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Dawnie
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Do you have any thoughts/opinions on using books with save-the-environment themes in your homeschool? I'm looking at using The Great Kapok Tree as we tour South America.
The illustrations are great, lots of different animals are depicted, but the book has a save-the-environment theme. Not that I'm against saving the environment, I just don't want my kids to have the attitude that animals and trees are more important than human life.
Dawn
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lapazfarm
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We love the great Kapok Tree. But I personally am a certified tree-hugger, so take it as you will. I don't think there has to be a conflict between caring for the earth and caring for mankind. We can respect ALL life.
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Dawnie
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lapazfarm wrote:
| I don't think there has to be a conflict between caring for the earth and caring for mankind. We can respect ALL life. |
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Yes, I agree with that...I think that God wants us to be good stewards over what He has created. 
The save-the-environment stuff that I have a problem with is stuff like a display at our local zoo--it's a short video, which first shows how the population of chimpanzees has declined over the last 2000 or so years, then shows how the population of humans has increased over the last 2000 years. It makes it look like humans are breeding like flies while the poor chimpanzees are facing extinction...this video was produced by an organization called "Zero Population Growth." 
This is an issue I really don't know much about...I just know that it bugs me when human life is presented as the enemy against the environment. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is how to achieve a balance in teaching my dc the sacredness of human life and respect for nature? I'm not sure if I'm even expressing myself very well here...how do we teach our dc to be good stewards of the environment, and at the same time believe in the sacredness of human life? Do you think books like The Great Kapok tree help us toward that end?
My questions are sincere...I'm not looking to argue here, I really want to understand this better...just wanted to be clear about that!
Dawn
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ALmom
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I'm not familiar with the book you mention - but am familiar with the discomfort. We have done a lot of library books over the years and after a while, I just got so sick of there always seeming to be a plug (a lot of these would disappear after we got home, before I had to read them aloud) - it wasn't just the be good stewards message, but some subtle implication that somehow humans were always the problem. Now, since we have free will, I suppose you might be able to argue that point somewhat - but these were, imo, twaddly books (our library seems to be full of them)with hidden agendas. I don't mind an occassional really, good book that has a bit of the environmental message in it (if it is not coming from the there are too many people in the world...). I don't want every science/nature book we read to be like that. I want my children to have the proper perspective.
I guess it is akin, for me, to the Miss Piggle Wiggle books and the Bernstein Bear books. Miss Piggle Wiggle is a collection of funny stories about a good with children lady that helps parents with various character problems (the child who won't share, etc.). Once in a very long while, we can laugh hysterically at these. But if I have to read them more than once a year, I refuse and threaten to trash the books. Repeated and in a constant pattern, a different message than the good habits being encouraged comes out - the dad is a nincompoop and the mom is hardly more competent with her own children. I am cautious with these and do not encourage them - but don't run in fear from an occassional enjoyment of it with a mature enough child who is able to hear my complaint about the book, as well. With Bernstein Bears - we read one, and by about the 3rd, I saw a pattern and avoided them completely because the dad was always an idiot. I found a great book to celebrate dads to read and distracted to other things as I thought it wasn't healthy for that age in that consistent a pattern.
Gotta go so hope this is coherent.
Janet
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lapazfarm
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I also am not looking to argue. I think it is a VERY legitimate concern you have.
It is sometimes hard to seperate the two issues (stewardship of the environment, which God commands of us, and zero population growth, which goes against God's plan).
And I think this is a real problem with the environmental movement is that it ties the two together so often, needlessly pitting Christians against environmentalists. True, population growth does have significant negative impact on the environment in many areas, but it doesn't HAVE to.
The thing I try to teach my children, when these issues arise, is that there are often many solutions to a problem. Some are better than others. We, as Catholics must find answers to the problem which are in line with our faith. Zero population growth is NOT, so we reject that as a solution. What, then, does God ask us to do? What are HIS solutions.
He teaches us to love our neighbor. Are we doing this when we as a nation consume so many natural resources that we leave others in poverty? When we pollute our air, which we all must share? When we sully our fresh water, which is limited and dirty our oceans? I think as Christians we can see that this has nothing to do with love and everything to do with greed.
Caring for our environment IS caring for our neighbors, becuse what we do impacts the world.
Population growth issus can be looked at as not a problem with the number of people, but with how resources are distributed. Obviously they are not distributed equitably at all. As Catholics we are told to "feed my sheep," but how are we doing this when we pay farmers not to plant fields rather than paying them to plant and distribute the food? Whe we buy outrageously expensive cars when a simple functional vehicle will do and the excess money could be used to help the poor? We build 6 bedroom McMansions for old retired couples when two bedrooms would do and the money could be used to build homes for the homeless.
