ENDANGERED SPECIES: THE LORAX

The Introduction

The Lorax is a story about a man who abused the environment and about what he learned. The story begins in the most run-down part of a dull, gray town. A small boy asks the Once-ler to share the secret of the Lorax and how he was taken away. Thus, the story is told as a "flashback" as the Once-ler talks about the Lorax and past events.

The Characters:

The Once-ler, a businessman

The Lorax, a leader of the plants and animals

The Once-ler’s Story: The Beginning

The Once-ler moved across the land in his wagon. He came upon a new land with an important natural resource. (A natural resource is a plant, animal or mineral that can be used by people.)

1. What was this natural resource the Once-ler found?

Setting Up Shop

The Once-ler used the land's natural resource to start a business which made and sold a product. The Lorax appeared at this point and asked the Once-ler some angry questions.

2. What was the product?

3. How was it used by buyers?

4. What did the Lorax want to know of the Once-ler?

5. How did the Once-ler answer?

Using Technology

Businessmen like the Once-ler sometimes try to make more money by increasing the number of products they can sel1. Often new machines and other systems are invented to do this. . Other people use machines to make work faster, easier, and more accurate. For example, students, engineers, and others use calculators. Robots are sometimes used to weld cars. Sometimes machines are used to work humans can not do. All these machines are examples of "Technology". Often the word "technology" means complicated sets of machines, like those found working together in an automobile plant assembly line. Sometimes "technology" refers to a simple machine like a pencil.

Name an example of technology that YOU can use at home.

Name an