Rookie Read-About Science: Where to Puddles Go?

Robinson, Fay

ISBN 0-516-06036-8

Children's Press, Inc.

This book tells about the water cycle using photographs and everyday situations. Low readability level.

Use this book with Lesson 2 as an independent reading. It does a great job explaining condensation and the other stages of the water cycle with a low reading level (3.2).

A True Book: Water

Ditchfield, Christin

ISBN 0-516-22345-3

Children's Press A Division of Scholastic Inc.

This book has fun water facts, tells about the water cycle and talks about water as a natural resource.

Part of this book could be used as a read-aloud with Lesson 2. On pages 28-33, it tells about the water cycle and the importance of the water changing temperature in that process.

A New True Book: Rivers

Carlisle, Norman and Madelyn

ISBN 0-516-01645-8

Childrens Press

This book uses photographs and a low readability (4.1) to describe how rivers are formed. It especially does a nice job of describing the continental divide and the role of dams.

In Lesson 9 in the Background section it talks about a divides role in a watershed. This book does an excellent job of describing this on pages 10-13.

In Lesson 12, for those students that need a lower reading level than the selection "Releasing a River," have the students read pages 27-37, "Dams" and "How We Use Rivers."

My World of Geography: Lakes

Royston, Angela

ISBN 1-4034-5591-0

Heinemann Library

This book uses photographs and illustrations to describe how lakes form, including rivers, dams, reservoirs and recreation.

This book could be used as independent reading for students who need a lower reading level. It could be used with Lesson 12 because of the small section on dams.

Science Works: A Drop in the Ocean, The Story of Water

Bailey, Jacqui

ISBN 1-4048-0566-4

Picture Window Books

This book does a great job of personifying water. It also describes the different parts of water focusing on the water molecule’s motion.

Use this book with Lesson 2 as a read-aloud. It is a fun way to talk about the different parts of the water cycle. Also, it would provide some prior knowledge to the selection in Lesson 6, "Where Does Our Drinking Water Come From?"

A True Book: Valleys and Canyons

Brimner, Larry D.

ISBN 0-516-21569-8

Children's Press a Division of Grolier Publishing

This book uses photographs to describe the different types of valleys.

Use part of this book as a read-aloud (pages 20-25) before Lesson 7, reading the selection "Glaciers: Rivers of Ice".

Use part of this book as a read-aloud after doing activities in Lesson 10. (Read pages 16-25 and pages 35-39.) The rest of the book would be great for students that finish early or show an interest in the subject!

Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean

Dorros, Arthur

ISBN 0-06-021598-4

Harper Collins Publisher

An easy reading (readability 4.7) book that discusses many of the concepts of this unit, including, streams, rivers, deltas, canyons, groundwater, dams reservoirs and the role of gravity.

This would be a great book to do as a pre-read for students who may have little interaction with streams and rivers or English Language Learners. This could also be a review of the unit, reading and discussing how the book is similar or dissimilar to their experiences during the unit.

Canyons

Rothaus, Don

ISBN 1-56766-322-2

The Child's World, Inc.

Beautiful photographs of canyons from around the world. The text describes the different canyons and what makes them unique.

This would be a great enrichment book for students that finish early or students that are interested. Pages 8 and 11 describe erosion in a very meaningful way.

The Story of Dunes: Sand on the Move

Gallant, Roy

ISBN 0-531-20334-4

Franklin Watts: A Division of Grolier Publishing

Detailed description of how dunes are formed and the different types of dunes. The photographs are amazing!

Chapter 1 (pages 7-12) of this book does a great job of telling how a rock becomes sand. It also tells about how the sand can reach the sea. I would read this chapter aloud to the class after Lesson 5. I would use the rest of the book as enrichment for other students.

The Drop in My Drink: The Story of Water on Our Planet

Hooper, Meredith

ISBN 0-670-87618-6

Viking: Published by Penguin

This book, with its beautiful water color illustrations tells how a drop of water got to your faucet. Although it is done in a narrative format, it is still informational text.

This book really stresses how water is recycled, focusing on how this drip of water was once part of the ocean, an iceberg, or saw "life on Earth begin." Because of the story format, this may book may make the information more accessible for some students.

The Story of the Earth: River

Bender, Lionel

ISBN 0-531-10554-7

Franklin Watts

Using photographs and drawings this book tells about the formation of a river from the source to the delta. This is the best over-view book I’ve found.

This is a GREAT book that reviews all the different parts of the river. It does an excellent job of describing how a river erodes its banks. After the students do lesson 8, see if they can identify each of the river parts identified in the book in their stream table drawing.

The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over; A Book About the Water Cycle

Cole, Joanna

ISBN 0-590-50833-4

The students in Ms. Frizzle’s class go on another adventure. They change into drops of water, evaporate, condense, rain, and land in a river and travel to the ocean. They also go through a water treatment (waterworks) plant.

This would be a great book to read to the students prior to reading the selection “Where Does Our Drinking Water Come From?” in Lesson 6. It would review the water cycle from Lesson 2 and provide students with prior knowledge before reading the selection.

Restless Earth: Mountains

Jennings, Terry

ISBN 1-931983-19-4

This book is filled with photographs explaining the different ways mountains are formed.

The sections in this book entitled, "Rivers at Work" (Lesson 6) and "Glaciers" (Lesson 7) would be an excellent independent reading activity for students. The way the authors focus on the different earth materials would reinforce Lesson 5.