See, population growth is only a problem because as a fallen people we do not LOVE enough to perform the acts of charity and sacrifice that it would take to enact solutions that we all know would work.
So, really it is about teaching our children, again, to love and respect ALL life. We should not put the lives of plants and animals above human life. We should not set up captive breeding programs for endangered animals and then tell humans to sterilize themselves. It makes no sense to send that mixed message. If we LOVe enough, we can help ALL the living. Human and animal alike.
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Kelly
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OH yes, the Nincompoop Father Syndrome. That drives me nuts. Of course, my kids, for some bizarre reason, have always loved Berenstein Bears--but believe you me, I have pointed out NFS in those books so many times that they (the dc) are totally alert to NFS in all the books they read, and comment on it! Still, doesn't that make you crazy, that you have to watch for these subliminal messages in kids books?
As for the Nature Good/People Bad theme in so many books-it is so prevalent that I think you just have to discuss the topic with your dc, you will not be able to avoid it in most books. And you don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water-so many of these books are beautiful and instructive, and the kids can learn much from them. I agree we are called to be good stewards of the environment, and it is sad how people have NOT been good stewards in so many places. However, make no mistake, that the religion of the schools these days, if not society, is Environmentalism, which is mostly anti-natal. My sil commented to me that the one "safe" subject in the public schools, the one they can teach without stepping on (most) people's toes, is Ecology and Environmentalism. She noted that her children were assigned papers on endangered animals without cease, thru out their tenure in the public school system---but history papers-or anything else- were seldom assigned because of their tendency to cause acrimony.
On a separate note, when I was in graduate school, I was constantly, incessantly, without fail, bombarded with the message that people are the greatest pollutants! I attended three different graduate schools, and it was always the same. Now we have an international student living with us, studying Environmental Biology. Since her studies began, I have seen a distinct inclination on her part to spout the People As Pollutants doctrine, too.
It is not that I'm against nature... I *LOVE* Nature, Nature Studies, Animals (don't ask how many pets we have!), gardens, you name it. But when so many books and society at large are quoting Man as the Ultimate Bad Guy, vs. loving mother nature, it does get a bit daunting.
The other day one of our Great Danes came in dragging the leg of a deer. Yes, it was gross. But as I pointed out to my dc, that was a prime example of how Nature isn't necessarily so kind and loving. Our dogs are well fed-nay, FAT, yet they killed that deer because of instinct and for blood-sport. Scientists seem to love to paint nature as so kind, man as evil. Still, I'd rather love my dh than eat him like a spider!
Kelly on her soapbox  in FL
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ALmom
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I also have a problem with the failure to understand that man really is a steward of creation - not just another of the happenstance animals that happen to live here. This is beneath the surface in all the environmental stuff I've seen. So all hunting is bad, heaven forbid that a farmer plow his field and run over some endangered beetle and please, please, never, ever cut down a tree. Now, I don't think all hunting is bad - even though we are not reliant on the meat from hunting as the Indians were, I just don't see the anti-hunting. I see a difference between the settlers who hunted buffalo simply for a tongue and then left the thousands of carcasses to rot - and many Indians to starve and the Indians who hunted and used every part of the animal. I use paper towels from time to time - but do try not to be lazy - and yes, there is a challenge to be less wasteful and more mindful of the rights of all. I see a huge difference between lumber harvesting in a sane way - and wiping out whole areas simply to get the most lumber for the money as cheaply as possible. Yet, we should harvest our forests for our needs. And I really would not fine a farmer or take his farm away because his tractor killed some endangered beetle - though I wouldn't allow folks to just go around stomping on them. There has to be some sanity in all this. I think that most of the real environmental damage boils down to human greed - not the number of people - and we eventually suffer the consequences of our lack of prudence in the use of creation - ie the dust bowl.
We actually heard a radio show once where an environmentalist actually spoke of how wrong it was to kill xyz animal - and when asked, she would not even kill the animal to protect her own child. How bizzarre. I really had a hard time comprehending that she was really serious. It did become great conversation fodder with the children as the failure to understand man's true place was so obvious here that it made it easy to discuss. The more obvious the error, the easier it is to see. But it is this same attitude that underlies the tree-hugging books, etc.
