Growing Stories: Literature in the Garden

It's time to register for this year's NSTA National Science Teachers Association Conference http://www.nsta.org/conferences/national.aspx that will be in Boston in April.

One of the four conference strands will be focused on Science and Literacy: A Symbiotic Relationship.

Today I wrote a conference proposal for our regional NSTA and VA Office of Environmental Educators conference that will be held in Richmond VA in October 16 - 18 2014.
My conference proposal theme is Growing Stories: Literature in the Garden.

Do you want to talk with elementary-age students about utopias, languages and designing your own culture and staple crop?
Read Paul Fleishman's inspirational Weslandia

And check out associated activities in Junior Master Gardener's Literature in the Garden curriculum.
Here's a second grader's design for a staple crop...

Interested in teaching Native American culture, ecology and biodiversity with your class of 8-year olds?

Read Susan Jeffer's Brother Eagle Sister Sky.
And weave a Web of Life with your class using the activity plan from Junior Master Gardeners Literature in the Garden.

Examples of these classes are blogged on:
Arlington Traditional School's Gardening Blog:
Read Weslandia and Design New Staple Crops Second Grade 11/22/2011
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky  Second Grade 3/27/12

For further suggestions on environmental-themed literature for children:
Check out award-winning books from the Junior Master Gardeners and American Horticultural Society's "Growing Good Kids Book Awards"...
Cultivate reading in your garden!