Getting Started
Learning for life
- The living world is a large and beautiful thing with diverse climates and habitats, flora and fauna.
- Every living thing has a right to have its needs respected and protected.
- All living things depend on the environment around them for survival.
- All living things are interconnected and interdependent, and the balance can be delicate.
- Humans are ultimately responsible for the state of the environment and its protection for the future.
- Environments change over time and these changes can be caused by nature or humans.
- Changes, whether natural or artificial, can affect whole systems and the whole environment both for better and for worse.
- Many spaces and species are threatened because of human impact on the environment.
- We all need to respect and take responsibility for the places in our community.
- We each have a responsibility to protect our environment for the future.
- I can have both a positive and negative impact on the environment.
- Through knowledge and understanding, I can make responsible choices to meet my needs and still promote the protection of the environment.
- I may only be one child but I can make a difference.
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Overview
Written in the style of 'The House That Jack Built' The World That We Want takes readers on a journey from 'the air that circles the world that we want' through the forests, rivers, mangroves, beach, tide pools, reef, atolls and out to the ocean. Each ecosystems shows how its creatures are enveloped in a network of critical connections.
This is a true picture book with almost the entire story bound inextricably with the illustrations. It can be used to introduce young students to the diversity of the animal kingdom as well as the various habitats that host the creatures. Although it is set in Northern Queensland, the model of a particular environment could be readily translated to desert, mountain or urban situations.
The World That We Want has won a number of prestigious awards including:
- Best Picture Book – The Wilderness Society, 2005
- Notable Picture Book – Children's Book Council of Australia, 2005
- Notable Information Book – Children's Book Council of Australia, 2005
- Best Illustrated Children's Book – Royal Zoological Society, 2005
- Green Earth Book Awards – Honour Book (USA), 2006
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Author profile
Kim Michelle Toft is a full-time marine artist, author, illustrator and publisher of environmental children's books including One Less Fish, Neptune's Nursery, A Sea of Words, Reef Superstar and Turtle's Song. Each book explores vibrant underwater worlds hand-painted on silk. Her latest book, The 12 Underwater Days of Christmas, has just been released and she is currently working on another, about global warming.
Kim has had many years experience working as a teacher and graphic designer. She has been painting on silk for over 20 years, and famous people such as author Morris West and pop star Mick Jagger, have bought her work.
She has said: 'Children are our future and I believe my books are valuable tools towards heightening awareness of the need to preserve many of our endangered sea creatures and the oceans they live in'. Therefore each book has a strong environmental theme and provides child-friendly information at the back.
You can learn more Kim Michelle Toft at www.kimtoft.com.au/. This is what she has written on the site about her illustrations:
I love painting on silk as it is the perfect medium to capture the immense beauty of underwater Australia.
Even after 20 years of full-time silk painting it still proves to be a constant challenge.
The unforgiving nature of silk keeps me fascinated and wanting to go further with the medium. Combined with the exotic colours and the ability to work on large-scale paintings, it has become the medium of choice for my children's book illustrations, which I started writing and illustrating over 12 years ago.
White silk is stretched horizontally, and the gold 'gutta' line is drawn onto the silk first. As I brush on the silk dyes, the gutta edge prevents colours mixing with each other. The background is painted last with the mottled water effect created by placing rock salt onto the wet dye. After the dye reacts to the salt and has dried, the salt is removed. The silk is then steamed to fix the colours permanently.
Hopefully my paintings and books capture the essence and uniqueness of the animals that live in our magnificent coastal regions.
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Useful websites 
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Focus questions
- What is 'the air that circles the world that we want'?
- What does it contain?
- Why is it important?
- What does 'filter the air' mean?
- How does the forest filter the air?
- Why are rainforests sometimes referred to as the 'lungs of the planet'?
- Which creatures, apart from fish, are dependent on freshwater sources such as rivers?
- What happens to the river creatures in times of drought?
- Can you track a link between the cassowary and the crayfish?
- Where do you find mangroves?
- Why is the tide so important to them?
- Why is the beach such an important environment?
- What lives beneath the sands?
- Are we destroying habitats when we go to the beach to play?
- How many creatures can you identify living in the rock pool?
- Why is it important to replace any rock pool creatures that we might disturb exactly where we found them?
- Can you track a link between the crocodile and the crab?
- How do ocean reefs have an impact on the land environment?
- Is coral a plant or an animal? Why?
- How many different relationships can you identify just on the page about the reef?
- What impact do tourists have on the reef environment, particularly the Great Barrier Reef?
