Juma is a young giraffe who discovers, through his reflection at the waterhole, that he appears to look like all the other giraffes, and believes that he is not special. Disheartened, he confides his discovery to his mother, who teaches him the reasons why each giraffe trait is important for their lives. But Juma’s mother also shows him that every giraffe has a unique pattern of spots, making each individual different and special. Juma’s mother concludes that every giraffe is special and unique both on the outside and the inside, but she loves her baby Juma most of all.

The accompanying curriculum from Tanzania centers the experiences of fictional Juma the Giraffe to teach children about Tanzania’s biodiversity, mutualism, conservation, and individuality. This curriculum offers posters, a field guide to identifying Tanzanian animals, discussion prompts, lesson plans, activity ideas, games, and quizzes.

The attached field guide assists teachers using Juma the Giraffe for read alouds in identifying the species that are illustrated on the pages. Supporting readings of Juma the Giraffe with this tool will enable educators to provide accurate information to students about the biodiversity of the book’s setting, making the content easier for students to digest and engage with.

Author(s): Monica Bond & Kayla Harren

Organization: Wild Nature Institute