Hello, friends! Today, we’re going to talk about a special story called The Mess That We Made. It’s a story about our ocean and how we can help keep it clean and safe for all the animals that live there.
Once upon a time, there was a big mess in the ocean. Fish were swimming in this mess, and a seal was eating those fish. But then, a net caught the seal! Oh no! The net was on a big boat that was dumping things into the ocean.
There was a turtle, green and gray, swimming in the ocean. The turtle was riding the waves, but it got trapped in some plastic. This plastic came from a landfill, a big pile of trash that grows every day. The landfill spills plastic into the ocean, and that’s how the turtle got stuck.
We are the people who can help! We can stop making the landfill grow by recycling and using less plastic. We can help free the turtle and clean up the ocean. We can also help the seal by collecting the nets and making sure the ocean is a safe place for all the fish to swim.
This story shows us how beautiful the ocean is and how important it is to keep it clean. Even though the ocean is hurting, we can all do something to help. We can recycle, pick up trash, and tell others to do the same. Every little action helps make the ocean a better place for animals and for us!
Thank you for joining our storytime. Remember, you can always help the ocean by making good choices every day. Keep reading more stories and learning new things. Together, we can make a big difference!
Plastic Hunt: Go on a “plastic hunt” around your home or classroom. Look for items made of plastic and think about how you can use less of them. Can you find alternatives that are better for the ocean, like reusable water bottles or cloth bags? Share your findings with your friends or family and discuss how these small changes can help the ocean.
Ocean Art Project: Create an art project using recycled materials. Gather clean, used items like paper, cardboard, or plastic bottles and make a picture or model of the ocean. Think about how you can show the ocean clean and full of happy animals. Display your artwork and explain to others how recycling can help keep the ocean beautiful.
Storytime Reflection: After reading the story, think about what you can do to help the ocean. Write or draw a short story about an adventure where you are the hero saving the ocean. What actions do you take? Who do you help? Share your story with your class or family and talk about how everyone can be a hero for the ocean.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
[Storyline Online intro]
Hi, welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I am Kathryn Hahn, and I’m going to be reading *The Mess That We Made*, written by Michelle Lord and illustrated by Julia Blattman.
This is the mess that we made.
These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the seal that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the net that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the boat of welded steel, that dumps the net, that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the current that swirls through the bay, that rocks the boat of welded steel, that dumps the net, that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the turtle, green and gray, that rides the current through the bay, that rocks the boat of welded steel, that dumps the net, that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the plastic, thrown away, that traps the turtle, green and gray, that rides the current through the bay, that rocks the boat of welded steel, that dumps the net, that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
This is the landfill, growing each day, that spills the plastic, thrown away, that traps the turtle, green and gray, that rides the current through the bay, that rocks the boat of welded steel, that dumps the net, that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
We are the people at work and at play, that stuff the landfill, growing each day, that spills the plastic thrown away, that traps the turtle, green and gray, that rides the current through the bay, that rocks the boat of welded steel, that dumps the net, that catches the seal, that eats the fish that swim in the mess that we made.
Look at the mess that we made.
But… we are the ones who can save the day, reduce our waste at work and at play, recycle the plastic thrown away, to shrink the landfill without delay.
We rescue the turtle, green and gray, and haul the garbage from the bay.
We protest the boat of welded steel, collect the nets and free the seal, that eats the fish… that swim in the ocean that we save!
What I love so much about this book is how it captures the ocean, the colors, and the magic of being close to the ocean. It also highlights how serious it is that our ocean is hurting. But at the same time, it’s very hopeful. There are many action steps that we can take, every one of us, to do our part to help these animals and the ocean itself to recover. We don’t have to feel like it’s hopeless. There are little things that we can do ourselves and encourage each other to do. That’s why I love this book so much.
Thank you for watching Storyline Online. Make sure to check out all of our stories. Keep watching, and most importantly, keep reading.
[Storyline Online credits]
—
Let me know if you need any further modifications!
