Integrated Unit - Background

For the next several weeks, our class is working on integrated units. My team of four is developing an integrated unit on Deforestation for eighth grade students. We chose deforestation because it is one of the top twenty global problems that we need to solve in the next twenty years, according to Jean Francois Rischard. Deforestation is also an important problem for us to solve because trees are very important to our way of life, providing not only breathable air, but food, lumber for building, as well as aesthetic beauty. I am looking at deforestation through the lens of Language Arts. Our unit will specifically deal with deforestation in the Western Hemisphere. In the Language Arts portion of this unit, the class will explore different solutions to the problem as well as the problem itself through literature and research and will ultimately purpose a solution and justify why their solution is the one to use.
In Language Arts, we will use poetry, folktales, and current events to explore deforestation and its effects on people and the environment. I am also developing a research project based on Dr. Seuss's The Lorax since it deals specifically with deforestation and the role we play in protecting and harming our environment. Through this text, my class would complete a research project based on the characters in the book that would enable them to learn more about the effects that deforestation has on all life and develop a solution of their own.