Honoring the Natural Environment as Home

Before you begin, please make printed copies of the poem “eco-hood” by Melania Luisa Marte for each student. These copies will be used in conjunction with the ”eco-hood” Connection Questions handout provided in Activity 2, Day 1 of the lesson. The poem and handout are essential to facilitate students’ engagement with the text and to guide them in making meaningful connections and reflections during the lesson.

The story “A Kingdom Bright and Burning” portrays the adoption journey of a young-adult protagonist. Other characters in the story explain that the boy had been abused by his biological father and does not speak as a result of the trauma. The abuse is not described or portrayed directly in the text, although the protagonist’s trauma response is central to the story. The protagonist’s adoptive parents show him unconditional love and care, and the story has a warm and positive conclusion. We recommend that you read the story in full before assigning it to students in order to determine whether the text is appropriate for your class and/or whether any individual students might need additional support or an alternative assignment.

• Explain to students that today they will reflect on and deepen their understanding of “home” by revisiting their initial working definitions in their journals and integrating insights from recent lessons.
   
• Provide a brief reminder of the content explored in the past few lessons. Reiterate that by interacting with a variety of texts—a TED Talk, image analysis, a research report, and three poems—students have been invited to consider various concepts of “home” and belonging.
   
• Direct students to retrieve their journals and locate the two-pager entry from the first day of the unit, where they recorded their working definition of “home.”
   
• Once students have their initial definitions in front of them, instruct them to use the same journal entry to add new elements to their two-pager. 
   
• Student Prompt: Use the right-hand side of the journal page with your initial definition of “home” (your “two-pager”) to demonstrate new thoughts and understanding. These additions could include:
  • Quotes: Key phrases from the content and texts that resonated with you.
  • Thoughts: Personal reflections or changed perspectives based on your learning.
  • Questions: Emerging inquiries that challenge your previous understanding.
  • Ideas: New insights or concepts about “home” that you want to explore further.
  • Symbols and images: Illustrations that demonstrate new, complex, or abstract ideas.
  • On the left-hand side, feel free to add to or revise your initial definition as your thinking and understanding develops. 
     
• Allow time for students to read through their texts and notes from previous lessons and thoughtfully integrate new insights into their two-pager.
   
• Explain that later in the text set (Lesson 6), there will be time to share and discuss their evolved definitions of “home” in collaborative groups.

• Explain to students that they will be reading and analyzing the poem “eco-hood” by Melania Luisa Marte to explore its thematic depth and the poet’s perspective on environmentalism and identity.
   
• Before exploring the poem, let students know that it was featured in The Slowdown, a poetry podcast hosted by Major Jackson (Episode 1005). Play the two-minute introduction (00:00–02:04): ”eco-hood” with Introduction by Major Jackson. Allow students to listen to this part of the episode without any specific task, encouraging them to simply take in the content. 
   
• Distribute the copies you made of the poem with the ”eco-hood” Connection Questions handout so that each student has access to their own copy.
   
• Play the rest of the audio (02:06–05:05), which contains the poem itself, twice. While they listen, students may also read the poem silently on their handout in order to become more familiar with its language and themes.
   
• After listening, ask students to complete the first part of the ”eco-hood” Connection Questions handout by marking any areas they find interesting, thought-provoking, or challenging.
   
• Have students form small groups of three or four. Instruct them to share their journal insights and begin to discuss the connection questions from their handouts. As they engage, circulate to gauge their interpretations and thought processes.
  • Reread the title. In a general sense, “eco” refers to nature or the environment, and “hood” typically refers to an urban neighborhood. How does this title reflect the message of the poem?
  • Review the poem. Circle words and phrases that help you answer the question: How does the speaker feel about their neighborhood? How do you know?
  • Count the number of times “i learned” appears in the poem. How does this repetition shape the poem’s message?
  • Note juxtaposition. Circle any words or phrases that are not typically associated with the concept of “environmentalism.” What effect do these examples have on your own understanding of environmentalism? 
  • Examine the final two lines of the poem. What do they imply about the speaker’s ultimate conclusion or realization?
     
• Come back together as a whole class. Highlight a few students’ or groups’ conversations, inviting them to share their analyses or questions that arose during discussion. Use the board to note insights or questions, connecting them back to the poem when appropriate.

• Explain to students that they will continue to explore themes related to place, belonging, and environmentalism through a different lens by reading and annotating an excerpt from a nonfiction text and making connections with the poem “eco-hood.”
   
• Introduce the title of the chapter and book: “An Offering” from Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults. Explain that the author, Robin Wall Kimmerer, is a botanist and a registered member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation who has contributed to the field of ecology through the application of scientific knowledge and Indigenous wisdom. Also explain that the themes explored in this chapter are similar to those in the poem “eco-hood,” although the author and genre are different.
   
• Explain that the objective for the remainder of class is to engage with the text through reading and annotation.
   
• Provide each student with a copy of “An Offering” and the accompanying ”An Offering” Connection Questions handout. Be sure to set the expectation that students will need to complete their annotations and questions outside of class.
   
• Explain the “challenge by choice” reading stations around the room, each offering a different approach to engaging with the text:
  • Station 1: Silent Reading—For those preferring to read and annotate independently in a quiet space.
  • Station 2: Teacher-Led Reading—The instructor will read aloud, potentially modeling how to annotate for students seeking guidance.
  • Station 3: Reading in Pairs or Small Groups—Students can read and discuss the text in quieter voices, sharing insights and annotations.
  • Station 4: Audiobook Listening—Students can listen to the text via headphones, with the option to annotate during or after listening. This station requires access to devices capable of playing audiobooks.
     
• Direct students to complete the pre-reading discussion prompt with the other students at their station. They should also be advised to use the annotation guide on the handout while they read at their stations.

