Saving the environment through picture books

This lesson looks at environmental issues and man's relationship to the environment over time using main ideas and supporting details. The content comes from two picture books: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky and A River Ran Wild.

A lesson plan for grade 4 English Language Arts and Science

By Libba Sager

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Related topics

• Learn more about compare and contrast, demonstrations, environmental science, language arts, plot, read-alouds, reading, and writing.

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Learning outcomes

Students will practice identifying main idea and supporting details from non-fiction and historical fiction literature. They will develop an appreciation for the environment and learn ways in which people abuse while others protect our natural resources.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2.5 hours

Materials/resources

• The books Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers and A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry.
• Graphic organizer of a stool with four legs as an overhead transparency
• Enough copies of the stool graphic organizer for each group.
• Two jars, two funnels, two sprinkling cans, soil, leaves, grass, and pine needles.
• StoryBook Weaver

Technology resources

Mac or PC and the software program StoryBook Weaver Deluxe.

Pre-activities

• Review or introduce main idea and supporting details.
• Review or introduce the StoryBook Weaver Deluxe software program.

Activities

1. Read the first lines of Chief Seattle’s speech from the book Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers. Ask students, “How can you buy the sky?” Have students think about the meaning of these words and then discuss. What did Chief Seattle mean? What might have prompted him to say this? (approximately 5 minutes)
2. Ask students to listen for the main idea and supporting details as you read the rest of the book. Discuss family comparisons: Earth is mother; flowers are sisters; animals are brothers. With the class, decide on the main idea and supporting details. Do a graphic organizer on the overhead using a stool as the graphic organizer. The top is the main idea and each of the four legs is a supporting detail. Complete together. Use the following questions to guide the discussion:
   • Explain what Chief Seattle meant when he said that we are part of the earth and it does not belong to us.
   • What do you think is meant by the statement that what happens to the earth befalls all the children of the earth?
   • Do you think Chief Seattle had foresight? Explain.
   • What was Chief Seattle trying to say when he said that we did not weave the web of life, we are merely one thread in it?
   • What do you think was the author’s purpose in writing this book?
   • What kind of person do you think Chief Seattle was? Is there someone you know who has some characteristics similar to those of Chief Seattle? (approximately 30 minutes)
3. Read aloud the picture book A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry. In small groups, have students complete the stool graphic organizer for main idea and supporting details. Each group will share. As a whole class compare and contrast the two books. (approximately 30 minutes)
4. Show students the picture in Brother Eagle, Sister Sky that depicts deforestation taking place. Explain to students that the loss of trees and vegetation on land can cause soil erosion to occur. Silt accumulates and builds up in rivers, which eventually leads to flooding. To show students how soil erosion occurs, conduct the following experiment;
   • Fill a funnel with a mixture of soil, leaves, grass, and pine needles.
   • Fill a second funnel with the same amount of soil, but no vegetation.
   • Set the tip of each funnel inside a jar. Pour water, using a sprinkling can, through each funnel.
   • Ask students the following questions: Which jar contains the most sediment? How are the results related to erosion of covered and uncovered fields?
   • Compare the amount of time it takes the water to drip through each funnel. (approximately 30 minutes)
5. Give each student an article to read about an environmental issue. Have them write a five minute speech that they will give to County Commissioners to persuade them to pass a law that will protect that particular environment. They should have a main idea with at least four supporting details.
6. After their speeches have been approved, they will create a picture book on StoryBook Weaver using their speech and adding pictures to their text. Their picture book (in StoryBook Weaver) will be in the same format as the picture book about Chief Seattle’s speech. They print out their stories and will compile all of them into a book entitled Protecting the Environment with Words and Pictures. (approximately 25 minutes to compose speech and 30 minutes in the computer lab)

Assessment

Grade students’ written speeches focusing on the main idea and at least four supporting details.

Evalute student’s book in StoryBook Weaver.

Supplemental information

Comments

There is also a great video where Chief Seattle gives his speech while showing scenes from nature. It is available from National Geographic Society in their video catalog and is entitled A Message From Chief Seattle. In addition, there is another book which is the complete speech of Chief Seattle, How Can One Sell the Air? The Manifesto of an Indian Chief.