Environmental Texts

What are environmental texts?
 Environmental texts usually contain information that is portrayed through word and image.  Reading print from the world around us is a beginning stage to literacy development.  The letters, numbers, shapes, and colors found in logos for products and stories all have opportunities for beginning readers to interact with words in their own environment.  Environmental texts are everywhere.  Every day we read environmental texts.  This is the first type of print that children learn to read.
In the classroom, environmental texts are very meaningful to students.  It is also a good tool to use for a confidence builder in young children and to get them excited for reading.  
http://www.pre-kpages.com/environmental_print/

Environmental texts can also be books about the safety of our environment.  A lot of books today discuss how we need to take care of our world.  Environmental issues are a hot topic and it is becoming increasingly important for children to understand our role in saving the planet.  Many of these books are becoming popular and are good for students to be exposed to.  These type of books lend themselves to transfer.  After reading these books, we want to take action and do something.

Suggested Texts

Picture and Information from Scholastic

  The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
ISBN-10: 0394823370
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Year: 1971
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Lexile Measure: 560L
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5

Themes:

• Environmental Conservation and Preservation
• Pollution

Main Ideas:

•  "Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...it's not"
• This book was published longer before the movement for a greener earth
• Dr. Seuss sent us a fair warning through his character the Lorax
• He warned against mindless progress and the danger that it has on earth's natural beauty
• Wonderful images

 Connection to the Classroom:

• This would be great for Earth Day.  After reading it, students could make a promise to improve the earth
• Also could be used in science class in general



Amazon.com

• A good supplement is the movie that came out recently

 I Read Symbols by Tana Hoban
ISBN-10: 0688166962
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Year: 1999
 Interest Level: PK-3rd
Lexile Measure: NA

Main Ideas:

• All pictures, no words
• All pictures of different signs in the environment
• There are a lot of signs that you would see on the road
• At the end of the book, it shows each sign and what each means

Connection to the Classroom:

• This book would be very good for young students.
• These symbols are all around us, and if they can learn what they mean then they will become more engaged in the environment
• They will also be highly motivated to learn these sign's meanings because it is important to them
• Also see I Read Signs by Tana Hoban for a book on signs that we see in the community