- Why is the atoll the beginning of the landscape?
- How can its inhabitants start a whole new environment?
- What might happen if global warming predictions of rising sea levels come true?
- Are fish and whales the only creatures of the ocean?
- How do creatures adapt to the ocean's great depths and lack of light?
- What is the critical role of seaweeds, such as kelp, on the health of the planet?
- What have you learned about the interconnectedness of the places and creatures on this planet?
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Activities
Responding to text
What is air?
Individuals 
Small groups 
Class
- What is 'the air that circles the world that we want'?
- What does it contain?
- Why is it important?
Air is a mixture of gases that include nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). Making up the other 1% are carbon dioxide (about 0.03%); a group of 'noble gases' including helium, argon, krypton, radon, neon and xenon (about 0.9%); and varying amounts of water vapour and dust particles, depending on the weather.
Use the chart wizard of a software program such as Excel to construct a pie graph to show the proportions of each gas in the atmosphere.
- What can we learn about the composition of air by looking at the graph?
- Which gas is the most important to living creatures?
- If carbon dioxide (CO2) is such a small proportion of the atmosphere, why is there so much concern about any increase causing climate change?
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Themes for Education for Sustainability
The greenhouse effect
Individuals Small groups
Read, watch and listen to learn more about this phenomenon with some of these sites:
Create one of the following:
- a poster or chart
- an animation
- an experiment
- a PowerPoint presentation
- a 3D model
to clearly explain the concept and its possible effect on our planet.
Birds of the air
Individuals Small groups Class
Birds are one of the key groups of the animal kingdom, and one of the five groups of vertebrates (animals with a spine).
- What is a bird?
- Do all birds fly?
- Are all flying things birds?
Construct a chart that shows those characteristics that are common to all birds.
- Which of the birds on pages 2–3 can you identify?
- Are they the sorts of birds that you see in the sky above your place?
- What birds are most commonly seen in your area?
Make a chart that helps you identify those birds that are most common to the skies of your place.
- What are their particular needs that make your area best for them?
- What can you do to ensure that their environment remains the best it can be?
- What can you do to attract more birds to your area?
As a class, create an action plan that will improve your school environment for birdlife.
- How do birds contribute to maintaining the environment?
- What is their role in the ecosystem?
- Could the planet survive without birds?
Discuss or debate: 'Birds do not belong in cages'.
The filtering forest
Individuals Small groups
- Why is the forest so critical to the health of the planet?
Read, watch and listen to the information from some of these sites:
Create one of the following:
- a poster or chart
- an animation
- an experiment
- a PowerPoint presentation
- a 3D model
to clearly explain the importance of forests and the effect on our planet if they are destroyed.
Investigate the role kelp plays in keeping our environment clean and fresh.
Types of forests
Individuals Small groups Class
The World That We Want is set in Northern Queensland where there are tropical rainforests.
- What other sorts of forests are there?
- Are they also under threat?
Create a map showing the various types of forests in Australia and indicate whether they are under threat from logging.
- What is the wood used for?
- Are there environmentally-friendly alternatives that could be used?
- What could you or your class do to promote the health of the trees in your neighbourhood and/or reduce the need for logging?
Creatures of the forests
Individuals Small groups
- How many of the creatures of the forest can you identify in the illustration?
- Do all the creatures live in the same part of the forest?
Investigate the layers of the forest and create a diagram which shows what lives there, how they are dependent on each other, and how they contribute to the life and health of the forest.
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Research themes
Rivers, creeks and streams
Individuals Small groups Class
- Why are freshwater sources such as rivers, creeks, and streams important to the health of the planet?
- How are they formed?
- How are they threatened?
Use the books in your library or search the Internet for information about the water cycle and create a diagram that explains its features and importance.
Discuss or debate: 'Australia is not the place to grow rice or cotton'.
Map the main rivers in Australia and the key freshwater sources in your area.
- What happens in a drought?
- How can you as an individual or a class help preserve the water resources in your home or school?
Create an action plan to help you clarify your ideas and stay on track for achieving them.
Creatures of the waterways
Individuals Small groups
- Which creatures are dependent on freshwater sources for their existence?
- How are they interdependent?
- How are they critical to the survival of the planet?
Use this chain reaction template to show the links in the chain.
Mangroves, beaches, tide pools...
Individuals Small groups
Investigate the other biomes featured in the story, focusing on these sorts of questions:
- Why are these environments important to the health of the planet?
- How are they formed?
- How are they threatened?
