A Forest in the City
Nature, Science and technology
Human-transcribed braille
Summary
This beautiful book of narrative non-fiction looks at the urban forest and dives into the question of how we can live in harmony with city trees.“Imagine a city draped in a blanket of green … Is this the city you… know?”A Forest in the City looks at the urban forest, starting with a bird’s-eye view of the tree canopy, then swooping down to street level, digging deep into the ground, then moving up through a tree’s trunk, back into the leaves and branches. Trees make our cities more beautiful and provide shade but they also fight climate change and pollution, benefit our health and connections to one another, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and much more. Yet city trees face an abundance of problems, such as the abundance of concrete, poor soil and challenging light conditions. So how can we create a healthy environment for city trees? Urban foresters are trying to create better growing conditions, plant diverse species, and maintain trees as they age. These strategies, and more, reveal that the urban forest is a complex system—A Forest in the City shows readers we are a part of it. Includes a list of activities to help the urban forest and a glossary.The ThinkCities series is inspired by the urgency for new approaches to city life as a result of climate change, population growth and increased density. It highlights the challenges and risks cities face, but also offers hope for building resilience, sustainability and quality of life as young people act as advocates for themselves and their communities.Key Text Featuresdiagramsauthor's noteglossarysourcesdefinitionsCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.4Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.8Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in t