31: Let It Grow
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
-Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Imagine what it would be like to live in a world made of plastic; to have trees that are manufactured in factories that have different features and come in numerous designs. Imagine having to buy your own air just to be able to breathe. Will you live a happy life?
The story of The Lorax begins in the town of Thneedville where the people seem content with a life like this.
In the story, the Lorax is a magical creature who protects trees. He was summoned to help when one of the main characters, the Once-ler, cut down truffula trees in the forest to use for making thneeds -- a piece of clothing that he invented to help make him rich. Unfortunately, for the Once-ler's thneed business to flourish, all the truffula trees had to be used until nothing was left. All the animals who lived in the forest became homeless, and the land where the trees used to stand became barren.
We asked the children,
“Imagine the world without any plants or animals. What will it look like?”
Yorinobu
I think there will only be sand but I think the world will disappear.
Clara
It will have sand and water. There will still be shells.
Emma C.
There will still be water and the sky.
Yui
The whole world will fly up to the sky and disappear or turn into something different.
Chanin
I think there will be water and deep down, maybe there's sand.
Kanato
I think there will still be mountains.
Koh
I think there will be nothing there.
Emma I.
I this it will have a lot of trash. I see a treasure box with money and shiny things and a balloon. There's water and sand, too.
Eisuke
I think it will have a mountain, the sun, and a slope.
Tamaki
The earth will have water, sand, seashells and sea glass. It will also have a treasure box but it will have a lot of trash.
Kallea
I think you can still swim in the ocean water. There's also a slide.
After everyone shared their ideas, I asked the children,
"Do you think the world is beautiful without plants and animals?"
They all think that the world will still be beautiful but it can be better with living things in it.
We also realized that even if there will be mountains, they might not last long because of landslides that can happen without the trees. The ocean will still be there but it will be empty if there are no sea creatures to live in it. The sun will still be there but its life-giving gift will lose its purpose if there's no life for it to support. The sky will be there but there will be no one to look up and appreciate its beauty.
I shared with the children that it is possible for some plants and animals to cease existing. In fact, some species of plants and animals are already endangered because of different factors.
"What's endangered, Ms. Pam?"
"It comes from the word 'danger', which means what?"
"It means they might not be safe."
"When all of them die, their species will be extinct -- like dinosaurs."
Plants and animals are indeed important for all of us, but because of our choices and actions, their lives are affected -- and sometimes, not in the best way.
I shared some photos of how people have affected the lives of living things in a negative way.
We used a visible thinking tool to record their reflections. I asked them to share what they:
SEE (What do you see?)
THINK (What do you think is going on?)
WONDER (What does it make you wonder?)
I was amazed at all the insights the children shared. I truly am so proud of how much they have grown into thinking, inquisitive, and reflective students. When we looked at all the photos side by side, I asked the children,
"What is the common thing that you notice in the pictures?"
("Ms. Pam, what does common mean?" 😀)
The children agreed that the photos are all sad images because they show bad things that are happening in the world.
One of them said, "I think bad people did these."
Before I was able to share my insights to their ideas, one of the children raised their hand and thoughtfully said, "Ms. Pam, I don’t think there are bad people. I think these happened because of people who made bad choices.”
Such beautiful words and wisdom from a 4-year old, don't you think so?
Choices can be changed and mistakes can be corrected.
In fact, people all over the world are already beginning to make a change and a positive difference.
Such is the story of a beautiful experience that Yorinobu had last Wednesday, which he shared with us in class.
According to his mom,
"The stork (Oriental White Stock) is a national special natural monument. Japan's wild storks became extinct in 1971, but thanks to breeding efforts around Toyooka City, Hyogo, the number has gradually increased.
And this April, It was confirmed that four chicks were born from a pair of storks flying to Obama City, Hyogo prefecture.
Attempts to increase the number of storks in the wild are also about protecting the environment. Looking after babies is also a kindness to protect the life we share the earth with."
