"That first night, Jane lay awake listening to new sounds- the croak of a frog, the hum of crickets, the laugh og a hyena, the hoot of an owl- and looking up at the stars. She knew she was home."
The watcher:
Jane Goodall's life with the chimps
By Jeannette Winter
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011
Biography, environmental protection, adventure, sacrifice, dedication
Awards:
- A Best Book of the Year by Boston Globe, and the Bank Street College of Education.
- Booklist 2011 Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, Nonfiction, Middler Readers
- 2011 Top 10 Books for Youth, Biographies
- Booklist Top 10 Books for Youth, Science & Health
- Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2011
- Booklist Lasting Connections of 2012, Science
- Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2012
- ALA Notable Children 's Book 2012, Middle
- Booklist Top 10 Books for Youth 2012, Environment
Summary: Acclaimed picture book biographer Jeanette Winter has found her perfect subject: Jane Goodall, the great observer of chimpanzees. Follow Jane from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania, invited by brilliant scientist Louis Leakey to observe chimps, to her worldwide crusade to save these primates who are now in danger of extinction, and their habitat. Young animal lovers and Winter's many fans will welcome this fascinating and moving portrait of an extraordinary person and the animals to whom she has dedicated her life. - Amazon.com
Reading Level: Lexile Framework AD820, Grade 3.2
Suggested Delivery: Read aloud
Description: Biography, environmental protection
Key Vocabulary: observe, dwelling, malaria, swagger, poachers, extinct, deforestation
Teaching Suggestions:
- This read-aloud would be an easy tie-in to a science lesson on observation. Students could keep an observation journal about the world around them, perhaps by observing animals in the classroom. Students could even observe other students who are at recess (not during their recess of course, but during another classroom's block).
- After watching Jane Goodall's address to children (see below), students could decide as a class on an activity to do as a class to help the environment.
- Going along with the idea of having students helping the environment, students could write persuasive letters to the principal to incorporate one of these ideas school wide.
Comprehension Strategies
Pre-Reading- Before reading, students should be introduced to the science process standard, observation. The vocabulary word could be discussed as a class in a KWL chart.
During Reading- Jane discovered a lot of information about chimps that no one would have known if they had not taken the time to observe. To help students understand this, pause at certain intervals in the story when Jane discovers something, and discuss the fact that the way she found these things out was by observing the animals. For example, it says that "she watched David Greybeard [the chimp] eat meat. Before this, everybody thought chimps only ate plants."
Post-Reading- As a class, students could research the other aspects about Jane Goodall that were not talked about in the read-aloud. For example, Jane's husband, son, mother, and her work saving the chimps from extinction are discussed in the end note as important to Jane's life. Assign groups topics to research, along with some websites that they can look the information up on. See below for an example.
Writing Activity: Whether or not students are keeping observation journals, they could also write a descriptive paragraph about the world around them. Students could focus on the senses, and on details that they usually do not notice. For example, students could watch a pet eat dinner, or watch their sister get ready for work, etc.
Electronic Resources:
Jane Goodall's Message to Children
Jane Goodall focuses a lot of her efforts in educating children on their importance to the world. This YouTube video is of Jane Goodall speaking directly to children about their importance, as well as explaining to them their role in helping the environment and animals. Students would be inspired to watch this video, its not every day that they are addressed by a celebrity.
The Jane Goodall Institute
At the end of the book, the author suggests going to this website, Jane's kid-friendly website that contains a biography, facts, and current events going on in Jane's life and work. As of today, the website is under construction, but the group also has a Facebook page with daily updates that can be accessed.
Other resources include:
Jane Goodall's Message to Children
Jane Goodall focuses a lot of her efforts in educating children on their importance to the world. This YouTube video is of Jane Goodall speaking directly to children about their importance, as well as explaining to them their role in helping the environment and animals. Students would be inspired to watch this video, its not every day that they are addressed by a celebrity.
The Jane Goodall Institute
At the end of the book, the author suggests going to this website, Jane's kid-friendly website that contains a biography, facts, and current events going on in Jane's life and work. As of today, the website is under construction, but the group also has a Facebook page with daily updates that can be accessed.
Other resources include:
Winter, J. (2011). The watcher: Jane Goodall's life with the chimps. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.
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