Teaching Through Trade Books: What's the Big Deal

This article deals with the subject of bees and how they impact all ecosystems because they are the world’s most important pollinators. The loss of bees would have a worldwide impact on ecos... See More

This article deals with the subject of bees and how they impact all ecosystems because they are the world’s most important pollinators. The loss of bees would have a worldwide impact on ecosystems throughout the world and the article emphasizes their importance and their need through two books that can be used in the classroom. The article has focuses on two books that are appropriate for different elementary levels, but each focus on bees and their disappearance. What If There Were No Bees? by Suzanne Slade for grades K-2 and The Buzz on Bees: Why Are They Disappearing? by Shelley Rotner and Anne Woodhull for grades 3-5. What I find very helpful of this article is that there are lesson plans provided for each of the books. The lesson plans are detailed so teachers can have a clear idea of how the lesson is structured and they are easy to follow. I believe that teachers would could easily incorporate the books and the lesson into an ecology unit without much problem which is very time convenient for teachers. I also like that the article provides which NSGG science standards the lesson plans cover, and which common core standards can be connected through the lesson plans. I like the article, however since the standards have changed since it was published I would double check to see if the lesson plans still connects the same standards.