Textbook Review
Strands In The Web
201 Activities for Teaching      
Environmental Awareness
Roger Smith
Strands In The Web is organized into four parts:
"Exploring the Environment and the Universe"; "Change";
"Unity-The Wholeness of Nature"; and "The Finite
Planet." Each part includes learning objectives,
suggestions on how to evaluate student work, and a
subject index. Each part is then subdivided into two or
more sections that include further learning objectives,
background information, and ideas for classroom activities.


Strands in the Web provides lists of useful resources,
books, periodicals, and addresses, and some topics
include extension activities and blackline masters for
use with students. Index tables connect the activities
to various process, communication, and problem-solving
skills and indicate curriculum placement. The activities
are designed for use across different subject areas
and as an integrated program on environmental studies.
Alternatively, teachers could use some of the
activities to bolster their instructional planning or as
sources of ideas for science fair projects.

Smith includes several interesting activities to help students assess their attitudes and values about the
environment.

In my view, those activities would be particularly useful as supplementary activities to existing programs
in science or other subjects. The second section, "The Earth, the Solar System, the Universe," offers
traditional activities for studying astronomy that can easily be found in other science sources.

The activities in part 2 are divided into three sections that explore the theme of change. The first,
"Change in Our Earth," primarily examines concepts that are related to geological phenomena, for
example, fossils, earthquakes, erosion, the rock cycle, the water cycle, and weather.  Section 2,
"Change in Animals and Plants," explores metamorphosis, plant growth, and animal and human
development. The final section, "Change in Families and Communities," consists of two activities related
to those themes.

For the most part, the activities in part 2 are the typical fare and are not extraordinary. Moreover,
their presentation lacks overall coherency and might require teachers to provide additional support,
either through more activities or supplementary explanations to enhance student understanding. However,
the strength of the last two parts of the book more than make up for this lackluster beginning!

Three quarters of the 201 activities in Strands in the Web are in the last two parts. Part 3, featuring
"Unity--The Wholeness of Nature," explores familiar ecological topics: interdependence, ecosystems,
adaptations,  habitats, niches, food chains, pyramids, and predator-prey relationships. Smith nicely
relates these topics to the everyday lives of the students. For example, the students learn how the
concept of niche applies to their own homes and communities. In addition, the activities explore a
plethora of issues such as pest control, soil conservation, desertification, wildlife management practices,
energy and resource use, the homeless problem, and endangered species.

"The Finite Planet," the final part of the book, continues the exploration of environmental issues. Smith
hopes that students will be concerned enough "to become involved in a number of environmental activities,
including but not limited to fund raising, participation in anti-litter campaigns, hands-on environmental
work, public awareness campaigns, and constructive political action" (p. 111). The environmental topics in
this section are quite rich! For example, the students reflect on finite resources, carrying capacity,
limits to growth, land use, energy use in domestic and international markets, environmental risk and
impact, and waste management. The students also have the opportunity to experiment, design, role-play,
interview adults, survey their homes and communities, and debate a variety of issues, which deepens
their understanding of the subject matter. Teachers should be able to integrate these ideas easily into
their environmental programs.

I think that Strands in the Web is a valuable resource for teachers who wish to augment existing
programs with an environmental perspective. Clearly, Roger Smith is dedicated to the idea of education
for sustainable living. Nonetheless, some of the issues under discussion may prove controversial in some
communities. For instance, the extension to activity 128 explores the "human use of animals" and asks
students to consider whether or not hunting and fishing are justified. Another activity entitled "What
About Sharing Water'?" treats an issue that is quite sensitive across the Canada-United States border.
Finally, I have some concerns about the intended audience for this book. Although Smith indicates that
the activities are appropriate for students in grades 4 to 9, I suspect that many of the ideas and
issues would be beyond the grasp and maturity levels of the younger students. Keep this in mind when
ordering this book for your school or classroom library.

Leonard P. Rivard,  College Universitaire de Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg, Canada