Readers Response Blog: Quest For The Tree Kangaroo

Quest for the Tree Kangaroo 

PART ONE:  

Montgomery, S. (2006). The quest for the tree kangaroo: An expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea. Photographs by N. Bishop. Houghton Mifflin Company. 

The genre of this book is Nonfiction/Informational Text, and is suggested for ages 9-14, grades 4th-8th.  

PART TWO: 

I was pleasantly surprised at how much i enjoyed this book. I really liked how the author’s writing blends scientific facts with storytelling, making the information feel alive and exciting. She has an immense respect for animals and the environment, she brings readers into an adventure by describing the sights, sounds, and even the emotions of the scientists. The images provide a strong visual component that enables readers to fully appreciate the animals and landscape. This book really opened my eyes to the importance of conservation and how many species are endangered due to human activity. I really appreciated how the author went there and formed partnerships with the native population showing respect and even helping them by bringing them supplies.  

PART THREE:  

Although there isn't a standard literary plot, there is a strong feeling of adventure and discovery that keeps readers interested and hooked. The setting in this book is the beautiful cloud forest of Papua New Guinea. I did, however, wish there was more background on the cultural and social setting of the local communities. The style of this book is informative but interesting as the author uses engaging language that blends scientific explanation with storytelling. The book is written from a third-person observational point of view but closely follows the experiences of the main scientist and her team. While this book focused on researchers, it might have benefited from a wider range of perspectives, especially from the locals. 

PART FOUR:  

Lesson Objective: After reading The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo, students will explain the importance of conservation by participating in discussion and completing a graphic organizer and a written summary with at least three details from the text. 

Discussion Questions:  

1. What surprised you most about tree kangaroos or the cloud forest habitat? 

2. What are some difficulties the scientists faced while researching the tree kangaroo, and how did they overcome them? 

3. What qualities or skills do you think are important for scientists working in the field? 

Standard based lesson activity: Create a Field Research Poster 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1 – Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly. 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2 – Write informative texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly. 

Students will work in pairs using information from the book, they will create a “field research” poster that includes the following: a profile of the tree kangaroo (habitat, diet, behavior), why the species is endangered, what scientists are doing to help, what we can do to help in our own communities. Students will then include illustrations, maps, and quotes from the book and present their poster to the class. To conclude this activity students will write a one-page reflection of what they learned about being a scientist. 

Resources: 

1. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ 

2. https://www.zoonewengland.org/protect/what-you-can-do/ 

3. https://school.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=5589#Resources 

Readers Response Blog: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 

PART ONE:  

Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower. Pocket Books. 

The genre for this novel is Contemporary Realistic Fiction and is commonly used in high school English classes to explore themes of identity, adolescence, trauma, friendship, and personal growth.  

PART TWO: 

This book raises important issues about mental health, trauma, and identity. It shows how important it is to talk about feelings, seek help, and have a support system available. It also touched on topics of abuse and sexuality, which can prompt necessary conversations in young adults. This novel has also been controversial, due to its mature content, some schools require parental permission before assigning it. My first thought as I was reading was, i could not imagine reading this when I was in high school. I personally think it would have been a bit much for me at that time of my life. However, reading now as an adult, I can say I enjoyed it as it made me realize how much young adults can go through without having the right support of people around them.  

PART THREE:  

The plot in this novel is emotionally compelling and focuses on Charlie’s personal growth as he navigates high school, relationships, trauma, and mental health. It seems genuine and relevant because it strikes a balance between the everyday experiences of adolescence and more profound psychological and emotional themes. The suburban high school setting in the early 1990s feels real and rooted in teen culture, especially through music, books, and the way people interact with each other. The themes in this novel include mental health, trauma, identity, friendship, love, and self-acceptance and they are all handled with compassion. The writing of this novel is Epistolary style. The letters from Charlie create intimacy, giving readers direct access to his voice, vulnerability, and perspective. The point of view is only Charlie’s, and his perspective is sincere and often poetic, which builds strong emotional connection. 

PART FOUR: 

Lesson Objective: After reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, students will analyze the novel’s themes of identity and mental health by participating in a class discussion and writing a one-page reflection that connects the novel’s themes to personal or societal experiences, with at least one direct reference to the text. 

Discussion Questions:  

1. What are some signs of mental health struggles in the novel? 

2.  How is mental health addressed or left unaddressed, and what can this teach us about stigma and support systems?" 

3. When Charlie said “'We accept the love we think we deserve”, what do you think he meant?  

Standard-based lesson activity: Collage of Literary Reflection and Social Connections 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 – Determine a theme or central idea and analyze its development. 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9 – Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis. 

Students work in small groups to identify key scenes in the novel that https://www.betterup.com/blog/identity-crisis Each group will create a physical collage using quotes from the book, original artwork or symbolism, and outside sources like articles, poetry, photos, or song lyrics that reflect similar themes. Students will then present their collage and explain how it connects to the novel and real-world issues. Each student will write a short personal or analytical reflection in connection with the text.  

Resources: 

1. https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/subjects/health-and-physical-education/personal-mental-and-emotional-health/?rank_by=recency 

2. https://school.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=5339 

3. https://www.betterup.com/blog/identity-crisis