This week’s science activities centered on The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The book begins with the Onceler telling the story of the Lorax to a little boy. The Onceler tells of a beautiful place full of Truffala Trees, Bar-ba-loot bears, and Swamie Swans, which is destroyed by his greed as he chops down the trees to manufacture his thneads. Despite the efforts of the Lorax who “speaks for the trees,” the once beautiful land becomes polluted and all of the trees, plants, and animals quickly disappear. However, as the story comes to an end, the Onceler is saddened and hopes to make amends. He gives the little boy the last remaining Truffala seed imparting to him the responsibility of restoring the land.
After reading and discussing the book, students completed a journal entry sequencing the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Many chose to complete an optional entry in which they wrote a letter to the Onceler, telling him how they felt about the trees being cut down, the animals leaving, and the water and air becoming polluted. Then, in art, first graders drew pictures of what they believe the Onceler looks like.
In conjunction with the book, students learned about natural resources, classifying each as renewable, nonrenewable, or inexhaustible. As we learn about natural resources and pollution, we will be completing several science experiments. This week, we will begin an air pollution experiment. Following the steps of the scientific method, students will predict, observe, experiment, and record, as they collect air pollutants.
In addition to integrating science topics, The Lorax, furthers understanding of our current social studies focus, communities, as we compare air pollutants we find here to those we would expect to find in larger cities and rural areas. Other social studies topics introduced through the book include basic economic terminology as we identified consumers, producers, goods, services, needs, and wants. We will expand on each of these in the coming weeks
