Hey Teacher Friends!
Creating outdoor lesson plans, collecting nature picture books and getting a sweet teacher planner – these are things that Augusts are made of.
For teachers anyways, right?
August is a month for furious planning and this year is no different. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been gathering book recommendations to use throughout the year, optimizing lessons for a crazy year ahead and all the collecting materials to get through the days, weeks and months to come.
I hope this picture book list will help you. Its a collection of 15 nature picture books that would be perfect to get if you are a beginning teacher, if you teach in Ontario, and if you teach third grade.
Here in Ontario, we have a curriculum that covers a wide range of topics but my absolute favourite is science! In grade three, we get to teach all about soils and plants, structures and forces too.
Over the past decade, I have tried, tested, read, and re-read a heap of picture books to my students in science class and in language arts.
Get ready! Today I am going to share with you my favourite nature books for third grade read alouds.
Also, if you reading nature books as an activity to do with students, you might also like The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt Collection. Try doing a scavenger hunt each week to build community in your classroom while still having a lot of fun.
Well-loved Nature Books for Third Graders
In no particular order, here are my favourite nature-themed picture books for primary students.
2. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
3. The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins
4. One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul
5. What if everybody did that? by Ellen Javernick
6. Carson Crosses Canada by Linda Bailey
7. The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
8. Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel
9. A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
10. Me, Toma and the Concrete Garden by Andrew Larsen
11. Plantzilla by David Katrow
12. The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larson
13. The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall
14. Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton
15. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Are you new to teaching grade three?
If you’re new to teaching grade three in Ontario, then this list of nature picture books should be great for your science program, but also work well for tying in many language arts expectations.
These picture books are great to add to your book collection and could also be used for grades 1 through 4 if need be.
More nature book recommendations
Now that you have seen my favourite nature books, its time for your to share yours! What nature books do you absolutely love, that entertain and engross your students in learning and that you would recommend to other Ontario teachers? Leave your recommendation in the comments below.
