General Information:

• The Tree Lady, H Joseph Hopkins, September 2013, Beach Lane Books.
• This book is about Kate Sessions, a woman with an incredible love of trees. The story starts out with her being a small girl, loving trees and being with nature. She grows up and goes to college and then moves to San Diego, where there are no trees. She then begins to plant trees in the park. Then many people start to help her and the city turns into a forest with many different trees. The story ends with saying that many people did not believe the city could be so green with trees, then stating that Kate did believe it could.
• I think this book could be integrated into a science core topic because of the biology references it has. The book tells the story of one woman changing the environment for the better, gaining help along the way from others who wish to make changes.
• The Tree Lady
• “Millions of trees and plants filled Balboa Park…The fairgoers couldn’t believe San Diego had such magnificent gardens.”

Core Integration:

• In a science or biology class this book could be easily integrated. A healthy environment can mean many things, including making the school a safe place (free of bullies) and making the place you live in a safe and healthy place. By reading this book about planting trees, students would learn that trees are one of the most important parts of the ecosystem. Talking about how trees affect the ecosystem would be the science part of the discussion. Continuing on with the topic, talking about how and why it is important for humans to have trees would be the health part of the discussion.
• As a follow up assignment, students would get seeds and pots and everyone would get a chance to plant their own trees. Helping to create a more healthy environment.

Standards:

• Science Standards
  • Plan different kinds of investigations, including field studies, systematic observations, models, and controlled experiments.
  • Earth materials are formed by various natural processes and can be used in different ways.
  • Plants and animals have different structures that meet their needs and respond to the environment.
  • WA Science Standards
• NHES 8: Advocacy: Students will demonstrate  the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
  • MEH8.5.1: Demonstrate how to persuade others to make positive mental and emotional health choices.
• NHES 6: Goal Setting: Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
  • S6.5.3 Identify resources that can help achieve a goal to improve or maintain positive mental and emotional health.