoods of California to the dry and barren city of San Diego, she was shocked! She worked hard to study the life of the land, wrote many letters to people across the world, all in search of trees that could live and become sustainable in San Diego. Read more to find out how Katherine became the Mother of Balboa Park.
Wangari's Trees of Peace
BY JEANETTE WINTER
This incredibly motivating true story is about a woman named Wangari Maathai. As a child, she grew up in Africa, helping her mother collect firewood and gather crops. As she grew older, she earned a scholarship to the United States and was gone for several years. When she returned to Africa, she was shocked to see so much barren land, without trees, and many new buildings being erected. She knew she had to plant a small seed of hope, so she started in her own backyard. Along the way, she enlisted more women to plant seed after seed. Though Wangari faced many dangers and troubles from the government, she never gave up planting.
REDWOODS
BY JASON CHIN
This book is a class favorite! While it seems like a ‘story' on the outside, the reader is actually sucked into an informational world of vision. The author does an amazing job explaining the origin of Redwoods, their features, fun facts, and more! The illustrator is also Jason Chin! He creates beautiful graphics that help the reader imagine what Redwoods are like based on the information provided. This is a MUST have!
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
BY LYNNE CHERRY
This book takes the main character on a journey deep into the Amazon rainforest. He has his sights set on chopping down The Great Kapok Tree, but he finds it too difficult. Along the way, he is reminded by animals, tribes, and more of the great importance of this tree. Filled with important information on conservation and sustainability, this resource will be enjoyed by your students!
BOOKS WE USE IN OUR HOME
Are you looking for a few more books to discuss the importance of trees or how to protect the planet? We use these three additional books at home; however, they are perfect for early elementary through third grade (maybe even fourth).
We Planted a Tree written by Diane Muldrow.
The Apples on the Tree written by Steve Metzger.
A Tree is Nice written by Janice May Udry.
HOW CAN YOU CONTINUE TO DISCUSS ARBOR DAY IN YOUR CLASSROOM?
Even after you take time to read one of these books, brainstorming and discussing ideas about trees (in general) can be satisfying! Whether it's deciding if you can hold a tree-planting ceremony at school, or planting a tree at home. It can be so exhilarating to give back to the Earth. We take time to dive a little deeper into the meaning of Arbor Day and why it exists by using these differentiated reading passages. Then we compare it to a story we have read.
Take a little time to discuss the history of Arbor Day with your students by grabbing an example of the set mentioned above. You will receive the first differentiated passage with a writing prompt template.
How do you discuss Arbor Day in your classroom? What are your favorite mentor texts? Let me know in the comments.
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