By Katie Wilsker, M.Ed

As an educator, I am forever looking for the perfect attention-grabbing hook for my lesson. How do I enthrall my students, encourage them to ask questions, and evoke curiosity? 

The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest, (2021)(date) by Heather Lang, is a perfect example of one such hook. Written for independent readers in third through sixth grades, it is easily broken down for lower grades or built up for middle schoolers. The premise of the story follows the life and persistence of Meg Lowman, a plant biologist who defied the odds as a female scientist in a time when only men could be field biologists. Before most people found rainforests valuable for much beyond lumber, Lowman was passionate about learning how they function and the extensive value that can be derived from them. Over the decades she has uncovered a plethora of research in tree and arboreal herbivore behavior and even invented rainforest canopy bridges to further her research capabilities. A self-described “arbornaut,” she has become a vocal protector of rainforests, continuing to lead worldwide rainforest conservation efforts to this day. 

The Leaf Detective has something for everyone. In addition to the beautiful illustrations and leaf-shaped factoids scattered throughout its pages, it offers paths for engaging with students through both the story and its corresponding connections.  Do you want to cover career connections or women in STEM? No problem. If you’re looking for social-emotional learning, overcoming fears, handling introversion, pursuing your passions, speaking up for those who can’t speak up for themselves, a la The Lorax, you’ll find it here as well. Are you seeking to introduce scientific concepts like ecology, ecosystem services, conservation, rainforests’ impact on climate, or sustainability? It’s all here. 

As I read through this story, my mind bubbled over with ideas for lessons to accompany it. For example, students could add sticky note questions to a wonder wall as you read, setting the scene for future discussions and potential research projects. The story also brought to mind a variety of “Think Like a Scientist” activities: students can make leaf rubbings and compare qualities (which could also extend to a simple lesson in quantitative vs qualitative data or physical properties for older students) or they could observe campus trees and leaf litter to better understand the habitat and practice recording sensory data. This could even grow into a long term project like numbering leaves to see how long they stay on trees, just as Lowman did. The Leaf Detective could kick start a STEM engineering design challenge to figure out new ways to observe trees, using Lowman’s canopy rafts, walkways, or climbing apparatus as inspiration. The author also offers links to Lowman’s extensive conservation work via her website canopymeg.com and via her educational partner, the Jason Project, where you can slippery-slope into a world of curiosities.

For middle schoolers, perhaps a related lesson on biomimicry, having students ask “how does nature do x,y,z?” and develop products based on the abilities of trees (think photosynthetic backpack fabrics modeled after leaves to charge their cell phones, or water transport systems based on plant xylem that can supply an upstairs hydration station at school). This would also pair well with the engineering challenge. Additionally, this could be a great opportunity to introduce the concept of ecosystem services. You could have students listen to the story and write down all the ways trees are beneficial, then examine how trees are used in their own lives and how (and why!) we can protect rainforests. One outcome of such a discussion could lead to reducing paper waste in the classroom. Such a lesson could easily be extended to create school-wide campaign posters in support of trees (think “save the rainforest” campaign but with a focus on eco-tourism, medicine, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, sustainability, etc.). The Leaf Detective is a well-written, thought-provoking, and inspiring story, and the correlating lesson possibilities are endless! 

Look out for more classroom reading suggestions from the Environmental Literacy Committee over the coming months. It is our hope that these texts will be useful in your classrooms to address environmental concepts with students of every age and ability level.

About the Author
Katie Wilsker, MEd, of Wilsker Educational Consulting, is an educator and curriculum consultant. A 20 year veteran classroom teacher, she specializes in K-12 science and environmental education, hands-on, inquiry based curricula, citizen science, and professional development. She is also an active member of CASE’s Environmental Literacy Committee. 
 

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