Book Title: And Still The Turtle Watched
Author: Sheila MacGill-Callahan pictures by Barry Moser
Publisher and Date: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991
Curriculum Developer: Taralee Alleman
Summary:
Long ago, the old man carved the shape of a turtle into a large rock. He said it had the eyes of Manitou and would watch over the Delaware people. As time passed, fewer and fewer people came to visit the rock. Strangers came and chopped the forest down. The turtle was vandalized with spray paint. One day a man found the rock and took it away to be cleaned. It is now displayed in the New York Botanical Garden for all to see.
Social Studies Relevance:
This book helps depict the effects that human insensitivity can have on our natural resources. This sensitive story can be used to discuss the respect that early people held for our earth and the importance of that quality today. Topics of responsible choices, consequences of our actions, conservation, and problem-solving can all be addressed.
Grade Level
Focus:
3rd grade
Relationship to
Social Studies State Core:
Illustrate ways groups use natural resources in the environment to meet their needs.
Discuss responsibilities that individuals have in making a community a better place to live.
Participate in a variety of activities such as creating stories that promote thinking and problem-solving skills.
Develop a model for making an effective solution to common problems.
Write original answers to current issues/problems.
Discuss different cultures in the local community and the contribution made from each culture.
Identify different environments in which groups live.
Lesson: Be Kind to our Earth
Objectives:
Students will determine ways that we are kind and unkind to the earth by listing ideas on a class chart.
Students will identify five ways we can help preserve our earth's resources by participating in the conservation charades game.
Students will complete a class project planning sheet using the five steps of effective problem solving.
Materials needed:
And Still The Turtle Watched -by Sheila MacGill-Callalhan
One new toothbrush
Tooth paste
Faucet with running water
Bucket or large container to hold water
Measuring cup
5 Conservation Charades Cards
Chart paper
Paper and pencil for each student
Preparation:
Make Conservation Charades Cards (index cards will work) Cards should read:
Recycle pop cans
Turn off water
Pick up litter
Plant a tree
Car pool
Write five problem solving steps on a piece of chart paper:
Identify problem
Brainstorm solutions
Create a plan
Set goals
Check progress
Procedures:
1. To prepare the students for the story, discuss a new vocabulary word: Manitou. Manitou is a supernatural spirit or force of nature in the religion of the Algonquian Indians. Before beginning the book, focus the students' attention by telling them to listen closely to how the people in the book treat the earth. Read And Still The Turtle Watched.
2. Discuss the book by creating a class list. On the board make two columns: Kind choices and Unkind choices. Fill in the columns with responses that the students share.
3. Experiment- Tell the children that there are some simple things we can do to preserve the earth's resources.
We need: One volunteer, one timer, one person to measure
What to do:
#1-The timer times for one minute as the volunteer puts toothpaste on the brush and brushes his/her teeth . Leave the water running for the entire minute. It should be running into the bucket to prevent it from going down the drain. The person assigned to measure then measures how many cups of water were used in that minute.
#2-Repeat this experiment except this time leave the water running only when the volunteer is using it.
#3-Compare the amount of water used in the two different trials and discuss this as a class.
This experiment works great for integration with math: How many cups in a gallon? How much water would be used in 3 minutes? But, it also proves an important point in social studies. Use this experiment to point out to the students that there are simple things that we can do, such as turning off the water when we brush our teeth, to help preserve our earth's resources.
4. Conservation Charades- Break the class into five groups. Place the card face down and allow each group to choose a charade card (recycle pop cans, turn off water, pick up litter, plant a tree, car pool). Give the groups time to plan what they are going to do to act out the conservation tip on their card for the class. Groups then take turns acting out their cards in front of the class until classmates from other groups are able to guess. When all groups have had a turn, discuss the conservation tip on each card and how they help save our resources.
5. Class project- Suggest to the children that we do something as a class to help preserve our earth's resources. Ideas for the project may include: recycling pop cans or newspapers, cleaning up litter on the school ground or at a local park, saving money to buy trees to plant, launching a campaign to save water . . . The possibilities are vast! Display the chart paper with the five problem solving steps. Use this model to guide the students through each step of planning the class project. Have the students write down the steps on a piece of paper and fill in each area with ideas generated by the class. This project can be on-going. It may be long term, but it will be worth it. It is important to allow the class to decide what they will do so they feel a sense of ownership. You may wish to talk about consensus during the planning of this project! Remember to follow through with the project, don't let it flop!
Evaluation
Listen to student responses as they contribute items to add to the Kind/Unkind choices list.
Observe student participation and responses during the Conservation Charades game.
Examine each student's problem solving paper to see that each section has been filled in with appropriate responses.