Information about the EcoPrints

EcoPrints A Complete Kit for Writing About Nature By Toni Albert, illustrated by Margaret Brandt EcoJournaling makes writing exciting! EcoPrints is ideal for teachers, parents, and homeschoolers who want to motivate students to write by introducing them to the wonders of exploring and writing about nature. EcoPrints is great for kids who like nature and want to learn to be nature writers.
Back to Our Bookstore
Kit price:	$7.95
Grades:	3-up
ISBN:	0-9640742-8-1
Author:	Toni Albert
Illustrator:	Margaret Brandt
"Just when my students were getting tired of journaling, I introduced EcoJournaling. They love doing nature experiments in the classroom or going outside for inspiration, and they really like the writing ideas on the backs of the EcoPrints. They’re writing like crazy!" Lynn K., Pittsburgh, PA
Description: EcoPrints is a complete kit for writing about nature. It contains four full-color, 8 1/2-x-11-inch prints with seasonal poems on the front sides and dozens of unique writing ideas on the backs. It also includes beautifully illustrated reproducible writing pages for each season, tips from the author and artist about nature writing and nature art, a two-page guide to writing about nature, a list of favorite books for kids about nature, and reproducible activity pages.

*EcoPrints* includes four full-color, 8 1/2-x-11-inch prints. When placed side by side, the prints form a stunning panorama of the changing seasons. Each print contains a seasonal poem:
“To Look at Any Thing” by John Moffit (Spring print) “Summer Grass” by Carl Sandburg (Summer print) “October Wind” by David McCord (Fall print) “Winter Morning” by Ogden Nash (Winter print)
Dozens of writing ideas on the back of each print. See examples below.
Excerpt from "Ideas for Writing": Write a song that a bird might sing. Write a fan letter to an animal or plant to praise its performance in spring. Describe the perfect tree house. Lie still in tall grass. What do you see and hear? (It’s fun to use a magnifying lens to help you look closely.) Describe the tall-grass world from the point of view of an insect. Sit outside on an Indian summer day with a friend or grandparent or other adult. Tell each other stories, or make up a story together. Then write a story that you shared. Write a “conversation poem,” a poem about a conversation with a snowman. Begin your poem with the words, “The snowman said....” Describe a fierce winter storm. Or write an adventure story that includes a storm.
*EcoPrints* includes four reproducible writing pages, one for each season, beautifully illustrated by Margaret Brandt. The pages alone are enough to inspire young writers to begin writing.

Plus invaluable information
"A Guide to Nature Writing" is a two-page guide that describes seven steps in nature writing—from exploring nature to publishing your work. The author, Toni Albert, draws on her years of nature writing to give practical advice that makes writing easy and fun. In "Tips About Nature Writing," Toni Albert describes her absolute delight in learning about nature and then writing about it. She gives practical advice to children as she explains her own methods of researching and completing writing projects. "Tips About Nature Art" includes lovely, detailed nature drawings by Margaret Brandt, as she describes the way she works and encourages children to "look long" at nature and to "experiment, experiment, experiment!" with different media. "Favorite Books About Nature for Kids" is an unusual bibliography chosen to give examples of different kinds of nature writing, including fiction stories, an "ecological mystery," a fairy tale, collections of nature poetry, nonfiction books about exploring nature, "how-to" books, nature essays, and collection of nature talks. Great inspiration for kids!
"How to Write Haiku" is a wonderful way to introduce children to writing poetry. Haiku, a Japanese poem written in three lines, often takes nature as its theme, and it teaches children to observe nature closely by using all of their senses.
Excerpt: From "A Guide to Nature Writing" - "One time Arthur Miller, a famous playwright, was asked where he gets his ideas. He answered, "I don’t know. If I knew, I’d go there more often." Find out what helps you come up with ideas—and then go there often! Look for an idea that will be fun to write about, a subject that you find interesting and want to know more about. Give yourself plenty of time to come up with a good idea. If you have trouble finding an idea to write about, try taking a walk, listening to music, paging through a favorite illustrated book or magazine, or brainstorming with friends or family. You will find dozens and dozens of writing ideas on the backs of the EcoPrints. Try some of them!"
Contents Four full-color, 8 1/2-x-11-inch EcoPrints illustrated by Margaret Brandt, one for each season Inspirational poems for each season by Carl Sandburg, Ogden Nash, David McCord, and John Moffitt Dozens and dozens of unique writing ideas Four beautifully illustrated reproducible writing pages Tips from the author and artist about nature writing and nature art A two-page guide for writing about nature A list of favorite books about nature for kids A reproducible activity page on how to write haiku