Looking for materials to enhance using The Last Panther in the classroom or book club? This is the place to find and share those.
Released into the wild August 2017!
Although my first goal is always to write an entertaining story, it’s my hope that The Last Panther will help students creating vivid, personal connections to several areas of interest for 4th-7th grades, including:
—Understanding the power of language and writing
—Ecology
—Protecting endangered species
—Protecting the ecosystems upon which we depend
—Multiculturalism, immigration, and diversity
—Economies, markets, and social structures
—Empowering youth to work together to create positive change
Below, please find some materials that I’ve put together to help teachers and book clubs engage this text. If you come up with other materials for teaching The Last Panther, or activities for creating curriculum connections, for meeting Academic Standards, and for inspiring young readers and writers to develop their voices, please share them in the comments below, or send them to me and I’ll post them for others to use.
—The Last Panther Discussion Questions (plain version)
—The Last Panther Discussion Questions, student packet (with pictures!)
—Connections to Academic Standards and Activities for The Last Panther
—The Last Panther Debate Lesson Plan (with state standards)
—Four Activities for Engaging Future Fiction
—Make a Turtle Craft! (Or alternate sea turtle version)
—Read about the real “Ghosts Forests” due to sea level rise
—Do Something Good and Get a Protector Pendant (empowering young voices)
About The Last Panther, from School Library Journal:
“Mitchell has crafted a story that will not only engage readers, but also prompt them to ask important questions about conservation and what it means to protect wildlife… the action and mystical encounters make the book difficult to put down. Teachers can connect this absorbing tale to lessons on ecology, endangered species, social structures, and more. VERDICT An important addition on a timely subject.”
Did you come up with other discussion questions or activities for engaging this book? Please share them below. And thank you for all that you do to help inspire readers and writers!
Bring me to your school for an Author Visit to help students create a personal connection to reading and writing.
Author visits are especially effective at involving reluctant readers and writers.
Hi Todd, I am a high school teacher teaching Biology to ESL students. I am wondering if you can direct me to an audiobook version. Thank you
Hi Rene,
Thanks for contacting me. Although audio book versions exist for my YA books (recommended for ages 14 and up), there currently isn’t an audiobook for The Last Panther. However, it is available now as a Yearling Paperback, and I can tell you how to get a steep educational discount from Penguin Random House on orders for classes if that interests you. Best wishes!