Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Kids Can Change the World

Extended Response: Comprehension & Critical Thinking

The questions below can be used as written, simply answered in complete sentences, or easily transformed into longer essay (ELA) style questions, or even research topics. In any case, have the students support their answers with details from the text or use critical thinking skills to create a thorough and interesting answer. Consider the level of your students when deciding how to use the questions. The questions for each lesson can be found under the article's title below, and the answers for the short response questions are on the last page of the guide.

"What is Change?"

Read the quotes referring to change in the square boxes throughout this issue of Appleseeds.

• Which quote inspires you most and why?
• Write your own inspirational quote and explain its meaning. Share the quotes in class.

"Rainforest Hero" p. 14

1. How has Janine Licare been protecting the rainforest around her Costa Rican home?
2. What organization did Janine and her friends create?
3. What kind of store does Janine now operate and what good has it done?
4. Explain the need for 'monkey bridges'. Draw one!
5. Do you think building an educational center is a good idea? Why or why not?

"Bursting Balloons" p. 18-21

1. What have the children at Center High School in Phoenix accomplished? What are the implications of such technology?
2. Why did Laura McAndrews of Nassakeag Elementary School want to ban a large release of balloons?

If the idea below suggests a way to save the environment, mark the statement with a "Y". If it would not be helpful in saving the environment, mark it with an "N".

_____1. Use powdered poison tablets instead of a spray to kill bugs.

_____2. Instead of paper towels, use cloth rags or towels to wipe up spills.

_____3. Cut up plastic six-pack rings before throwing them in the trash.

_____4. Leave the faucet running while you brush your teeth to rinse harmful bacteria down the drain.

_____5. Save energy by lowering the heat. If you are chilly, put on a sweater.

"Young Inventors" p. 22-25

Read the statements below and write the initials to whom it applies.

LB=Louis Braille

MK=Margaret Knight

FE=Frank Epperson

CG=Chester Greenwood

______1. Worked in a cotton mill in 1850.

______2. Liked to brew homemade drinks.

______3. Was inspired by a talk given by Captain Charles Barbier in Paris.

______4. Continued his frozen experiments 20 years after he first began.

______5. Cold ears were the motivation for this invention made from wire and warm material.

______6. By age 15, he created an entire system that allowed blind people to read and write.

______7. Invented a stop-motion device for looms to avoid accidents if the loom malfunctioned.

______8. His teachers didn't trust an invention made by a student, and it took 28 years for h is invention to be accepted.

______9. At the age of 18, he got a government patent for his invention. His day is celebrated on December 21 in Maine.

_____10. In 1924, he received a patent of his invention, then called the "Ep-sicle".

Read the article on page 26. Imagine that you are a member of the Tomorrow's Leaders 4-H Club. Write a diary of your experiences during the 12 months that you will be raising and training the puppy.

Community Awareness Project: Read the article and discuss with your class some of the basic needs of the people in your own community. How can you contribute to your own community?

• Explain the story of Joan of Arc.
• How would you describe Joan of Arc?
• Why is her story still repeated today?

Essay: Tell about a situation that you have witnessed or have been involved in, that required the courage of Joan of Arc.

Home

Back

Print

Updated: 11/21/09 09:00 am
Log In