Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and

Language Arts

Volume 40 Article 2
Issue 3 January/February 2000

2-1-2000

Children's literature and environmental issues: Heart over mind?

Rebecca Monhardt
Utah State University

Leigh Monhardt
Westminster College

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Monhardt, R., & Monhardt, L. (2000). Children's literature and environmental issues: Heart over mind?.
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 Children's literature and
environmental issues: Heart over mind?

Rebecca Monhardt
Utah State University

Leigh Monhardt
Westminster College

ABSTRACT

This article describes a project conducted by a classroom

teacher to examine the effects of children's literature on students'
existing attitudes and beliefs toward environmental issues. Using
There's an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George as an or-
ganizer, two sixth grade classes reexamined their existing beliefs
about endangered species. The purpose of using the book as part of
the instructional strategy was not to influence student beliefs and
attitudes one way or another, but to serve as a vehicle for getting
students to critically view the issue of animal's vs. people's rights.
The results from this classroom activity seem to suggest that stu-
dents rely more on their feelings than their knowledge of science
concepts in assessing the issue. This paper will outline instructional
procedures used in the unit, describe assessment procedures and
provide additional insight into using children's literature in science
classes.

Explosive growth in the power and availability of multimedia offers

enticing new opportunities for learning (McKenna, Reinking, Labbo, and
Kieffer, 1999; Topping and McKenna, 1999). Multimedia technology
combines speech, text, graphics, sound, video, animation, and special
effects to convey meaning. Computer disk read only memory (CD-
ROM) provides instant access to a diversity of multimedia materials that
176 READING HORIZONS, 2000, 4H (3)

may be used to facilitate language and literacy learning (Horney and An-
derson-Inman, 1999; MacArthur, 1999). For example, with the click of a
computer mouse, children can travel the Oregon trail, publish books,
meet undersea creatures, and take virtual tours through the animal king-
dom.
The use of children's literature in the teaching and learning of sci-
ence is a topic of interest to both science education researchers and class-
room teachers (Mayer, 1995; Cooter & Flynt, 1996; Neal & Moore,
1991; Royce and Wiley, 1996; Schallert & Roser, 1996; Vacca and
Vacca, 1996; Butzow, and Butzow, 1988). While some research studies
have shown that the integration of children's literature and science en-
hances literacy development, increases student understanding of difficult
scientific concepts and increases interest and participation in science
(Yore & Shymansky, 1991), other studies present a less positive view of
incorporating children's literature into science classes (Mayer, 1995;
Rosenblatt, 1991). From the points-of-view of many elementary teachers,
incorporating children's literature into a science program is seen as a
positive innovation, and understandably so. Many elementary teachers
may feel ill-prepared to teach science (Pratt, 1982) yet feel very compe-
tent in using children's literature in their elementary classrooms. Finding
time for science also is a problem faced by many elementary teachers.
There is often little time for science in an overcrowded curriculum, but it
can be "worked in" when integrated with children's literature.
There are numerous ways in which fiction and nonfiction books can
be used in an elementary science classroom. Probably the most common
way children's literature is used in elementary science is to provide
factual information about a given topic. Children's books can provide a
depth and richness not found in textbooks because children's literature is
usually limited to one topic rather than the broad but often superficial
coverage of topics in most science textbooks. Because science content is
presented within the world that students know, they are able to make
connections between science concepts and their personal worlds.
Abstract concepts become more understandable when they are presented
in a context that children can relate to (Butzow & Butzow, 1989; Dowd,
1991). Children's books can also create interest in a topic because they
are enjoyable, fun to read and relevant to children (Casteel and Isom,
1994; Crook and Lehman, 1990; Hammond, 1992; Stiffler, 1992).
Additionally, using children's literature in a science classroom can
 Children's literature & Environmental 177

encourage participation in science careers, develop critical thinking

skills (Dowd, 1991), support the teaching of process skills, support
inquiry (Hammond, 1992), encourage problem solving, and integrate
cognitive and affective ways of knowing (Moser, 1994). From a
practical standpoint, there are many reasons why the use of children's
literature in science is beneficial, but there is not a strong research base
supporting use of this strategy (Rice & Rainsford, 1996),

