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New York State Conservationist for Kids Vol 12, #3 Spring 2019

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New York State Conservationist for Kids Vol 12, #3 Spring 2019

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Media: Digital text, Seasonal Magazine
Summary: In this issue, readers learn about different ways they can be conservationists specifically in New York! This issue shares plants and animals native to our living space and how we can help them thrive (in the ocean and on land).
Theme Connection: Learning about native plants and animals and how to help them thrive will allow students to understand how different ecosystems require specific plants and animals to sustain it. This will help them understand how ocean ecosystems cannot thrive with plants and animals dying.
Complexity: 810L - 1000L (Grades 3-5); this issue is perfect for fifth grade students. With the combination of text, pictures, and infographics, readers will be able to comprehend in multiple ways.
Instructional Uses: This issue can be passed out to students to read with a partner - they can work together to find out new facts they did not know and to research for their brochures.

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Media: Video - Poetry with visuals
Summary: In this poem, the narrator speaks from the perspective of humans years from now after pollution has taken over; she is reminiscing on the clear air and water, regretting plastic she bought and and activities she took part in.
Theme Connection: This poem discusses pollution and its impacts in the years to come. Students will think about their daily choice and what consequences there are based on them.
Complexity: This poem will be comprehendible especially if it is typed out for students to read along and take notes on. The narrator has an accent, but between printed text and the video, students will be able to take away information after two or three listens.
Instructional Uses: This poem allows students to think about conservation and how it will affect us in the future - how realistic do they think this poem is? How will the poem be different if we change our actions now?

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Media: Text, Informational Tradebook
Summary: In this book, readers follow along in seeing what our ecosystems would be like if sharks did not exist. This book beautifully explains that sharks affect not only ocean life, but land animals, AND humans!
Theme Connection: This book will give students a reason to care about ocean conservation - it effects them, too. Creating connections with the theme will allow students to feel connected to the topic.
Complexity: Lexile 830 (Grades 2-3). While this Lexile score is aimed at Grades 2-3, I believe this very appropriate and informative for Grade 5 students. Between vocabulary, text structure, and  big ideas presented, this is appropriate for Grade 5.
Instructional Uses: This is a great read aloud book AND as a research book. The text is easy to read along with and there seem to be natural stopping points for class discussion. This book, especially since it relates to humans, would begin a great discussion.

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Saving Tally by by Serena Lane Ferrari (Author), Giorgia Vallicelli (Illustrator)

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Saving Tally by by Serena Lane Ferrari (Author), Giorgia Vallicelli (Illustrator)

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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: "Saving Tally" is a story of adventure to the coral reef! Tally is warned by her grandmother to avoid the plastic patch, the most dangerous place in all the ocean. Tally and her friend find themselves in danger and then decide to spread the word against plastic.
Theme Connection: This text allows readers to take a look into what animals are really facing when ocean pollution takes over - the turtle in the story mistakes a plastic bag for a jellyfish, putting its life in danger.
Complexity: 3 - 12 years
This book has such a broad age range because, while younger students are able to read it, the content is applicable to students through Grade 5 who are studying ocean ecosystems.
Instructional Uses: This book would be used as a short read aloud to begin discussion about ocean conservation. This would bring up discussions about pollution, ecosystems, animal life, and human impact.

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Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal 

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Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal 

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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: In this book, a mother and son take a canoe ride on a pond. The son asks the mom about what is under and over the pond; the mom responds by discussing different animals found in the pond's ecosystem.
Theme Connection: This book is an introduction to ecosystems and explaining how different animals work together to keep the ecosystem thriving.
Complexity: 660L (Grades 2-3); while this book is leveled at grades 2-3, it introduces ecosystems and the lives that make them up. The reading may be lower than a 5th grade level, but it can provide 5th grade level discussion prompts.
Instructional Uses: I would use this as one of the first texts introduced in this unit. I would read this book more than one, especially after reading the afterward about all the animals and about ecosystems. This would be the introductory lesson to ecosystems and how different beings interact with it. Students would try and find all the different ways this ecosystems works together.

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Harry Saves the Ocean! by Silva Fae (Author) and Janelle Dimmett (Illustrator)

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Harry Saves the Ocean! by Silva Fae (Author) and Janelle Dimmett (Illustrator)

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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: Harry and his family take a vacation to the beach, but upon arriving they realize that the animals in the ocean are surrounded by plastic and garbage! With the help of others, Harry and his family organize a beach clean up.
Theme Connection: This text will show readers how they can actively help with ocean conservation. Readers will gain both information and ideas.
Complexity: Grades 1 - 3; while the grade levels are well below fifth grade, this will get readers thinking about what they can do to help with ocean conservation.
Instructional Uses: This would be used a read aloud to spark conversation about what people can do to help conserve the ocean ecosystems.

