Posts tagged ‘environment’
145. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Retell: A boy visits the home of the Once-ler who, for a fee, tells him the story of how he destroyed the pristine Truffula Forest and its inhabitants.
Topics: trees, deforestation, environment, environmentalists, pollution, consumption, greed, factories, habitat, animals, Earth Day
Units of Study: Social Issues, Content Area, Talking and Writing About Texts
Tribes: Mutual Respect
Reading Skills: inference, interpretation
Writing Skills: incorporating rhyme and rhythm, connecting the beginning with its ending
My Thoughts: I recently read this book to my class to celebrate Earth Day. There were misty eyes when the last truffula tree was cut down; I have never heard the room so quiet. Upon rereading I noticed how well the illustrations supported inferential thinking throughout the story. Specifically, the color of the illustrations helps support the idea that without trees the world is a dark, miserable place. In the beginning of the story, the pages are illustrated in dark tones: navy, burgundy, and gray. When the Once-ler flashes back to the first days of his Thneed venture, the illustrations are painted in bright, cheerful hues: magenta, yellow, green and turquoise. One student pointed out toward the beginning of the story, while the illustrations were still bright and cheery, the Once-ler’s materials were painted in dark tones, a premonition that the environment was going to change for the worse.
42. River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River by Hudson Talbott
Retell: A beautifully illustrated history of the Hudson River.
Topics: Hudson River, New York, Native Americans, Henry Hudson, dreamers, Dutch, explorers, British, American Revolution, Robert Fulton, Erie Canal, trade, Hudson River School Painters, Industrial Revolution, environment, Franny Reese, pollution, immigration
Units of Study: Nonfiction, Social Issues, Content Area
Tribes: mutual respect
Reading Skills: envisionment, determining importance, questioning, synthesis
Writing Skills: including expository text features
My Thoughts: My eyes grew wide when I spotted this book in Barnes and Noble this afternoon. This book is treasure for New York 4th grade teachers who will be embarking on a year-long study of New York history. A timeline painted in the shape of the Hudson River winds throughout the book noting historic events including: the American Revolution, the commercial success of Fulton’s steamboat, the opening of the Erie Canal, and the Scenic Hudson Decision. I think I may read this book in September when we discuss what we will be learning in Social Studies this year. When we get to a new unit, I think I’ll reread corresponding sections of River of Dreams. Talbott also highlights writers and artists who were inspired by the Hudson River such as Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper and the Hudson River School Painters. This is a great book to use when discussing trade and industry. There is a beautiful painting in the book that shows the Hudson River bursting with steamboats and schooners–“America’s first superhighway.” I like how the story includes the environmental impact of industrial pollution and the story ends with a strong message–it’s up to us to protect the beauty of this river.
4. Neeny Coming, Neeny Going by Karen English
Retell: Neeny and her cousin were raised on Daufuskie Island, located off the coast of South Carolina. Years before, Neeny went back to the mainland to live with her mother. When Neeny returns to the island, her cousin realizes that Neeny is not the same cousin she grew up with.
Topics: change, family, environmental issues
Units of Study: Social Issues, Character
Tribes: mutual respect
Reading Skills: envisionment, prediction, inference, monitoring for sense, interpretation, making connections
Writing Skills: writing with voice
My Thoughts: This is a great book for the Social Issues unit. I can imagine a juicy discussion about how much the mainland changed Neeny. Many of my students travel back to their home countries during vacation. I think they could make a lot of connections to this book. I can see using this book as a mentor text for showing how authors write with a distinctive voice.
Teachable Texts 