Wangari Maathai Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie

How do you think planting trees might help the environment? (Make predictions)

During (Pause Points)

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:19: In what ways was Maathai unique from other winners of the Nobel Peace Prize? (Identify character traits?)

Timecode 2:54: How was planting trees going to help Kenyans solve its problems?  (Identify problem/solution)

Timecode 3:10: How did women, in particular, benefit from the Green Belt Movement? (Make inferences)

After the Movie

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Wangari Maathai topic. (Make connections)

What can you tell about Maathai’s character from her achievements and her willingness to go against a dictator? (Identify character traits)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Wangari Maathai Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.