My 2nd grade class had been researching rainforest animals and in the
process discovered that some of their animals were endangered. They
wanted to know how this was happening. More research online revealed
that there were many causes-- loss of habitat, over-hunting, pollution,
etc. How tragic!
When we had finished our research, I decided to show them the video link
you sent me. Everyone was at their desk and I projected it on the wall.
Within the first minute children were silently moving closer until they
were right below the image on the wall. No one spoke. They were
riveted. As soon as it was over they wanted to see it again. Then there
were sounds like ahhhh, oooh no, some read words as they flashed across
the screen. Suddenly as we approached the end, one student began to read
the script aloud, “The story is not over. The next chapter is up to you.”
In a flash the whole class was reading it aloud. They were totally
wrapped up in the images, the message.
They wanted to see it a 3rd time. This time I paused the video on
several images—the wolf, the bear, the crocodiles, the shark fin, the
monkey that seemed to reach out pleading for us to do something. When the
words hit the screen they read them with strength. It sounded like a
chant.
They were all talking now---words like awesome, conservation, protecting
animals. One boy was chastising another for stomping on the ants at
recess. When someone said sharks are bad and kill people, you should
have heard the rebuttal.
Gaye Howorth
May 11, 2010
San Angelo, Texas
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