In April 2020, the PEPELT team has again selected picturebooks to celebrate Earth Day (2019 resources). Our picturebook choices for 2020 are informational picturebooks with an enviromental theme. High quality informational picturebooks combine words and pictures to create an aesthetic literary experience. They present and impart knowledge, facts and ideas about the world in a truthful and reliable manner which inspire children to think, question, feel, connect and wonder rather than simply accept an explanation. Do check the blog post that Gail wrote in preparation for our Earth Day theme for ELT Footprint, Using picturebooks to inspire children to become environmental advocates.
Sandie: Peritextual Features
Planet Awesome!
Front cover: Presents planet earth as a character. Can ask children if earth is male or female.
Back cover: Introductory blurb in first person.
Title page: Introduces author and illustrator as co-authors with Planet Earth
NB : Fun fact page at the end of the picturebook
Tatia: Teacher Education
Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys
Choosing a picturebook linked to the Dutch primary curriculum
Learning to give children a choice when working with a picturebook
Moving from working in groups working as a class
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Gail: Multiliteracies
We Planted a Tree:
Environmental: understanding how trees benefit the earth and people around the world; finding out about the Green Belt Movement in Kenya and environmental activists.
Nature: recognising changing seasons and the changes in a tree; recognising different types of trees.
Visual: recognising how colour is used to depict different settings around the world; recognising geometrical shapes.
Annete: Notes from the Classroom
Compost Stew
Reuse/Reduce/Recycle: learning to recycle plants – making compost.
Creating a Compost Alphabet mini-book.
Building awareness of rhyme, rhythm and repetition – writing a compost stew song.
Picturebooks in European Primary English Language Teaching 