Learning from the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities

This all-new set of original science tales for children utilizes the power of storytelling to explore ecology's big ideas, providing extensive accompanying teacher support for maximum impact. Former teacher and an acclaimed author Brian "Fox" Ellis is a master at using creative storytelling to open up the natural world to students. With this new edition of his highly praised Learning from the Land: Teaching Ecology through Stories and Activities, Ellis gives educators 12 captivating science-based stories as well as the supporting material they need to use those stories at a variety of learning levels. This latest edition immerses students in both the process and the excitement of science. Ellis's original stories explore everything from the Big Bang theory to plate tectonics, from the water cycle to the food web, from forest ecology to animal intelligence. The accompanying lesson plans—all based on national standards—include tips for discussions, writing activities, mapmaking, storytelling, scientific observations, and other activities—everything teachers need to break through the walls of the classroom and immerse their students in the interworkings of the world outside.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the New Edition Preface to the First Edition Telling the Stories of the Land Acknowledgments Introduction ?The Ballad of Rusty and Nancy: A Trilogy of Creation and the Mineral Cycles Comments to the Teacher The Ballad of Rusty and Nancy Follow-Up Ideas for "The Ballad of Rusty and Nancy" Discussion Topics: Compare and Contrast, The Circular Storytelling Game, Exploring the Effects of Our Behavior: Monitoring Waste, Social Action and Citizenship, ?Walter the Water Molecule, by Brian "Fox" Ellis and Garth Gilchrist Comments to the Teacher Walter the Water Molecule Follow-Up Ideas for "Walter the Water Molecule" Discussion Topic, Correlating Maps and Diagrams, The Circular Storytelling Game, How Much of Me Is Water?, How Much of This Is Water?, Evaporation, The Water Cycle, ?The Web: Lessons in the Web of Life Comments to the Teacher The Web Follow-Up Ideas for "The Web" Discussion Topics, Adventures in the Web of Life, Making a Food Web, Where Have All the Predators Gone?, Where Does Our Food Come From? The Story of Nachos, Dragonflies and Water Quality, Take Your Students Fishing!, ?The Song of Life Sings in Us All: Creating an Animal Action Poem and Skit that Celebrates the Web of Life Comments to the Teacher The Song of Life Sings in Us All Follow-Up Ideas for "The Song of Life" Student-Led Drama, Take an Old Song and Make It New, Making a Simple Food Web, Explore the Song of Life in Your Backyard!, ?The Rattlesnake that Tamed a Boy: A Tall Science Tale Comments to the Teacher The Rattlesnake that Tamed a Boy: A Tall Science Tale Follow-Up ideas for "The Rattlesnake that Tamed a Boy" Discussion Topics, Discerning the Facts, The Liar's Game, Bring a Snake to School, Telling Tales Tall and True, Telling Tales Tall and True (handout), ?Counsel of Crows Comments to the Teacher Counsel of Crows Follow-Up Ideas for "Counsel of Crows" Discussion Topics, Porque (What-For) Stories: Folktales as a Source of Scientific Wisdom, How the Red Fox Earned His Bushy Tail, Plans for My Porque Story, Animal Wisdom, Listening to the Voice of Nature, Native American Tales: Placing Stories in their Eco-Regions, Student Storytelling, Turtle Island Tales, ?A Night on the Hunt: Wildlife Stories Comments to the Teacher A Night on the Hunt Follow-Up Ideas for "A Night on the Hunt" Discussion Topics, Writing and Telling the Story of Wildlife, Wild Animal Observation, Say It with Pictographs, Guessing-Game Poems, Wild Adventures in Your Backyard—YOU Can Be A Wildlife Researcher!, ?The Salmon and the Stream: A Story of Animal Migration by Garth Gilchrist Comments to the Teacher The Salmon and the Stream Follow-Up Ideas for "The Salmon and the Stream" Discussion Topic, Migration Route Map Study, Writing a Migration Story, Animal Migration Map, Animal Migrations, ?The Seed: A Story of Seasonal Adaptation Comments to the Teacher The Seed Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Follow-Up Ideas for "The Seed" Discussion Topic, Tracking the Seasons, Growing a Prairie, Sorting Seeds, Art Ideas, Write Your Own Story of the Seasons, ?Bare Stone: A Lesson in Geology and the Successional Stages in the Colonization of a Rock Comments to the Teacher Bare Stone Follow-Up Ideas for "Bare Stone" Discussion Topics, A Walk through Successional Stages, Comparing Spores and Seeds, Bare Pavement, ?"The Ohio" by John James Audubon: In the Wake of Early Naturalists Comments to the Teacher "The Ohio" by John James Audubon Follow-Up Ideas for "The Ohio" Discussion Topics, Lessons from the Journals of Early Explorers, Stepping Into Character, Reading the Landscape of America: Poetry as a Walk through Time, Index

About the Author :
Brian "Fox" Ellis is an internationally renowned storyteller, author, educator, and naturalist. He is the author of 15 books, including the critically acclaimed children's picture book The Web at Dragonfly Pond.