The Lorax

"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better. It's not!"
​The children really enjoyed this story and followed it quite well.
The Lorax tells the tale of the Once-ler who discovers new land that is beautiful and fertile. He builds a beautiful house and cuts down one Truffula tree to make a Thneed (an article of clothing that can be used as anything). He promises the Lorax that it will only be one tree but after successfully selling the Thneed he calls his family and they begin to mass produce Thneeds.
There are grave repercussions! All the native creatures are now unable to survive because there are not many trees left and the Thneed factory is polluting the air and water!  The Lorax speaks for the trees!​ He pleads with the Once-ler to stop but the Once-ler doesn't care!  He is only concerned about "Biggering"!  Eventually ALL the Truffula trees are cut down and the Thneed factory closes. All that is left is a smog filled, barren land and a stone with the word UNLESS written on it. 
The Once-ler never understood why the Lorax wrote the word UNLESS on the stone before leaving. It is only after telling the story that the Once-ler understands that "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better. It's not!" With that realization the Once-ler gives the last Truffula seed to the little boy to whom he is telling the story and the reader is left with the hope that the land will thrive again!

​The children had so many things to say:
"The Once-ler doesn't have Jesus in him!"
"He is greedy and only thinking about money!"
"If he tried to sell me a Thneed I would NOT buy it!"
​"They have to plant more trees!"
"He loves money...he promised only one tree and then he cut all!"
"We need trees, they make clean air!"

I LOVE when children "get it"! I LOVE when they are engaged! I LOVE complex lessons that are simplified! I LOVE Dr. Seuss!

​We quickly moved to our Learning is Fun session followed by our Crafty Me session. Today we made the Lorax!

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