The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. 

Reader Response:

The Lorax is a childhood classic that engages readers through enchanting poetry. This book is a great tool to use in every classroom because Dr. Seuss is a very recognizable author and more students are likely to pick up the book to begin with. Every page of the book has bright and vibrant colors, which continues to pull the reader in. The book also tells a powerful story about how important it is to treat the environment with respect. I really enjoy how the entire storyline of the book flows while also allowing students to make connections to their own personal experiences, keeping students engaged until the very end.

Evaluator Response:

This text builds connections between Science and English standards. 7^th grade students in English learn about the different structures of poems so as students read The Lorax, they can identify the rhyme scheme and patterns. One of our 7^th grade Science standards is for students to learn about the impact humans have on our environment. While students are identifying the main aspects of the poetry in the book, they are also building knowledge on how humans can affect the environment. One struggle that I can see some of my students having while reading this book is understanding the imaginative vocabulary. For example, one of the main characters in the book is the Truffula tree. Many of my students are very literal thinkers so they struggle with thinking outside of the box. Before reading the text, I would definitely have to introduce them to some of the vocabulary terms and what they mean when used in context.

Teacher Response:

For a student who really enjoyed The Lorax, I would recommend them to read, One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia. After reading a fiction story about how the impact humans have on the environment, it would be great for them to read a book that tells a true story of an individual working to help improve the environment. In One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia, Isatou was determined to make change in her community and she found a way to recycle the bags that were negatively affecting her community, which led to incredible change.

Literacy Coach Response:

As I mentioned previously, I would definitely teach a lesson to my students about imagery and imaginative language before having my students read this book. I would recommend doing this by having students read another Dr. Seuss book or poem. This way they can become comfortable with the way he uses words so when they do read The Lorax, they can focus more on the purpose or lesson of the story, rather than focusing on how some of the words don’t make sense or have no meaning. To incorporate writing into this lesson, I would have students write a short passage pretending they are Dr. Seuss. I would give them an environmental issue to talk about to have them thinking about the Science content. They will be required to use poetry and a set of imaginative words that I will previously provide them.