Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for We Are Water Protectors

Use We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom tells the powerful story of a young girl standing up to protect water from the threat of a "black snake" oil pipeline. Guided by her ancestors' wisdom, she reminds us that water is life and must be protected.

This resource set helps students explore the book’s message while building key skills like identifying the author’s purpose, determining importance, and making inferences. It also features activities on bossy R sounds and engaging extensions for deeper comprehension.

Michaela Goade’s stunning, Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations inspire students to take the Water Protector Pledge, encouraging them to protect our planet.

Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with We Are Water Protectors in the drop down below.

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Determining Importance with We Are Water Protectors

The story is filled with rich details, not only in the text, but in the illustrations as well. This strategy helps students focus on identifying key details that build the central message of environmental protection. By examining the text and illustrations, students will learn to distinguish what is most important in the narrative and understand how these details convey the moral of the story.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.3.2,RL.3.3,RL.3.5,RL.3.6,RL.3.7,RL.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7B,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.10A,3.8C,3.7G,3.7F,3.7E,3.7D,3.7C,3.1A,3.7A,3.6I,3.6G,3.6E,3.6B,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Identifying the Author's Purpose with We Are Water Protectors

In We Are Water Protectors, Carole Lindstrom writes with a clear and powerful purpose: to inspire action to protect water and the environment. Through poetic language and evocative illustrations, students can explore why the author wrote this story and how her message encourages readers to make a difference. This strategy encourages students to connect the text's purpose with their own lives and discuss ways they can become protectors of their world.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.3.2,RL.3.4,RL.3.6,RL.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7E,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.10F,3.10D,3.10C,3.10B,3.10A,3.8C,3.7G,3.7F,3.1A,3.7D,3.7C,3.7B,3.7A,3.6I,3.6B,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Making Inferences with We Are Water Protectors

Michaela Goade's stunning illustrations and Carole Lindstrom's poetic words work together to convey meaning beyond what is explicitly stated. Students will practice making inferences about the girl's emotions, the threats to water, and the broader environmental issues the story addresses. This strategy strengthens critical thinking skills while deepening understanding of the book's themes and symbols.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.3.1,RL.3.4,RL.3.7,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7B,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.8C,3.7G,3.7F,3.7E,3.7D,3.7C,3.1A,3.7A,3.6I,3.6F,3.6B,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Vowels with We Are Water Protectors

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom as a springboard for instruction focused on r-controlled vowels or "Bossy R".

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how r-controlled vowels are used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with vowels.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.3.3,RF.3.4
TEKS Alignment
3.2A (ii),3.2B (i)
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Vocabulary Connections with We Are Water Protectors

This set of vocabulary development resources for We Are Water Protectors highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.3.4a,L.3.5b,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7E,3.7F,3.3A,3.3B
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Comprehension Assessment with We Are Water Protectors

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of We Are Water Protectors.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Running Record with We Are Water Protectors

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with We Are Water Protectors. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Water Protector Pledge with We Are Water Protectors

Encourage your students to take action and make a difference with this no-prep "Water Protector Pledge" activity. Inspired by We Are Water Protectors, this activity invites students to brainstorm ways they can protect water and draft their own unique pledge. It's the perfect way to spark creativity and foster a sense of responsibility for our planet's most precious resource.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment

Determining Importance with We Are Water Protectors (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer

Identifying the Author's Purpose with We Are Water Protectors (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer

Making Inferences with We Are Water Protectors (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer

Water Protector Pledge with We Are Water Protectors (Spanish)

Worksheet

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About the Book

The cover for the book We Are Water Protectors
Title: We Are Water Protectors
Author: Carole Lindstrom
Genre: Fiction
Themes: Water, Pollution, Conservation, Hope, Indigenous People
ISBN: 9781250203557
Publisher's Summary:
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom is an evocative picture book that draws readers into the powerful movement to protect Earth's most vital resource: water. Inspired by Indigenous-led protests against threats like oil pipelines, the story centers on a young Ojibwe girl who learns from her grandmother about the sacredness of water and the interconnectedness of all living things. When her people's water is endangered by the arrival of a "black snake"—a metaphor for an oil pipeline—the girl finds her voice as she rallies her community to stand together as stewards of the Earth. The narrative is both poetic and accessible, inviting children to recognize their own agency in caring for the natural world.

Michaela Goade's vibrant, watercolor illustrations infuse the story with rich cultural symbolism and a sense of hope, depicting a diverse community united in purpose. The book's core themes include environmental justice, community responsibility, ancestral wisdom, and the idea that everyone is connected by and responsible for water. Teachers will find this book a compelling springboard for discussions on activism, Indigenous perspectives, and the importance of protecting natural resources. With its blend of lyrical text and stunning artwork, We Are Water Protectors offers an inspiring invitation for students of all backgrounds to become caretakers of the planet.
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