A Brave Woman's Journey to save her Environment
Classroom Suggestions
Classroom Suggestion #1: Pause on the page where Wangari says “Thousands of trees have been cut down to make room for buildings, but no one planted new trees to take their place. Will all of Kenya become a desert? she wonders as her tears fall”. Ask the students to write an encouraging letter to Wangari.
Classroom Suggestion #2: The teacher can start a project where students can plant trees or plants in their schools. The students can go for nature walks and be encouraged to wear gloves and pick up garage outside. This book can also be a great way to start the discussion on what role we as individuals play in taking care of our planet.
"Education, if it means anything, should not take people away from the land, but instill in them even more respect for it, because educated people are in a position to understand what is being lost. The future of the planet concerns all of us, and all of us should do what we can to protect it. As I told the foresters, and the women, you don't need a diploma to plant a tree"
"there are opportunities even in the most difficult moments"
-Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai & The Green Belt Movement
This video connects to the Global Perspective because Wangari is calling for an action of change from governments and ourselves to be held accountable on how we treat the environment. Although we may live in different parts of the world, we all are connected, because we live on the same planet.
"I think that it is very, very important to continue encouraging our government and ourselves that the environment is not only an issue for tomorrow, the environment is an everyday issue. It is the air we breathe, the water we drink. It is the food we eat, and we can't live without these things"