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Media: Text, Informational Tradebook
Summary: Jason Chin writes informational books like literary books, combining fact and illustration to make readers feel like they are living in a fantasy. In this book, our main character learns about coral reefs, their purpose, and all of the ecosystems that coexist with and around it. Readers also learn about human impact and how we affect this ecosystem.
Theme Connection: This book will show readers how what we do affects life in the ocean. They will also see different ecosystems in the ocean interacting, which leads to more and more complexity.
Complexity: Lexile 1010 (Grades 4-5); this book would be on grade level for most of the readers in class. The illustrations help tremendously with unknown concepts and the writing reads like a literary book.
Instructional Uses: This book could be used as a partial read aloud or even as a think aloud to learn about researching. While the teacher would not read the entire book (though students can), she would use sections to show how she pulls information from informational text.

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Media: Text, Informational Tradebook
Summary: In this scientific mystery, readers learn about how a Monterey Bay ecosystem could have been completely destroyed if it was not for a group of sea otters. The scientists working in this area had to work through a mystery to figure out how this ecosystem was thriving, not knowing about sea otter help.
Theme Connection: This book allows readers to fully understand how, whether humans know about it or not, ecosystems thrive when its inhabitants can work together and continue to live.
Complexity: 1060L (Grades 4-6); This book is perfect for 5th graders. This book includes charts, photographs, maps, and captions. Readers can learn to skim, search for specific facts, and use text features like table of contents and the index to find information they need.
Instructional Uses: This book would be used by specific students who want to read about sea otters or plant life in the ocean. Students can use this to research this ecosystem and to take notes on factual information.

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What a Waste: Trash Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French

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What a Waste: Trash Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French

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Media: Text, Informational Trade Book
Summary: In this encyclopedic book, readers will learn about trash, recycling, pollution, and conservation. Readers will learn about renewable energy, steps they can take to become more conservative, and will learn about different cycles trash goes through.
Theme Connection: This book will help students connect different ecosystems to see how conservation can help everywhere. This book gives information, tips, and provides bright, colorful, engaging illustrations.
Complexity: 920L (Grades 3-4); while this is slightly below grade level, I think this book could be used throughout middle grades! As an adult, it sucked me in and I felt myself engaged with the language, illustrations, different text structures, and interesting facts and tips.
Instructional Uses: This book would be used as further research for students after learning  some basic facts about conservation. This book will help them dive deeper into different facts and ways they can help their world.

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How You Can Help Save Our Marine Wildlife! by Nat Geo Kids

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How You Can Help Save Our Marine Wildlife! by Nat Geo Kids

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Media: Website, Article with text and accompanying pictures
Summary: This online article explains how we can help protect both turtles and seahorses. This article discusses tourism, fishing, and pollution as threats to marine life.
Theme Connection: This article shares information about different ways marine life are endangered, not simply from littering or pollution. This will share different ways for readers to spread awareness.
Complexity: Lexile 1210- 1400 (Grades 5-7). This article is spot on for grade-level readers, especially if they decide to use the app on their Chromebooks that reads the article to them. It allows all readers to be challenged a bit.
Instructional Uses: This article would be reviewed as a class, but students would read it individually or with a partner while researching for their brochures. This article gives ideas about what different threats there are to ocean ecosystems.

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Media: Website, Article with text and accompanying pictures
Summary: In this article, readers learn about what climate change is, what causes it, and what we can do about it. This article also discusses  how it is affecting animals, plants, and humans.
Theme Connection: This article, while not directly about conservation, discusses what will happen if we do not begin to focus on conserving our oceans (and Earth) very soon.
Complexity: 810L - 1000L (Grades 3-5). This is appropriate for students below and on a fifth grade reading level. The article brings in photographs to support the text, writes the article in narrative and list form, and uses bold type to bring awareness to vocabulary words.
Instructional Uses: This article will be used to discuss with students what can happens if ocean conservation is not taken seriously. Students must understand the consequences of humans being irresponsible with the ecosystems that surround them.

