The students become co-authors by signing their name on the cover page. Inspired by scientifically based stories, art, creative questions & surprising prompts, they creatively color, draw and write in their ideas and impressions. Provide children with conflict resolution ideas drawn from the stories and nurture their well-being by conversing over what they expressed, for a creative, caring, and communicative learning environment.
The stories and poems of this book and the social emotional competencies they promote:
- My Uncle Angel - What is nature. Openness. Imagination.
- Cute and Cuter - Butterfly life cycle. Cooperative behavior. Being brothers and sisters is more than being friends. We sometime take it for granted.
- If I were a Butterfly - Maybe in my imagination I can be a... Growth mindset.
- Secret Friendship - Perspective taking, seeing the broad picture.
- The Dawn of a Smile at the Heights - Reaching higher. Prosocial behavior.
- What Did You Think? I'm a Zebra Finch! - Emotion and behavior regulation. Purpose. Self-esteem. Constructive behavior.
- Such a Heart - Empathy and loyalty like man's best friend, the dog.
- A Smile for Only You - Playfulness, independence, and loyalty like the cat.
- Honey: The Bee Who Wanted to Fly - The bee must learn all the tasks of the hive before fulfilling its purpose as a forager. Behavior regulation. Optimism.
- The Glow of a Morning Stroll - Meeting an ant that prepares for winter. Planning, self-efficacy and self-directness.
- An Eye at the Tip of a Feather - Showing our true beautiful colors like the peacock confidently displays his tail feathers.
- The Chubby Cub and the Child of Courage - Native American story about care, leadership, and values (the child). Enthusiasm and support (the bear).
- In the Shade of an Old Tree - Emotion and behavior regulation. Perspective taking. Cooperation instead of competition.
Creative Questions:
- Sensational Senses - Discovering the senses. Cognitive flexibility.
- It's All about Eyes -Survival strategies (the butterfly) and behavior regulation.
- Why Do Trees Need Birds? - collaboration. Win-win situations.
- Coloring the Parrots in Red and Green? - Playful experience with colors.
- Lots of Brains in Little Heads - Small parrots-much intelligence. Not judging by looks.
- What Stories Do Colors Tell? Do people make things harder on themselves in order to convey social messages?
- A Domesticated Mouse? - Dogs are responsive to social cues. Cats protect their territory. Mice adapt to new situations. What can we learn from each?
- The Bee Nest: Not a Place to Rest - Time to grow and time to glow. Motivation to become better students toward potential fulfillment in the future.
- A Rainbow of Colors - The spectrum of colors visible to humans. Ultraviolet and infrared. Building up motivation to learn science. Cognitive flexibility.
- A Rainbow of More than Seven Colors? The primary colors in art and the primary colors of light.
- How does the butterfly see the rainbow? Openness. Curiosity. Imagination.
- Symmetry: It's Not Only a Matter of Beauty -Do people prefer symmetrical faces? Would it affect how they perceive the person?
- Nature's Wise Fair Share - Mother nature likes her creatures diverse. There's room for everybody.
- Letter to children - Connect to nature = connect to inner strengths. Values. Purpose.
This book was mentored by Dr. Moshe Rishpon - Founder of The Clore Garden of Science and The Science Oriented Youth Department in The Weizmann Institute, by Dorit Wolenitz - president of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History, & by Dr. Erica Landa