Yorinobu visited the baby storks that had a health check up and foot markings, as they are soon going to fly out on their own.
(Makoto is the Daddy Stork; Haruka is the Mommy Stork)
(Note: the beautiful pictures are taken by Shinko-san's photographer friend.
Thank you for sharing them with us!)
Because of the efforts of different people, the storks continue to live and hopefully, flourish.
Fortunately, we don't have to wait for others to take action. We can start making a difference on our own, even through little things -- like a seed. It may be small but within it are beauty and power that can grow if tended with love, patience, and hope.
I shared the story of The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss with the children. In the story, a boy who planted a seed but all his family members did not believe the seed will grow. The boy, however, never gave up. He tended to the seed with much love and patience, and he never lost hope that the seed will grow. After a while, it did, just as he knew it would.
Just like the boy (and Ted in the story of The Lorax), we planted our own little seeds in class.
What are your trees called?
They are called Tree Ten.
Why are they important?
They are important because they give food to people.
How can we take care of them?
We can take care of them with good soil and water.
What is your tree called?
It is called the Giving Tree.
Why is it important?
It is important because it gives us food and wood.
How can we take care of it?
We can give it water.
What are your trees called?
My trees are called Hello Kitty Trees.
Why are they important?
They are important because they give us fruits.
How can we take care of them?
We can give them water.
What are your trees called?
They are called Cute Trees.
Why are they important?
They are important because they give us fresh air to breathe.
How can we take care of them?
We can take care of them by putting good soil, give some water, put some seeds and take the weeds out all the time.
What is your tree called?
This is called the Epo Tree.
Why is it important?
It is important because it gives us food.
How can we take care of it?
We can take care of it by cutting the leaves and keeping it happy.
What are your trees called?
They are called Trees.
Why are they important?
They are important because I like them and I don't want to destroy them.
How can we take care of them?
We can give them water.
What are your trees called?
My trees are called Kallea Trees.
Why are they important?
They are important because they suck in the air that people breathe out and they make the air rich.
How can we take care of them?
We can water them and take the fruits out of the trees and eat the fruits.
What are your trees called?
They are called the Rainbow Tree.
Why are they important?
They are important because without them, we cannot breathe.
How can we take care of them?
We can put water and use good soil.
What is your tree called?
It is called the Maya Tree.
Why is it important?
It is important because it gives food to some animals.
How can we take care of it?
We can take care of it by giving it water.
What are your trees called?
They are called Kids Trees.
Why are they important?
They are important because they give us shadow and they make the view nice.
How can we take care of them?
We can give them water.
What are your trees called?
They are called the Kame Trees.
Why are they important?
They are important because they give us shadows.
How can we take care of them?
We can take care of them by trimming them regularly.
We also went to the garden near the school and planted sweet potatoes.
It was a small, first step but we are hopeful that it will grow into something much bigger.
Let it grow, indeed.
The children's big ideas and caring hearts tell me that there is hope for a better world in the future. We just have to plant the seeds to help them tread the right path, and to allow them to grow it on their own. After all, according to the Once-ler, that’s not just a seed any more than you’re not just a boy.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
Your Kindergarten teacher,
Pam
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REMINDER:
Sponsor Run - RESCHEDULED
Friday 26th May
9.00am - 12.00pm
Please come and join us for the rescheduled sponsor run!
Schedule
(Hat, water, school T-shirt and sunscreen for each child please)
9.00am - 10.00am Early Years
10.00am - 11.00am Lower primary (Preschool - Grade 2)
11.00am - 12.00pm Upper Primary (Grade 3 - 6)
We will use a 1 coin - 1 lap system, so when a child completes a lap, they can drop a 100yen coin in our collection jar to try and fill it up!
Parents who join, please help your child. If you cannot join, our teachers will help but please send a maximum of 1000yen in 100yen coins in a sealed envelope with your child on the day.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sponsor run team.
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