And, yes, this false environmentalism is all so pervasive that you do talk about it - you have to - but I sure do grab at any science books that are free of it just to have a balance (and they seem to be extremely rare, anyone have any great lists to share? in or out of print?) and I try to avoid constant repetetion of a false agenda while not totally rejecting a good book (but it better be pretty twaddle free if I'm going to bother with it). A lot depends on the age of the children, too and what has come up naturally at this point. IE, I don't want to introduce a false view - but if the false view has already come up in discussion and we've discussed it, then a book where we notice that the unbalanced treatment does come up is not as problematical in small doses.
One problem I have is the bombardment of subtle agendas beneath the surface that become so pervasive that they can color our own patterns of thought. Sometimes I feel like all these false ideas (twisted versions of truth, really) are the bombardment before the actual attack.
So we talk about true stewardship - creation was placed here for our benefit, after all. This doesn't mean we wantonly kill and destroy and waste - but it is perfectly legitimate to make use of what we have. We do not have to become vegetarians, condemn all harvesting of trees or hunting. And what really is more relevant is what does God require of me - and in our case in the USA it is probably more about re-using, doing less throw away and trying to take care of what we do have. It is funny but we have the largest family in the neighborhood and the least amount of trash - and we have plenty of room for improvement. I guess my problem is that it is hard to find material that is beautiful that really has a Catholic worldview (stewardship as opposed to animal/environment glorification)and we are inundated with the other. Our world has been made the modern false god. If I could find something from a true point of view - then I'd forgo the environmental spouting book for it, but chances are the environmental spouting is all that is being published. I have been known to read the book and just skip the sidebar on the environmental stuff if the environmental spouting (as opposed to true stewardship)isn't all pervasive throughout the text. Unfortunately most are - then it is such an individual judgement call. Anyone out there ready to publish some great children's books? There is certainly a need for these in science.
Janet
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Angie Mc
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In addition to some of the above approaches, we describe things to our children in terms of little truth and big Truth or "little t" and "big T." We discuss that without the fullness of the Catholic faith, many people become confused and promote a little t into a big T. For example, we are to be good stewards of nature (little t) but are not to turn nature into something it was never intended to be, to include promoting a false religion, Environmentalism, (big T.) As my children have grown older, they have grown in their ability to identify this error, not only with environmental issues but others issues as well. I think this approach has helped us to hold onto hope for those who promote falsehoods. For us, we pray that they will bring their passion and knowledge into the fullness of the faith where it can become a piece of the whole and a blessing instead of a misleading and potentially dangerous snippet. When the children become older, we have a framework for discussing the darker, political implications.
If this doesn't make sense, please ask for clarification .
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Kelly
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I like the concept of "little t" and "Big T". It feeds nicely into the whole, greater concept of proportionalism that was much discussed in the last election. Thanks for the idea, Angie.
Kelly in FL
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Dawnie
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Wow! Lots of great thoughts here! A lot of the issues would make for great discussion with an older child (maybe middle school or high school age?), but my oldest is only in 2nd grade and I'm wondering if pointing out the difference between being a good steward and the "people bad, environment good" doctrine would make any sense to her. I can just see her eyes glazing over now... 
I try to look for "teachable moments" to encourage her to be a good steward. She saw a bunch of trash on the side of the road one day and asked me about it, and I explained that littering was not a good thing to do, that it spoiled God's creation, and that we should put our trash in the trash can and not just throw it on the ground. It was a short discussion and took place in the car, but I think it sunk in.
There isn't any talk of "zero population growth" in The Great Kapok Tree. The animals of the rain forest come and whisper in a woodcutter's ear while he is sleeping about the consequences of cutting down their tree...animals will lose their home, soil will be washed away without the roots of the tree to hold it in place, people will settle on the land and set fires to clear the underbrush, leaving "black and smoldering ruins," the oxygen supply will be depleted, your children will live in a world without trees, and the beauty of the rain forest will be destroyed. When the woodcutter wakes up, he takes a moment to notice the beauty all around him, then walks out of the forest without cutting down the tree.
The benefits that I see in using this book are that the illustrations are beautiful and there are lots of different animals depicted, which could lead to further research about native animals of South America. It could also lead to further discussion and research on the rain forest. That's great and in keeping with my goals for this unit study on South America.
