Books for Teaching about Farms and Farm Animals

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Unit Title: We Need Farms

The books listed are read-alouds. They are used to spur discussions and interest in the topic, and give the students creative ideas when asked to write about farms, farm animals, and apple farms. I have used some of these books year after year, while others are newly discovered but highly regarded.

An Apple A Day/ Over 20 Apple Projects for Kids by Jennifer Storey Gillis and Patti Delmonte
This book gives teachers a lot of ideas for the classroom using apples.

Classroom Tip: Use the many ideas for what can be done with apples. Examples include: print with apples, apple pizza, bob for apples, apple wreaths.

And the Cow Said Moo! by Mildred Phillips
A young, bossy cow tries to make other animals say, "Moo." She learns that each animal has its own way of talking.

Classroom Tip: I read this book to the class and then discuss and chart the ways animals "speak."

Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
This book discusses planting, picking, and the parts of an apple.

Classroom Tip: This book has a recipe for applesauce. Make applesauce.

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
Annie picks and sorts apples. She makes applesauce, apple muffins, cake, and cider. The recipes are included.

Classroom Tip: Read, discuss, and make some of the recipes.

Apple Picking Time by Michele B. Slawson
This story describes a family harvesting apples, whose little girl wants to fill a basket of apples by herself.

Classroom Tip: Use this book to discuss time and sequence with the words "first," "next," "then," and "last."

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

This story tells about the animals' day on a farm.

Classroom Tip: Read and discuss the life on a farm for animals.

Farm Life by Elizabeth Spurr
This book shows students around a farm using a rhyme similar to "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." It introduces many examples of farm vocabulary, and reviews numbers 1 to 10 and colors.

Classroom Tip: This book introduces a lot of vocabulary so it lends itself to a variety of discussions about tractors, threshers, balers, etc.

Living on Farms by Allan Fowler
This book discusses the importance of farms.

Classroom Tip: Discuss why we have farms.

Once Upon a Farm by Marie Bradby
Poetic details and exquisite watercolors portray the toil and triumph of life on a family farm. 

Classroom Tip: Students will get the feel for life on a farm.

Penelope At the Farm by Anne Gutman

Students are escorted through a farm to find hidden animals. This has very simple text so some students will read the story independently.

Classroom Tip: Put in the class library so students can have access to it. Some will read it independently.

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
A rhyming/counting book about ten apples on a tree and the animals that eat them.

Classroom Tip: Students will enjoy counting backwards.

The Cow That Went Oink by Bernard Most
A cow that goes "Oink" meets a pig that goes "Moo."

Classroom Tip: Students will enjoy hearing about these animals. Discuss how to treat others who are different.

Wake Up, Big Barn by Suzanne Chitwood
This is a book with wonderful rhymes that the students really enjoy, as well as beautiful collage-based illustrations.

Classroom Tip: I use this book as a read-aloud. We would talk about the sounds the animals make and the actions of the farm animals through the beautiful art.

The Cows in the Corn by James Young
The crops are overrun by farm animals.

Classroom Tip: This is a great read-aloud and a big book.

I Went Walking by Sue Williams
A young boy discovers all kinds of animals on his walk.

Classroom Tip: This is a fun book to introduce the concept of prediction.

Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
This fun story has great illustrations, a predictable text, and a fun plot about farm animals.

Classroom Tip: This is a great book to use to introduce some basic farm animals and to get the unit started.

Corn Palace is "Amaizing"!
Have you ever seen a building made of corn? How about a palace made of corn? While not exactly a royal residence, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, is a major tourist attraction, it draws more than half a million visitors a year.

It's Alive, It's Alive!
Students study the life cycle of chickens as they hatch them from eggs.

Teacher Tips: Making Memory Albums
Church presents tips for putting memories of the year together in individual memory albums that children can take home

LESSON PLAN	Going to the Farm Students visit a local farm or farmer's market to build knowledge on what they've learned about farm plants and animals and the resources...
UNIT PLAN	We Need Farms Displays a lesson unit about farms and the resources they provide. Students also learn to write descriptively, while focusing on their audience.