Chelsea Boufford
LIBR 465
Concept Book List
Main Concept: Life Science in the Sixth Grade Classroom
Each book has a specific benchmark to go with it, however the main Guide Level Content
Expectation Requirement is “L.OL: Develop an understanding that plants and animals
(including humans) have basic requirements for maintaining life which include the need
for air, water, and a source of energy. Understand that all life forms can be classified as
producers, consumers, or decomposers as they are all part of a global food chain where
food/energy is supplied by plants, which need light to produce food/energy. Develop an
understanding that plants and animals can be classified by observable traits and physical
characteristics. Understand that all living organisms are composed of cells and they
exhibit cell growth and division. Understand that all plants and animals have a definite
life cycle, body parts, and systems to perform specific life functions.”
Book 1: Yatandou
Genre: Multicultural
Summery: Yatandou takes place in Mali Africa. It is a book written in first person about
Yatandou’s life in a small village in Africa. It relates to life science because there discusses baobab trees, millet kernels, onions, red tomatoes, green peppers, niebe and
many other plants that are common to the area. Yatandou also describes how her goat
was small when it was born, and how it was considered not worthy of feeding. However
Yatandou begged her father to graze him anyway. It shows how resilient animals and
people can be despite conditions. It also shows the need for food, water, and shelter in
context of life in Africa. Also we can see how both humans and goats are consumers,
since they must take a food source for energy.
Citation: Whelan, Gloria, and Peter Sylvada. (2007) Yatandou. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping
Bear
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.OL.06.51 Classify producers, consumers, and
decomposers based on their source of food (the source of energy and building materials).
Book 2: Food Webs Interconnecting Food Chains
Genre: Nonfiction
Summery: Food Webs Interconnecting Food Chains is a book describing how organisms
interact with one another. Different trophic levels are described. The book shows how
producers make their own energy, how consumers and predators must eat other living
things for an energy source and how decomposers play a role in the food web.
Citation: Gray, Susan Heinrichs. (2008) Food Webs: Interconnecting Food Chains.
Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.OL.M.5 Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers
– Producers are mainly green plants that obtain energy from the sun by the process of
photosynthesis. All animals, including humans, are consumers that meet their energy
needs by eating other organisms or their products. Consumers break down the structures
of the organisms they eat to make the materials they need to grow and function.
Decomposers, including bacteria and fungi, use dead organisms or their products to meet
their energy needs.
Book 3: African Critters
Genre: Nonfiction
Summery: This was in interesting spin on an informational book. It was a first hand
account of the author going through Africa and encountering animals as he went. It had a
scattered plot. The journey started out on a jeep traveling across the desert. Creatures
were revisited throughout the story. For example an encounter with a lion was followed
up with when they came across the lioness with her cubs again. It showed how organisms
interact with each other and how both living and nonliving factors effect organisms.
Citation: Haas, Robert B. (2008) African Critters Washington D.C. National Geographic
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.EC.M.1 Interactions of Organisms- Organisms of
one species form a population. Populations of different organisms interact and form
communities. Living communities and nonliving factors that interact with them form
ecosystems.
Book 4: Butterfly Tree
Genre: Picture Book
Summery: Butterfly Tree is a book about Jilly, her dog Fudge and her mom exploring
nature. As they explore the waterfront and woods they come across many birds and
creatures. The pinochle is when they come to a place where there is “an explosion of
golden-orange bits” that turns out to be Monarch butterflies. The mother then recounts
her own story about seeing Monarch butterflies migrating. It shows how wildlife needs
shelter from not only other animals but also from weather.
Citation: Markle, Sandra, and Leslie Wu. (2011) Butterfly Tree. Atlanta: Peachtree
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.EC.M.1 Interactions of Organisms- Organisms of
one species form a population. Populations of different organisms interact and form
communities. Living communities and nonliving factors that interact with them form
ecosystems.
Book 5: Big & Little
Genre: Picture Book
Summery: Despite the fact that, Big & Little is meant for an Elementary classroom
rather then a sixth grade classroom, it still has value. The book goes through animals that
are both quite large and quite small that live in the same ecosystem. This book could be
used as an introduction to get kids pulled into the idea of learning about ecosystems. It
shows how wide of a range animals can take within an ecosystem. Kids can also compare
and contrast the idea of the bigger animals more likely being predators. On the last page
there is a to scale representations of 1 in to 2.5 ft for each animal. So uuuhyuuuuhy with
each other.
Citation: Jenkins, Steve. (1996) Big & Little. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.EC.M.2 Relationships of Organisms- Two types
of organisms may interact with one another in several ways: they may be in a
producer/consumer, predator/ prey, or parasite/host relationship. Some organisms may
scavenge or decompose another. Relationships may be competitive or mutually
beneficial. Some species have become so adapted to each other that neither could survive
without the other.
