"What Happened When We All Stopped"
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Provided by: TED-Ed|Published on: April 27, 2021
Videos
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Synopsis
- This animated poem, read by Jane Goodall, shows what happened when people slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic and began to notice nature.
- Students will learn that people have damaged the environment and that people can work together to take action and rebuild it.

Subjects: English Language Arts
Authors: TED-Ed
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video will remind students that humans are responsible for taking care of the natural world.
- The gentle animation style pairs well with Jane Goodall's calming voice.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the following terms: tenacious, prevail, rebirth, and renewed.
Differentiation & Implementation
- English language arts classes can annotate the poem, noting the rhyme scheme, meter, figurative language, and literary devices.
- Younger students can draw before and after pictures to show what changed from the beginning of the poem to the end.
- Writing classes can write personal reflections about a natural place that feels peaceful. Students can incorporate sensory images to help the reader understand what it feels like to be there.
- Other resources on this topic include this animated video on the importance of biodiversity, this video that takes students to a silent rainforest in Washington, and this interactive map that shows the restoration potential of land in different parts of the world.
This poem narrates the importance of adopting collective ideas such as nature-based solutions, clean energy, and other climate solutions to rebuild the planet. This is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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