The Lorax

Written by Dr. Seuss
Published by Random House Inc., New York
ISBN 0-394-82337-0

About the Book

In The Lorax, Dr. Seuss introduces the "Once-ler" who cuts down the beautiful Truffula trees so that he can use their wonderful silk tufts to knit "thneeds". Thneed sales are so successful that the Once-ler builds a factory and invents the Super Axe Hacker that cuts down four trees at a time. The Lorax speaks up in defence of the trees, animals, air and water that the Once-ler is destroying in pursuit of bigger and bigger profits. Finally, when the last Truffula tree is cut down, production of the Thneeds ends. Closed factories, polluted air, polluted water and an uninhabitable wasteland are all that remain on the once beautiful site. The Lorax can no longer live here, but he leaves behind a small pile of rocks on which the word UNLESS is inscribed.

Pre-reading

The Lorax illustrates an ecosystem. Discuss the meaning of an ecosystem with the students and see if they can identify real life ecosystems that are or have been in danger.

This book also provides an opportunity to discuss pollution. The Theeds factory made the Lorax cough, whiff, sneeze, etc. Discuss with the students what pollution is and where it occurs and why.

Reading

Read the book to the students or have them read it independently.

Reviewing the Book

The teacher asks the students some/all of the following questions.

1. What happened to the "truffula trees"?
2. What happened to the "brown bar-ba-boots"?
3. What was made from the truffula trees?
4. Why do you think the Super-Axe Hacker was invented?
5. In your opinion, why did the Once-ler ignore the Lorax's warnings?
6. What do you think happened to the Lorax?

Book follow-up

Depending on the age and abilities of the students, there are numerous activities they could be engaged in as a follow up. Teachers may choose from any/all of the following.

Writing

1. How did the book make you feel? Explain your answer with examples form the story.
2. What do you think the Lorax's message "UNLESS" means?
3. Which of the main characters do you like the best? Justify/explain the thinking behind your answer with examples from the story.
4. Does the story as a whole create a certain mood or feeling? What is the mood or feeling? How is it created?
5. Write a diary for the Lorax recounting his dealings with the Once-ler.
6. If you were the Once-ler what would you have done differently to protect the environment?
7. How could the Once-ler have made "thneeds" without destroying the truffula trees?
8. What are some of the clues that make you think the Once-ler was naive? Use information from the story to support your answer.
9. Write a news article that informs the reader about an event from The Lorax.
10. Is bigger always better? Give examples for The Lorax to support your opinion.
11. The Lorax spoke for the trees "for the trees have no tongues". What would you choose to speak for and what would you say?
12. Why do you think the Once-ler involved his family in his new business?
13. The Once-ler's business failed. What happened to cause the failure of this business?
14. What do you think will happen to the seeds? Why?

Visual Arts

1. Design a WANTED poster for the "villain" of the story.
2. Draw a map of where the story happened.
3. Draw/paint you favourite part of the story.
4. Draw a series of 4 pictures to summarize the story.
5. Make a plasticine or clay model of the truffula trees and the Lorax as it would have been at the beginning of the story.
6. Draw a flow diagram to show how the Once-ler devastated the truffula trees.