CHILDREN'S L I T E R A T U R E A N D E N V I R O N M E N T A L E D U C A T I O N

The goal of this study was to describe the effects of children's lit-
erature on students' existing attitudes and beliefs toward environmental
issues. The focus was on one particular purpose for using children's lit-
erature in science — to integrate affective and cognitive ways of know-
ing. Using There's an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George as
an organizer, two sixth grade classes studied environmental principles
related to endangered species and reexamined their existing beliefs.
Within a Science, Technology, and Society (STS) framework, students
were encouraged to make judgments about endangered species based on
environmental principles and their personal values. Dowd (1991) states
that fictitious stories about nature which incorporate scientific facts can
increase children's understanding of ecological principles and environ-
mental problems and Moser (1994) suggests the use such books can
contribute attention to values as well as knowledge.
Research by Rosenblatt (1991) identifies two methods by which
students read: reading for content (efferent reading) and focusing on
feelings while reading (aesthetic reading). The aesthetic method of
reading is one that is given less attention in science classes and there is
little research on the effect of this kind of reading on students' attitudes
and perceptions. The aesthetic dimension is believed to help children
make connections between facts more easily when they are engaged in
the story (Crook, 1990). Children's literature, unlike most science text-
books, deals with controversial science related issues in which the reader
can gain insight beyond simply knowing "the facts" (Morrow, Pressley,
Smith & Smith, 1997).
There's an Owl in the Shower is an example of a book that lends
itself to aesthetic reading because the story evokes an emotional response
from the reader. The purpose of using the book as part of the
178 READING HORIZONS, 2000, éSL (3)

instructional strategy was not to influence student beliefs and attitudes

one way or another, but to serve as a vehicle for getting students to view
more than one side of an issue and to develop critical thinking skills.
This paper will outline instructional procedures used in the unit, describe
data collection procedures and provide additional insight into using
children's literature in science classes.

DESCRIPTION O F T H E PROJECT

Participants
Approximately 35 sixth grade students took part in this project and
comprised the entire sixth grade of a rural Idaho middle school. The
school is located in a rather isolated setting and draws students from
three communities, all with populations of less than 500 people. The
school community is composed of modest, working class families who
have to work very hard to support their large families. Most of the stu-
dents live on farms and many are avid hunters. In fact, the first day of
deer season in this community is a school holiday. Before sixth grade,
students have limited experiences with science and in sixth grade stu-
dents are departmentalized for their core subjects, including science. The
teacher who facilitated this project had 10 years of science teaching ex-
perience, a Ph.D. in science education and extensive experience in using
a Science Technology and Society philosophy in teaching science.

Instructional strategies
There's an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George was the
fictional story that provided the organizer for the sixth grade science unit
on endangered species. The story is set in a small logging community in
northern California where a debate is raging between environmentalists
who want to protect the spotted owl and loggers who want to protect
their jobs. Protection of the spotted owl's habitat has cost the main
character's father his job as a logger, and the young boy sets out to kill
any spotted owl he sees. When the boy discovers an owlet lying on the
ground, he decides to rescue it, assuming because it doesn't have any
spots, it must be a barred owl As the owlet matures, it becomes clear
that it is actually a spotted owl. In taking care of the owlet, the boy and
his father come to realize how important the creature is to a healthy eco-
system.
 Children's literature & Environmental 179

During the course of the reading of the book, the teacher conducted
numerous science and language activities to emphasize the science con-
tent that was a part of the story. The students dissected owl pellets to get
an understanding of the diet of owls and their place in the food web.
Students also participated in activities from both Project Wild and Pro-
ject Learning Tree curriculums as well as teacher-developed activities.
The purpose of these activities was to assist students in developing an
understanding of the importance of food chains, food webs, overpopula-
tion, natural resources and ecosystems. Students' understanding of key
ideas was assessed through journal writing, the creation of a children's
book based on an environmental issue, and the creation of informational
pamphlets on a chosen local endangered species. Based on these forms
of assessment, the teacher determined that students had a good under-
standing of each of these environmental concepts.

