Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone. 2012.

Autumn Facts

Awesome autumn by Goldstone, Bruce — Henry Holt, 2012--508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.9 An exploration of autumn describing the changes in nature and what people do in autumn.

Rationale: One of the first units preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers do when school begins in the fall is one about the fall season. In one of my schools, the curriculum was a spiraling sequential curriculum, and that is the case for the autumn unit. The preschoolers usually talk about the features of fall, and apples or pumpkins. The kindergarteners  expand the unit to include fall holidays, apples or pumpkins (whichever isn’t included in preschool), getting ready for winter, hibernation, leaves, scarecrows, and Johnny Appleseed. For many classes, the autumn unit is both a science and a social studies unit. I chose to only list newer (2009-2019) non-fiction books in the Related Books list in order to supplement those core topics. There are also many fiction titles, and another twist could be a fiction/fact analysis.

This Books Alive entry was initially posted a few years ago, but so many new books have been published since the original post that I chose to add new titles and delete a few that are now out of print. The series of books by Martha Rustad covers many of the topics studied in preschool and kindergarten AND there are teaching resources available at Follett for the set. It would be useful to have the entire set. I also revised the Teacher Resource section; more online resources were no longer available than OP books. Two of the Teacher Resources are new; all three listed are accumulated ideas for the teacher to choose from.

Teacher Resources:

Fall Lesson Plans--PreS-2--Students participate in various fall activities. In this fall lesson plan, students take a trip to a farmers market and purchase the ingredients needed for vegetable soup. Students paint fall scenes and create a fall story. Students discuss how the weather is changing and take a nature walk to collect leaves. http://www.preschools4all.com/lesson-plans-for-preschoolers.html

Fall Leaves Preschool Theme for Your Preschool Classroom Fall Leaves Theme! There are so many activities available to teach so many concepts! This theme page is filled with preschool lesson plans, activities and ideas for your classroom. This theme is related to other theme pages such as pumpkins and apples! You will find links below to go to those specific pages for more activities! https://www.preschool-plan-it.com/fall-leaves.html

Autumn Printables, Activities, and Lessons for Teachers (K ...More Autumn Lesson Plans Printables for Grades K-12 These printables include art activities, reading exercises, teaching guides and more to help students learn about the Autumn season. https://www.teachervision.com/autumn

Related Books:

Full of fall by Sayre, April Pulley — Beach Lane Books, 2017. 508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.2. Simple text and photographs explore the science behind the transformation that trees undergo in the fall.

From apple trees to cider, please! by Chernesky, Felicia Sanzari — Albert Whitman & Company, 2015. 641.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6. Grab the wagon, it's a bright autumn day and the trees are full of ripe, red apples! There's an apple festival underway at the farm and lots of work to do making cider. This visit finishes with a cider doughnut and a cup of freshly pressed cider

Let's look at fall by Schuette, Sarah L — Capstone Press, 2018--508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6 How do we know it's fall? The weather is cooler, and the leaves change color. Crops are ready for harvest, and animals get ready for winter. This book shows young readers how to recognize the changes that happen in fall.

Animals in fall : preparing for winter by Rustad, Martha E. H  — Millbrook Press, 2012--578.4; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.0 Describes the ways animals change in the season of autumn and how they prepare for the winter.  FREE Teaching Resources available for download at Follett.

Why is it fall? by Latta, Sara L  — Enslow Elementary, 2012--508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.0 What is fall? -- Why do we have seasons? -- When does fall start? -- Why do leaves change color in fall? -- What happens to other plants in fall? -- What do animals do in fall? -- Why do animals migrate? -- What do people do in fall? -- Experiment. "Read about when fall begins, why leaves change color and what animals do during this season.

Fall leaves : colorful and crunchy by Rustad, Martha E. H  — Millbrook Press, 2012--581.4; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 Looks at leaves in all seasons of the year, explaining why they turn colors and fall from the trees as the weather grows colder and the days get shorter. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.

Fall harvests : bringing in food by Rustad, Martha E. H — Millbrook Press, 2012--631.5; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4 Fall foods -- Growing food -- Harvesting food -- Harvest festivals. Tells how farmers and gardeners plant and care for crops in the spring and summer that are harvested in the fall, including pumpkins, apples, peaches, and pecans, and looks at how harvest festivals are celebrated around the world. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.com

Are you ready for fall? by Anderson, Sheila — Lerner, 2010--508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.5 Sights and sounds of fall -- Fall weather -- Fall activities -- The fall world -- Winter is coming -- Why do leaves change color? Describes fall, discussing how nature changes, the weather, and typical activities.

Leaf jumpers by Gerber, Carole — Charlesbridge, c2004 p2006--575.5; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.5 Illustrations and rhyming text describe different leaves and the trees from which they fall.

Counting on fall by Flatt, Lizann  — Owlkids, 2012--513.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.6 Introduces basic math and number sense in poetic prose by observing the natural wonders of fall.  FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.com

Fall weather : cooler temperatures by Rustad, Martha E. H  — Millbrook Press, 2012--508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.7 Fall begins -- Changing weather -- Weather chart -- Fall ends. Explains how and why the weather changes from warm to cold during the fall season, as well as why days become shorter and nights longer, looks at how students track the weather changes, and discusses how the end of fall marks the beginning of winter. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at http://www.titlewave.com/list

When green becomes tomatoes by Fogliano, Julie  — Roaring Brook Press, 2016. 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.8. A book of poetry moving through the seasons. CCBC, Freeman, Triple Crown,

Autumnblings : poems & paintings by Florian, Douglas  — Greenwillow Books, 2003--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0 A collection of poems that portray the essence of the season between summer and winter.

The secret life of the woolly bear caterpillar by Pringle, Laurence — Boyds Mills Press, an imprint of Highlights, 2014. 595.7813; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6. Follows the life of Bella, a woolly bear caterpillar, and her eventual transformation into a tiger moth. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.

We gather together : celebrating the harvest season by Pfeffer, Wendy — Puffin Books, an Imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2014--508.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 5.2 Explains what the autumnal equinox is, describes how animals prepare for winter, and explores the ways people around the world gather--and celebrate--their fall harvests, as well as how it has been done throughout history. Includes educational activities.

Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Maestro, Betsy — HarperCollins, 2015--575.57; Int Lvl: K-3 It's fall! The leaves are changing color. This Let's-Read-and-Find-Out picture book explains the magical process of how leaves change their color in autumn.