Listed below are selected teacher resources, picture books, and non-fiction related to summer.
Teacher Resources
Harvest days: Celebrating fall with rhymes, songs, projects, games, and snacks, written and compiled by Durby Peterson, illustrated by Marion Hopping Ekberg
Grades: K-1. Contains a variety of hands-on projects and movement games appropriate to the fall season.
–
Learn every day about seasons: 100 best ideas from teachers, edited by Kathy Charner, illustrated by Deb Johnson
Grades: K-1. Numerous activities which explore seasonal changes. Each activity includes learning objectives, related vocabulary, related children’s books, materials needed, instructions for the activity, and an assessment component.
–
Nature’s day out and about: Spotting, making, and collecting activities, written by Kay Mcguire, illustrated by Danielle Kroll
Grades: K-3. An activity book for all four seasons. Sow seeds in spring, go pond dipping in summer, collect leaves in fall, and make an ice sculpture when it’s cold in winter. With lots of spotting collecting, making, and coloring activities, this book is the perfect way to connect with nature, whatever the season.
–
Art for all seasons, written by Joy Evans and Jo Ellen Moore, illustrated by Jo Larsen
Grades: 1-4. Art project ideas that correspond with the four seasons, and the weather and holidays associated with each.
–
–
Science around the year, by Janice VanCleave
Grades: 3-7. Presents experiments and activities in such fields as astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics that are related to one of the four seasons.
–
–
Picture Books
A stroll through the seasons, written by Kay Barnham, illustrated by Maddie Frost
Follow the wonderful changes that each season brings! From bright spring blossoms to dazzling summer sunshine, vibrant autumn leaves, and sparkling winter snow. Look and Wonder is a fresh, bold, and bright narrative nonfiction series introducing children to the natural world.
–
Seasons, written and illustrated by Anne Crausaz
Five senses, four seasons. From the sounds of the birds singing in the trees to the feel of the first snowflake, it’s a whole year of discovery and changes.
–
Ocean seasons, by Ron Hirschi, illustrated by Kirsten Carlson
Grades: K-4. Introduces how the changing seasons impact the ocean, including how plant and animal life interact, migration, life cycle, and more.
–
The magic in a year, written by Frank Boylan, illustrated by Sally Garland
A young child shares why each month is special, from the winter chill in January and the spring breeze in March to the heat in July and colored leaves in September.
–
Dakelh series, written by Cecilia John
Come north to Saik’uz (sigh-kuz) located within the Dakelh (dah-kay-lth) Territory and see the changes through summer, fall, winter, and spring. Part of the Strong Stories series which focuses on different First Nation territories from across Canada and the United States. A triple-language resource written in Carrier, English and French. Pronunciation guides for each book in the series are available here.
–
Non-Fiction
Seasons of the year, by Tracey Steffora
Grades: K-1. Looks at the annual cycle of seasons and the way that some plants, animals, and people respond to the changes.
–
Which season is it?, by Bobbie Kalman
Grades: K-1. Which season is it when it snows; when flowers grow; when leaves fall; when it is very hot? This simple book features children’s descriptions of the weather and activities that make each season fun for them.
–
We share the seasons, by Brenda Boreham and Terri Mack, illustrated by Bill Helin
Grade: 1. This book is about the changing seasons in and along a riverbank, from the mountains to the sea. You will see many plants and animals that live along a riverbank. They grow and change just as we do. From the Mountains to the Sea: We Share the Seasons covers all of your Aboriginal Learning Standards in both science and social studies within the new BC curriculum. For more in the From the Mountains to the Sea series, click here.
–
Changing seasons, Bobbie Kalman and Kelley MacAulay
Grades: 1-4. This book explains the fascinating changes that take place in nature every year. It takes an in-depth look at why there are four seasons, the patterns that appear in each season, and how these changes affect both plants and animals, including people. It provides information on why leaves change colour in autumn; migration; hibernation; and more.
Finding More Resources
To find more resources in this area, try the following:
- Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
- Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
- Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “Seasons–Juvenile literature”, “Seasons–Poetry”, “Seasons–Juvenile fiction”.
- To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.
For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.