Data collection and analysis

Prior to and at the completion of the unit, students were asked to re-
spond to a scenario in which they had to choose between the rights of
people and the rights of animals (See Appendix A). The scenario was
based on a local theme, dairy farming, which was a topic that all the stu-
dents were quite familiar with since many of them lived on dairy farms.
The instructional unit took two months to complete and the post-scenario
assessment was administered two months after the completion of the
unit, allowing for four months between pre and post tests. Additionally,
mid-way into the unit when the reading of the novel was completed, stu-
dents were asked to respond in writing to a question related to the book
which asked them to choose which side of the issue they agreed with, the
environmentalists trying to save the spotted owl's habitat or the loggers
(See Appendix B). Students were also asked to give reasons to support
their answers. A statistical analysis of students' responses indicated no
significant differences between pre, mid or post assessments. Moreover,
there were no gender differences in any of the categories. In the table
below, group responses are summarized.
180 READING HORIZONS, 2000, 4L· (3)

Table 1

Students Attitudes Related to People's vs. Animal's Rights

AFTER READING
PRETEST STORY POST-TEST

Favored people's
rights over that of
animals 41% 19% 30%
Favored animals
rights over the rights
of people 44% 69% 57%
Undecided
15% 12% 13%

DISCUSSION

Prior to beginning the unit, students' responses to the survey sce-

nario were evenly divided regarding peoples' vs. animals' rights. The
"undecided" group could see both points-of-view and chose not to take a
stand either way. After reading the story, the majority of students felt
empathy for the plight of the spotted owl and identified with the envi-
ronmentalist cause. Just as the main characters in the story changed their
opinion about the plight of endangered species after actually interacting
with a spotted owl on a personal basis, so did the students after reading
the story. Yet, four months later when given the post-test scenario which
did not relate specifically to the owl but rather to something they them-
selves could relate to in real life, the number of students favoring ani-
mals' vs. peoples' rights began to decrease. This could indicate that the
change in attitude due to reading the book was short lived and did not
transfer to other more personal relevant situations.
The finding that raised the most concern, however, dealt with the
reasons students gave to support their opinions. As previously stated, in
reviewing the research on using children's literature in science, some
proponents (Dowd, 1991; Moser, 1994) state that fictitious stories about
nature can increase children's understanding of ecological principles and
 Children's literature & Environmental 181

can contribute to students' knowledge. There was no evidence to support

this claim in this study. Even though other measures demonstrated that
students had a good understanding of the ecological principles taught as
part of the unit, none of the students used these to support their opinions
on either the post scenario or the mid-unit assessment.
Rather than relying on the factual principles that they learned during
the unit, students responses were based on an emotional response toward
either people or animals. It does not seem unreasonable that students of
this age should begin to use facts to support their beliefs. A develop-
mental framework for environmental education programs developed by
Kelly and White (1975) suggests that at the upper elementary/middle
level, students begin to see the distinction between fact and opinion and
their relative worth as a basis for decision-making. Even though they
were encouraged to support their opinions with facts, students relied
solely on their emotions and feelings toward the issue. While attitudes of
caring and concern are certainly beneficial for students to develop, some
believe that the discussion of ecological issues outside the realm of prin-
ciples and their relationship to the total environment is to "encourage
mindless sentimentalism" (Labinowich, 1971).
Students of all ages need to develop attitudes of care and
responsibility for living things and the environment, but as students reach
the upper elementary and middle school level, these attitudes should be
not be based only on statements that they "simply love all animals" or
that "people should be able to do what they want with their property."
These types of statements were representative of every comment offered
by students in this study as support for their opinions. The scientific
principles that the students were supposed to be acquiring through this
unit of study, became unimportant in their decision-making process. A
recommendation for teachers resulting from this study is one of caution
when using children's literature in teaching about the environment.
Environmental topics are common ones in the elementary school, but
there is a danger that rather than developing critical thinking skills in
students, we turn them into advocates for a particular point-of-view
based not on the principles of science but solely on emotions. From this
small study, it appears that much more emphasis should be placed on
critical decision making as a skill for upper elementary students.
Certainly, we want children's books to touch the hearts of students, but
from a science perspective we also want to take advantage of the richness
182 READING HORIZONS, 2000, 40, (3)

