Justice Early Elementary
Ines and Hercules the Heron
Copyright © 2019 Cloud9World™ Corp. Written by Olivia Connor Revised by Pamela L. Bruening Ed.D. Edited by Judd Shapiro www.cloud9world.com, schools@cloud9world.com Cloud9World™ and all related titles, logos, and characters are registered trademarks of Cloud9World™ Corp. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by Cloud9World™ Corp. Miami, FL Printed in the USA
Justice Early Elementary
Ines and Hercules the Heron Written by Olivia Connor Illustrated by Norman Smith and Franky Carrillo
CHARACTERS I am Ines:
I am a 10-year-old girl from the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. I am in fourth grade. I live with my mother and father, and I am an only child. I want to become an environmental lawyer when I grow up. I love herons and have done quite a bit of research on them. I attend El Futuro Elementary School, where I study a wide range of subjects every day. • My classmates and I have extensive opportunities to take unique courses, explore different vocations, play sports, perform music, dance, act, and join clubs for every interest imaginable. • My school also allows my classmates and me to go on many educational field trips. • • • • • •
I am Hercules:
• We are known to be symbolic of calmness, strength and self-reflection. • We are members of the Ardeidae family as are all other herons. • We are approximately four feet tall (forty-six inches) with a wingspan of six to seven feet. • We feed in shallow water or at the water’s edge and spear fish or frogs with our long, sharp beaks. • We like mangroves or solitary rocks to build our large nests.
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THE SETTING
The Galapagos: • The Galapagos is an archipelago of volcanic islands that span across the equator line. • The Galapagos is located in the Pacific Ocean, 926 km (575 mi) west of Ecuador, and is an offshore territory of Ecuador. • The Galapagos consists of 13 major islands, 6 smaller islands, and scores of islets and rocks. • Due to the uniqueness of the islands and the surrounding waters there are vast numbers of endemic species including: Galapagos land iguanas, marine iguanas (the only iguana that feeds in the sea), sea cucumbers, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, Galapagos mockingbirds, Galapagos penguins, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos hawks, great frigatebirds, the waved albatross, and over 50 species of fish. • Five ocean currents converge at the Galapagos islands. The Equatorial, Cromwell, Humboldt, and Panama currents create variable water temperatures and unpredictable tides in the area, resulting in a unique marine ecology.
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Ines walked on the beach. She saw a little bird born with one leg much shorter than the other one. Hercules, the heron, brought the bird baby crabs to eat. “This is not justice,” Ines said. “It is not injustice; it is misfortune,” said Hercules. Ines felt confused. Suddenly, she heard her mother calling. “I have to go now,” Ines called to the heron. Ines’ family ate dinner together. They loved to share stories about the day. “My class is going to a small island to study plants and animals that live around water,” Ines shared excitedly. “That is awesome!” exclaimed her mother. “Education is important. Learning helps us to understand people better,” said her father. Ines realized that sometimes she was not grateful to go to school.
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On Friday, Ines’ class rode boats to the island. They took pictures of the plants and animals and wrote down what they saw. They walked through the neighborhood. Ines saw many children working. “Why are the children here working?” Ines asked her teacher. “Many of the students don’t attend school because they need to work to help their families. Many children here grow up never learning how to read or write,” her teacher replied. Ines couldn't understand why attending school was so easy for her, yet some people were not as fortunate. Ines wondered how she could help the children who couldn’t attend school.
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“Today I saw children my age working. They cannot go to school because the island is poor, and they must help their families,” Ines told Hercules. “That is heartbreaking,” the heron agreed. “It is not fair. How will those children ever get good jobs if they don’t go to school?” asked Ines. “They need social justice,” agreed Hercules. “Social justice is making sure people are treated fairly and given the same opportunities,” explained Hercules. “Like the chance to go to school?” Ines asked. ”Absolutely! Everyone should be able to go to school,” the heron explained. “Misfortune takes place when things happen out of our control. No one has done anything unfair, like the case of our little bird friend and his leg,” continued Hercules. “He was simply born like that and there is nothing that could possibly change that.”
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“Social justice is when each person has the same opportunities, like attending school. Some use the opportunity to learn and some do not, but they are all given the same chance,” Hercules explained. “Now that I understand, I can help to bring social justice to those children. Thank you, Hercules! Social justice is important so we can make a better world for everyone,” said Ines.
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Early Elementary
YOU SERVE JUSTICE WHEN YOU:
• Are truthful in your actions. and words Service
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Fairness
• Act in good faith. • Play by the rules.
Inclusion
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Equity
Mattering
Optimism
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Solidarity
Hope
Justice
Diversity
• Encourage everyone to have the opportunity to participate in events, games, and other activities. • Stand against disrespect to others regardless of race, gender, age, disability, national origin, religion, and sexual orientation. • Stand against unfairness and take action to make a change. • Give everyone a chance without playing favorites.