Cross-curricular approaches have always been a favorite of mine. Any chance to weave multiple subjects into one is an effective educational method. Plus, it allows students to see how the world works. The world isn’t separated into neat and separate subjects like much of our traditional school day. The world is woven together with science, literature, math, history, and more all merged into one. A cross-curricular approach allows students to see that knowledge is interconnected and complementary. This creates a rich and holistic learning experience. Let’s explore our top 5 wilderness books for science & storytelling.
I especially love the chance to incorporate science with literature. The power of a story inspires and engages students, but when science is incorporated, students learn about the world around them in interesting, dynamic, and fun ways. Students learn about scientific facts within the backdrop of an engaging narrative.
Let’s explore our top 5 wilderness novels that incorporate real scientific facts and knowledge.
#1: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Learn about real habitats, animals, hibernation, migration, predator and prey relationships, animal imprinting, and more with this novel. Additionally, it integrates the ethics of technology regarding AI and the future of robotics.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her. From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide. A major motion picture coming September 2024!
Check out our Project-Based Learning: The Wild Robot Unit. This comprehensive unit integrates literature, science, writing, STEM, and critical thinking skills, fostering a holistic learning experience that will leave a lasting impact on your students as they dive deeply into the world of The Wild Robot.
#2: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Learn about the Canadian wilderness, various animals such as turtles and bears, plant life, ecology, and survival and navigational skills in this classic novel.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills—how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire—and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.
Interested in teaching Hatchet? Check out our Project-Based Learning: Hatchet Unit. Our Hatchet Activities: 12 Research Projects are full of incredible activities to keep your students entranced. Our Hatchet Activities contains 12 cross-curricular projects that promote character analysis, STEAM, poetry, synthesis, and so much more. Including RUBRICs for your students and you for almost every project!
#3: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
This novel is similar to Hatchet in that a boy survives in the wild, but this novel is very different in that the main character chooses to do so. Students will learn about the Catskill Mountains, various animals such as falcons and weasels, hibernation, and winter habits of animals, as well as diverse plant life, food preservation, and survival skills.
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Publisher’s Synopsis:
Terribly unhappy in his family’s crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude and danger of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew. It features a boy who learns courage, independence, and the need for companionship while attempting to live in the Catskill Mountains of New York State.
Interested in teaching My Side of the Mountain? Grab our Project-Based Learning: My Side of the Mountain Unit.
Also, grab our FREE My Side of the Mountain Coloring Pages! (Students love to color these while listening to the story read aloud!)
FREE My Side of the Mountain Coloring Pages
#3: Wishtree by Katharine Applegate
Author of The One & Only Ivan, Katharine Applegate does a wonderful job weaving a story with a deep message on friendship, diversity, and acceptance with scientific knowledge about various types of trees, animal behavior, botany, ecology, and environmental conservation. After reading this book with my son, he pointed out various trees in our backyard and spouted information about them.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
An oak tree and a crow help their neighbors embrace their differences in this beautiful, nuanced, New York Times-bestselling middle-grade novel from Newbery Medalist author Katherine Applegate. Trees can’t tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood. You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experience as a wishtree is more important than ever. Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, this is Katherine Applegate at her very best―writing from the heart, and a completely unexpected point of view.
#5: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
This novel is great for pairing with an ocean unit in science. Students learn about a real whale, Blue 55, who cannot communicate with other whales, which is vital for this species. Students will learn about whale behavior, communication, oceans, marine conservation, biology, technology, and innovation.
Looking for a copy? Grab yours today.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
The award-winning story of a deaf girl’s connection to a whale whose song can’t be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.
From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she’s the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she’s not very smart. If you’ve ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be. When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to “sing” to him! But he’s three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him? Full of heart and poignancy, this affecting story by sign language interpreter Lynne Kelly shows how a little determination can make big waves.
Conclusion:
By choosing to read fictional novels that integrate real science, students’ understanding of scientific concepts is enhanced and their love for reading is nurtured. These five novels can be a springboard for a lifelong passion for science and storytelling in your students.
