THE LORAX

Glen Weatherwax

Preview of Main Ideas

Through Dr. Suess’s book, The Lorax, the students will be able to understand better the end result of an uncontrolled problem that involves greed, pollution, and a local environment.

Connection with the Curriculum

This activity can be used in geography, science, reading, and language arts classes.

Teaching Level: Grades 5-8

Objectives Classification Outline (Also see objectives classification matrix below.)

Objective #1: The student will be able to analyze the story to explain how the destruction of one resource can impact other resources.

Essential Element: Environment and Society.

Standard #14: how human actions modify the physical environment.

Knowledge Statement #1: The consequences of human modification of the physical environment.

Skill Set #1: Asking geographic questions.

Skill #1: Identify geographical issues, define geographic problems, and pose geographic questions.

Theme: Human/Environment interaction.

Objective #2: The student will be able to analyze the story to compare humanity’s positive and negative influences on the environment.

Essential Element: Environment and Society.

Standard #14: How human actions modify the physical environment.

Knowledge Statement #1: The consequences of human modification of the physical environment.

Skill Set #4: Analyzing geographic information.

Skill #3: Interpret and synthesize information obtained from a variety of sources-graphs, charts, tables, diagrams, texts, photographs, documents, and interviews.

Theme: Human/Environment Interaction.

Objective #3: The student will be able to analyze the story and work together within a group to form a proposal on how possible to correct this situation.

Essential Element: The uses of Geography.

Standard #18: How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Knowledge Statement #2: How varying points of view on geographic context influence plans for change.

Skill Set #5: Answering geographic questions.

Skill #2: Make generalizations and assess their validity.

Theme: Human/Environment interaction.

Materials

1. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss
2. Questions (in this lesson plan).
3. Tree seedlings (if possible).

Suggestions for Teaching the Lesson

Opening the Lesson

1.   The teacher will introduce the book by asking questions.

            What is a habitat?

                  Does humanity have an impact upon its environment?

            How?

                  What is the difference between clear-cutting and select cutting of trees? When should you use either of these methods?

2.   Tell the students the name of the book you are going to read together.
      (This can be made into a slide show, or you can show the video version of The Lorax.)

Developing the Lesson

1.   After the story has been read, check for understanding, using the following questions and the five themes.

Location: What do you look for when locating a business?

                  What did the Once-ler find?

Place: Describe the place before the Once-ler arrived.

                  What happened after he set up his factory?

                  How did the area change?

Region: How did the Once-ler change the entire region?

            Do regions change over time? How?

Movement: What did the Once-ler provide the economic market?

            How did his product move?

            What happened to the animals in the area?

Human-Environment Interaction:

            What was the Lorax’s first warning?

            What was the factory doing to the air?

            What happened when the last Truffula tree was chopped down?

            Why did the animals leave?

            How did the Once-ler’s life change as a result of the changing environment?

2.   After understanding has been reached, have the students write their own conclusion to the story. Next, have the students get into groups and have them come up with a written proposal that deals with solving this situational problem. The students need to consider the fact that these people need jobs and not everyone can move to find jobs. Assume that these people are somewhat environmentally aware as well.

Concluding the Lesson

Student groups will present their proposals to the class.

Extending the Lesson

Have the students come up with real-life scenarios: Florida Everglades vs. sugar cane farmers, spotted owls vs. logging companies, etc.

Assessing Student Learning

Teacher may observe the groups as they are working together and use a checklist as to their actions/desired behaviors. Written proposals can be judged by teacher or by other groups using agreed upon criteria. Answers to various questions in the plan could be evaluated as to correctness.

Additional Reading

Baker, Jeannie. Window, Puffin Books..

Burton, Virginia Lee. The Little House, Houghton Mifflin.

Buscaglia, Leo. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf, Slack.

Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild, Harcourt Brace.

Cherry, Lynne. The Great Kapok Tree, Harcourt Brace.

George, Jean Craighead. Several short stories.

MacGill-Callahan, Shelia. And Still the Turtel Watched, Dial Books.

Mazer, Anne. The Salamander Room, Dragonfly Books.

Peet, Bill. Farewell to Shady Glade, Houghton Mifflin.

Peet, Bill. The Gnats of Knotty Pine, Houghton Mifflin.

Peet, Bill. The Wimp World, Houghton Mifflin.

Tresselt, Alvin. The Gift of the Tree, Lothrop.

Van Allsburg, Chris. Just a Dream, Houghton Mifflin

Vieira, Linda. The Ever-Living Tree: The Life and Times of a Coast Redwood, Walker.

Acknowledgement

Marci Smith; L.D. Bell High School; Hurst, Texas.

GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS CLASSIFICATION MATRIX – GRADES           5-8   

Title: The Lorax                   Author:     Glen Weatherwax

Note:  See also Objectives Classification Outline in the lesson.

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