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New Book Backstory: Warbler Wave

Warbler Wave will be released by Beach Lane, Simon & Schuster on February 13, 2018. See some spreads on S&S website. This book is the fulfillment of a dream, part of my life goal to share wonder. The text and photos are by me (April), with a bit of help from Jeff (a couple of photos, years of camera carrying, pointing out warblers, loving support, reviewing text, scientific fact checking, driving thousands of miles, 28 years of marriage, daily partnership in learning about nature).  We are both birders and the migratory journey of these amazing avian athletes is the highlight of our year. Below are some identification notes and discussion of the birds in the book.  Continue reading “New Book Backstory: Warbler Wave”

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Raindrops Roll

Text and photos by April Pulley Sayre. Beach Lane Books/S&S, January, 2015. Ages 3-8.

“With lyrical words and striking images, a poet, photographer, and veteran natural history writer celebrates rain . . . Preschoolers can appreciate the poem and pictures, but middle graders will want the facts in the concluding ‘Splash of Science’ . . . Wonder-full in every way.    -Starred Review, Kirkus

Continue reading “Raindrops Roll”

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Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!

Just out (Feb 2010) is my  brand new book based on an old favorite. Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! has new layers in the main text, new endmatter on multiple species, and new illustrations by Annie Patterson. I was able to incorporate turtle behaviors I witnessed recently. Hooray for Charlesbridge for making this book even better than the previous one. This book is featured in NSTA’s Picture Perfect Science Lessons by Ansberry and Morgan, two crackerjack presenters.

It was recently featured as a book of the week at the wonderful CCBC, Cooperature Children’s Book Center. Hurray!

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Vulture View Flies in Portland, Oregon

Imitating Vulture Wings“We LOVE your stories. I am obessed with the story Vulture View, and built a whole lesson around it, teaching kids all sorts of weird stuff about the adaptations of vultures. We even built our own models of carrion and hid them around the forest while the vultures (my co-teacher and I) hunted for them! It was one of the best lessons we’ve taught and really stuck with the kids.”

This quote is from Chrissy Larson, the teacher Balsam of the Nuts about Nature Preschool run by the   Portland Environmental Education Department. She wrote to me this week. Below are some photos she took of her activities. Continue reading “Vulture View Flies in Portland, Oregon”

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Sunrises, Science, Coffee Filters, and Art

Thank you, librarian Jonelle Hamou, for contributing this project. 3rd and 4th grade students at Frederick Douglass Elementary, in Winchester, VA, investigated science and art in connection with STARS BENEATH YOUR BED: the Surprising Story of Dust. 

Students use ink pens to color parts of coffee filters, then fold each filter into a pie-piece shape. Continue reading “Sunrises, Science, Coffee Filters, and Art”

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English/Language Arts and Science Standards for Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant

These are based on Indiana Standards but should fit most.

 

Ant, Ant, Ant (An Insect Chant)

English/Language Arts Standards

Kindergarten

K.1.1 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.

K.1.2 Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on the printed page.

K.1.3 Understand that printed materials provide information.

K.1.4 Recognize that sentences in print are made up of separate words.

K.1.5 Distinguish letters from words.

K.1.6 Recognize and name all capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

K.1.10 Say rhyming words in response to an oral prompt.

K.1.22 Listen to stories read aloud and use the vocabulary in those stories in oral language. Continue reading “English/Language Arts and Science Standards for Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant”