Reader Guide
Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean Sigrid Schmalzer Illustrations by Melanie Linden Chan Hardcover, $17.95 ISBN 978-0-88448-404-2 10 X 9, 40 pages, Color throughout Ages 8-12 Picture Book/History Summary “ThefirsttimeIsawascientistinmyvillagewasalsothefirsttimeIsawawasphatchoutofamoth’segg,”writesthenarratorofthispicturebookaboutChinesescientistPuZhelong.“Inthatmoment,Icouldnothavesaidwhichwasthemoreunexpected—orthemoremiraculous.”While Rachel Carson was writing and defending Silent Spring in the U.S. in the 1960s, a soft-spoken scientist named Pu Zhelong was teaching farmers in Communist China how to forgo pesticides and instead use parasitic wasps to control the moths and other insects that were decimating crops in the world’s most populous country. Professor Pu’s work brought together the concepts of “soil” – which meant local, rural, humble, and Chinese – and “ocean” – which meant foreign, modern, elite, and Western. The Chinese government required all science to be rooted in the soil. Though little known in the West, Pu Zhelong should be celebrated worldwide as a pioneering environmentalist. This story told through the memories of a farm boy (a composite of people Pu Zhelong inspired) weaves a rich tapestry from strands of Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and the global effort to develop sustainable agriculture. Thisbookwillleadtodiscussionsabout
• Bestfarmingpractices• Theeffectsofpesticides• Chinesehistoryandculture• Differentwaysofthinkingaboutscientificresearch• Howscientistscontributetosociety
Book cover will go here.
Before You Read
Access Prior Knowledge
• Whatotherscientistsdoyouknowabout?Haveyoureadaboutotherscientistswhohavemadeimportantcontributionstotheenvironment?(Examples:RachelCarson,WangariMaathai)
• Howdoinsectpestsharmagriculturalcrops?
• FindChinaonamapoftheworld.WhereisChinainrelationtowhereyoulive?DoyouhavefamilyorfriendsinChina?
• WhatarethemostimportantagriculturalcropsinChina?Howisthisdifferentinthesouth(wherethisstorytakesplace)andthenorth?
• Whataresomeofthewaysotherinsects(e.g.,bees,ladybugs,andparasiticwasps)
helpfarmers?
• Whataresomeofthedifferentwaysofcontrollinginsectpests?
• Whatenvironmentalandhealthproblemsdochemicalpesticidescause?
After You Read
Discussion Questions
• WhatchallengeshasChinafacedinfeedingitspeopleandprotectingtheenvironment?Howhavepeopletriedtosolvethoseproblems?
• WhathappenedtoChinesefarmingafterpeoplestartedusingchemicalpesticides?
• Howdoinsectpestsbecome"resistant"tochemicalpesticides,andwhatproblemsdoesthiscause?
• HowdidPuZhelongexplaintherelationshipbetweenfarmingandecology(therelationshipsamongdifferentplantsandanimals)?
• WhywastheknowledgeofyoungpeoplelikethenarratorofthisstorysoimportantforChinesevillages?
• Howdothenarratorandothervillagersfeelaboutscience?Whatopportunitiesdoesthenarratorhavetoparticipateinscientificwork?
• Whatdoes"soilandocean"meaninthebook?HowdidthisrelatetothewayPu
Zhelongdidhisscientificwork?Whataspectsofhisworkwere"soil,"andwhichwere"ocean"?
• Afterreading"TheHistorybehindtheStory"(atthebackofthebook),whatdoyouthinkofthewaythattheCommunistgovernmenttreatedscientists?
For Further Discussion • HowwasPuZhelongsimilartoordifferentfromotherscientistsyouhaveread
about?
• Doyouthinkscientistsshouldworkwithfarmersandothercommunitymemberstosolveproblems?Whatarethepossibleadvantageswhensciencecombines“soil”and“ocean”?
OrShouldscientistsworkalonetofindtheirownresearchsolutions?Whatarethepossibleadvantageswhenscientistsworkindependently?
• Haveyouoryourfriendseverparticipatedinagriculturalscience(forexample,
through4-H)orscientificresearch(forexample,insciencefairs)?Howarethoseexperiencessimilartoordifferentfromwhatthebook'snarratorexperienced?
• Theworldstillhasnotsolvedtheproblemsoffeedingallitspeoplewhileprotectingtheenvironmentweallshare.Whatcanscientists,farmers,activists,andyoungpeopleacrosstheglobedo?Howcanweworktogether?
Activities
1)TraditionalChinesepapercuttingOnthebordersofmanypagesofthisbook,youcanfindexamplesofMelanieChan'sbeautifulpapercuttingart.PapercuttingisatraditionalfolkartinChinathatwaspopularinPuZhelong'stimeandremainspopulartoday.Numerouswebsitesprovideinstructionsonhowtocreateyourownpapercuttings.WeespeciallyrecommendSharonQian'sinstructionalvideosonYoutube.See,forexample,thisvideoonhowtocutabutterfly:https://youtu.be/WkwPTP-k2Kw2)WriteaboutthelifeofanotherscientistLookforbooksaboutanotherscientist.(Teachersandlibrarianscanhelp!)Constructatimelineoftheirlife,theircontributionstosociety,andthewaysinwhichtheyweresimilartoordifferentfromPuZhelong.Anotheroptionistowriteashortstoryaboutthescientistfromtheperspectiveofafictionalcharacter--justlikethisbook!
3)LearnaboutfarmingandinsectsVisitalocalgardenorfarmandaskthegardenersorfarmersaboutthedifferentkindsofinsectsthateattheplants--andthosethatprotectthem.Parasiticwaspsaresmallandhardtofind,butyoumaywellencounteranotherhelpfulinsectthateatspests:ladybugs!Ifyourschoolhasagarden,askyourteacherifyoucanpurchaseparasiticwaspsorladybugstoreleasethere.Youcanbuybatchesonlineforaslittleas$10or$15.4)WriteaboutyourownlifeinscienceWriteastoryaboutyourownparticipationinscience.Thesecanberealexperiencesorinvented.Howwouldyouimaginetheending(whenyouaregrownup)?5)LearntowriteaChinesecharacterThisbookincludesmanyexamplesofChinesewriting,calledcharacters.WhichisyourfavoriteChinesecharactershowninthebook?Defineitandwriteitonaposterforthewallinyourhomeorclassroom.
