Before Greta Thunberg there was Severn Cullis-Suzuki, whose 1992 Earth
Summit speech made her known as "the girl who silenced the world for
five minutes."
Severn Cullis-Suzuki was only twelve years old when she addressed the
whole world and asked: What are you doing to the Earth, our home? How
far can human greed go? Young Severn looked at the world leaders in
attendance and said, "I'm only a child, and I don't have all the
solutions, but I want you to realize, neither do you!" She entreated
those world leaders to make their actions reflect their words and to
protect the Earth for generations to come.
Severn's speech is even more urgent today than it was thirty years ago.
Beautiful illustrations accompany her words in this first book in the
Speak Out series, followed by an analysis written by Alex Nogués that
gives readers more detail about Severn's life and the context of her
speech, while highlighting the most powerful and persuasive points of
her address.
The Speak Out series publishes the most inspiring speeches of our times,
then deconstructs them to give young readers a deeper understanding of
global issues and the power of language to influence them.
Key Text Features
biographical information
definitions
explanation
facts
headings
historical context
illustrations
informational note
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.8
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular
points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which
point(s).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced,
illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or
anecdotes).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits
into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development
of the ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how
it is conveyed in the text.
