Seuss Week Science!

Day 1: Read The Lorax pages 1-49. Have mini-discussion (longer turn and talk and share out) about the
big question on page 49: Who is right, the Lorax or the Once-ler?

Day 2: Finish reading The Lorax and have a discussion about what we can learn from the story and what
we can do to care about our world.

Day 3: Make recycling inventions! One of the ways we can show we care about our world is to reuse
and recycle things instead of throwing things away.

Day 4: Make Mini Decomposition Gardens! Yesterday, we said we can care for the world by recycling
instead of throwing things away. Were going to make special gardens to test what happens when we
throw things away.
Days 1 & 2: The Lorax

These books dont have page numbers, so I also included the first line of the page so you can find it
more easily. (Still do T&Ts and TAs after reading the page.)

Day 1 read pages 1-49 (If you dont make it to page 49, stop where you
need to, and pick up there in day 2. Still have a
longer turn & talk and share out at pg 49.)
Pg 3 (What was the Lorax) Think Aloud This place looks dark and gloomy, and the author
says the Lorax was taken. I wonder if something bad
happened to the Lorax?
Pg 15 (From the rippulous Think Aloud & The Once-ler is telling us what this land looked like in
pond) Quick ? the past back in the day. I notice this land used to
look very different. (Show picture on page 1) Now
its dark and gloomy, (show pg 15) but it used to be
bright and colorful!
(showing pg 15) What else do you see? Take 2 or 3.
Pg 21 (He was shortish) Turn and Talk What happened when the Once-ler cut down the
Truffula tree?

Title The Lorax

Big Take Away what do we want kids You can choose to hurt the world or to help it.
to remember?

Launch Question Day 1: In this story, we meet a character named The Once-ler.
The Once-ler comes to a brand new place and sees amazing
plants and animals that hes never seen before, including The
Lorax. The Once-ler and the Lorax get into an argument. Lets
read to find out: Who is right, the Once-ler or the Lorax?
Pg 29 (Im busy I told him) Think Aloud The Once-ler is calling all his relatives to come get
rich. I wonder what the Once-ler is planning to do?
Pg 35 (But the next week he Turn and Talk How did the Once-lers factory hurt the Bar-ba-
knocked) loots?
Pg 36 (They loved living here) Think Aloud Oh no! Now the Bar-ba-loots have to leave because
they have no food!
Pg 39 (I meant no harm) Turn and Talk The Once-ler says hes making money which
everyone needs. Is the Once-ler doing the right
thing?
Pg 43 (Where will they go?) Think Aloud & Oh dear! Now the Swomee-swans have to leave
Quick ? because the factory makes too much smog, and they
cant sing. (Show picture on pg 42) Look at this
picture and riase your hand if you can tell me what
smog is. (Repeat the quote while youre waiting for
hands and showing the picture: The factory is
making too much smog.)
Pg 47 (Youre glumping the Turn and Talk Why do the Humming-fish have to leave?
pond)
Pg 49 (And then I got mad) Turn and Talk The Lorax says the Once-ler should stop his factory,
but the Once-ler says everyone needs the Thneeds
he makes in his factory. Who is right, the Once-ler
or the Lorax?

*Day 1 stop here. This is one of the big questions for

this book do a longer turn and talk and share out
here. If time allows, really challenge kids to respond
to each other and use evidence.
Let kids know youll finish the story tomorrow.

Day 2 Start Here Start with a quick recap of what you read yesterday
and a recap of the end of class discussion (whos
right, the Once-ler or the Lorax).

Day 2 Launch Question: Today were going to finish

the book and then talk about it. As we read today,
lets find out: What lesson does the Lorax teach the
Once-ler?
Pg 53 (Now all that was left) Turn and Talk Why does the Once-lers factory shut down? Why
cant he make any more Thneeds?
Pg 57 (That was long, long ago) Think Aloud I wonder why the Once-ler is so worried.
Pg 58 (But now, says the Once- Think Aloud Thats what the Lorax told the Once-ler that made
ler) him so worried: Unless someone like you cares a
whole awful lot, nothings going to get better. Its
not.
Turn and Talk How could the Once-ler show he cares a lot and
make things better?
Pg 61 (Socatch last page) Turn and Talk What did the Once-ler do to show he cares?

Discussion Questions:

What lesson does the Lorax teach the Once-ler?

How does the Once-ler feel at the end of the story? Why?

What lesson can we learn from this story?

What can we do to be more like the Lorax and less like the Once-ler?

