Exploring the World

In September, we read several books to better understand our world. My students loved getting to learn more about the world around us and were inspired to be responsible community members!

I Am the Storm written by Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple & illustrated by Kristen & Kevin Howdeshell

For Reading and Writing, we use EL Education as our curriculum. Their first unit of study is learning about schools around the world! The kids have been very interested in other countries. We learned that in some countries it's hard to go to school because of problems like earthquakes and floods. To better understand natural disasters and how they affect people, we read I Am the Storm.

The students loved the push and pull of this book. On the first page, you see a mighty storm, one that is scary and can damage and destroy. But then you turn the page and see a family together, finding ways to have a little bit of fun. And when the storm is over, the family and their community work together to clean up the mess. The rest of the book follows this pattern: a powerful storm, a hopeful family, and a hardworking community. This would be a beautiful book to read together as a family! Even reading it in class, the students thought of times when they faced something difficult but then shared their moments of hope and joy. And though "nature is strong and powerful..., [we are] strong and powerful, too."

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey written & illustrated by Maira Kalman

Every September 11, the principal comes on the speakers and calls for a moment of silence to remember those who lost and gave their lives during the terrorist attacks. The students never really know what's going on and always have a lot of questions. It's hard talking about serious topics with young children, especially as a teacher. How much do I share? I found this book to be the best way to talk about 9/11 with my class.

Fireboat transports kids back to New York City in 1931. There are so many exciting things happening, and best of all, the John J. Harvey fireboat is born. The book follows the life of the John J. Harvey from 1931 to 1995. The fireboat goes from being "the largest, fastest and shiniest fireboat of them all" to being an old, useless boat. "But then on September 11, 2001 something so huge and horrible happened that the whole world shook."

Maira Kalman is short and to the point. She explains that two airplanes crashed into the Twin Towers and paints the fiery chaos. But her main focus is not terrorism or death. Her focus is on heroes: firefighters, police officers, doctors, teachers, children, parents. And then of course, the John J. Harvey fireboat. The fireboat crew sprang into action! The work was long and hard, but they persisted and didn't go home until the fire was gone. "Everyone on the boat had never seen anything so terrible. And they had never felt so proud." By the end of the book, the students weren't asking questions about 9/11; they were talking about how they can be heroes, just like the people and the fireboat in the book.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn written & illustrated by Kenard Pak

On the first day of Fall/Autumn, we said goodbye to summer with this soothing book! The kids loved seeing the changes throughout the story. The green leaves slowly turn to yellow, red, orange, and purple. The weather goes from warm and sunny to cool and windy. Animals busily prepare for winter, and people smile and enjoy the new season. The book inspires children to take in their surroundings and enjoy the beauty of change! The class has been extra excited for recess now, so they can discover signs of Fall (so if they bring home any leaves in their backpack, blame the book 😉).

I Choose to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle written & illustrated by Elizabeth Estrada

For a Math lesson centered around recycling, we read one of Elizabeth Estrada's I Choose books (find it in Spanish here). It was a perfect read after Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn! The students and I talked about how we can protect our planet so we can continue to enjoy Fall for years to come. We also talked about how keeping Earth clean and healthy can help prevent extreme, frequent storms (a topic that the authors of I Am the Storm care a lot about!).

This is a great book to read at home, and then you and your family can pick out what you can do at home to reduce, reuse, recycle. Be sure to send me any pictures of you doing the activities from the book! The kids would love to see each other in action.