Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth) (Paperback)

by Joseph Bruchac (Author), Michael J. Caduto (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
This is the third volume in Fulcrum's Keepers series of books teaching children environmental awareness. Presented here are 18 Native American stories from such tribes as the Huron, Seneca, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Mandan, Inuit, Pueblo, and Osage, covering such topics as botany, plant ecology, and the natural history of North American plants and plantlike organisms. Following each story is advice for parents, teachers, naturalists, or camp counselors on holding a discussion, asking questions, doing related activities, and extending the experience (reading, growing plants, writing and acting out a story, establishing a compost heap, taking a field trip, etc.). There is also a guide for using the book and a glossary and pronunciation key to Native American words and proper names. George Cohen --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
This interdisciplinary curriculum in botany and plant ecology focuses on environmental and stewardship issues using the framework of Native American stories as an introduction to the topics.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing; 1 edition (July 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555913873
• ISBN-13: 978-1555913878
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,316 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #31 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Bruchac, Joseph
  #43 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Flowers & Plants > Nonfiction

• This item is part of The Keepers Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't say enough about these books!, April 1, 2002

By	leslie stevens (orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

The entire series is excellent!!! I have all four and I highly reccomend them. They teach science, literature, native american culture, and give children a respect for the natural world at the same time. (there is even the occasional bit of math thrown in). My son loves doing the activities with me! Excellent for unit studies!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Homeschooling Ecology Unit, August 1, 2001

By	The Night Writer "windlistener" (Grand Forks, ND USA) - See all my reviews

We use this book as a homeschool social studies/ecology resource. Each section begins with a Native American story related to the topic of the chapter, then moves on to a discussion of the subject matter. Each section also has activities/experiments, questions for review and discussion, and recommendations for materials for further study. My kids really look forward to each lesson in this book, because the information is presented in a fun manner, and the activities are appropriate for a wide-range of ages!

4.0 out of 5 stars infalliable, January 12, 2009

By	Snowy Owl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children (Hardcover)

This book has helped me time and time again develop nature studies programs, regain motivation and perform a reasonable do it yourself scientific study. I am very impressed with the willingness of these authors to dig deeply into biological sciences and give the reader an intricate look at plant life forms that is rarely done outside of college environmental studies. The diagrams are wonderful tools to begin with. The activities range from complicated to carefree, from performative to analytical, and as the case most often, outdoor environmental activities usually end up in amulti dimensional learning experience that cannot be put to words. The Native American stories are a good way to begin units of study for child doesnt want to hear a good story in favor of her opinion ? First capture imagination, and nature fills in the rest.