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Save the Ocean "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth"

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Save the Ocean "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth"

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Media: Audio/Visual
Summary: In this music video, listeners/viewers listen to a catchy song about saving the oceans, with guest appearances from different marine life asking for help in conserving their homes.
Theme Connection: This song is a catchy reminder to help our oceans, with reminders from marine life.
Complexity: This song was curated for students and the visuals that go along with it help students understand. This is accessible for all students.
Instructional Uses: The teacher may play this video at the very beginning of the unit as a way to get students interested - students do not need to have any background knowledge to listen to this song.

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60-Second Science: Ocean Plastic Smells Great to Sea Turtles

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60-Second Science: Ocean Plastic Smells Great to Sea Turtles

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Media: Audio - Podcast
Summary: In this podcast, listeners learn about why turtles are so attracted to plastic bags when they are swimming; while they look like jellyfish, there is also a scent that may be attracting them.
Theme Connection: Learning about why turtles are so attracted to plastic bags gives students another reason to spread ocean conservation awareness.
Complexity: 810L - 1000L (Grades 3-5); this short podcast is appropriate in Lexile level and length for fifth graders. With only 3 minutes to listen and accessible language, students will be able to concentrate and take away information from this podcast.
Instructional Uses: Students who decide to write about turtles in their conservation brochures will find this podcast helpful and informative.

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Media: Audio/Video - Interview
Summary: In this video, Willy Kostka talks with kids about conservation. He asks them questions and they ask him questions about what steps everybody can take toward a more conservative life.
Theme Connection: The interviewers/interviewees discuss how different ecosystems co-exist and how we can positively affect it.
Complexity: This discussion is aimed at children and young teens, especially since they are the ones in the video. The interview discusses the Micronesian Islands, so once students are familiar with that, this interview is very digestible.
Instructional Uses: This will be used in the beginning of the unit to help explain the affects of conservation (and what will happen if we do not take it seriously). Students will build empathy, hearing about how climate change and lack of conservation affect lives in the Micronesian Islands.

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Nihi! KIDS TALK about Conservation | KIDS TALK | Nihi!

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The Voyage of the Ocean Trash by Tumble Science Podcast for Kids (with Jenni Brandon)

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The Voyage of the Ocean Trash by Tumble Science Podcast for Kids (with Jenni Brandon)

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Media: Audio, Podcast
Summary: In this podcast, listeners learn about the Pacific Garbage Patch from a scientist named Isla who sailed through it herself. She discusses plastic, what it is made of, how it affects sea life, and how it ends up affecting humans.
Theme Connection: This podcast connects to our theme by introducing the Pacific Garbage Patch, a direct result of humans not treating their environment the way they should.
Complexity: This podcast is made for kids, so the language is aimed at middle-grade students. The episode is 19 minutes long, so middle-grade students can either listen to sections at a time or can sit and listen to the entire thing.
Instructional Uses: This will be listened to as a whole class either in sections or as a whole. Students will hear about plastic taking over the ocean and will be prompted to think about what they can do to help. They can practice visualizing and can connect their ecosystem to the ocean ecosystem after listening carefully.

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Media: Wordless Video
Summary: In this silent video, viewers follow a whale and a boy through each of their journeys to rid the world and ocean of plastic pollution. The video shows how human trash affects marine ecosystems.
Theme Connection: The video shows how human trash affects marine ecosystems. Viewers watch a boy take action toward ocean conservation and see marine wildlife do it, as well.
Complexity: This video was specifically made for children, so it is very accessible. Since it is wordless, students need to be able to make connections on their own or with each other.
Instructional Uses: This video can be shown to the class to spark discussions about what impact humans have on ocean wildlife. Students can come up with words for the video and can write about their feelings afterward.

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Media: Visual, Infographic
Summary: In this photo, viewers will see both jellyfish and plastic bags, though they look very similar. This is why sea turtles consistently eat plastic bags while meaning to eat jellyfish.
Theme Connection: Students will be able to see what sea turtles see and will continue to understand why plastic in our oceans is such a harmful thing.
Complexity: This image is great for fifth graders, especially when they begin to build empathy, make connections, and use critical thinking.
Instructional Uses: I would show this image after listening to the "60-Second Science" podcast to give a visual to the audio file.

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Media: Visual, Photograph
Summary: This photograph is of the Pacific Garbage Patch, a giant gyre in the middle of the Pacific - there are multiple garbage patches around the world.
Theme Connection: Students will be able to visualize where the trash in the ocean ends up, creating a connection and empathy.
Complexity: This visual is accessible to all, especially for those who have been to the beach and have seen the breadth of the ocean.
Instructional Uses: This photograph will be shown along with the Tumble podcast that discusses the Pacific Garbage Patch to create a visual connection and inspiration for brochure photos.