- How can they be saved?
- Which creatures are dependent on this biome for their existence?
- How are they interdependent?
- How are they critical to the survival of the planet?
Create one of the following:
- a poster or chart
- an animation
- an experiment
- a PowerPoint presentation
- a 3D model
to demonstrate the characteristics and interdependence of the regions.
- Are their other environments in the world, which are not featured in the book?
Make a list of them and then select one to investigate in a similar way.
The animal kingdom
Individuals Small groups
The animal kingdom is one of the five kingdoms into which scientists have grouped all living things. This kingdom is divided into two sections – vertebrates and invertebrates.
Investigate the main divisions within these two groups such as arachnids, crustaceans, amphibians, fish and so on. Create a diagram that shows these divisions, sample creatures from each and the key characteristics of each group.
- Which groups do all 45 creatures on the large four-page spread at the end of the book belong to?
Select one creature and design a place for it to live in that caters for all of its needs.
- Is it possible to isolate a creature like this?
Draw its web of life.
The plant kingdom
Individuals Small groups
Create a similar chart to show the divisions and characteristics of the plant kingdom.
Select one plant and design a place for it to live in that caters for all of its needs.
- Is it possible to isolate a plant like this?
Draw its web of life.
What am I?
Individuals Small groups
Select a creature from one of the biomes in the book, or another one that you are interested in. Research the creature and develop a series of 10 clues to its identity. Start with the general such as 'I am a reptile' and move to the specific with the final clue revealing its identity. Consider these aspects for your clues:
- movement
- respiration
- sensitivity
- growth
- reproduction
- excretion
- nutrition
Publish these in one of two ways:
- Create a concertina book:
- On each page, add a clue and repeat the previous clues like the pattern in the story.
- Reveal the answer on the last page, including a picture. Cover it with a flap if necessary.
- Find a picture of the creature and insert it into a PowerPoint slide:
- Cover the entire picture with black shapes so it cannot be seen.
- On the next and subsequent slides, remove one shape and add one clue.
- Repeat the previous clues on each slide like the pattern in the story.
- On the last slide reveal the answer by removing the final shape.
Words, words, words
Individuals Small groups
Build a word wall or glossary that shows you understand these words and phrases:
| environment |
biome |
habitat |
water cycle |
| carbon cycle |
greenhouse effect |
pollution |
food chain |
| conservation |
interdependence |
animal kingdom |
plant kingdom |
| web of life |
vertebrate |
invertebrate |
life cycle |
Pictures and words
Individuals Small groups Class
So much of the message of this book is carried in the illustrations rather than the words. Discuss what is meant by the saying, 'A picture is worth one thousand words'.
Review the Author profile to discover how the artist has constructed the pictures. Although it may not be possible for you to use silk and gold, you could experiment with plain fabric and candle wax.
Outline your picture using a plain white household candle and then paint it using fabric. Experiment with hues and tones by putting two colours side-by-side on the fabric paint and watching them merge. Investigate why the colours don't bleed when they are separated by the candle wax.
You can find out more about this technique (known as batik) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik
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Assessment
Assessment tasks are dependent on the teacher's identified outcomes of the unit, the tasks selected and the evidence that teachers determine to be acceptable for the age group.
Changes in values and attitudes evolve as our expertise and experience grows and so cannot be measured. However, by exposing students to activities such as these we start them on their journey of awareness of the wider world, particularly if we give them the opportunity and time to reflect on their learning.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to 'finding the balance'.
- What does the author mean by this?
- Is it possible to achieve a balance between the needs of the environment and the needs of people?
Investigate a situation where a successful balance has been struck and write a report that describes:
- the problem that needed to be solved
- the key elements that needed to be balanced
- what the solution was
- how it was reached
- how its success is being measured and maintained.
Planet protectors
Complete the task at www.ecokids.ca
Make a mural
Use the four-page spread at the end of the story as a model and sketch the background for a large mural. Use a variety of techniques and media to fill this in and then add a variety of creatures that are not included in the story to the foreground.
The World That We Want 2
Examine your neighbourhood environment closely or select another that interests you. Use the format of The World That We Want to construct a new story that focuses on that environment.
- What would be the most effective way to publish your work?
- What would be the best resources (print and digital) that you would suggest for someone to find out more about your work?
Reflections
- How has this book and study impacted on you?
- What will you remember about it when you are older?
- Have the words or the pictures had the most impact? Why?
Use this reflections sheet to reflect on what you have learned and how it might have changed your thinking and understanding.
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