Book 6: Wildlife Poems
Genre: Poetry
Summery: Wildlife Poems has a creative spin. Not only do the poems give facts in
poems about wild animals but it allows for the students to guess what animal is being
described. Located in the back of the book is a key to the answers to all of the puzzle
poems. The poems describe all kinds of characterizations that make the animals
recognizable. Everything from what they eat to where they live may be included in the
poems.
Citation: Williams, Kate. (2009) Wildlife Poems. N.p.: K. Williams
Grade Level Content Expectation: L.EC.M.1 Interactions of Organisms- Organisms of
one species form a population. Populations of different organisms interact and form
communities. Living communities and nonliving factors that interact with them form
ecosystems.
Book 7: Science Fair Winners: Experiments to do on Your Family
Genre: Reference Science Fair Projects
Summery: Science Fair Winners: Experiments to do on Your Family is a creative book
based on science projects that kids can test on their own family. Naturally since this
involves a family it therefore involves living organisms. The projects extend everything
from how puppies interact with one another to eating habits. According to Julie C.
Lurneng of the University of Michigan “In animals, you’re going to be a little more
frenzied when you eat in a group.” The book then sets up a step-by-step procedure for
kids to follow out to see if in fact when kids are in bigger groups they eat more.
Citation: Science Fair Winners: Young, Karen Romano (2010) Experiments to do on
Your Family Washington D. C: National Geographic
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.OL.06.51 Classify producers, consumers, and
decomposers based on their source of food (the source of energy and building materials).
Book 8: Nat Geo Wild Animals Atlas: Earth’s Astonishing Animals and Where They Live
Genre: Atlas Reference Book
Summery: Nat Geo Wild Animals Atlas: Earth’s Astonishing Animals and Where They
Live is a book to get kids introduced to where animals live and how environments affect
the animals that live there. It goes through each type of ecosystem and highlights the
animals that live there. Maps are diagrams that kids are familiar with, so it is a great way
to introduce new material on a familiar graphic organizer. The pictures of the animals are
there to hook the children into reading the material. The text lists the ecosystem the
animal lives in, the animal itself, what they eat, and other identifying factors or
interesting facts. In the National Geographic kids book it states, “White-tailed deer live
mainly in forests and meadows of North America. The male deer, called a buck, can be
identified by its antlers. White-tailed deer graze mainly at dawn or dusk and eat leaves,
grasses and twigs.” (Lamichhane, 2010, p. 10)
Citation: Lamichhane, Priyanaka, (2010) Wild Animal Atlas: Earth's Astonishing
Animals and Where They Live. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.EC: Develop an understanding of the
interdependence of the variety of populations, communities and ecosystems, including
those in the Great Lakes region. Develop an understanding of different types of
interdependence and that biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors affect the balance
of an ecosystem. Understand that all organisms cause changes, some detrimental and
others beneficial, in the environment where they live.
Book 9: Island of the Blue Dolphins
Genre: Novel
Summery: Island of the Blue Dolphins follows is a children’s novel that follows the life
of a young girl, Karana, marooned on an island. After her tribe set sail for the mainland
and wild dogs killed her brother, she is left to fend for herself. We see the relationships
organisms can have with one another, and how for their own survival they can overcome
natural tendencies. She befriends the leader of the wild dogs and names him Rontu. We
see her fight for survival food and shelter on the island.
Citation: O'Dell, Scott. (1960) Island of the Blue Dolphins. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.OL.06.51 Classify producers, consumers, and
decomposers based on their source of food (the source of energy and building materials).
Book 10: Lost Childhood: My Life in a Japanese Prison Camp During World War II
Genre: Memoir
Summery: Lost Childhood: My Life in a Japanese Prison Camp During World War II is
a memoir by Annelex Hofsra Layson with assistance from Herman J. Viola. It is a
powerful story about how the Japanese prison camp had a major affect on not only her
emotions but also her physical body. In the account, she reveals how lice infested the
camp. Lice are a parasite to humans. We can see how lice negatively affect the host.
Furthermore we can see how the virus and bacteria affected the families in the camp. The
protagonist develops a severe case of malaria. In this memoir we are able to see
organisms having a negative impact on humans.
Citation: Layson, Annelex Hofstra., and Herman J. Viola. (2008) Lost Childhood: My
Life in a Japanese Prison Camp during World War II : A Memoir. Washington, D.C.:
National Geographic
Guide Level Content Expectation: L.EC.M.2 Relationships of Organisms- Two types
of organisms may interact with one another in several ways: they may be in a
producer/consumer, predator/ prey, or parasite/host relationship. Some organisms may
scavenge or decompose another. Relationships may be competitive or mutually
beneficial. Some species have become so adapted to each other that neither could survive
without the other.
All book citations were listed in the document itself with each book.
The citation for the Guide Level Content Expectations is listed below:
"MDE - Grade Level Content Expectations." (n.d) MDE - Grade Level Content
Expectations. N.p., <http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232--,00.html>.