Intellectually we can see that we are all a part of nature, but we behave as if we are apart from it. Even talking about ‘the environment’ seems to separate us from the natural world as if we were outside it. This activity is inspired from the Work That Reconnects (WTR) organisation. It is designed to help our children and young people grow a sense of their ecological selves and develop compassion for all living things on this planet in the face of human destruction.
Preparation
Children and young people from Year 2 onwards can take part in this work. Most children today are aware that some animals are endangered species and some reading and discussion about this should take place to help prepare them for the activity.
Materials
The Loxax by Dr. Seuss (available as a book or animated on YouTube)
This version is good for all primary: The Lorax Read Aloud Picture Book 18 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdWesdMfyd4
The Lorax (original) TV special also uses the original illustrations and includes singing! 25.24 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V06ZOQuo0k
There is also a full-length film available on YouTube to buy or rent.
Art and craft materials for making masks.
Sounds of the natural world to play in the background.
There are plenty of videos to choose from. I liked this one from YouTube. It runs for over an hour so is more than long enough for the activity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NmyoXBXmE
Preparation
Prepare to read the story or watch the film of The Lorax
Some research into endangered species arising from the story.
Prepare tables with materials for mask making including cardboard, colour pens, glue, tape, scissors, paints, fabrics, wool and any found materials that would help children create a mask. You will also need either string or elastic to fit the masks around their heads or alternatively a face can be fixed to a stick and held in front of the speaker.
Procedure
This activity has 4 stages and can either be done over a whole day or spread over several lessons.
Stage 1: Read The Story Of The Lorax
Ask the children to take a couple of minutes to think about the story. What does it make them think about?
Ask children to share their ideas.
Who knows what an endangered species is?
Would you like to find out more about endangered species?
There is a list of all endangered species on the following site:
https://awionline.org/content/list-endangered-species
Stage 2: Guided Visualisation
Sit children in a circle either on the carpet or on chairs either indoors or outside.
If indoors play sounds of nature in the background as recommended above.
Read The Following Script:
Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Notice the breathe coming in through your nose and going out through your nose or mouth. (Allow time for 4-5 rounds of breathe).
Now use your imagination to invite another living thing that is in danger to visit you. This could be any animal, bird or fish or habitat, a tree, forest ocean, whatever first comes into your mind.
Try and visualise your choice as clearly as possible and think about how the world looks to them.
In a short while you are going to attend the Council for All Beings. Ask yourself how would the animal or place you have chosen wish to appear at the Council. You are going to make a mask to wear to represent your animal or place. What should that mask look like? (Pause to allow children to imagine the masks they are going to create).
What message does your animal or living thng want to give to the Council for all Beings? (Allow time for children to think about this).
When you are ready open your eyes and stretch. Now you are going to move to the tables to create a mask for your animal or living thing so it can attend the Council for All Beings.
Now move to the tables and make your mask.
Stage 3: Mask Making
Children make their masks. Make sure each one fits around their ears if they are wearing them and ensure holes are in the right places for their eyes and mouths.
If they are a tree or a river or other living thing they may want to hold their masks.
Stage 4: Role-Play
Once all the masks are complete ask the children to put them on and return to the circle. Put the music on again. After a short period without anyone talking begin:
Now is the time to really think about your animal or living thing. What shape are you?..... What is your skin or surface like? ….. How do you move? ….. How big are you? ….. What noises, if any, do you make? …..What are you going to say about yourself?
Can you stand up now and begin moving as if you were your living thing? Feel what it is like to be this thing.
Allow the children to move around for a few minutes before asking them to stop.
Now I am going to ask you to work in groups of three or four and you are going to practise speaking as if you were your chosen living thing.
What do you want to tell others about yourself?
How does it feel to be you?
What are your particular strengths and qualities?
Ask the children to move into their groups and remind them to speak in the first person. Give them time to practice speaking as their chosen animal and to listen to each other.
After these rehearsals bring the children back to a large circle for the Council of All Beings wearing their masks.
Stage 5: The Council of All Beings
The council has 4 parts.
Part 1: Ask each animal in turn to introduce themselves and say who they speak for, e.g, “I am a bee, I speak for all the bees in the world.” “I am an orangutan, I speak for all orangutan in the world.” “I am a river, I speak for all rivers in the world”.
Part 2: Invite each animal to say how life has changed for them as a result of what humans are doing. For example, “As a bee I am affected by air pollution.”
In response the Beings in the Council say, “We hear you, bee.”
“I am orangutan. I am losing my home in the forest because it is being cut down to grow palm oil”.
In response the Beings in the Council say, “We hear you, orangutan.”
“I am river. You are emptying poison into me and all river life is dying.”
In response the Beings in the Council say, “We hear you, river.”
One by one all the living things speak and the Council responds.
Part 3: Resume speaking
All the living things are suffering because of the humans. It would be good for humans to hear what we have to say. Would five or six of you put down your masks and move to the centre of the circle to be humans?
Ask the remaining animals to speak directly to the humans: “Hear us, humans. This is our world too. And we’ve been here a lot longer than you. Yet our days are numbered because of what you are doing. Be still for once and listen.”
The humans sit silently as the Council continues.
“Oh, humans, as a bee I was the pollinator of your orchards and plants. Look what has happened to me because of the pollution you have put in the air”.
“Oh, humans, as an orangutan I lived a beautiful life in the forest. Now you have destroyed our forests my family is dead and I’m afraid I will die soon. What will become of my children?”
“Oh humans, once I was the source of all clean water to support all life on earth. Now you are poisoning me what will become of all the creatures that depend on me?”
After a time when about six ‘living things’ have spoken ask other humans to replace the ones in the centre who return to the circle and pick up their masks. In this fashion, everyone takes a turn to listen as a human.
When all the beings have had a chance to address the humans and call them to account return to the script and address the Council:
You are the Council of All Beings and you have spoken. For all their money and power, the humans now are frightened. They feel overwhelmed at what they have done. They realise that all our lives are in their hands. They know they have to change their ways. What strengths and gifts can each of us give them to help them now?
Now each being has the chance to offer a gift to the humans to help them stop the destruction of the living creatures of the world.
“I, bee, offer you my wings and give you the power to fly over the world and see what I do. Remember you need me to pollinate your plants.”
“I, orangutan, offer you the chance to see we are not so very different, remember I have a family and children like you. Give me a chance to stay in my home.”
“I, river, are flowing water, from which all life flows. Treat me as if I were a living thing. Stop polluting me, for when you pollute me you pollute the world.”
When all the animals have spoken to the humans, they should take off the masks one by one and place them down. As each one does this the others say, “thank you bee” etc.
Stage 4: Debrief
Reconvene the children in a circle to share their experiences. Ask them initially to talk in pairs and then ask if someone wants to share with the whole group. Then go around the circle and give everyone a chance to speak. Children can say ‘pass’ if they have nothing to share.
Finally, ask the children to think about what they have learnt through the exercise in their own time and decide if they want to do something about it and how we might help each other to protect the living world.