Grades: Middle School High School Objective: To understand that many famous quotes are pleas for changes of attitude and responsible behaviors; to gain an appreciation for a literary form seldom used in the classroom. “Quid Pro Quote” is a play on words taken from Latin phrase, “quid pro quo” , meaning “something for something .” It involves the concept of getting something of value in return for something of value. • Present the students with the quotes provided here (or you can use quotes pertaining to any subject. Greatquotes.com is a great site to find quotes specific to a subject). • Have students memorize quotes (I am a proponent of memorization we had poetry memorization contests when I was in junior high school). • Have “quote bees” to see who can memorize the most quotes. • Have students make four divisions on paper.  In the first section students write the exact quote.  In the second, they paraphrase the quote in their own words (paraphrasing is a critical skill in language arts).  In the third division students write the message or plea they believe is being elicited by the author or quote.  Finally, have students write what change of attitude or behavior they believe they can make to produce a benefit to themselves as well as the world of which they are a part. With this concept in mind, I have taken the liberty to apply this idea to notable quotes made in both recent times and distant history. (I have been an ardent aficionado of these “vignettes of virtue” for many years and believe that their value in education is sorely under appreciated) specifically, we will concentrate on quotes made with references to wildlife and other aspects of the natural world. If you love it enough, anything will talk with you.” “
George Washington Carver “No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving something behind.” George Washington Carver “I wanted to know the name of every stone and flower and insect and bird and beast. I wanted to know where it got its colors, where it got its life-­‐but there was no one to tell me.” “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” Edward Abbey, American Author “It’s alright to feel sorry for animals who are killed, but feeling anger towards predators is wrong. Remember that if there were no predators, such as the wolf, bear and snake, wildlife populations would dwindle from starvation, overpopulation and disease.” Dan and Margaret Maddox Bernard Weber (The New Seven Wonders) “How we treat the earth basically affects our social welfare and our national security.” Jim Fowler Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mollie Beattie, Director Fish and Wildlife Service “A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children.” John James Audubon “In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Baba Dioum, Senegalese Poet Harriet Beecher Stowe “We should remember in our dealings with animals that they are a sacred trust to us… [They] cannot speak for themselves.” THE END