While visiting the beach, Sandy is horrified by the mess left by other visitors and starts to clean up, and a local environmentalist tells her about limiting her footprint--the effect that how she lives leaves on the environment.
Sandy loves visiting her grandpa's house by the beach each summer, playing in the sand while her dog, Pepper, chases the seagulls. One day, though, her walk on the beach is ruined by a pile of garbage. The arrival of the "Garbage Lady" inspires her to learn about the ecological footprint each person leaves on the world and their responsibility to reduce it.
Powerful Understanding explores effective ways to build social-emotional skills and help students make connections, question what they read, and reflect on their learning as they develop into stronger readers and learners. Lessons based in both strategic and critical thinking revolve around core anchor books that help integrate inquiry into everything you teach — from social responsibility, to immigration, to life cycles. This highly readable book includes a wealth of classroom examples and extensive hands-on activities designed to help students to think more deeply, learn more widely, and develop a more powerful understanding of what it means to be a responsible and compassionate person.
How can Canadian educators begin to instill cultural sensitivity and social awareness in elementary and secondary school students? This vital text attempts to answer that question by bringing together literacy scholars and practicing teachers in a unique cross-Canadian exploration of children’s literature and social justice. Through reflection on the experience of teaching with various Canadian texts including picture books, novels, and graphic novels, the contributors behind Challenging Stories create a “pedagogy of discomfort” that will encourage both educators and their students to develop critical literacy skills. The compelling contributions to this collection highlight the complexities of teaching with texts that address issues of discrimination, historical marginalization, colonialism, racial and gender intolerance, sexual orientation, language, and cultural diversity. The authors offer first-hand insight into the possibilities and challenges of implementing curricular and pedagogical changes to promote equity and social justice in the classroom. Featuring the stories of participating teachers and an annotated bibliography of children’s literature, this invaluable resource will prove to be essential reading for current and future educators.
Winner at the 2012 Living Now Book Awards This beautiful story talks about solidarity, respect for nature, overcoming obstacles by helping another one, and the benefits of teamwork. Guided Reading Level: R, Lexile Level: 720L