Dominic Bean and the Mammoth Melt

Students will build background knowledge about Arctic ecosystems and climate change.

Materials:

• World map
• Arctic photographs
• Sticky notes
• Chart paper

Procedure:

1. Locate the Arctic on a world map.
2. Examine photographs of Arctic landscapes.
3. Discuss what students already know about the Arctic.
4. Create a K-W-L chart:
   1. What do we Know?
   2. What do we Want to Know?
   3. What have we Learned?
5. Introduce the concept of permafrost and explain how it plays an important role in the novel

Discussion Questions:

• Why might scientists study the Arctic?
• How can changes in one region affect the rest of the world?
• Why is climate change considered a global issue?

Extension:

Research one Arctic animal and create a fact card.

Present the question: “If scientists could bring back a woolly mammoth, should they?” Students vote by moving to one side of the room for “yes” or to the other side for “no.” Each group develops supporting arguments. Students participate in a respectful class debate.

Discussion Questions:

• What benefits might come from bringing back extinct animals?
• What problems could arise?
• Who should make these decisions?

Extension: Write a persuasive paragraph supporting your position.

Create a Venn Diagram comparing:

• Transportation
• Technology
• Community
• Jobs
• Recreation
• Wildlife

Students predict which aspects of farm life Dominic may struggle with.

Discussion Questions

• What challenges would you face if you moved suddenly?
• What advantages might farm life offer over living in a larger city?

Students discuss famous discoveries made because someone asked questions.

Students complete the prompt: “One question I have about the world is …”

Create a classroom Question Wall.

Throughout the novel, students revisit their questions and consider how scientists use curiosity to solve problems.

• Reading journal
• Sticky notes
• Character tracking sheet

As students read, they create a timeline of Dominic’s development. For each major event, students record:

Students use direct quotations from the text to support observations.

Discussion Questions:

• How does Dominic view himself at the beginning of the story?
• What challenges force him to change?
• When does Dominic begin acting more responsibly?
• What role does failure play in his growth?

Extension: Write a diary entry from Dominic’s perspective after one of the novel’s major turning points.

Students will gather evidence, track clues and make predictions.

Materials:

• Detective notebook
• Evidence chart

Students maintain a notebook throughout the novel. Before reading, students create four sections in their notebooks:

• Clues: Record unusual events, discoveries and suspicious behavior.
• Questions: List mysteries that have not yet been solved.
• Predictions: Use evidence to predict what may happen next.
• Evidence: Record passages that support predictions.

Students update their notebooks after each reading session.

Discussion Questions: 

• Which clue seemed most important?
• Which prediction turned out to be correct?
• How does the author build suspense?

Extension: Create a visual “Evidence Board” similar to those used by detectives.

Students will connect scientific concepts in the novel to real-world science.

Materials:

• Science notebook
• Research materials

Create a chart with three columns:

Students conduct mini-research projects throughout the reading process and fill in the chart to see how the science in the book compares to science in real life.

Discussion Questions:

• Which scientific concepts were new to you?
• Why might authors include real science in fiction?
• What responsibilities do scientists have?

Extension: Create a short presentation explaining one scientific topic from the novel, backed up by real scientific facts.

Assign small groups one of the following themes:

• Resilience
• Curiosity
• Friendship
• Responsibility
• Environmental Stewardship
• Family

Students collect textual examples of the theme assigned to their group.

For each piece of evidence:

• Record the quotation.
• Explain its significance.
• Connect it to the overall message of the book.

Discussion Questions:

• Which theme appears most frequently?
• How do themes connect?
• What lessons does the author want readers to learn?

Extension: Create a collage representing each theme using words, symbols and quotations from the book

Create a relationship web centered on Dominic.

Include:

• Del
• Edith
• Uncle Mont
• Aunt Shirley
• Dominic’s parents
• Everett
• Mabel

Students label connections with the following categories:

• Supportive
• Challenging
• Changing
• Inspirational

Track how these relationships evolve throughout the story.

Discussion Questions:

• Which relationship changes the most?
• How do relationships influence Dominic’s decisions?
• Which character helps Dominic grow the most?

Extension: Write a paragraph explaining the most important relationship in the novel.

Students identify an environmental problem:

• Climate change
• Pollution
• Habitat loss
• Water conservation

Using the engineering design process, students:

1. Define the problem.
2. Brainstorm solutions.
3. Create a prototype drawing.
4. Present to the class.

Presentation Requirements:

• Outline and define the problem.
• Explain the solution.
• Explain the benefits of the solution.
• Explain the challenges of implementing the solution.

Extension: Host a classroom “Innovation Fair.”

Students participate in a formal panel discussion.

Roles include:

• Scientists
• Environmentalists
• Community members
• Government officials
• Indigenous knowledge keepers

Essential Question: Should extinct species be brought back?

Students support opinions with evidence from research and the novel.

Students create a museum exhibit featuring:

• Woolly mammoths
• Permafrost
• Climate change
• Genetics
• Arctic ecosystems

Required Elements:

• Title panel
• Informational text
• Visual display
• Interactive component

Students present exhibits to classmates.

Students write a personal letter to Dominic.

Include:

• Advice
• Encouragement
• Reflection on lessons learned
• Connections to personal experiences

Students develop a realistic environmental action plan that they can enact in their own community.

Options:

• School recycling campaign
• Pollinator garden
• Energy conservation awareness
• Community clean-up
• Tree planting project

Students present proposals and evaluate feasibility.

Throughout the novel, Dominic learns that solving environmental problems requires creativity and persistence.

Challenge students to invent a machine that could help the environment.

Ideas may include:

• Plastic-cleaning robots
• Carbon-capturing devices
• Wildlife protection technology
• Renewable energy inventions

Students should:

1. Name their invention.
2. Draw a detailed diagram.
3. Label important parts.
4. Explain how it works.
5. Describe the environmental problem it solves.

Students create a collectible trading card for Mabel or a woolly mammoth.

Front

• Illustration
• Character name
• Special abilities

Back

• Scientific facts
• Habitat
• Diet
• Fun facts
• Conservation importance

Display cards around the classroom.

Students create a comic strip featuring Dominic, Del and Edith.

Possible topics:

• A new climate mission
• A mammoth adventure
• Life on the farm
• A scientific discovery

Comic strips should include:

• Dialogue
• Captions
• Illustrations
• Problem and solution

Students work in teams to solve environmental puzzles.

Challenges may include:

• Decoding climate vocabulary
• Solving carbon cycle-themed clues
• Matching animals to their habitats
• Interpreting scientific data

Climate Change:

• Greenhouse gases
• Global warming
• Arctic warming
• Carbon storage

Woolly Mammoths:

• Ice Age animals
• Extinction
• Fossil discoveries
• Mammoth habitats

Genetics & Biotechnology:

• DNA
• Gene editing
• CRISPR technology
• Scientific ethics

Arctic Ecosystems:

• Tundra biomes
• Arctic wildlife
• Indigenous knowledge systems
• Environmental challenges

Careers in Environmental Science:

• Climate scientist
• Environmental engineer
• Conservation biologist
• Wildlife researcher
• Geneticist
• Arctic researcher