What are some things that we can do to take care of our world?

Push kids to think of concrete things they can do use both sides of the paper, turn out the
lights, turn off the water when they brush their teeth, etc.
 When someone mentions recycle, dive in to ensure kids understand: What is recycling? What
kinds of things can we recycle? Potential kid-friendly definition: When we recycle, we turn old
things that we dont need anymore into new things that we do need. Feel free to add
 Day 3: Recycling Inventions

Lesson Title: Recycling Inventions Recyclable materials

(plastic, paper,
Objective: To show students they can recycle by finding new uses for old things.
cardboard, tin foil,
Styrofoam, etc. No sharp
Central How else could we use that? edges or glass please )
Questions:
Art supplies like Tape,
glue, scissors, crayons,
Concepts: When were creative, we can find new ways to use old things. construction paper, yarn
Review of Yesterday we said there are lots of ways we can take care of our
previous world. (Review some) One of the big ways we can take care of our Beans, rice, etc. (things
lessons world is by recycling. to make noisemakers if
kids want)
Engage (hook) Ask kids: What is recycling? What do you think happens when we
recycle something? How does old paper and empty bottles become
things we can use again? Take 2 or 3 answers to each question. Accept
all answers.
Im going to show you! (Watch 2:40-5:30.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1l8HXa3HLk

Launch We dont have chemicals or big machines, but we can still recycle and
( explain) turn old things into new things by using our imaginations. Here are
things I found in the recycling bin this morning. (Show objects.) I bet
you can turn these old things into new things!

Model: what Insert quick model a la: I can take this old water bottle, add some
will students be rice and beans, and make a shaker instrument. Or I could put some
doing? gray construction paper on it and make an elephant trunk. pick one
object, show kids multiple ways they could use it creatively. Show kids
the art supplies they can use to make their inventions.

Activity/investig Students go to their tables. Decide procedure for calling kids up to

ation/Exploratio choose their materials.
n
Ending Decide how students should share their inventions.
Discussion
What have we
learned?
 Day 4: Decomposition Gardens

Lesson Title: What will happen? Collection of common

materials, objects. Set for
Objective: To get students thinking about what happens to objects over time:
demonstration and set
whether or not they change.
for each team.
Central What happens to things over time? What decays? What does not? e.g. piece of styrofoam coffee
Questions: cup
rubber band
piece of napkin or paper
Concepts: Organic materials decay, food for molds and bacteria. Inorganic towel
materials remain, as trash filling our landfills or roadsides, unless they piece of apple
piece of bread
are recycled. piece of banana
Review of Yesterday we said we can care for the world by recycling instead of bit of stale pizza
plastic spoon
previous lessons throwing things away. Today were going to test what happens when we
paper clip
throw things away. penny
strawberry or raspberry
Engage (hook) Introduction to materials: All sit in a circle. Show students the objects.
leaf
Here are some things I found in the trash .. or on the ground ( these are suggestions. others
outside Ask students to identify each one, and where they think it possible)
came from. So if I had not picked them up to bring in, they would stay
outside on the dirt. What do you think would happen to them? accept Environments;
in plastic, see-through
all answers including nothing, dogs will eat it, the roaches will get it....
sealable* containers with a
Do you think it matters where the objects are? How could we find out? base layer of one of the
If students suggest leaving objects outside as they were, tell them we substances below:
will certainly do that. Could we do an experiment in class? wet sand
dry sand
Launch ( explain) I have some environments you can use. Show plastic containers soil
empty, with sand on the bottom, with damp paper, with dirt. Show damp soil
students collection of objects and identify each together. Could do nothing
damp paper towel
prediction at this point, or not. dry paper towel
Model: what Demonstrate with one or two students selecting objects and placing salt
* clear deli salad containers,
will students be them carefully on the surface at bottom of container. Show them sealable with see through tape.
doing? worksheet or blank sheet on which they will map their set up. impt. : at least one set of the
objects must be left with
Activity/investig Students go to their tables. Each table gets the collection of objects first
nothing.
ation/Exploratio and fills out a prediction sheet as to what will happen. ( can be pictures
n only, check marks for will stay as it is, or x for will disappear) Then
they get their environment in which to place their objects. They can
map them but techer needs to photograph them as well to have a good
record.
Ending Teacher tape seals all the containers. We are not going to open these,
Discussion ever, but we can see what is going on inside them.
What have we End discussion: what do you think will happen in your experiment? Why
learned? do you think so?