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THE THUNDERHERD
By Kathi Appelt
Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles
(William Morrow, Inc. 1996)
Classroom Ideas
One summer my family and I took a long trip from our home in Texas to
Glacier National Park in Montana. One afternoon, while driving across
the prairie in Montana, I watched a thunderstorm build up over the distant
mountains. The clouds formed a giant "thunderhead" and then
raced down out of the mountains and across the prairie. It reminded me
of a herd of wild horses. Thus, the Thunderherd was born.
I have always been, since I was very small, a lover of horses, but the
mustangs are a particular favorite, perhaps because they're so tough and
scrappy. This book is my way of honoring the mustang and the role it played--and
continues to play--in the history of the American West.
Ideas for using the book are:
SCIENCE
- Use this book to talk about thunderstorms and how they're formed.
The evaporation of melting snow in the mountain regions makes thunderstorms
a common phenomenon in these areas.
- Is the wild horse a native of the North American continent? Some people
insist that the first horses here were the ancient predecessors of the
modern horse. These were small animals known as eohippus. Apparently
they migrated north across the land bridge to Asia and were absent from
this continent until the Spanish reintroduced the horse thousands of
years later. So, there is an ongoing argument about whether the horse
is native or not.
- How does this affect the use of land? Some ranchers insist that the
horse is an introduced animal and therefore not eligible for protection.
They believe that this grazing animal uses valuable grasslands. Others
believe that the horses ancestors make him a native animal and that
his history should make him worthy of protection. What do you think?
- Compare the wild horse with other wild grazing animals such as buffalo,
mules and burros, elk, caribou, etc.
Learn about introduced plants and animals and how they have affected
a region. Some examples are: the nutria, cattle egrets, rabbits (in
Australia), starlings.
- This is a good opportunity to talk about endangered species as well.
Who decides whether a species is endangered? How are the decisions made?
The horse is one of the few wild animals that can successfully be domesticated.
Write to the Bureau of Land Management for information about the "Adopt
a Mustang" project.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Thunderherd offers many opportunities to discuss the history of the
American West, especially the role of the mustang in that history. Discuss
the Conquistadors, the Plains Indians and the cattlemen. South America
shares a similar history. Discuss the similarities and the differences.
What other animals played important roles in shaping history? Have your
students investigate buffalo, cattle, beaver, wolves, etc. In some societies
today, certain animals are critical to the well being of that group. See
if your students can discover some of these animals and groups. Then have
them report on them.
CREATIVE WRITING
- Write about a time when you were in a storm--a thunderstorm, a hailstorm,
a hurricane, etc. What was it like? Were you scared? Did it remind you
of a herd of wild animals? Make up a story about being caught in a storm.
- Write about a race--one you were in or one you watched.
- Have you ever watched clouds and then imagined that they looked like
shapes of animals or things? Write a poem about clouds. Write a story
in which the clouds turned into whatever you imagined them to be.
- Write about something that took a lot of courage. Write about a time
when you had to be very brave.
- Imagine that you were one of the Conquistadors and sailed across the
Atlantic ocean on a ship loaded with horses. Tell that story.
- Imagine that you were a Native American, perhaps on a buffalo hunt.
Tell a story about you and your pony.
- Imagine that you were on a long cattle drive. What happened? Where
did you go? Who went with you? Tell that story.
- The Thunderherd is really an "illustrated poem." Why not
have your students write a poem and then illustrate it? You try it too!
If you have any other good ideas for using this book, please send them
to me care of William Morrow, Inc., 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York,
NY 10019 or email
.
Thank you!
Kathi Appelt
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