HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 3-Lesson 13In August 1996, a woman named Julia Hill decided she wanted to make a real
difference in the world. She wanted to do something special, but she didn’t know
what to do.
Then she took a trip with some friends to California. It was there that Julia
discovered what she could do. She met some people who were guardians of a
special tree they called “Luna.” They were protecting Luna from being cut down. This
tree was special because it was estimated to be one thousand years old.
Logging companies cut down trees to make lumber. Loggers cut down the trees
in a forest, and then the trees regrow over time. This has happened to most forests
in the United States. But some trees started growing a long, long time ago—long
before loggers started cutting down trees for lumber. These trees are called old-
growth trees.
Luna was an old-growth tree. Many people believe that old-growth trees like Luna
should be conserved, or saved. The population of these trees was falling quickly. Julia
learned that soon it might be too late to save these old-growth trees from extinction.
A logging company wanted to cut Luna down. But the people guarding Luna had an
idea. They explained to Julia that if someone were to live in the tree, Luna might not
be cut down. Her tree-sitting would be a form of peaceful protest. Julia said she would
do it.
Julia decided to live in the tree until the lumber company promised not to cut it
down. She moved into a small tree house almost two hundred feet off the ground.
Her friends brought her food and water every day. She wrote poetry and talked to
reporters about saving the planet. Julia thought she would be in the tree for a month
or so, but she ended up staying for 738 days. That’s more than two years!
Finally, the lumber company promised not to cut down the tree, and Julia climbed
down. Soon, she started a group called the Circle of Life Foundation, dedicated to
restoring the forests and making the world a more peaceful place.
Maybe someday you will fi nd a cause that means a lot to you. If you wonder what
you can do to make the world a better place, remember Julia. You might recycle or
petition for laws to save endangered animals. Whatever you decide to do, you can
make a difference, just as Julia “Butterfl y” Hill did.
COMPREHENSION What does Julia do to help Luna? Which words help you
understand Julia’s concern for the environment?
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Once there was a peaceful village at the bottom of a mountain. Every night, the
villagers would gather and tell stories about the stars. The sky was always clear. The
mountain was dark in the distance.
One day, eerie gray smoke began to rise from the mountain. “What could it be?”
the villagers asked.
As they began to ask more questions, a rumor started. And as the villagers passed
the story among themselves, the rumor grew. They said a dragon now lived in the
mountain. The dragon breathed fi re, which sent the eerie smoke into the air. The
dragon was said to be so ruthless, it would destroy their village and not feel sorry at
all. The villagers thought it was sure to attack, because it was cold living deep inside
the mountain and the dragon must feel spiteful and jealous of their warm homes. The
villagers suddenly felt a cruel prejudice toward a dragon they had never met.
“This dragon will become a nasty menace to our village!” someone cried. “We must
go to the mountain and have a confrontation with the monster! Who will volunteer?”
Three brave men stepped forward. They armed themselves with shields. And at
dawn, they set off.
Soon, the brave men had left the village far behind them. As they neared the
mountain, the wind swept from all sides. Then they heard a rumble, deep and loud.
Carried by the wind, the rumble only grew. The fi rst man shivered in fright. Then he
turned and ran back toward the village.
The two other men traveled on. Soon, they began to feel heat—it felt like fi re. The
second man stopped. He had a revolting vision of melting right there in the road.
Then he turned and ran back toward the village.
The third man traveled on. The heat became hotter and hotter. But he climbed
until he reached the top of the mountain.
And do you know what he saw?
There, sitting atop a giant rock, was a dragon toasting marshmallows!
The dragon spotted the man and shouted, “Hello! Would you like to toast
marshmallows with me?”
“Gladly!” the man replied. He walked over to the rock. “Gosh, the villagers and I were
so wrong about you. I am very sorry. Tomorrow I will tell them the truth!”
And together they toasted marshmallows under the stars.
COMPREHENSION What words does the author use to describe the dragon?
What lesson can we learn from this story?
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