She Planted Millions of Trees Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Students will learn about the life and legacy of environmentalist Wangari Maathai.

 

Social Studies Focus:

Women’s History Month

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, problem/ solution, text features

 

Page 4 Skill:

read a diagram

 

Vocabulary:

essential, deforestation, community, saplings, reforestation

 

CCSS:

RI.2.1 key details; RI.2.2 identify main topic; RI.2.4 meaning of words; RI.2.5 text features; RI.2.10 read informational texts; W.2.8 gather information

 

Lexile level:

520L

Download TEKS Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on Women's History Month.

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our videos “5 Things to Know About Wangari Maathai.” After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question

  • What is one thing you learned about Wangari Maathai?

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue, and discuss the cover. How are trees helpful to the world?
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 3: “Think about the different ways planting trees can help communities.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think skill sheet. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Review vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured terms are essential, deforestation, community, saplings, and reforestation.

Assessment: Reading Quiz 

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

Planting Peace: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Gwendolyn Hooks  (20 min.)

This picture book biography tells the story of Wangari Maathai starting with her early life in Kenya. Her story begins when she is enrolled in school and discovers the power of writing and reading.

  • Use the online game show to gauge comprehension and reinforce the issue’s content. Students can play by themselves or in teams. For each question they answer correctly, they win a point.

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on ELA skills. Here’s how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work skill sheet to deepen students’ understanding of the words essential, deforestation, community, saplings, and reforestation.

Editor’s Pick: Problem/Solution (15 min.)

  • Students reflect on the problem they learned about in the article. The Tree Problem skill sheet provides scaffolding for students to expand on why it is a problem and organize information from the article to illustrate the solution.

ELA Focus: Text Features (15 min.)

  • The Wangari Maathai Timeline skill sheet is a great way for students to practice text feature skills. It’s also designed in an interactive way—students must cut and paste facts to create the timeline before they can read it.

 Here are two past issues you can use to extend your lesson on Women's History Month:

  • “A Math Star,” March 2019. Students will examine the accomplishments of Katherine Johnson and analyze her character traits.
  • “The Woman Who Talked to Chimps,” March 2022. Students will discover how Jane Goodall achieved her dream of studying chimps.

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher Lexile level: 630L
  • Lower Lexile level: 460L