Wonderful+World+of+Water+(Erickson)

Lisa Erickson Nonfiction Booklist: The Wonderful World of Water

This is a booklist and website resource list that I devised to accompany a first grade thematic unit about water. Water is a broad topic, but the focus in science will be the three stages of water and the water cycle. Any other topics concerning the wonderful world of water: conserving water, health benefits of water, etc., will stem from students’ interests and we will integrate into other subject areas. These books are selected primarily for read aloud, but will also be added to the choice reading section of the classroom, in the shelves for science unit themed books. Any books with a lexile measure above four hundred will be read aloud before going to the choice shelf.

Nonfiction Picture Books:

Branley, Franklyn M. (1997). //Down Comes the Rain//. Illustrated by James Graham Hale. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science. HarperCollins. Lexile Measure: 430

This book puts the water cycle into a well known context for young readers: rain, puddles, and puddles drying and going away. More challenging content words are explained in context.

Berger, Melvin, Gilda Berger, and Bobbi Tull (2011). //Water, Water, Everywhere.//Discovery Readers. Ideals Children’s Books. Lexile Measure: 380.

This book explains the water cycle by giving examples of hands on experiments students can do to understand the water phase better.

Frost, Helen (2000). //The Water Cycle.//Capstone. Lexile Measure: 300

This book captures the water cycle in photographs, while using simple language to explain the concept. It includes a glossary for defining science terms to the young reader.

Nelson, R. (2011) //Earth’s Water Cycle.// First Step Nonfiction. Lerner Publishers. Lexile Measure: 260

This book uses photographs to finely capture the changes that water goes through to become a cloud, a raindrop, and a body of water.

Locker, Thomas (2002). //Water Dance.// HMH Books for Young Readers. Lexile: 310.

This picture book follows water through the water cycle all over the earth using oil pastel land and seascapes to create dramatic interest. The simple text outlines how water moves through the earth in an ongoing dance of movement and phases.

Lyon, George E. (2011) //All the Water in the World.// Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books. Lexile 520.

This book uses collage/painting technique to draw the reader in while simply stated questions get the reader thinking about what he or she knows about water, and sparking interest in finding out more.

Robinson, Fay. (1995) //Where Do Puddles Go?// Rookie Read-About Science Series. Children’s Press. Lexile Measure: 570.

This book gives age appropriate examples with images students are familiar with, drawing on their water experiences to understand the phases of water. It uses photograph images to draw the reader in to the topic.

Rosinsky, Natalie M. (2002).//Water: Up, Down, and All Around//. Amazing Science Series.Illustrated by Matthew John. Nonfiction Picture Books. Lexile Measure: 550

This picture book focuses on the three stages of water. The illustrations are colorful and graphic, and the text is simple and inviting.

Stewart, Melissa (2014). //National Geographic Readers: Water.// National Geographic Children’s Books. Lexile Measure: 520

This science reader uses beautiful photographs and age appropriate explanations to show how water gets into our streams and rivers, as well as our faucets.

*These selections, although not true nonfiction, are filled with content information about the water cycle from the fantasy world of a class who takes a magic field trip as water droplets changing and moving through the water cycle and the water production plant that serves our homes. They are from the popular Magic School Bus series.

Relf, Pat. (1996). //The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over.// Illustrated by Carolyn Bracken. Scholastic Inc. Lexile: 350

Cole, Joanna (1988). //The Magic School Bus: At the Waterworks//. Illustrated by Bruce Degen. Scholastic Inc. Lexile: 460

Websites:

__[]__

This link is from National Geographic Kids. It is a quiz that students can take about the water cycle.

__[]__

Students enjoy the robot main character for the educational video series on this website. The videos are always short and give lots of information. It would be a good supplement.

__[]__

This link came from the scholastic website. It is a nice video about the water cycle done in popular cartoon style.

__[]__

This is an official website of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s ProjectWET, the DNR’s campaign to educate teachers,students, and others about the importance of water. On this particular page there are several games for kids, including one about the water cycle.

__[]__

This website has games and activities arranged by grade for understanding water as a resource and as an amazing continuous cycle.