Genre - NONFICTIONSummary – This nonfiction literature is geared towards younger students. Disappearing Forests explains that humans are doing things to put the earth in danger. Readers can learn what humans are doing to harm the planet and how those actions can be corrected and reversed to help the planet improve. This book attempts to teach young readers that they can make a difference, too, with even the smallest tasks. It also gives students an idea of specific ways to protect the earth themselves.
Teaching Points – As teachers, it is important to teach younger students that their everyday choices can affect the earth. This book is a great tool to use to teach younger students this important idea. If I were using this book for an activity, after sharing it with students, I would ask kids to engage in an activity that uses critical thinking. Teachers should have students create a drawing and explanation of one way in which a daily activity that they do hurts the earth (such as leaving the water on while they brush their teeth or not recycling their bottles). Then, students should create a way to fix that problem and create a second drawing that reflects their new, earth-friendly choices.
Suggested Reading Level – Grade 2+
Additional Resources – To accompany this book, teachers can have students access an awesome earth-friendly website. PBS provides a website called “Eeko World” that help students learn about the earth and how to keep the earth healthy. The site provides fun games, jokes, videos, interactive activities, quizzes, and printable activities for kids. The site itself is very kid-friendly and geared toward younger students, especially with the fun jokes from “Cheeko the Monkey” when you first access the site. This website is a GREAT resource for lessons concerning human effects on the earth!
Citation – Royston, A. (2008). Disappearing forests (protect our planet). Heinemann-Raintree
ISBN-10: 1432909339 / ISBN-13: 978-1432909338
