Earth Day has become a global celebration of community efforts to clean up our environment and live in a cleaner way. The beginnings of this environmental movement is usually attributed to American Rachel Carson. One of my favorite things to do is to make science connections in our geography and world studies lessons. There are so many books about grassroots efforts around the world; this is just a small sampling.
North America
Rachel Carson and her Book that Changed the World
*Free to read online at archive.org
Environmental activist Rachel Carson is often hailed as the person who paved the way for the first Earth Day. Her work and research led to the writing of Silent Spring before her death, a book that brought to light the harmful and deadly effects of DDT. This picture book biography details her early life and career and the historical times that she lived through. There is an extensive author’s note about Silent Spring and the environmental movement spurred by her efforts.
Asia
Iqbal and his Ingenious Idea: How A Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet
In Bangladesh, Iqbal is looking for an idea for a school science project and sees an opportunity to help his mother and baby sister who suffer from indoor smoke inhalation. During monsoon season, there is no other choice but to cook indoors over an open fire. Iqbal makes it his goal to win the science fair and use the prize money for a propane stove. With the help of the teacher and school computer, Iqbal designs a solar oven using a broken umbrella. The end notes contain information about clean cookstoves, instructions to make a pizza box solar cooker, and a glossary of words used in the book.
Africa
I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon
*Read aloud by Tantoh Nforba
The inspirational and true story of Cameroonian Tantoh Nforba, this book tells of how he has loved to farm since he was a small child. Instead of passing exams for a desk job, he decides to fail on purpose to become a farmer in his village of Nkambe. Recognizing Tantoh’s thirst for more agricultural knowledge and drive to improve the village, someone provides the means for him to attend college. From contracting typhoid from contaminated water during his college years, Tantoh returns to his community with the aim to provide clean drinking water.
He creates botanical gardens, rain gardens, and a catchment to bring clean spring water to the Fulani village of Akweto. He continues various projects centered around clean drinking water, detailed in the remainder of the book and the author’s note. There is a Limbum Glossary and Pronunciation Guide at the end.
South America
*Free to read online at archive.org
This book’s focus is on saving the Amazon Rainforest. A man is sent to chop down a large and beautiful kapok tree. As he stops to nap under the tree, the animals and people of the rainforest take turns visiting and whispering to him all the reasons they need the tree to remain. The illustrations are stunning.
Europe
Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed their World
*Free to read online at archive.org
On the island of Samso in Denmark, citizens work together to become almost energy independent. Over a period of ten years, they work hard to use the one resource they have in abundance: wind! A story and science book in one, the book presents many sidebars of interesting information throughout.
This is the first of a series of five books about the environment by Allan Drummond. I highly recommend all of them.
Oceania
A Home By The Sea: Protecting Coastal Wildlife
*Free to read online at archive.org
For older students, this book details three conservation efforts in New Zealand. The animals focused on are the Hector’s Dolphin, the Little Blue Penguin, and the Yellow Eyed Penguin.
Antarctica
A little emperor penguin is left alone when his father does not return from hunting and his mother must take her turn. The environmental component to the story comes at the end when we learn that the father was delayed by being trapped in a fisherman’s net.
Oceans
The following three books focus on how our pollutions affect the oceans.
The Mess That We Made, preschool to elementary
No More Plastic, preschool to elementary, Atlantic Ocean
Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, late elementary to middle, Pacific Ocean
Looking to read reviews or purchase? Here’s the booklist on Amazon.
Other Holiday Booklists
- Spring Cherry Blossoms from Japan to Washington, D.C.
- Irish-American Culture and Immigration
- St. Valentine’s Day (February 14)
- Lunar New Year (January/February)
- Mid-Autumn Festival (September/October)