The Buffalo Are Back

"Environmental good news." -- Kirkus Reviews

George, J. C. (2010). The buffalo are back. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

In this nonfiction story, George tells the story of how the buffalo escaped extinction in the late 1800s. The book begins with the relationship between the buffalo and the Native Americans. Although the Natives kill the buffalo, they make sure to use every part of their body. They used the meat for food and the hide for clothing and other accessories. Not only is this resourceful, it also ensures that enough buffalo are left to reproduce and roam the land. During westward expansion, the whites kill nearly every buffalo they come across. Unlike the Natives, they leave much of the buffalo to waste away. Not only do they kill the buffalo, they damage the land the Natives have been living on. When news reaches the government, bills are passed to protect both the buffalo and the land. Over time, the grasses return to the plain and the buffalo make a comeback.

Reading Level: 800L

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud or small group

Electronic Resources:

The Great Plains: This website has a lot of information about the Great Plains. It tells where the they are geographically and which states make up the plains. The website also describes its physical features, such as where the rain water drains, what the soil is made up off, and the typical climates. The various types of grasses are also described. This is valuable information because the book discusses the importance of the grass, both to the animal life and the Natives. The website discusses the people who have lived on the plains throughout history. This is presented in chronological order, much like the book. This information will be very useful when using this book in the classroom because it will give students the background knowledge they need to understand the content.

Writing Tips: "Most of us need a prod to get ideas swirling in our heads. Once that happens it is easy to write. Here are a few prods for writing a story. Perhaps you can use them, perhaps you will say "ugh" and come up with your own original way to write a book. No matter which - write - and write out of the love of words."

                                                    -Jean Craighead George

George provides her readers with tips they can use in their own writing. Not only does she explain where to start and how to reach the ending, she describes how she does it. For example, the settings of her stories are always in the woods, so she sits in the woods and takes notes before writing. She makes writing a personal task. If students are struggling with how to begin writing, they can read this to get some good tips.

Vocabulary: lark, panpipe, ablaze, nutrients, wallow, tracts, reservations, eons, flourished, eroded, grazer, refuges, contour, botanist, census

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Ask students what they know about the plains. This can be anything from where it is located to who or what lives there. Use the information from the Great Plains electronic resource to give students the background information that they need to understand the text. Students especially need to know about the westward expansion and the role it played in the livelihood of the plains. After hearing what they already know, ask students to list questions that they wish to learn from the book. This will set the purpose for their reading.
• During Reading: As you read the book, create a timeline following the events in the book. This will help students understand the cause and effect relationship among various events. It will also be a visual students can refer to.
• After Reading: Discuss how the illustrations add to the meaning of the text. Many students have never learned about or seen the Great Plains, and may have difficulties imagining them. Do the illustrations aid in their comprehension of the text? Do they match what they were imagining as they learned about the plains? Do the illustrations match the text? Explain.

Inferential Comprehension:  How did the the Native Americans feel when the whites came to take their land. How would you feel?