“A River Ran Wild” is the story of a grassroots environmental movement.

Book Cover

Inspired by Massachusetts hero, Marion Stoddart, a large group of citizens of all ages, worked diligently for several decades to restore the ecologically-dead Nashua River to its original state. This beautifully illustrated book traces the history of the river––from the days when it was treated respectfully by the First Nations people, through centuries of harmful modern development that eventually resulted in the destruction of the river, the fish and the surrounding watershed.

For more than a century, factories on the banks of the Nashua River poured chemical waste directly into the river, making it officially one of the dirtiest rivers in North America in the mid 1960′s.  At that time the color of the river water varied almost daily, depending upon the the dyes released from paper production.  This link shows a startling image of the Nashua River at the height of its pollution and a more recent photo of the river in a healthy state today.

This book could be used at all grade levels.  For older students especially, it would make a fabulous starting point for the study of many related Science, Social Studies and Social Responsibility topics:  ecological systems, rivers/deltas, water quality, pollution, waste management, land use, mapping, timelines, Industrial Revolution, First Nations Studies, leadership, social activism (just to name a few!)

A quick Google search of the title combined with the phrase, “lesson plans” yielded many good finds.

Here are just a few:

Using “A River Ran Wild” to introduce cause/effect relationships in literature

A series of lessons also featuring cause/effect relationships

Another series of lessons to introduce the life of a river and the effects of pollution

An long list of K-12 lessons related to rivers and their care

A science project for intermediate grades in which students build a mock water treatment facility

 

As for connections to DWS, this book has many!

Here are just a few that come to mind:

  • One person (operating on Level D!) can make a huge difference in the world!
  • People like Marion are an inspiration to others; enthusiasm and dreams are infectious!
  • It requires determination and long term persistence to restore a river; both Level D character traits!
  • Worthwhile goals sometimes take years to accomplish; it’s important not to lose sight of your goal.
  • Imagine the sense of satisfaction Marion and others must have, knowing the enormity of what they have accomplished!  Strong feelings of satisfaction comes from operation at only one of the developmental levels – Level D!
  • Standing up for what you believe takes courage.  Once one individual speaks up though, others will often add their support!
  • Even if a situation looks hopeless, there may be a solution.  Don’t give up on your dreams!


Any of the above discussion topics could be followed with DWS reflective questions designed to get kids to think more deeply about their own behavior, or inspire them to pursue dreams of their own:

Here are just a few examples:

  • In our own area, are there any ecological systems or wildlife species that are currently endangered?
  • What would a person like Marion do about these problems?
  • Is there anything we could do to help?
  • Why is it important to think carefully about how we treat our planet?
  • Why is a book like “A River Ran Wild” important for people to read?
  • Have you ever had the courage to speak up for what was right?  How did you feel?  Were you glad you did?
  • Throughout the past century there have been other individuals like Marion Stoddart who are enviornmental activists.  Do you know any of their stories?  How could we learn about them?  Are there any people in our own area that are helping to protect the environment/animals in some way?
  • What special character traits did Marion possess?  Which do you admire most?  Do you ever demonstrate any of those same traits?

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Posted In: Connections to Literature
posted On: August 1, 2009: 11:12 am: By Kerry Weisner
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