of science content that is embedded in stories like There's an Owl in the

Shower

REFERENCES

Butzow, C M . , & Butzow, J.W. (1989). Science through children's literature, an

integrated approach. Englewood C O : Teacher Ideas Press.
Butzow, C M . , & Butzow, J.W. (1988, February). Science, technology, and so-
ciety as experienced through children's literature. Paper presented at the
Meeting of the Science, Technology and Society Conference on Technologi-
cal Literacy, Arlington, V A .
Casteel, C , & Isom, B. (1994). Reciprocal processes in science and literacy
learning. The Reading Teacher, 47, 538-544.
Cooter, R.B., & Flynt, E.S. (1996). Teaching reading in the content areas: De-
veloping content literacy for all students. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Crook, P C , & Lehman, B. (1990). On track with trade books. Science & Chil-
dren, 27, 22-23.
Dowd, F.S. (1991). Storybooks: Stimulating science starters. School Library
Media Quarterly, 19, 105-108.
Hammond, C. (1992). Reducing the text burden: Using children's literature and
trade books in elementary school science education. Reference Services Re-
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Kelly, J.R., & White, E.P. (1975). A developmental framework for planning
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Labinowich, E . (1971). A closer look at environmental education. Science &
Children, S, 31-35.
Mayer, D . A . (1995). How can we best use children's literature in teaching sci-
ence concepts? Science & Children, 32, 16-19.
Morrow, L . M . , Pressley, M . , Smith, J.K., & Smith, M . (1997). The effect of a
literature-based program integrated into literacy & science instruction with
children from diverse backgrounds. Reading Research Quarterly, 32, 54-76.
Moser, S. (1994). Using storybooks to teach science themes. Reading Horizons,
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 Children's literature & Environmental 183

Rice, D . C . , & Rainsford, A . D . (1996, April). Using children's trade books to

teach science: Boon or boondoggle? Paper presented at the Annual Meeting
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Schallen, D . L . , & Roser, N . L . (1996). The role of textbooks and trade books in
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Rebecca Monhardt is a faculty member in the Department of

Elementary Education, at Utah State University in Logan Utah. Leigh
Monhardt is a faculty member in the Department of Education, at West-
minster College in New Wilmington Pennsylvania.
184 READING HORIZONS, 2000, 4SL (3)

Appendix A

Scenario

Tony and Jennifer have been helping on the family farm since they
were very little. It is their job to help clean the barns, pick rocks in the
fields, move water pipes and help milk cows very early in the morning
before school. Both Tony and Jennifer have learned to drive a tractor
and know the importance and expense of buying and maintaining farm
equipment.

The family has recently been told by government officials that some
of their farming practices are harming wildlife in the area. They are be-
ing instructed to make changes in their farming practices or they will
have to pay very high fines.

Tony and Jennifer find out that to change their current farming
practices will cost a lot of money. The family is worried that they may
have to drastically change their lifestyle due to loss of money and it
could possibly result in the loss of their farm.

1. Do you think it is fair that people should have to change the way they
make a living in order to protect wildlife?

2. What is your opinion based on?

Appendix B

There's an Owl in the Shower

by Jean Craighead George

1. Pick one side of this issue that you support: loggers or environmen-
talists.

2. Tell why you support this side. (Give specific reasons to back up
your answer!)