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The Dancing Trees

Elementary

Description

Thomas obviously disregards what his Elders have taught him as he tosses litter and brags about his expertise on the land.  Annoyed by his tales, Thomas is challenged by his friends to spend a night alone in the forest.  He heads into the woods tearing bark, breaking branches and dropping food wrappers to mark his path, not knowing that overnight the angry trees will sway and move so that when he wakes, he is lost.  As he forages for berries Thomas realizes that the Elders were wise and he cleans up his mess, only to discover the next morning that the trees have allowed him to return home with a changed attitude.  This beautifully illustrated story written by an Inuit/Dene author provides an important lesson about respecting Mother Earth and taking care of our planet so it can take care of us.

General Assessment

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This book supports Grade K-4 Indigenous Studies and Social Studies lessons that are exploring the concept of Mother Earth from the perspective of living lightly on the land and environmental stewardship.  The story also explores themes of family traditions and the cultural signifcance of nature to First Nations communities in Canada.  Students will learn how litter can harm our environment and why we must treat our planet respectfully.

This story would make an excellent introduction to an Earth Day clean up activity in which students pick up garbage around the school grounds or a local natural area.  A class could use this activity to also promote respectful interactions with our environment by creating an art piece from the litter to create a school display about the “leave no trace” principle for spending time outdoors.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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Themes Addressed

Ecosystems (1)

  • Appreciating the Natural World

Indigenous Knowledge (2)

  • Rituals, Spirituality and Worldviews
  • TEK -- Traditional Ecological Knowledge

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