• Inform students that their understanding of “An Offering” by Robin Wall Kimmerer will be deepened by responding to a set of connection questions in this handout, ”An Offering” Connection Questions. Emphasize the importance of completing the handout before the next class, as it will form the basis for a whole-class discussion. 

After reading the chapter “An Offering” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, complete all the connection questions in preparation for discussion during the next class.

• Let students know that today they will prepare for a whole-class discussion by first setting personal engagement goals.
   
• Further explain that today’s lesson will focus on a class discussion about the readings “An Offering” and “eco-hood” and the related connection questions from the previous class.
   
• Invite students to reflect in their journals on their past discussion experiences and set personal goals for their participation today. Provide student prompts on the board to guide this reflection or leave it open-ended, depending on how familiar this type of reflection is for your students.
   
  • Student Prompts:
    • On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 representing the highest level, how confident do you feel about your past participation in classroom discussions?
    • Imagine the most ideal discussion. What does it look, sound, and feel like?
    • When the discussion is over, what do you hope you will have accomplished? 
    • Set two personal goals for today’s discussion. 
      • Example goals: 1) I will ask at least one question. 2) I will make space for silence so that others can speak. 3) I will listen carefully to those speaking. 4) I will reference peers by their names when building on their comments or ideas. 5) I will speak so that others can hear me.
         
• For those who have not completed the readings or the connection questions, allocate this time for catching up as much as possible so that they may contribute to the upcoming discussion.

• Ask students to retrieve their completed ”An Offering” Connection Questions handout from the last class.
   
• Organize students into groups of three or four to discuss their answers, encouraging them to reference “An Offering” and “eco-hood” as needed. Let students know that this is an important step that allows them to deepen their understanding through peer interaction and prepare for the whole-class discussion before it begins.
   
• As students engage in group discussions, circulate to facilitate conversations, provide clarifications, and note potential topics or questions that could enrich the whole-class discussion.

• After the small-group activity, transition to the whole-class discussion. Begin by revisiting the classroom contract and any other discussion protocols to ensure a respectful and constructive conversation. If previous discussions have been challenging, consider introducing or revisiting the Keep the Conversation Alive! resource or similar guidelines to support productive dialogue.
   
• To begin, use these example questions to kickstart the discussion. If students are ready, gradually let them take the lead, stepping in only to guide or refocus the conversation as needed.
   
• Example questions:
   
  • What types of connections did you make between the two readings?
  • Was there one reading that you preferred over the other? Explain.
  • How did the texts provide new insights about the relationship between the environment and the concept of home?
  • How do these texts help us reimagine home? 
  • How do these texts demonstrate that we can create a sense of belonging in nature?
     
• After the discussion, take some time to debrief. Give students a few minutes to individually reflect in their journals. Ask them to consider the following questions:
   
• Student Prompts:
  • How do you feel about your participation in today’s discussion?
  • In what ways did you achieve or not achieve the personal goals you set for yourself in Activity 1?
  • What is one key insight or lesson you’re taking away from the discussion?

See the Homework section below for details.

Assign the reading “A Kingdom Bright and Burning” by Dave Connis from Welcome Home instructing students to annotate the text. There is an annotation guide for suggested use on the first page of the reading, which focuses on identifying themes, character development, and narrative techniques. Let students know that their annotations and insights will be central to the next class discussion.

The purpose of this activity is to collaboratively design a classroom ceremony that promotes a sense of belonging, respecting the diverse cultures and values within the class.

• Before you begin this activity, take a moment to review your classroom contract. This step reinforces classroom norms around engaging with one another respectfully and constructively, while also establishing the classroom as a brave space for students to express thoughts and ideas freely. It may also be important to discuss the concept of cultural appropriation with your students to ensure that the ceremony does not inappropriately adopt the customs or traditions of others.
   
• Introduce the following prompt for designing a ceremony that fosters belonging. 
   
• Imagine creating a ceremony that fosters a sense of belonging for everyone in this class.
  • Envision this ceremony: What would it look like? What sounds or music might be included? What emotions or feelings would it evoke?
  • How can this ceremony respect and honor the diverse cultures, values, and identities present in our classroom?

• Keep the prompt on the board or screen and share the expectations and criteria for the ceremony:
  • Clarify that the frequency of the ceremony determines its length. Daily ceremonies should last one or two minutes, while weekly ones can extend to from three to five minutes.
  • Participation should be universally accessible and voluntary.
  • Avoid surprise elements to ensure comfort and predictability.
  • The primary aim is to enhance feelings of belonging.
     
• Arrange students into groups of three or four for brainstorming. Display the project prompt and criteria. Allow groups to brainstorm ideas that align with the outlined criteria. While students work, circulate to ensure collaboration and check for understanding. 
   
• When the brainstorm is complete, students will share their ideas with the whole class. To do this effectively, have each group come up with a title for their proposed ceremony and write it on the board. Then invite one representative from each group to briefly explain their ceremony, demonstrating its alignment with the criteria.
   
• Review all proposals, modifying or excluding ideas as necessary, to decide on the final selections for voting. Prepare for the voting process by ensuring that the final ceremony options meet the established criteria and are clearly understood by all students.
   
• Then democratically select the classroom’s ceremony by providing each student with a quarter or half-sheet of paper for voting.
  • Display the final ceremony titles on the board.
  • Instruct students to vote for their top two preferences.
     
• After tallying the votes, project the title and procedure of the routine or ceremony on your screen. Be sure to ask students to voice any questions and/or concerns they have about the activity. Although all students should feel welcome and be encouraged to participate, students should also understand that they have the choice to opt out.
   
• If possible, before the end of this activity, inform students when and how the ceremony will take place.