The Lorax at AwesomeStories

The Lorax is worried
He feels really blue;
He's looking for helpers
Could one be you?

In bright Madagascar
He sees Baobab Trees;
But the land growing forests
Is oft-swept to the sea.

In the land called Brazil
A great rain forest grows;
But where once stood tall trees
He sees sugar cane rows.

In the mountains of China
Where red pandas thrive;
He sees dams up the river...
Will the pandas survive?

In fair Indonesia
Where orangutans live;
People wanted the palm oil
Not the gifts their trees give.

In America forests
Used to fill-up the land;
But those trees were needed
To fulfill other plans.

The Lorax's still worried
But he's no longer blue;
He went searching for helpers
He's just thrilled he found you!

In this real-world story about The Lorax:

• Meet real versions of Ted Wiggins (Dr. Seuss’ fictional character who searches for a living tree);

• Catch-up with industries like Once-ler's production business (Dr. Seuss’ fictional entrepreneur whose efforts eventually eliminate all the Truffula Trees);

• See places similar to Thneedville (Dr. Seuss’ fictional town) where living plants and trees are disappearing and polluted wastelands are taking their place;

• Examine how much of America was once-covered with virgin forests;

• Take a virtual tour of Madagascar (and view its legendary Tree of Life);

• Check-out the Atlantic Forest in Brazil and the Mountain Forests of Southwestern China;

• Discover the rainforests of Indonesia; and

• Figure-out what the Lorax means when he leaves behind this message:  “Unless.”

The Lorax, a much-loved story for elementary students, comes alive at AwesomeStories with real-world meaning. Depending on a teacher’s preference, students can:

• “See” the story unfolding before their eyes in class (then view it, with their parents, at home);

• “Hear” the story (via a provided dramatized narration);

• “Think about” the story (with essential questions, such as “What is the difference between wants and needs?”); and

• “Study” the story (with lots of pictures and videos).

Using an integrated approach—combining visual arts, science, social studies and language arts—students experience The Lorax in personalized-learning fashion with words and concepts suitable for a range of achievement levels. Students can then create their own stories, using the AwesomeStories’ archive of primary sources, to produce their own related stories to share with their class, their family and (if accepted for publication) … the whole online world!