Lesson Plan - History Makers: Jane Goodall

Watch a Video: Dr. Jane Goodall: “We Must Take Action”
Discuss: What does Jane Goodall say it was like to work with chimpanzees up close?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• primates 
• conservationist

Set a Purpose for Reading
Have students think about words they’d use to describe Goodall—and why they chose them.

1. The article begins with a scene from November 1960. In it, why couldn’t Goodall believe her eyes?
Goodall couldn’t believe her eyes because she was watching a chimp use a piece of grass as a tool to collect termites to eat. Goodall was surprised. Until then, scientists thought only humans used tools.
^{(RI.4.3 EXPLAIN IDEAS)}

2. What was unusual about the way Goodall observed chimpanzees?
Goodall didn’t just watch the chimps from afar. She got to know them the way you’d get to know neighbors.
^{(RI.4.1 TEXT EVIDENCE)}

3. What is the section “Caring for the Planet” mainly about?
This section is about ways Goodall has helped the planet. She created the Goodall Institute to save endangered chimps and the Roots & Shoots program to get kids to help animals, the environment, and people in need.
^{(RI.4.2 MAIN IDEA)}

FEATURED SKILL: Text Evidence
Use “All About Jane Goodall” to have students complete a biographical profile using details from the article. 
^{(RI.4.1 TEXT EVIDENCE)}