
By: Loree Griffin Burns
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007
Reading Level: 8.5 (Accelerated Reader)
Read Aloud
Book Description: Non-Fiction, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
A dead seabird found with a stomach full of plastic scraps. A plastic laundry basket found resting in a coral reef. These are just two examples of how the trash we dispose of may not end up where it was meant to go. In Tracking Trash, follow Dr. Curt Ebbesmeyer as he attempts to track the movement of trash across the world's oceans and determine its impact on the natural world. Author Loree Griffin Burns tells the story of how one man's research project caught the world's attention.
*Teacher Resources for Tracking Trash
Supporting Electronic Resources:
YouTube
This YouTube is a trailer for Tracking Trash and offers a brief introduction to the book. Use this before reading to set the stage for the book.
Beach Combers
Explore Dr. Ebbesmeyer's website and read his newsletter. Take a deeper look at some of his research projects and learn more about pollution and waste.
Loree Burns
Loree Burns' website offers a list of related books and hands-on activities to supplement Tracking Trash. She has also posted pictures of the various research trips she took while writing Tracking Trash.
Vocabulary:
beachcomber, convergence zone, downwelling, flotsam, gyre, jetsam, meridian, nurdles, windage
Teaching Suggestions:
-Have students practice working with an index to find specific content in the book.
-Demonstrate how to use a glossary to define unfamiliar terms.
-Use the introduction page to each chapter as an opportunity to set the stage for reading. Introduce the topic, check for prior knowledge, etc.
Comprehension Strategies:
Before Reading-Use a KWL chart to see what students know about the destination of their trash, how it gets there, etc. Also, determine what they would like to know.
After Reading- Create chapter summaries that highlight the key information from each chapter. Also, use these summaries to answer any questions on the KWL chart.
Writing Prompt:
Have students create news articles that inform others of Dr. Ebbesmeyer's trash tracking research projects.