Books with author Jane Kirkland

No Student Left Indoors is your opportunity to learn and teach about our planet by helping your students to create a field guide to your schoolyard. Whether you're a nature buff or nature-phobe, a literary genius or writing impaired, artistically talented or one who can't draw a straight line with a ruler, and teaching gift or challenged students in an urban, suburban, or rural school—you'll wonder why you didn't think of this before.You'll learn:Who can participate in and benefit from a schoolyard studyWhat those benefits areWhere to look for nature in your schoolyardWhen to conduct your studiesHow to teach students to discover, observe, and record the nature in your schoolyardWhy everyone is talking about No Student Left IndoorsThis is a project for a class, grade, or entire school. It can be a long-term project based on inquiry, investigation, and hands-on learning, The project connects science, language arts, history, creative arts, and technology.

Presenting the waterfront ecosystem in a way that offers much to observe and explore, this educational guide reconnects children with the outdoors in today’s highly technological age. Packed with fun and interesting sidebars, this book instructs kids to take field notes, make lists, and learn about what they discover. They will gain the ability to identify shells, birds, crabs, plants, and insects, as well as obtain deeper knowledge about the environment, such as how beaches are formed, why they are important, and how so many different kinds of creatures can survive there. Young explorers will also learn details about the effects of tides and currents, as well as the causes of beach pollution, providing insights into a fascinating part of the world they might otherwise take for granted.

Promoting observation, discovery, and wonder, this take-along nature guide explores an overlooked yet fascinating environment: the city. Arguing that there is no better—or more convenient—place to find prime examples of plant and animal adaptations, see the impact of humans on the environment, and understand the importance of sustainable lifestyles, this book provides activities, artwork, and stories, that explore the world of nature in human-built surroundings. Sidebars supply definitions and pronunciations of new words and concepts, important plants of the urban landscape are detailed, and the most famous hawk in North America even makes an appearance. City dwellers will be astounded by the wealth of nature in their neighborhoods as they explore the plants and animals right under their noses.

Packed with fun and interesting sidebars, color photographs, and artwork by other kids, this award-winning series is as useful in the classroom as it is fun to readers. Designed to educate, entertain, and help create environmental stewards for our planet, the format presents science in a way that helps teachers address both national and state science and literacy standards. Topics are presented in convenient spreads that enable readers to flip throughout the books, and they provide definitions, resources, poetry, and quotes by celebrated people. The entire series is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association. Examining what happens to the environment during the winter season, this take-along guide helps children observe and understand the habits of the wildlife in their locale. They will discover how various plants and animals adapt to survive, where the insects, reptiles, and amphibians retreat to, and when they might expect to see them again. Differences between cryptic coloration and camouflage as well as hibernation and torpor are identified and explored, along with why some animals migrate and others don’t. Among the creatures covered are bears, deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, cardinals, chickadees, and titmice.

Packed with fun and interesting sidebars, color photographs, and artwork by other kids, this award-winning series is as useful in the classroom as it is fun to readers. Designed to educate, entertain, and help create environmental stewards for our planet, the format presents science in a way that helps teachers address both national and state science and literacy standards. Topics are presented in convenient spreads that enable readers to flip throughout the books, and they provide definitions, resources, poetry, and quotes by celebrated people. The entire series is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association. Examining what happens to the environment during the winter season, this take-along guide helps children observe and understand the habits of the wildlife in their locale. They will discover how various plants and animals adapt to survive, where the insects, reptiles, and amphibians retreat to, and when they might expect to see them again. Differences between cryptic coloration and camouflage as well as hibernation and torpor are identified and explored, along with why some animals migrate and others don’t. Among the creatures covered are bears, deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, cardinals, chickadees, and titmice.

Packed with fun and interesting sidebars, color photographs, and artwork by other kids, this award-winning series is as useful in the classroom as it is fun to readers. Designed to educate, entertain, and help create environmental stewards for our planet, the format presents science in a way that helps teachers address both national and state science and literacy standards. Topics are presented in convenient spreads that enable readers to flip throughout the books, and they provide definitions, resources, poetry, and quotes by celebrated people. The entire series is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association. Children reconnect with nature while developing an understanding and appreciation of the wetlands with this guide. Readers will learn about various types of wetlands such as marshes, bogs, floodplain forests, and swamps; how wetlands are formed; their function as a food source; and how they serve as nurseries for animals. They will also become acquainted with the birds, frogs, turtles, hawks, insects, mollusks, and more, which inhabit the wetlands. With this book and their in-field experiences, the children will begin to understand the effects of humans on the wetlands' ecosystems and why the wetlands are becoming a focus of environmentalists and conservationists all over the world.

A heartwarming and fun true story, this early reader chapter book tells of the unusual bond formed when a fearful dog with a hard-knock past and a brave and adventurous cat are adopted into the same family. Love and patience brings out both the best and unexpected of this duo as they become best friends, doing everything together from sleeping to taking walks to canoeing with their owners. With beautiful color photos on every page, this book teaches children about friendship, adoption, change, and diversity. Also included throughout the book are questions to help the reader place themselves inside in the story, becoming instant discussion points and lesson plans for parents and teachers.

The essential educator’s guide to helping students discover, observe, and record nature in their schoolyard—urban, suburban, or rural—this book outlines a class, grade, or school-wide project connecting history, language arts, art, and technology. This is a complete source for place, project, and standards-based nature studies conducted under current conditions of any schoolyard, with no need for a special outdoor classroom. Included are case studies, stories, instructions, and resources for getting kids into the outdoors.

The essential educator’s guide to helping students discover, observe, and record nature in their schoolyard—urban, suburban, or rural—this book outlines a class, grade, or school-wide project connecting history, language arts, art, and technology. This is a complete source for place, project, and standards-based nature studies conducted under current conditions of any schoolyard, with no need for a special outdoor classroom. Included are case studies, stories, instructions, and resources for getting kids into the outdoors.