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Media: Visual, Photograph
Summary: This is a photograph of a sea bird that has swallowed an extreme amount of plastic from the sea. Viewers can see the plastic is still not disintegrated.
Theme Connection: Students will be able to understand the immense amount of plastic that animals eat without realizing. This will inspire them to create brochures that fight against single-use plastic.
Complexity: While anyone can view this image, I would only show it to fifth grade and above for it is graphic.
Instructional Uses: I would use this after showing "Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic;" the kids in the video dissected sea life and this photo will allow my students to virtually dissect ocean life.

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Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic | Short Film Showcase

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Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic | Short Film Showcase

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Media: Video - Short Film
Summary: In this short film, adults and students in Hawai'i take action to learn about single use plastic and how it is affecting the oceans that surround them. Viewers see students dissecting what sea life has eaten and take action against it.
Theme Connection: This short film connects to ocean conservation directly, showing students and adults taking action against ocean pollution. It shows how land ecosystems interact with ocean ecosystems and what we can do to change it.
Complexity: While there is some unknown vocabulary used in this film, it is enough that can be discussed. The rest of the film uses visual and oral information to share the complexities of ocean conservation, making it very viewable and understandable.
Instructional Uses: This short film will show students that people their age can truly make a difference and that there are different ways to contribute to ocean conservation, whether in personal life or in taking public action.

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Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic | Short Film Showcase

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Kids explain how ocean noise polution affects marine wildlife

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Kids explain how ocean noise polution affects marine wildlife

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Media: Video
Summary: In this video, viewers learn about how sound pollution is hurting, and even killing marine wildlife. Sounds from boats, explosions, and sonar are deafening sea creatures, creating difficult or impossibility to live.
Theme Connection: This video shows how humans interacting with the ocean and its ecosystems can be harmful. What we think is harmless is actually terrible for ocean life.
Complexity: This video was created by and for school-age children, creating a very appropriately made video.
Instructional Uses: This video would be watched by the entire class and would lead to a discussion or would lead into a more complex text about sound pollution.

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IFAW - International Fund For Animal Welfare

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Kids explain how ocean noise polution affects marine wildlife

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Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey: Marine Litter

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Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey: Marine Litter

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Media: Video
Summary: In this video, Jim Toomey explains different ways litter makes it to our oceans, from ships, to trash in inland states. He introduces garbage patches and what humans and large corporations can do to fight against litter.
Theme Connection: This video explains how humans impact different ecosystems, from river to oceans to marine life. Toomey also explains what we can do to conserve our oceans.
Complexity: The video has clear wording and a clear message, supported by animation that is engaging for students, especially fifth graders.
Instructional Uses: This video can be used to show the full class - after viewing, students can brainstorm different ways to reduce their plastic use.

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Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey:  Marine Litter

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Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey: The Land-Ocean Connection

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Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey: The Land-Ocean Connection

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Media: Video
Summary: In this video, Jim Toomey explicitly explains the connection between land ecosystems and ocean ecosystems. Using narration, film, and animation, he shows how plastic, waste, and improper disposal of household items can affect marine life.
Theme Connection: This video will allow viewers to see how their everyday choice can affect marine life. They can take away doable steps toward ocean conservation.
Complexity: The video has clear wording and a clear message, supported by animation that is engaging for students, especially fifth graders.
Instructional Uses: This video can be used alongside the one above to help students begin to brainstorm different ways they can conserve our oceans in our everyday lives, no matter where they live.

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Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey: The Land-Ocean Connection

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Not for Me, Please! I Choose to act Green by Maria Godsey, illustrated by Christoph J. Kellner

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Not for Me, Please! I Choose to act Green by Maria Godsey, illustrated by Christoph J. Kellner

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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: This book uses a combination of rhymes and facts to inspire readers to live a greener life. Luke goes through his day showing readers different ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle; this is accompanied by facts on each page about waste and conservation.
Theme Connection: This book inspires readers to think about how their actions will affect the planet. Students will learn about global empathy through the story and will take away facts for their projects from the endnotes.
Complexity: Ages 4-9; while the rhyming part of the book can be read to children of almost any age, the combination of it with the facts in the footnotes makes a huge impact on middle-grade readers. The sentences in the footnotes are more complex and may need to be read more than once.
Instructional Uses: I would use this book as the first or second text in this unit - this book eases into the act of living green and explains why it is so important. It is a way to build interest and empathy, as well as hearing some shocking facts about trash, recycling, and conservation.