Wangari Maathai Unit - Peace Heroes

Wangari Maathai (Kenya)

Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, took a simple idea and used it to create lasting impact. When she saw how deforestation was degrading both the landscape and the lives of Kenya’s rural people, Maathai created a tree-planting movement that quickly spread across Kenya and empowered thousands of women to unite together in a way that changed the face of their country, and the world!

Through Maathai’s story, your students will not only grow in their love and respect for the earth, but will also grasp how even the simplest steps in the right direction can empower entire communities to face “insurmountable” problems and work together to heal the world.

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Our comprehensive units will:

Foster appreciation for diverse people and cultures
Empower your students to environmental activism
Introduce a strong female role model
Develop Social and Emotional skills
Create a culture of empathy and welcome
Integrate multiple intelligences
Engage with your local community
Contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Connect with other classrooms around the world

This 76-page unit includes:

A cultural immersion experience that celebrates Kenya’s heritage
Well-researched content on deforestation and Wangari Maathai
Multifaceted, authentic activities (spanning all intelligences and content areas)
Discussion questions and vocabulary words for each section
Over 100 additional resources listed and linked
Comprehensive lists of theme-appropriate picture books

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Exploring the story of Wangari Maathai allowed our learners to not only dive deeply into Kenya's rich culture and history, but also encouraged and motivated them to grapple with environmental issues in a real and meaningful way. Most importantly, it instilled within them a passion and conviction to take action, including an amazing "Wangari Maathai" theater production with the creative anthem song "We Must Plant Trees," and lots of tree planting! The impact of this story on our learners is still evident today.

— Timo Lehman, School Principal, Kenya

This content fits well for:

Social studies, Environmental studies, African studies, After school programs, youth camps

Black History Month, Character education, social emotional learning, global citizenship

Grade Levels 6-10

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