My concerns are that I don't know enough about the destruction of the rain forests in South America (or anywhere else) to really give my dc accurate and age-appropriate information or answer questions my dc may have. I'm imagining they might want to know WHY the man was going to cut down the tree...the book doesn't address that, and there might be some good reasons to clear a section of rain forest, but I don't know what they are, or IF it's being done for a good reason in real life. My knowledge is pretty much limited to what I've seen at the local zoo...which basically states that the rain forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate and it should be stopped. This seems to be the same basic message presented in The Great Kapok Tree. I don't want to pass that "doctrine" on to my kids without forming an intelligent, informed opinion myself first. I know I want them to grow up to be good stewards of God's creation...but I don't know that teaching them that "cutting down sections of rain forests is bad" is necissarily being a bad steward. I can see that it COULD be, depending on WHY the rain forest is being destroyed. But I don't know. And I don't know if my 7yod is ready to understand all that, either.
So if I read the book to her, or any book w/ an environmental theme, do I just read it and then answer questions as they come up? Do I give an explanation of any subtle errors in the book, whether she asks about it or not?
Theresa, since you've identified yourself as a "certified tree-hugger," but are also Catholic and seem to have the balanced viewpoint I'm looking for, how do you use The Great Kapok Tree, and books like it w/ your young dc?
Lots of great food for thought here, thanks!
Dawn
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marihalojen
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I'm not Theresa, but I do consider myself pretty green.
I think I might let Lynne Cherry address a few of your concerns herself (via her website and the miracle of cut and paste)
She states: That The Great Kapok Tree was written so that children would know about the threat to the world’s rain forests and, hopefully, try to save them.
But she is concerned that in traveling around the country and speaking at schools and conferences, that often teaching about the rain forest precludes hands-on teaching about living breathing ecosystems with actual forays out into the real world of nature.
Children can help save land in their own communities.. The most important thing teachers can do is to bring children outside, introduce them to the wonders of nature and help to connect them to the natural world.
Lynne Cherry does introduce the concept of Teaching Citizenship and Participation in our Democratic System through letter writing by children. Kids helped to save the Belt Woods, inspired by Flute's Journey. She is asking kids to write now concerning Bimini in the Bahamas inspiration via another of her excellent books,The Sea, The Storm and the Mangrove Tangle.
(scroll down and click on Caribbean for more info)
Charles Osgood's article states: She spent her childhood in the woods of Pennsylvania, watching, observing, drawing and writing stories. The author says can't remember a time when she wasn't doing all of these things. Cherry says her years of observation and discovery have given her a good grasp of science.
Sounds very CM to me!
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MacBeth
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marihalojen wrote:
Children can help save land in their own communities.. The most important thing teachers can do is to bring children outside, introduce them to the wonders of nature and help to connect them to the natural world.
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This is so true. The problem with the rain-forest curriculum as taught in the schools is that the world right outside is lost. As a professional naturallist, I could tell you stories for hours...maybe days...  .
My favorite story, though, is the school who decided to build a rain-forest out of recycled Styrofoam. Here's the kicker--they did not have enough recycled foam for the whole school to be involved, so they had to go out and buy more. I kid you not. and they were so proud, showing me the rather horribly glued mass of painted polymers... . Then I took the classes outside for a real lesson in environmental science.
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lapazfarm
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There seems to be a realization lately amongst environmental educators thet in order for children to understand issues like decimated rain forests and whale populations they must first have certain things in place.
1. An intimate knowledge of their own local environment-getting outside to see nature (a sense of "place").
2. This knowledge and intimacy leads to caring. Part of human nature is that we care more about what is familiar to us.
So in the early years it is appropriate to simply build intimacy with nature. We start with what is familiar and as the child ages we take in increasingly larger areas, expanding their circle of familiarity.
Dawn, as for the book: I would probably approach it as the animals trying to convince the man not to destroy their home. We wouldn't like for our homes to be destroyed, so we can understand how animals would want their homes left intact also. Simple as that. I would answer any questions only as they arose, at their level.
I think we need to be careful with global environmental issues with young children because they can be so empathetic and yet are so powerless to do anything about them. Better to stick to little problems that they can solve-recycling to lessen waste, turning off lights to reduce fuel consumtion, reducing water waste by turning off the faucet when brushing teeth. Composting. Planting tees on arbor day (or St. Francis day.)Feeding birds.
Let them have a sense of accomplishment about doing good things for God's creation rather than feeling such a sense of guilt over something which they cannot really control. As they get older you can introduce some of these themes, but not for the very young.
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Dawnie
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Thank you, Jennifer, MacBeth, and Theresa...your insight and suggestions are VERY helpful to me.
