A+River+Ran+Wild+Reinforcing+Activity+2

// Classroom set of Project Citizen books // // Classroom sets of graphic organizers // // Posters, rulers, crayons, construction papers, etc. for posters and signs // ||
 * **Materials:** || // Classroom set of A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry //
 * **Objectives:** || * Identify the impact that pollution had on the people and places along the Nashua River;
 * Describe public policy and how it can be used to solve community problems; and
 * Compare and contrast the sequence of events in the story with the steps involved in completing //Project Citizen//. ||
 * ** Procedures: **

//Exploration/ Introduction://

//Development://

//Expansion:// || ** Before the Lesson ** : 1. Develop a list of words from //A River Ran Wild// for word study and word wall (quench, pulp, grist, Industrial Revolution, etc.) 2. Choose and prepare some additional activities to do after reading the book. • Conduct an author/illustrator study of Lynne Cherry. • Working in pairs, ask students to complete a Sequencing Graphic Organizer for //A River Ran Wild.// • Workings in teams of three or four, have students complete a Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer. • Conduct a class discussion on what is and what is not public policy. • Using the Library Media Center or a computer, have students conduct research on the Nashua River, the Nashua River Watershed Association, and the Clean Water Act. • Present a lesson on persuasive letter writing. • Students write letters to the paper mills explaining why they should stop dumping waste into the Nashua River. • Students create posters and signs protesting pollution of the Nashua River 1. Review the vocabulary you selected for your class. 2. Conduct a shared reading of //A River Ran Wild//. (Be sure to read the Author’s Notes.) 3. Discussion questions • What would daily life be like along the Nashua River if concerned citizens had not taken action to clean up the river? • How did the Native Americans treat the land and the Nashua River? • What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on the Nashua River? • Who were Marion Stoddard and Oweana and why are they important to the Nashua River? • What role did citizens participation play in the history of the Nashua River? 4. Working as whole group and teams, have the class conduct a mini Project Citizen based on the problems, events, and community activities in //A River Ran Wild//. (Use the //Project Citizen// book as a guide through the process.) • Identify the problem and write a problem statement. • Identify any existing policies that were in place to deal with the problem. • Did the citizens in the book propose a specific public policy to deal with the problem? • Identify the steps taken by the citizens to influence government. What was their action plan? || Sample research rubric for middle school students [] Student reflection on the lesson and activities using pages 53–55 in the //Project Citizen// book. ||
 * Lesson Procedures ** :
 * **-Assessment:** || Sample persuasive letter writing rubric []