I'm glad that you brought up the importance of getting OUTSIDE and doing nature study. Of course, someone who is familiar with and loves nature is going to be more likely to be a good steward of it.
I've been trying to make our weekly nature walks a priority...last week, we noticed some birds at a local park which we thought might be swans...I drew a quick picture of them, and we found a picture of them on the Internet when we got home...they were mute swans! The kids were SO excited, since we read Trumpet of the Swan last year. Kinda off topic, but it was so exciting for all of us...
Dawn
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Kelly
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MacBeth,
I love your story about the styrofoam rain forest. Honestly! What next? It's like the Environmental Club here at the local public school that dutifully came around our neighborhood selling foil Christmas wrap and plastic cups full of plastic-wrapped candies... Big sigh.
Kelly in FL
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dizzylaurel
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Hi Dawn,
SO many good posts here....I wanted to add our family contribution as we love GREAT KAPOK TREE. My daughter and I did a unit on South America last year (she was 2nd grade) and used the book due to the gorgeous illustrations. We kept things pretty basic about the destruction of the rain forests, and tried to make the connection between rain forests and the general stewardship theme that's been discussed.
The discussions have gone from the rain forests to the seal/whale hunts, to the elephant poachers for ivory, etc....there have ALWAYS been those who endangered various habitats. However, we THEN focus on how some people use their God given gifts and talents to SAVE various environments....whether it be helping to bring back the peregrine falcon, or developing zoos that provide such a "natural" habitat that the animals can thrive without predators, or countless other examples.
It seems like SO much of environmental talk today is against what humans have done, but very little focus is given to what others are doing to make the world a better place. THE GREAT KAPOK TREE has that ending.
Thanks to all for so many great posts!
Hugs,
Laurel in PA
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stacykay
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I am piping in late here.
Have you started reading the Great Kapok Tree? I would like suggestions, as I am planning an "environment" and "natural resources" type of unit study for next year.
I started thinking about all of this with the increase in gas prices.
I thought we could take a look at the natural resources we use for energy, or that help the environment that we are using for other things (like the rainforests.)
We are going to be studying the Americas next year (this year we are in Europe,) so I thought environment and rainforests would be a good lead-in.
Any suggestions of books for either the environment or South America would be greatly appreciated! I only had a few books written down, one of which is "The Lorax."
Thanks!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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ShawnaB
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This is a great discussion! Great job all of you thoughtful and wise ladies!
Last year with covered S. America and used The Great Kapok Tree as well. However, I liked the title This Place is Weteven more. In fact, all the books in this series are great...we used "This Place is High" when we studied Peru and the Andes Mnts. There is great depth to the information presented, the human element is there as the reader is encouraged to "imagine living here", and the environmental issues, while obvious based on the facts, do not carry a judgmental tone. We also found a variety of beautiful non-fiction books at the library specifically about Amazonian animals to augement our unit. Hope that helps!
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Dawnie
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Stacy,
I posted a list of read-alouds for the South America unit, including books on the rain forest, here.
There is another book by Lynne Cherry (author of The Great Kapok Tree) called The Shaman's Apprentice that is also set in the Amazon rain forest. I haven't checked it out from the library, but the summary I saw says it is about how native peoples used rain forest plants for medicine.
Dawn
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momwise
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1914
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| Posted: Oct 08 2006 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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Dawnie wrote:
| It makes it look like humans are breeding like flies while the poor chimpanzees are facing extinction...this video was produced by an organization called "Zero Population Growth." |
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Dawn,
Sorry to come in so late; you've already received some great responses. The problem is not just that many in the green movement are rabidly anti-population (and therefore anti-Catholic), but that they have all the money and most of the NGOs that write international population policy (ironically the Muslim nations have been very strong in countering this threat alongside the Vatican!).
Take one of the most infamous abortionists in the country, Warren Hern, who lives here in Boulder is a tireless advocate for the preservation of certain trails in the Rocky Mountains (so far so good). But he wants to be able to use them without the added irritant of other people around. Especially the 2nd and 3rd trimester babies he kills.
Population Research Institute is a great source of information for refuting the illusion of the Population Explosion (that was predicted more than 30 years ago to destroy the earth by now). Director Steven Mosher was one of the first Westerners to document and prove that China's forced abortion program.
I love Angie's suggestion about the big and little t. I like to useCatholic Relief Services and Serrv to reinforce how people can work with respect for the natural world and still sustain their families; for instance Serrv sells Brazil Nuts that are harvested in areas where the trees are being used to help people instead of being torn down for developers.
__________________
Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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